HOUSTON, Texas (Monday, August 5, 2024) – Real Salt Lake fell to Houston Dynamo, 0-3, ending the Utah side’s 2024 Leagues Cup run. Despite RSL finishing with the advantage on paper, an early deflection goal snowballed into the only first-half triple that Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s side has conceded to an MLS opponent since April 2022. The match also saw the return of Captain **Chicho Arango** to the lineup for the first time since August 13, the Colombian frontman and Golden Boot pole sitter looking to regain his red-hot form following a four-match MLS suspension.
It was a first half to forget for the boys from the Beehive State, the Claret-and-Cobalt conceding a series of three unfortunate goals in the form of a 7’ deflection, a 24’ set-piece score and a 42’ 50/50 deflection finish. The early three-goal assault is the first time RSL has conceded a first-half triple to an MLS side this season, the only other occurrence in 2024 coming in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup loss to USL Championship side New Mexico United on May 8. Despite the lopsided scoreline, RSL had reason to be confident as it hit the locker room even with Dynamo on paper, controlling the majority of possession and passing with a four-to-zero corner kick advantage while equaling Houston in shots and shots on target.
Mastroeni’s side came out for the second 45 energized by the return of Captain and MLS Golden Boot leader Arango to the lineup. As one of the best teams in the MLS when facing adversity this season, RSL created chance after chance in the second half en route to accumulating nearly two expected goals but another comeback was not in the cards, the scoreline standing steady at 0-3 until the final whistle. The loss marks the third time in 12 months that RSL has been eliminated from a competition at the hands of Houston, losing the 2023 U.S. Open Cup Semifinal, the first round of the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, and now the 2024 Leagues Cup. Notably, the contentious recent history between the teams was on full display as the two sides combined for a total 42 fouls, each team collecting an even blackjack.
RSL will continue its MLS campaign with a run of home matches beginning on August 24 against San Jose followed by New England on August 31, the Claret-and-Cobalt hosting six of the final nine MLS reg. season games at America First Field.
GOAL-SCORING SUMMARY:
HOU - 7’ - Héctor Herrera (Unassisted): With RSL thoroughly controlling play to open the match, Houston mounted their first attack in the 7th minute to score against the run of play. As Latif Blessing held possession on the right side of the box, he passed to Griffin Dorsey who played a clever lay-off for a one-time shot from a midfielder. The attempt not caught cleanly, a fluttering ball was headed out of the box by the RSL back line. Waiting outside the box though, was Héctor Herrera, the Mexican National Team captain winding up and hitting a one-time worm-burner on the half-volley at the near post. While it looked like a well-positioned **Gavin Beavers** would be able to comfortably make the save, an unfortunate deflection by multiple players redirected the shot into the top-corner netting with no time for the young goalkeeper to react.
HOU - 24’ - Micael (Héctor Herrera): With Houston getting forward and threatening to put another on the board, Artur won a free kick in the 24th minute from 35 yards away on the left wing. Herrera stepping up to take it after scoring earlier in the affair, he curled in a well-struck, head-level cross to the center of the box. As a group of orange jerseys pushed their way through the traffic, Micael perfectly timed his leap to get a head on the ball just inches in front of the gloves of a charging Beavers, his glancing attempt bouncing into the unattended net to give Houston a two-goal advantage and control of the group.
HOU - 42’ - Ezequiel Ponce (Griffin Dorsey): Houston building up down the left side, they quickly switched the pitch to find Dorsey on the right wing in the 41st minute. Spotting the darting run of Ezeqiuel Ponce in the center of the box, Dorsey elected to whip in a low, one-time cross for his striker. Ponce able to get in behind the RSL back line with pace, he jumped forward to box-out Justen Glad as the pair jockeyed for position. With both players lunging to make an acrobatic play on the bending ball, it would be Ponce that arrived first, connecting with a glancing shot on his fully-extended right foot as it bounced past a diving Beavers and inside the near post to give Houston a trio of first-half goals.
NOTES FROM RSL 0 : 3 HOU
- Captain, MLS MVP Contender and Golden Boot leader Chicho Arango substitutes on in the 46th minute to make his first appearance since July 13 after missing four matches due to a suspension.
- RSL concedes its only first-half triple of the season against a fellow MLS side, the only other three-goal first 45 coming in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup loss to New Mexico United on May 8. The last first-half triple conceded against an MLS squad came on April 17, 2022 in a 0-6 loss to New York City FC.
- RSL held scoreless for just the sixth time in a competitive match this season (MIA 2/21, COL 4/13, MTL 6/15, LA 6/22, POR 7/13).
- RSL now enters the most densely-congested period of home matches on the 2024 schedule, with four of the next five to be played at America First Field (San Jose 8/24, New England 8/31, Dallas 9/18, Portland 9/21).
LINEUPS -
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Gavin Beavers; Justen Glad ©; Brayan Vera; Bode Hidalgo; Alex Katranis (Andrew Brody, 46’); Nelson Palacio (Noel Caliskan, 81’); Braian Ojeda (Emeka Eneli, 46’); Andrés Gómez; Diego Luna; Matt Crooks (Benji Michel, 66’); Anderson Julio (Chicho Arango, 46’)
Subs not used: Bryan Oviedo, Maikel Chang, Philip Quinton, Zac MacMath, Fernando Delgado
Houston Dynamo (4-2-3-1): Andrew Tarbell; Erik Sviatchenko; Micael; Griffin Dorsey; Franco Escobar; Héctor Herrera ©; Artur; Latif Blessing (Daniel Steres, 90+5); Ibrahim Aliyu (Lawrence Ennali, 60’); Amine Bassi (Sebastian Kowalczyk, 71’); Ezequiel Ponce (Gabriel Segal, 90+5)
Subs not used: McKinze Gaines, Brad Smith, Steve Clark, Ethan Bartlow, Sebastián Ferreira, Tate Schmitt, Ján Greguš
Stats Summary: HOU / RSL
Shots: 13 / 14
Shots on Goal: 7 / 7
Saves: 6 / 5
Corner Kicks: 1 / 9
Fouls: 21 / 21
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
HOU: Ezequiel Ponce (Caution - 62’)
