Houston Dynamo II Edge San Jose in Penalty Shootout
Houston Dynamo II and San Jose Earthquakes II played out a 1-1 draw in MLS Next Pro before Houston won 5-4 on penalties in a Group Stage match on 19 August 2026. Vitor Silva put the hosts ahead early, only for Joe Heisner to equalise late in normal time. The shootout stretched to five rounds before J. Bell's miss handed Houston the victory.
Santa Silva opened the scoring in the ninth minute, giving Houston a lead they would not surrender until the final moments of regulation. San Jose responded through Heisner in the 78th minute, and the game headed into extra time with the score locked at 1-1. Both sides had chances to break the deadlock, but the defenses held firm through the additional 30 minutes.
The penalty shootout began with both teams converting their first four attempts. Houston's Brummett, Mendoza, Arana, and Bracken Serra all found the net, as did San Jose's de Flores, Rajagopal, and Dossmann. That brought the contest to a climax when J. Bell stepped up and sent his spot-kick wide, ending San Jose's hopes.
Houston sit third in the standings with 48 points from 25 games, their record of 17 wins and 8 losses showing no draws throughout the campaign. San Jose occupy ninth place with 36 points from 24 matches, also without a single draw. The result keeps Houston's unbeaten run intact in the group stage while San Jose's away form continues to struggle.
Both sides have shown inconsistency in recent outings. Houston lost 2-0 to Los Angeles Galaxy II on 14 August before beating Real Monarchs 3-0 a week earlier. San Jose's last two matches ended in defeats, including a 2-0 loss to St Louis City II on 17 August. The penalty shootout victory gives Houston momentum, but the group stage remains wide open.