LA Galaxy Avoid 17th Loss of Season in Houston

The two teams that squared off in back-to-back MLS Cup Finals in 2011 and 2012 finally took the field against one another again. Their second meeting of the season was rescheduled in late July due to the weather and conditions on the field in Houston that made it unsafe for players to play.

Thus, the league had stepped in and rescheduled for the LA Galaxy to visit the Houston Dynamo on this weekend. The result was shocking at first, but honestly not all that surprisingly considering how it ended the last time the Galaxy and Dynamo played each other.

The LA Galaxy played without a few of their stars. Reigning Player of the Month, Marco Reus, and Matheus Nascimento were not listed. Neither was forward Joseph Paintsil, who was with Ghana's National Team, trying to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Ezequiel Ponce scored in the 35th minute of the game on Saturday. His ninth goal of the season gave the Houston Dynamo the 1-0 for the majority of the match.

Ponce also scored in the 1-1 draw earlier in the season against the LA Galaxy. That match was played in April at Dignity Health Sports Park, where the defending MLS Cup have won four times this season.

Who was the savior for the LA Galaxy on Saturday?

After the Dynamo scored in the first half, the defense by the Los Angeles Galaxy tightened up.

Up until the 50th minute of the game, Houston had five shot attempts and three on target. Despite taking four more shots the rest of game, the Galaxy prevented the Dynamo from anymore being on target.

Vanney and his team took nine more shots after the 50th minute as four of which were on target, including the game-tying score. The LA Galaxy also drew eight more fouls from the 50th minute onward.

It was the team's 25-year-old midfielder who found the back of the net at the very last possible minute. Lucas Sanabria scored in the 90'+9', deep into stoppage time of the second half.

Defender John Nelson was credited with the assist. This was Sanabria's second goal on the season and in his career, as his first game in the LA Galaxy's first win, 2-0 against Real Salt Lake.

Former LA Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Bond got the star for Houston on Saturday. He was in top form the entire game until Sanabria's shot. Just like Bond, JT Marcinkowski also allowed one goal in the game.

Next up for the LA Galaxy, the six-time MLS Cup winners travel back to the Pacific Northwest to play the Seattle Sounders. This is a rematch of both last season's MLS Western Conference Finals and this year's semifinals match in the Leagues Cup tournament.

After that, the Los Angeles Galaxy have five more regular season games before their season ends. The defending MLS Cup champions are practically eliminated from the postseason as they would have to win out going forward, while a number of teams lose out.

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