Back to the winning ways: Houston bounces back at home

Written By Vicente Garcia Miale, SFL Writer | Photo credit: Oscar Herrera, SFL Photographer

St. Louis City SC visited Houston in a direct conference matchup between two teams in need of a win. The teams participating in the Western Conference arrived in negative forms and remain far away from the possibility of a playoff berth. Houston (5-9-5) aimed to bounce back from three consecutive losses, two of which were obtained at home. St Louis, led by newly appointed interim coach David Critchley, holds a record of three wins, ten losses, and six draws.

Notably, the night’s spotlight was the Uruguayan midfielder and MLS legend Nicolas Lodeiro. The former Seattle Sounders and Orlando City player has decided to end his nine-year career in the North American league and will return to his childhood club, Nacional. Lodeiro won three titles as a Sounder, including the Concacaf Champions League in 2022 and the 2016 and 2019 MLS Cup. The 2011 Copa America winner leaves the Dynamo and MLS after registering 51 goals and 103 assists in 240 appearances. Lodeiro was not part of Ben Olsen’s starting eleven, but he entered the match in the 85th minute.

A physical start highlighted by chippy plays and multiple fouls created a heated environment at Shell Energy Stadium. Argentine players Ezequiel Ponce and Franco Escobar were among the players who repeatably interacted with the referee as he called a total of 32 fouls in the match. The tension and toughness displayed by both sides were bigger than any tactical effort, which led to a scoreless result in the first half where neither team approached the final third with danger. The need for a win forced Ben Olsen to replace Duane Holmes with Lawrence Ennali at the start of the second half. Although the German winger is slowly coming back from injury, Ennali showed why he is not afraid to drive the ball forward and overtake defenders as he led the Dynamo in dribbles.

The offensive initiative displayed by Olsen’s team was rewarded as Ezequiel Ponce scored 65 minutes into the match when a cross from Ethan Bartlow couldn’t be finished by Franco Escobar inside the box. The recycled ball was served once again

inside the box by Felipe Andrade who found the Argentine striker in front of the goal line. Ponce scored his 5th goal of the season and leads Houston in goals. Houston secured the 1-0 win and added three much-needed points as they climbed to the 10th spot of the table. Head Coach Ben Olsen spoke about the win over St. Louis City.

“This result feels good for the players, staff, and fans,” said Olsen. “The guys understood the importance of the match and brought the right energy. We competed at a high level and the subs came in and did a good job as well. This was a vital three points for us.”

Olsen also shared his thoughts on Nico Lodeiro’s exit and his contributions to the league. 

“We are thankful for his service in Houston, and more importantly, for his service to MLS,” said Olsen. “He is one of the best players this league has ever seen, and it was a real joy to work with him. Nico is a great example for some of our young players to watch and learn from his longevity and mentality.”

Houston will travel to California as they face San Diego FC, the new addition to the MLS, on Saturday, July 5, at Snapdragon Stadium.