In Week 18 of the MLS, Houston took advantage of their home ground to defeat St. Louis City, clinching a 1-0 victory at Shell Energy Stadium. The only goal of the match came in the 65th minute, when Ezequiel Ponce found the back of the net.
Receiving a precise assist from Felipe Andrade, Ponce fired a shot that left the St. Louis goalkeeper with no chance, securing the crucial goal for his team.
Ponce’s outstanding performance earned him the title of Man of the Match. The Houston forward demonstrated his striking prowess, not only scoring but also attempting four shots on goal throughout the game.
Houston’s goalkeeper, Jonathan Bond, was also pivotal, showcasing his skills by saving three key shots from the opponents.
Manager Benjamin Olsen set his team in a 4-5-1 formation, including Jonathan Bond in goal; Felipe Andrade, Erik Sviatchenko, Pablo Ortiz, and Franco Escobar in defense; Brooklyn Raines, Artur de Lima, Ondrej Lingr, Amine Bassi, and Duane Holmes in the midfield; and Ezequiel Ponce leading the attack.
On the other side, St. Louis City, under coach David Critchley, lined up in a similar 4-5-1 system, featuring Roman Bürki as the goalkeeper; Joseph Zalinsky, Jake Girdwood-Reich, Michael Wentzel, and Jayden Reid in defense; Alfredo Morales, Conrad Wallem, Simon Becher, Marcel Hartel, and Célio Pompeu in midfield; with João Klauss at the front.
Looking ahead, Houston will face San Diego FC away in their next match, while St. Louis City will travel to meet Real Salt Lake.
Substitutions for Houston
53’ 2T – Erik Sviatchenko was replaced by Ethan Bartlow
76’ 2T – Ondrej Lingr came off for Sebastian Kowalczyk
84’ 2T – Felipe Andrade and Amine Bassi were substituted for Femi Awodesu and Nicolás Lodeiro respectively
Yellow Cards for Houston
37’ 1T – Pablo Ortiz (Unsporting behavior)
50’ 2T – Franco Escobar (Delaying the game)
Substitutions for St. Louis City
14’ 1T – Alfredo Morales was replaced by Akil Watts
45’ 2T – Joseph Zalinsky and Duane Holmes came off for Tomas Totland and Lawrence Ennali respectively
47’ 2T – Conrad Wallem was substituted for Cedric Teuchert
68’ 2T – Célio Pompeu left the field for Xande Silva
71’ 2T – Tomás Ostrák replaced an unnamed player
80’ 2T – Jake Girdwood-Reich was replaced by Kyle Hiebert
Yellow Cards for St. Louis City
2’ 1T – Joseph Zalinsky (Unsporting behavior)
20’ 1T – Jayden Reid (Unsporting behavior)
44’ 1T – Benjamin Lundt (Insulting or disapproving the referee)