PRESEASON RECAP: D.C. United 3 vs. 1 Houston Dynamo FC

PRESEASON RECAP: D.C. United 3 vs.1 Houston Dynamo FC

D.C. United faced off against the Houston Dynamo in the final match of the 2025 preseason on Saturday, February 15 at Florida Atlantic University.

The Black-and-Red had a strong and thorough performance earning a 3-1 win on the back of goals from Christian Benteke, Gabriel Pirani, and Hosei Kijima.

This preseason matchup had an extra layer to it with D.C. United playing former club legend Ben Olsen who has been the Houston Head Coach since 2022.

In the final preseason test, Head Coach Troy Lesesne fielded a strong starting eleven and pushed to give his players an extended run on the field for critical minutes to gain match fitness.

With the MLS regular season home opener only a week away, both teams entered the match with high intensity. Tackles were flying in and each team showed a clear desire to win from the first whistle.

The Black-and-Red broke the deadlock in the 40th minute after midfielder Hosei Kijima forced a turnover on the press. After getting down the left flank, he delivered a cross to Christian Benteke who slotted it past the goalkeeper.

After going into halftime 1-0, D.C. United faced some adversity in the second half after conceding in the 61st minute to make it 1-1. There were hints of a handball in the buildup, but the backline was unable to clear the danger and Houston’s Ezequiel Ponce fired in the equalizer.

D.C. United responded four minutes later when Benteke held up the ball and slotted Gabriel Pirani through on goal. Pirani slotted the ball past the goalkeeper into the bottom left corner to retake the lead for the Black-and-Red.

Hosei Kijima added a goal in the 72nd minute to give the Black-and-Red a two-goal cushion. After a cross was played in, Kijima took the shot on the half volley to secure an important final win to end preseason.

The Black-and-Red flew back to Washington, D.C., following the match to continue final preparations ahead of the MLS regular season home opener on Saturday, February 22 against Toronto FC at Audi Field.

Lineup:

Kim Joon Hong, David Schnegg, Kye Rowles, Lucas Bartlett (Lukas MacNaughton 85’), Aaron Herrera, Boris Enow (Matti Peltola 80’), Brandon Servania, Gabriel Pirani (Randall Leal 83’), Hosei Kijima (Derek Dodson 86’), João Peglow (Jacob Murrell 46’), Christian Benteke (Dominique Badji 80’)