+25
Mental mistakes continue to plague the Dynamo, who gave up goals in the first and last minutes of the game, but still managed a 2-2 draw against the New York Red Bulls.
| Houston Dynamo | New York Red Bulls | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Attempts on Goal | 14 |
| 4 | Shots on Target | 6 |
| 4 | Shots off Target | 3 |
| 2 | Blocked Shots | 5 |
| 5 | Corner Kicks | 7 |
| 11 | Fouls | 13 |
| 8 | Open Play Crosses | 18 |
| 5 | Offsides | 3 |
| 2 | Yellow Cards | 1 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 20 | Duels Won | 31 |
| 39% | Duels Won % | 60% |
| 324 | Total Pass | 403 |
| 77% | Passing Accuracy % | 79% |
| 44.10% | Possession | 55.90% |
New York Red Bulls (4-2-4) vs. Houston Dynamo (3-3-5)
May 21, 2011 -- Robertson Stadium
Attendance: 25,314
| Goals By Period | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Red Bulls | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Houston Dynamo | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Scoring Summary:
NY -- Dane Richards 2 (Luke Rodgers 2) 1
HOU -- Brad Davis 1 (penalty kick) 12
HOU -- Sergio Koke 1 (unassisted) 82
NY -- Mehdi Ballouchy 1 (Joel Lindpere 1) 91+
New York Red Bulls -- Greg Sutton, Jan Gunnar Solli, Rafael Marquez, Tim Ream, Roy Miller, Dane Richards, Dwayne De Rosario, Teemu Tainio, Joel Lindpere, Luke Rodgers (Corey Hertzog 94+), Juan Agudelo (Mehdi Ballouchy 79).
Substitutes Not Used: Matt Kassel, Stephen Keel, Carlos Mendes, John Rooney, Bouna Coundoul.
Houston Dynamo -- Tally Hall, Hunter Freeman, Bobby Boswell, Andre Hainault, Corey Ashe, Colin Clark (Je-Vaughn Watson 69), Geoff Cameron, Lovel Palmer, Brad Davis (Mike Chabala 85), Cam Weaver, Will Bruin (Koke 74).
Substitutes Not Used: Jason Garey, Kofi Sarkodie, Jermaine Taylor, Tyler Deric.
Misconduct Summary:
HOU -- Bobby Boswell (caution; Tactical Foul) 49
NY -- Rafael Marquez (caution; Reckless Foul) 62
HOU -- Brad Davis (caution; Reckless Tackle) 64
Referee: Juan Guzman
Referee's Assistants: Greg Barkey; Ian Anderson
4th Official: Baldomero Toledo
Attendance: 25,314
Weather: Partly Cloudy-and-85-degrees
Random Stat
32 - Andre Hainault has won the most aerial duels in MLS this season. #springy
Game recap courtesy of Dynamo Theory.
After 81 minutes of missing chances, the Dynamo finally got the goal they needed to break the tie. Just minutes after entering the match in place of Will Bruin, Koke cleaned up a rebound left off a Greg Sutton save and netted his first career MLS goal. Then the dreaded lack of concentration moment that seems to haunt this team struck, as the Red Bulls equalized in stoppage time. Another disappointing home result in which Houston struggled to finish their chances on goal.
Of course, considering how the match started, a draw might of been acceptable.
The rapture didn't come on Saturday evening but Dane "The Dynamo Killer" Richards did show up and wasted little time fulfilling his prophetic statement made to MLSSoccer.com during the week.
"If I get the chance to quiet that crowd, I will" Richards said.
Just 39 seconds in to the first half after Luke Rodgers brought down a Teemu Tainio long ball, he fed a charging Richards who fired a shot far post past a diving Tally Hall. I really doubt you could have come up with a worse start for Houston. It certainly deflated the big home crowd, which is exactly what Richards said he wanted to do earlier in the week.
In 2008, Richards dominated the second leg of the MLS Cup Playoffs series against the Dynamo, scoring and assisting on a goal, along with drawing a penalty in the Red Bulls' shocking 3-0 victory.
The Dynamo would answer back in the 12th minute. Will Bruin drew a penalty after a long ball found him in space down the left wing. Bruin made a nice cut in the box and was taken down by a very clumsy challenge from Rafa Marquez. No question who would take the PK as Brad Davis stepped up and buried a shot low and the right.
Second half featured a lot of good chances for both teams and a thoroughly entertaining battle between Corey Ashe and Dane Richards who appeared to be having a "who's the fastest man in the stadium" contest. If not for Koke, there's no doubt that Geoff Cameron would of been having nightmares tonight after he botched a first touch in the box and completely whiffed on a point blank shot.
The Dynamo still are not effectively finishing their chances at the rate you'd like to see, but a point is a point I suppose. Giving up a lead in stoppage time though always leaves a bad taste in your mouth but it doesn't completely erase the positives of getting a draw against a tough opponent.
A 90th minute equalizer from New York’s Medhi Ballouchy was enough for the Red Bulls to leave Houston with a point. It was a hard fought game and both teams had numerous chances to get the scoring goal, New York coming closest, but neither team was able to take the lead long enough to finish the game with all three points.
Check back here for full post-match thoughts, stats, quotes and more.
A 90th minute goal by Mehdi Ballouchy from a Joel Lindpere cross looks to be enough for New York to leave Houston with a share of the points.
Tally Hall saved an excellent header from Dwayne De Rosario in the 87th minute of the game. De Rosario’s was able to spit two defenders and get on the end of a Dane Richards’ cross for the header.
Dynamo defender Mike Chabala entered the game for Brad Davis in the 86th minute of the match. The move to bring Chabala on means Corey Ashe will slip into Davis’ left midfield position and Chabala will fill in at his more typical left-back position.
This was Houston’s final substitute of the game.
Houston now have 4 minutes plus stoppage time to leave the game with all three points.
Sergio Koke scored his first goal for the Houston Dynamo in the 86th minute, giving the Dynamo a 2-1 lead over New York. Koke slotted a shot past Greg Sutton, whose save deflected back into play and into Koke’s feet. The initial save came off of a Geoff Cameron header from a Brad Davis corner kick.
Juan Agudelo exited the game in the 79th minute when Mehdi Ballouchy was subbed on in his place. Agudelo had a fairly anonymous night and was not nearly as effective as many Red Bulls and USMNT fans hoped to see.
Koke entered the match in the 75th minute for Will Bruin. This is Houston’s second substitute of the match.
Jamaican defender JeVaughn Watson entered the match in the 69th minute for Colin Clark. Clark had a relatively quiet match and did not have the chance to play the ball into the box too often since most of Houston’s offense has gone through Brad Davis or over the top of the defenders.
Watson’s service will give Houston another welcomed option for creating scoring chances.
Expect to the see the next substitute be Sergio Koke on for Cam Weaver or Will Bruin.
Brad Davis picked up Houston’s second yellow card of the match in the 64th minute for a challenge on Rafa Marquez. It was the third card of the match.
Red Bulls’ defender Rafa Marquez received the second yellow of the match for his open field tackle on Geoff Cameron.
Bobby Boswell received the first yellow card of the match when he dragged down former Dynamo midfielder Dwayne De Rosario in the 49th minute.
Luke Rodgers had New York’s first chance of the half when he one-timed an effort on goal. Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall was in the right spot and came up with a comfortable save.
After 45 minutes, it is all even in Houston. Dane Richards struck early, netting a goal in the 39th second, the fastest goal in Red Bulls’ history.
The Dynamo were rattled by Richards’ goal, but responded quickly when Brad Davis scored the equalizer in the 13th minute from the penalty spot. The penalty was the result of a hard Rafa Marquez tackle in the box on Will Bruin who had streaked past the Red Bull back line.
After the goals, the play was end to end with both teams creating a number of chances. New York almost regained the lead when Juan Agudelo headed the ball on frame, but Tally Hall plucked it out of the air and just off of the upper 90.
Just a few moments later, Will Bruin nearly scored a goal following a good spell of possession play from Houston. Bruin headed the ball on goal, but Teemu Tainio cleared the ball of the line with a header.
With 45 minutes left, it is hard to see which team will be able to break the deadlock, but both teams will have chances, so it may take a moment of brilliance.
Red Bulls midfielder Teemu Tainio headed a Will Bruin header off the goal line in the 26th minute. Bruin’s header came at the end of a good bit of possession play from Houston, who have looked better and more organized since Brad Davis’ goal.
Juan Agudelo nearly regained the lead for New York with a header off of a corner kick, but Tally Hall came up with a big save, pulling the ball down from the upper 90.
Brad Davis converted his penalty kick in the 13th minute of the match, bringing the match level at 1-goal apiece.
Will Bruin drew the penalty kick after Rafa Marquez brought him down in the box.
Will Bruin drew a penalty for the Houston Dynamo in the 12th minute after being taken down on a run inside the box.
Dane Richards scored New York Red Bulls’ first goal of the game in the first minute after Luke Rodgers drew in defenders before passing it back to the onrushing Richards. Richards struck the ball low and hard past the outstretched Tally Hall.
Here’s your starting line-up for the New York Red Bulls.
F: Juan Agudelo
F: Luke Rodgers
M: Teemu Tainio
M: Joel Lindpere
M: Dwayne De Rosario
M: Dane Richards
D: Roy Miller
D: Tim Ream
D: Rafa Marquez
D: Jan Gunnar Solli
GK: Greg Sutton
Subs: Bouna Coundoul (GK), Mehdi Ballouchy, Corey Hertzog, Matt Kassel, Stephan Keel, Carlos Mendes, John Rooney
Here’s your starting line-up for the Houston Dynamo as they take on the New York Red Bulls.
F: Will Bruin
F: Cam Weaver
LM: Brad Davis
CAM: Geoff Cameron
CDM: Lovel Palmer
RM: Colin Clark
LB: Corey Ashe
CB: Andre Hainault
CB: Bobby Boswell
RB: Hunter Freeman
GK: Tally Hall
Subs: Tyler Deric (GK), Mike Chabala, Sergio Koke, Jason Garey, Jermaine Taylor, Je-Vaughn Watson
The Houston Dynamo just can't catch a breather right now. After dropping points three weeks ago to the Colorado Rapids, the Dynamo dropped more points on the road in Toronto, before traveling again and winning a hard-fought point against MLS powerhouse, Real Salt Lake.
The Dynamo will be tested again with a tough schedule that involves hosting Eastern Conference leaders, New York Red Bulls, this weekend, before traveling to LA to take on the Galaxy, who lead the Western Conference, and then returning to Houston to host FC Dallas, in the Texas Derby.
It's hard to say which Dynamo team will see the field on Saturday; will it be the goal-scoring, defense-shredding team that dismantled DC United, the defense-focused squad that held its own and shut out Real Salt Lake, or the flat-footed, chance-wasting XI that disappointed in Toronto? Who knows, but with Saturday's game being a massive conference match (and coming a few days before the start of CONCACAF Gold Cup call-ups), Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear would be wise to field his best team and go for New York's jugular.
Given the results from weeks past, Will Bruin and Cam Weaver will likely spearhead Houston's front line. Sergio Koke could get the nod to start in place of Weaver, who has looked languid in the last few games, but that decision will be based on how Koke's chemistry with his teammates is progressing and if he is match-fit.
Dynamo assist leader, Brad Davis, will get the start on the left side of the midfield, next to Geoff Cameron and Lovel Palmer. Both Palmer and Cameron have looked better over the past few weeks, but both will need to put in a solid shift against a tough New York team. The big debate right now is who starts in the right midfield position. Colin Clark, who started against RSL, but was relatively anonymous, except for one stunning shot on goal, seems most likely to get the start. But, Jaimaican midfielder JeVaughn Watson's recent run of form, which includes 2 assists in the past three games, could be enough to bump Clark to the substitute's bench. Watson, who came off the bench to replace Clark against Salt Lake, has played well in the past few games. His service has been consistently good, and he has shown good skills at both holding up play, waiting for support, and creating attacking chances while taking on defenders. The x-factor in this decision could be the Gold Cup, which will pull Watson into national team duty, meaning Coach Kinnear will have to do without him for a number of games. That could tip the balance to Clark, if Kinnear wants to build the young midfielder's confidence and chemistry with the team.
The Red Bulls' speed and strength will be another tough test for the Dynamo defense. When the two teams played in New York earlier this season, Houston's back line was beaten but not broken thanks to a number of excellent saves from Tally Hall and tough tackles from Andre Hainault. That night in New York was also the first time we saw Corey Ashe start at left back, a position he has since seemed to steal starting rights away from either Mike Chabala or Kofi Sarkodie.
Houston's back line should stay unchanged from that night (and last week), and Ashe should start alongside Bobby Boswell, Andre Hainault (coming off Team Of The Week honors), and Hunter Freeman.
"Bobby and Andre have been good," Kinnear said. "They both attack the ball well and have a good understanding of each other. I think Andre's having a good season for us, and Bobby's a good talker and is very calm on the ball, so it's a good combination that's working well for us right now."
"We know what happened on the weekend, and New York is going to look to correct what went wrong last time, so it'll be a challenge," Kinnear said when asked how the Dynamo can duplicate last week's success.
Red Bulls head coach Hans Backe will have his own set of issues when it comes to selecting his starting XI. Rumors are rampant that French striker Thierry Henry will not make the trip to Houston after injuring his knee, and midfielder Carl Robinson is out with a knee injury.
[Update: Glenn Davis is reporting that Henry will miss the game in Houston after not traveling with the squad due to his knee injury. The latest injury report from MLSSoccer.com is only up to date through Thursday night and does not list Henry.]
Young forward Juan Agudelo looks best suited to start in Henry's place and will be handful for Houston's defense when paired with former Nott's County forward Luke "Offside" Rodgers. The Dynamo should also expect to see former-Houston star, Dwayne De Rosario, Jamaicaan midfielder Dane Richards, Mexican midfielder Rafa Marquez, and young USMNT prospect, Tim Ream.
It will be a start-studded night in Houston and has all the makings of a mouth-watering clash, especially after New York's embarrassing 3-2 loss to Chivas USA last weekend.
"Looking at their last two games, the one thing you can't do is step out on the field with any fear," Kinnear said. "It's important that our first step is forward and to be positive. I think we can take a lot out of our performance in Salt Lake with how we held the ball away from home and there's no reason we can't do that here."
Team Notes
Injury Report
Houston Dynamo - OUT: FW Calen Carr (concussion); MF Danny Cruz (R knee hyperextension); FW Brian Ching (L plantar fascitis)
New York Red Bulls - OUT: MF Carl Robinson (R knee contusion)
Referee Information
Project Houston Dynamo Starting XI
F: Will Bruin
F: Cam Weaver
LM: Brad Davis (C)
CAM: Geoff Cameron
CDM: Lovel Palmer
RM: Colin Clark
LB: Corey Ashe
CB: Bobby Boswell
CB: Andre Hainault
RB: Hunter Freeman
GK: Tally Hall
Substitutes: Tyler Deric (GK), Eddie Robinson, Mike Chabala, JeVaughn Watson, Jermaine Taylor, Sergio Koke, Jason Garey
Feel free to check back here Saturday night for a live-stream or check out Dynamo Theory for Zach's game stream, thoughts, and more.
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Full Video Highlights: Dynamo 2 - 2 Red Bulls
A Brad Davis penalty kick and Sergio Koke's first goal for Houston were book-ended by a Dane Richards rocket in the first minute and a late equalizer by Mehdi Ballouchy. Take a look at the full highlights below.
May 22 9:51a by Jordan Wise