Ondřej Lingr and Ezequiel Ponce each score a goal, Dynamo beats Austin 2-0
HOUSTON (AP) — Ondrej Lingr scored his second goal in as many MLS appearances, Ezequiel Ponce also scored a goal and the Houston Dynamo beat Austin FC 2-0 on Saturday night.
Jonathan Bond had two saves for the Dynamo and recorded his first shutout since 2023.
Lingr — who made his MLS debut last time out when he subbed on in the 75th minute and then scored — opened the scoring in the 61st, putting away a volley off a failed clearance by Owen Wolff.
Houston (2-4-4) is unbeaten in four straight games, beginning with a 1-0 home win over Los Angeles FC on April 5.
Ponce, on the counter-attack, put away a feed from Griffin Dorsey to make it 2-0 in the 79th.
Brad Stuver had five saves for Austin (5-4-1).
Brendan Hines-lke (suspension) did not play for Austin after receiving a red card in a 1-0 win over the defending MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy last time out.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
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It's been quite a summer for international soccer in the United States. Let's see. There was the FIFA Club World Cup for some of the top club sides on the planet, and the Concacaf Gold Cup for the leading teams in North and Central America and the Caribbean. And currently, we have the Leagues Cup. Hold on, you might say, what in the world is the Leagues Cup? Well, it is a relatively new competition manufactured by Major League Soccer and Liga MX to determine the best team in a tournament between each league. Several skeptics felt that another summer tourney that extended the MLS schedule that already has been congested with the likes of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (which has been alive and kicking since 1913) and the Concacaf Champions Cup, was not needed. But in 2019 MLS and Liga MX decided to create Leagues Cup. Only four years competed that year as the tournament has been expanded over the years. 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