McGlynn fires Dynamo to first win of 2025
(image via Aldo Canale)
Coming into Saturday night’s contest against LAFC, the Houston Dynamo had yet to get any points at Shell Energy Stadium in 2025. They were forced to wait a little longer to get this match going as strong storms blew through Houston, submerging the field in water. After a 30 minute delay to fully dry things out, the Dynamo found their footing.
Houston head coach Ben Olsen made some changes to the lineup. Erik Sviatchenko returned to the starting eleven at center back and Junior Urso came in to the midfield. This pushed Jack McGlynn further up into the right midfield role, and he excelled.
Early on, it was McGlynn constantly on the ball and driving the Dynamo forward. He slipped a ball into Ponce, in the 10th minute, but the Argentine couldn’t get a clean shot off. Moments later, McGlynn tried a shot from distance that LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris had to punch away.
LAFC’s best chance of the first half came in the 35th minute from their Venezuelan teenager. David Martinez knifed through the Houston defense down the right side and got into the box. He tried to beat Blake Gillingham with a shot between his legs but the rookie closed it up and made a big save to keep the match scoreless.
The teams went into halftime with the score tied 0-0. Houston was on the front foot for most of the half but couldn’t find a breakthrough, a story that is becoming all too familiar for the Dynamo in 2025.
The second half began similar to what we saw in the first half, with the Dynamo on the front foot. Ponce was slipped into the channel, in the 50th minute, and fired from a tough angle, forcing a good save from Lloris low to his right. Eight minutes later, the Dynamo found their breakthrough.
McGlynn picked up the ball again on the right, after a one-two with Griffin Dorsey, and drove forward. The midfielder cut inside for more space and then fired a shot from 25 yards out. His low effort skimmed across the grass and nestled in at the near post past the dive of Lloris. It was McGlynn’s first goal for the Dynamo and gave Houston a 1-0 lead in the 58th minute.
LAFC pushed forward looking for an equalizer after going down a goal. A deflection in the 78th minute, found the outside of the post as the away side knocked on the door. In the 80th minute, a ball floated into the box for Eddie Segura to get a head on. His shot looked goal bound but Gillingham got across and got his right hand up to make an incredible save and keep game at 1-0.
A check for a possible penalty minutes later, as Franco Esocbar and Cengiz Under tangled in the box, came to nothing. LAFC kept threatening in the seven minutes of extra time. Segura once again rose for a header in the sixth minute of stoppage time but it bounced just wide. The final minute ran down and the whistle blew for the first win of the season for the Dynamo.
Next up for Houston is another match with Los Angeles. This one will be on the West Coast as the Dynamo travel to Carson, California to take on the Galaxy in a late-night tilt next Saturday.
