Houston Dynamo Aim for Fourth Win in Five Matches Against LAFC
The Houston Dynamo have bounced back from a slow start and look to secure their fourth win in five MLS matches when they face Los Angeles FC on Sunday night.
During this recent stretch, Houston has achieved three 1-0 victories while conceding only two goals. This turnaround began after a challenging 6-2 loss to the Colorado Rapids on April 11.
The Dynamo (5-5-0, 15 points) demonstrated a notable improvement in their rematch against the Rapids in Houston on May 2, allowing just two shots on target in their one-goal victory, with goalkeeper Jonathan Bond earning his third shutout of the season.
“Last game, I felt that was our best performance,” Dynamo coach Ben Olsen noted. “The technical side, the group defense, the tactical side… I thought it was a step in the right direction to get closer to what we’re going to be.”
Lawrence Ennali scored his third goal of the season in the 72nd minute, delivering a powerful right-footed shot from outside the box into the upper netting.
“Never scored a goal like that before,” Ennali remarked. “I hope there are many more to come.”
Midfielder Guilherme currently leads the Dynamo with five goals.
Los Angeles FC (6-2-3, 21 points) previously triumphed over the Dynamo 2-0 in Houston on February 28, with Mark Delgado scoring in the 56th minute and Stephen Eustaquio adding another in the 82nd minute. The Dynamo finished that match with nine players after Antonio Carlos received a red card in the second minute of first-half stoppage time, followed by Agustin Bouzat’s red card in the 76th minute.
Recently, LAFC suffered a 4-0 defeat to Toluca FC on Wednesday, eliminating them from the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals with a 5-2 aggregate score. The match remained scoreless until Toluca capitalized with four second-half goals.
“We played eight (Champions Cup) games and we were excellent until the second half,” LAFC coach Marc Dos Santos said. “So in the whole competition we played one really bad half and it was the second half… We can learn a lot from this. We’ve got to be strong because Sunday we play again.”
Los Angeles will be missing star forward Denis Bouanga, who is suspended due to yellow-card accumulation. Bouanga currently leads LAFC with five goals.
In their last outing, LAFC managed to secure a 2-2 draw against San Diego FC on May 2, scoring twice late in the match with Bouanga netting in the 82nd minute and Ryan Hollingshead scoring the equalizer in the 14th and final minute of stoppage time.