FC Dallas 3 – Houston Dynamo 3: Houston Delight – Dallas Humbled
(FC Dallas vs Houston Dynamo – August 23rd, 2017) – A wild night in Frisco, Texas saw the final leg the Texas Derby end in a 3-3 draw. Two late second half goals for Houston spoiled the party for Dallas. With this result, Houston wins the Texas Derby and reclaims the heralded El Capitan cannon.
Fast Start and Restart
The match was sure to see goals, as Houston came out the game in a flash. Not two minutes into the game, Dallas were caught in possession. This led to a 3-on-1, with a simple finish by Vicente Sanchez to put Houston up early.
It seemed like another long night for Dallas as the first half drew to a close. But Dallas had other ideas. Tesho Akindele came cutting inside from about 25 yards out and had himself a glory strike. Tyler Deric could do nothing as Tesho’s shot went flying into the top right corner.
Into first half stoppage time, Dallas took a corner which was half cleared before Maynor Figueroa had another wonder-strike. Atiba Harris chipped a ball back into the box for Maynor, who let the ball come across to his favored left, and ripped it high into the top of the net. Again, Deric could not do much of anything on this shot, and suddenly Dallas were up 2-1.
Second Half Houston Resurgence
Dallas’ momentum carried into the second half. It was Maxi Urruti’s turn to have his shot at goal of the night. Michael Barrios played a high through-ball up to the top right of the goal box, and Urruti hit it first time across his body. Deric might have been able to do better on this one, but still a sweet strike from Urruti, and Dallas now doubled their lead.
In typical Dallas fashion this season, the excitement and joy didn’t last long.
Houston were able to find gaps in Dallas’ midfield all night, and it paid dividends. It was the 71st minute when Erick “Cubo” Torres found himself receiving a pass inside the Dallas goal box. A quick turn and simple finish cut the Dallas lead in half.
Dallas made some changes, but the holes in the center of the field were not filled. It was 15 minutes later that Torres found the equalizer for Houston. Sloppy play from Dallas led to a deflected cross/shot off the crossbar, and Torres was there to tap it into the net.
Dallas pleads for VAR
The game seemed to be all for Houston’s taking late into the match. Stoppage time came quickly, and saw an event that could have lead to a winner.
Michael Barrios found on the offense on the right side 1v1. He pushed the ball past Houston’s Dylan Remick and looked to be heading into the box to fire a cross in. Dyland slid in to push the ball out, but instead took out Barrios, just outside the box. The ball rolled out of bounds untouched, and Houston were awarded a goal kick. Referee Baldomero Toledo took a long look as it happened, received nothing from his linesman, and awarded the goal kick. It was evident that he was receiving information from the 4th official as he kept a hand up to his ears, but his final decision did not lead to a video review.
Much to the dismay and anger of FC Dallas fans, the final whistle blew as the goal kick was taken, and the match ended with both teams getting a point. Again, VAR is and will continue to be a focal point for this Dallas team, as it has played a vital role in their last few games.
Quick Turnaround – Tough Roads Ahead
Both Dallas and Houston now turn to the weekend, where they both have big matches. Dallas head up to Ohio to take on Columbus Crew SC, who are fresh off a 2-0 victory at home.
Houston head back down I-45 to host Sporting Kansas City on Saturday. Points are a must for both sides in the Western Conference. Only 6 points separate 1st from 6th in the standings. Dallas does have 2 games in hand, but have to find a result in at least one of those. Houston must hold strong and find points against SKC, and then go for 3 more against the Rapids.
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