Jack McGlynn’s first goal for Houston Dynamo FC was well worth the wait.
The club’s marquee offseason acquisition opened his Orange account on Matchday 7 with a stunning strike that gave Houston their first win of 2025, a 1-0 home victory over LAFC.
With both sides locked in a tight scoreless battle Saturday night at Shell Energy Stadium, McGlynn provided the game’s moment of magic in the 58th minute.
After a slick backheel pass from Griffin Dorsey, the 21-year-old USMNT midfielder executed a sensational solo run before unleashing a left-footed finish past the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
“Space opened up and [Ezequiel] Ponce made a really good run, and I’m confident to hit that from outside of the box,” McGlynn told reporters after the final whistle. “And thank God it went in.”
McGlynn, a former Philadelphia Union homegrown who arrived in H-Town in February via the league’s second cash-for-player trade, gave his new club their first three points of the MLS campaign while redeeming himself from an error that cost the Dynamo in last week's 3-1 loss at the Portland Timbers.
"It was also a great response from Jack. Last week was tough, and it's been a long month for a lot of us," said head coach Ben Olsen. "So his response after giving the ball away in Portland, I know this one's pretty special for him."
McGlynn and Houston will look to build on Saturday's performance when they visit defending MLS Cup presented by Audi champions LA Galaxy on April 12 (10:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
"We're all relieved," said Olsen. "You wanna get the first win under your belt, I'm not gonna lie. It's been a long month."
