Houston Dynamo vs LA Galaxy: Highlights, stats, and quotes
(image via Ricky Vega)
The Houston Dynamo beat the LA Galaxy 2-1 night in a thrilling final match of the 2024 regular season. Daniel Steres scored in the final moment of the match to send Houston into the postseason on a winning note.
MATCH SUMMARY
Houston Dynamo FC 2-1 LA Galaxy
Saturday, October 19, 2024
Venue: Shell Energy Stadium - Houston, Texas
Referee: Rosendo Mendoza
Assistants: Brooke Mayo, Ben Pilgrim
Fourth Official: Tim Ford
VAR: Michael Radchuk
Attendance: 20,800
Weather: 75 degrees, clear skies
SCORING SUMMARY
HOU: Ezequiel Ponce (Daniel Steres) 44’
LA: Gabriel Pec (penalty kick) 90+6’
HOU: Daniel Steres (Griffin Dorsey) 90+11’
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY
HOU: Amine Bassi (caution; foul) 9’
LA: Joseph Paintsil (caution; foul) 55’
HOU: Brooklyn Raines (caution; foul) 90+6’
LINEUPS & STATS
Houston Dynamo FC: Steve Clark; Daniel Steres, Griffin Dorsey, Erik Sviatchenko, Micael, Artur; Amine Bassi (McKinze Gaines 89’), Hector Herrera (C) (Brooklyn Raines 46’), Ibrahim Aliyu (Latif Blessing 69’); Coco Carrasquilla, Ezequiel Ponce (Sebastian Kowalczyk 82’)
Unused Substitutes: Ethan Bartlow, Sebastian Ferreira, Andrew Tarbell, Tate Schmitt, Junior Moreno
Total shots: 15 (Erik Sviatchenko 5)
Shots on goal: 7 (Erik Sviatchenko 3)
Fouls: 11 (four players tied with 2)
Offside: 1 (Ezequiel Ponce 1)
Corner kicks: 9
Saves: 4 (Steve Clark 4)
LA Galaxy: John McCarthy; Miki Yamane, Julian Aude, Maya Yoshida (C), Emiro Garces (Jalen Neal 89’), Riqui Puig; Marco Reus, Edwin Cerrillo (Isaiah Parente 89’), Dejan Joveljic (Diego Fagundez 82’); Gabriel Pec, Joseph Paintsil
Unused substitutes: Gaston Brugman, John Nelson, Eriq Zavaleta, Mauricio Cuevas, Miguel Berry, Novak Micovic
Total shots: 15 (Gabriel Pec 6)
Shots on goal: 7 (Gabriel Pec 3)
Fouls: 9 (Edwin Cerrillo 3)
Offside: 0
Corner kicks: 5
Saves: 4 (John McCarthy 4)
HOUSTON DYNAMO HEAD COACH BEN OLSEN
On the result:
“It feels good to get the three points. We aim to entertain, and we did that in front of a packed house. These are great nights and the ones you remember. It was a playoff atmosphere and a great opponent to prepare us for the playoffs. We also set a new single-season club record with 54 points, so we are continuing to build and push for sustainable success. What I'm most happy about is the crowd tonight. The energy in there was fantastic, and it really fuels the entire team.”
On Daniel Steres’ goal:
“Dan has always been impressive in the air. He can score goals, and he's done it for this Club. Dan smells danger, and he’s athletic, while having good balance and control of his body. Once I saw him get a step on the pass, I knew we had a chance, and I'm happy for him. He also played for L.A., so I'm sure that felt even more special.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO DEFENDER DANIEL STERES
On the result and his goal:
“We just kept fighting and doing whatever we could to push ourselves, and that’s what this group does. We are also proud of setting the Club’s single-season record for points. On the goal, Griffin (Dorsey) put in a good ball, and I was able to sneak in and find the back of the net. After scoring, I was just laying on the ground and taking it all in. I’m happy for myself and for the team. It’s against my former team too, which felt good.”
On the fans and atmosphere:
“I can’t say enough about the fans tonight. It was incredible to have so many people here to create that atmosphere. We gave them a game, so it was electric. We have at least one more home game in the playoffs, so we’re excited to have the same turnout because tonight felt like a playoff game for sure.”
