San Jose Earthquakes beat Houston Dynamo 1:0 in the Major League Soccer Regular Season at PayPal Park on 13 September 2026. Daniel Munie's first-half strike was enough to see off the visitors despite being outplayed for large stretches. The result moves San Jose up to fourth with 41 points, while Houston remain second on 43.
Munie scored in the 38th minute to give San Jose the lead, a moment that proved decisive. Houston dominated possession at 62 per cent and created more chances, but San Jose held firm after going ahead. The hosts had just one shot on target all match but converted it, while Houston hit the target five times without finding the net.
The match was marked by several yellow cards, with the first coming in the opening minute when Ronaldo Vieira was booked for San Jose. Bruce Arena went off the pitch after three minutes' play, and Beau Leroux received a caution in the 19th minute. Agustin Resch was booked for the visitors in the 75th minute, and Benjamin Kikanovic saw yellow in stoppage time.
Substitutions began in the second half, with Diadie Samassekou coming on for Houston in the 65th minute. San Jose made two changes in the 69th minute, bringing on N.Tsakiris and Beau Leroux. Houston added Ibrahim Aliyu and Duncan McGuire in the 77th and 78th minutes, while San Jose brought on Eduard Löwen and Ousseni Bouda together in the 82nd, finishing with Felipe De Andrade Vieira in the 85th.
The statistics tell a story of dominance without reward for Houston. They registered 92 attacks compared to 59 for San Jose, and created four big chances to their opponents' two. Yet the expected goals figures tell another story: 1.02 for Houston against 1.38 for San Jose, suggesting the visitors squandered their opportunities.
This was the second meeting between the sides this month. They drew 0:0 on 30 August, and San Jose's win here adds to their recent momentum after a goalless draw with Austin and a 3:2 victory over San Diego. Houston, meanwhile, lost their winning run after victories over Salt Lake City and Vancouver were followed by two consecutive draws.