Sporting Kansas City outmuscled Houston 2-1 to split their four-game series at two wins each on Saturday at BBVA Stadium.

The Dynamo (3-5-7, 16 points) recorded three times as many shots by the time Kansas City (7-5-2, 23 points) midfielder Gianluca Busio threaded a long through pass which exposed Houston’s defense. It found forward Alan Pulido between a pair of defenders before he danced around Kiki Struna through the final third and angled a shot past a splitting Marko Maric for the lead early in the 34th minute.

Houston struggled to generate quality chances through the second half as Kansas City sat deep to counter a Dynamo attack that gashed them for seven goals in their previous two meetings.

Where Houston sought open lanes, Sporting KC closed them. When forward Darwin Quintero sent a 64th minute free kick into the area, at least seven blue jerseys drowned out Houston’s orange and repelled the threat with relative comfort.

Kansas City largely challenged Houston to dissect its defense throughout the period, but that pursuit nearly cost Houston in the 66th minute when a pair of Maric saves and a timely block by defender Zarek Valentin bailed out its porous defending.

But in the 73rd minute, Houston received no such intervention.

Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza led an attack through midfield, distributed the ball to Busio on the nearside before Busio added his second assist on a pass towards the far side of the area. It found Pulido, who slid into an arcing shot over Maric to register a brace and ultimately put the game out of reach.

Houston halved the deficit when defender Sam Junqua elevated between a pair of Kansas City defenders and headed the ball into the net following Quintero’s 84th minute corner kick.

Midfielder Niko Hansen gave Houston hope of an equalizer before his shot flew over the crossbar a minute later. It would be Houston’s last best chance.