Dynamo Hold Firm for Crucial Win Over Portland
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
After conceding late in their last two matches to drop valuable points, the Houston Dynamo knew Saturday night’s match with the Portland Timbers was one they needed to win. The Western Conference playoff race is heating up and the Dynamo could not afford to slip up again.
Assistant coach Juan Guerra was acting head coach for this match with Ben Olsen suspended. Junior Urso came into the linup in midfield in place of captain Artur who got a red card last week.
Houston came out on the front foot, attacking from the get go. Lawrence Ennali nearly opened the scoring just two minutes in. The German made a mazy run all the way to the front of goal but Portland goalkeeper James Pantemis saved his shot. Griffin Dorsey slipped Ezequiel Ponce in two minutes later but the Dynamo DP skied his effort.
Dynamo goalkeeper Jonathan Bond was called on in the 19th minute as he made a good save to deny Antony. The Dynamo kept most of the ball and had most of the attacking chances in the first half. A Jack McGlynn chip into the box found Ennali in the 32nd minute but the German volleyed it wide of goal.
The Dynamo got their goal in the 44th minute. On their sixth corner kick of the half, McGlynn’s delivery found the head of Ponce and the Argentine snapped his header into the bottom corner to put Houston in front 1-0.
Both teams came out for the second half looking to change the game. Play was very even for long stretches with Portland trying to break forward for an equalizer and Houston looking to grab a second goal.
McGlynn cut onto his right in the 66th minute and fired a low shot that Pantemis did well to get down and save. Portland had a good chance of their own in the 78th minute, but Matias Rojas smashed the ball off the crossbar.
As the game grew late, the Dynamo pushed more into their attack, nearly finding a second goal. Pantemis once again denied McGlynn in the 85th minute and then a minute later got big to stop Felipe Andrade’s volley from six yards out.
Three minutes of added time no doubt had Dynamo fans on the edge of their seats after the last two matches. It nearly happened again to Houston with Portland hitting the inside of the post, with the ball somehow staying out of the goal in the second minute of stoppage time. The Timbers then smashed the post again from outside the box in the final minute. The final whistle would blow, however, and the Dynamo held onto the 1-0 victory.
The three points move the Dynamo to tenth place, at the time of the match ending, a point behind ninth place Dallas for the final playoff spot. Houston will hit the road next week for a tough contest against Nashville SC.
