The MLS Western Conference championship has its first contender as the Houston Dynamo defeated Sporting Kansas City at Shell Energy Stadium in the third of the four MLS Conference Semifinal games with a goal from a corner kick by Franco Escobar.
Franco Escobar’s header was the belle of the ball
The orange team joins FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew, who on Saturday earned a place in the Eastern Final, while in the last round, reigning champions Los Angeles FC will compete for the last ticket against Seattle Sounders.
The home side controlled the flow of the game, with 64% of the possession time. However, the match was more of a struggle than a dangerous opportunity, as each team generated only four shots on goal. The Dynamo generated 15 shots versus Sporting’s 12.
The only goal of the match came in the 39th minute, through Houston’s left back on a corner kick. On Héctor Herrera’s shot from the right flank, the defender quickly ran to connect with a powerful header leaving Tim Melia behind.
Hector Herrera’s corner kick was the right setting for the victory
Hector Herrera was a determining factor in the match for Dynamo, participating in all 90 minutes, not only by providing the service for the goal but also by controlling the game in the midfield, in a great season, after being harshly criticized for his performance in Qatar 2022.
Meanwhile, Alan Pulido, Sporting’s attacking reference, also took part in the 90 minutes of the match, but was practically unheard of, as he was unable to shoot on goal.
When will the MLS Conference Finals be played?
The Conference Finals will be played next Saturday, December 5th. The Eastern Conference Final begins at 18:30 ET at TQL Stadium, home of FC Cincinnati, top seed and favorite to win the MLS Cup, against the Crew, who finished third in the East.
The Western Final will be played at the home of the winner between the Sounders (2) or LAFC (3), as the Dynamo finished fourth, at 21:30 ET.
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