The Houston Dynamo clinched a late-night victory on Tuesday, securing a spot in the Round of 16 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup tournament against St. Louis City S.C. at Shell Energy Stadium, delighting the 5,000 fans in attendance.
Erik Sviatchenko’s goal in the 60th minute, following a set-piece situation, proved decisive in the match, which began at 9:30 p.m. CT. This victory was pivotal for the Dynamo, who entered the second leg with a 2-1 goal deficit from the previous match in St. Louis.
In the aggregate scoring system of the tournament, Houston and St. Louis were tied at two goals each after 90 minutes. However, Houston held the advantage due to Sebastian Kowalczyk’s away goal scored in the first leg.
The Dynamo will now face the reigning MLS Cup champions, the Columbus Crew, in the Round of 16. The first leg is scheduled for Wednesday, March 6, at 7 p.m. at Shell Energy Stadium, followed by the second leg at Columbus’ Lower.com Field on Tuesday, March 12, at 5 p.m.
The winner of the Houston-Columbus matchup will advance to the quarterfinals against the winner of Orlando City S.C. vs. Tigres UANL.
Despite their success in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the Dynamo must also focus on Major League Soccer (MLS) fixtures. After their season-opening draw with Sporting Kansas City, they will host the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, March 2, followed by a match against the Portland Timbers at home on Saturday, March 16, after completing their fixtures against the Crew.
