Houston Dynamo FC score four to defeat defending MLS Champions

Houston Dynamo FC found victory over LAFC 4-0 at Shell Energy Stadium tonight to hand the defending MLS champions their largest defeat of the season and win their eighth home match of the year in all competitions.

Houston took the lead in the 11^th minute after Dynamo forward Aliyu Ibrahim brought down a ball near midfield and played a pass to Adalberto “Coco” Carrasquilla out wide. The Panamanian switched play with the outside of his foot and found forward Nelson Quiñónes.The Colombian winger dribbled toward the box and created space for a shot that beat John McCarthy at the far post for his first MLS goal.

Quiñónes won a penalty kick in the 49^th minute after dribbling toward the heart of the box. Dynamo forward Amine Bassi converted the penalty kick for his seventh goal of the season and eighth of the year in all competitions. The 25-year-old recorded his fifth penalty-kick goal of the year to tie the single-season club record set by Erick Torres in 2017. Quiñónes also won the penalty kick for the opening goal of the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinal match versus Chicago Fire FC and scored the fourth goal for Houston in the 4-1 victory on Tuesday at SeatGeek Stadium.

The Dynamo put a third goal past LAFC in the 69^th minute after forwards Ibrahim and Corey Baird worked together to steal the ball from Ryan Hollingshead at the top left corner of the penalty box. Baird dribbled his way through traffic and tucked the ball into the bottom right corner of the net seven minutes after entering the match as a substitute. The 27-year-old has scored five goals over the last six matches in all competitions.

With a long ball from inside the center circle, Dynamo captain Héctor Herrera found Franco Escobar in open space outside of the box in the 89^th minute. The Argentinian defender controlled the ball off his chest and booted the half volley on the outside of his right foot, finding the back of the net off the crossbar for his first goal for Houston.

Dynamo midfielder Artur had a key intervention in the sixth minute of the match after Dénis Bouanga found Carlos Vela near the penalty spot. The Dynamo midfielder challenged and stripped the ball from the LAFC captain to quell the danger.

Dynamo goalkeeper Steve Clark was well positioned in the 28^th minute to track Stipe Biuk’s effort from the edge of the six-yard box. The Dynamo shot stopper faced two shots on target in the first half.

A corner kick from Herrera bounced off the crossbar in the 35^th minute. The captain won a corner kick minutes later when his effort from outside the box was deflected out of play by the LAFC backline. 

Bassi got the crowd on their feet in the 38^th minute with an effort from outside the box that just missed the inside of the near post. 

Clark was called into action in the 43^rd minute to deny Diego Palacios at the near post with an acrobatic save. The Dynamo goalkeeper finished with two saves against LAFC.

The Dynamo are back in action on Wednesday, June 14 when they travel to face LAFC again on BMO Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CT.