Elite midfielder Braian Ojeda’s first career MLS/RSL goal provided the game-winner on an assist from forward Andrés Gómez, whose goal and two assists put him into the top 10 in the league in both categories in 2024.

Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s side, fresh off its second bye week of the season, conceded just eight minutes into the contest.

The play started as a long pass from the Houston defense made it through a packed midfield and rolled onto the stride of Sebastian Kowalczyk down the left wing. While awaiting the underlapping run of Ibrahim Aliya into the box, he played an off-speed pass to Aliyu as he held off a marker and connected with a curling right-footed strike past the outstretched glove of RSL keeper Zac MacMath and into the side netting.

Feeding off the standing-room only energy of the crowd, RSL roared back and nearly equalized in the 19th minute. As Houston built up through the midfield, midfielder Matt Crooks used his 6-foot-6 frame to overpower the ball carrier and feed it to captain Chicho Arango for a lightning-quick counterattack.

Arango raced up field and laid it off to Gómez, who was racing down the right wing. His Colombian compatriot drew two defenders before creating distance with a nasty fake shot and playing it back to Arango atop of the box. Winding up and ripping the one-time shot with his preferred right foot, Arango’s strike beat the goalkeeper but glanced off the crossbar and out of play.

Not to be denied, RSL turned its momentum into a 1-1 scoreline with a 22nd minute equalizer, Gómez collecting his 11th goal of 2024 (T-8 in MLS).

In seemingly pedestrian run of play, Bode Hidalgo stepped up from the defensive line to head a ball forward through the midfield. As the pair of Houston center backs attempted to let it roll between them and into the box for their goalkeeper to collect, Gómez had other plans.

He came sprinting in toward the ball as the keeper desperately rushed out. Gómez would win the race, splitting the defenders and beating Steve Clark to the ball by a millisecond to clinically tap it into the back of the net. That allowed Hidalgo to record his first assist of the year.

RSL turned up the heat again in the 42nd minute, creating an attack as a give-and-go with Gómez sent Crooks into the attacking third with green grass ahead of him. Consuming space in the middle, he switched play to the left corner of the box for playmaker Diego Luna as he stood over the ball with aggressive intentions.

Cutting inside, Luna beat a charging defender with a clever feint before taking one extra touch inside, then launching a shot at the far post with his right foot, the pure connection curling the ball around the keeper and into the net with sizzling pace. Luna’s fourth goal of the year and Crooks’ fifth assist gave RSL the halftime lead.

Despite the early setback, RSL hit the locker room with a 2-1 edge supported by a commanding advantage in shots, shots on target, passing accuracy and expected goals.

RSL came out with intensity for the second 45, nearly bagging a third goal less than two minutes into the action.

Moving quickly on the counter, a clever pass from Luna sent Arango into the box, firing a shot at the near post that was saved towards the end line. With Clark rushing out to collect the ball, Arango collected himself and beat him to the ball, setting up Gómez for a wide-open shot with the keeper out of position. It seemed like a sure goal, but Gómez’s shot was somehow kept out by a heroic diving goal-line clearance by Houston defender Griffin Dorsey.

Despite the early claret-and-cobalt chances, Houston struck first in the second half, with La Naranja equalizing in the 55th minute.

Winning it back in the RSL third, Kowalczyk fed the ball to Captain Héctor Herrera out on the left wing. Stopping it at his feet and waiting for the run of his teammates in the box, Herrera whipped a curling cross to the back post.

The ball, untouched by anyone in an orange jersey, took a slight deflection off Andrew Brody, changing course just enough to sneak past MacMath and into the net.

Just minutes after his Emeka Eneli came forward and nearly reclaimed the lead for RSL, midfielder Ojeda scored the first goal of his MLS career in the 67th minute to put his squad back in front.

As Chicho Arango stood over the ball on the right side of the midfield, he picked his head up and, noticing a 3-on-4 opportunity, ran directly at the Houston defense. Getting them on their heels, Chicho laid it off to the right side of the box for Gómez and darted inside to receive the return ball.

As Gómez centered it to the feet of Arango at point-blank range, Arango slipped, allowing the ball to filter through to an unmarked Ojeda in the center of the box. Showing both his composure and technique, Ojeda took a touch and calmly deposited a perfect shot into the open space at Clark’s far post.

The trio of goals would prove enough for RSL as the final whistle blew with the Claret-and-Cobalt up 3-2.

RSL’s 11-3-7 record is good for 40 points, tied with LAFC and LA Galaxy for top spot in the Western Conference, pending the results of their July 4 meeting.