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Bruin goal helps Dynamo finish two-goal comeback in 3-3 thriller vs. Toronto FC

Will Bruin 1 (Getty Images)

The Houston Dynamo's perfect record inside BBVA Compass Stadium was on the brink of coming to an end, but Will Bruin came up with some late game heroics to prevent that from happening.

Bruin capped a comeback for the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday night, heading home a 90th-minute equalizer in a 3-3 draw with Toronto FC. Bruin's goal, his second of the match, erased Toronto's impressive first half and the visitors chances of winning their second game of the season.

Bruin was the man responsible for Houston even having a chance to tie the match, as he trimmed a 3-1 deficit in the 73rd minute when he got on the end of a Brad Davis pass and blasted a shot past Toronto goalkeeper Milos Kocic.

The Dynamo forward's clutch finishing, combined with Bobby Boswell's thunderous first-half header, helped erase arguably Toronto FC's finest performance this season. Toronto scored three goals in the opening 45 minutes through a brace from Danny Koevermans and Jeremy Hall's opener.

Here are the match highlights:

What do you think of the Dynamo's 3-3 draw with Toronto FC? Impressed by Bruin's performance? Surprised by how Toronto played in the first half?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. All of a sudden we have a glut of big target forward types

    Altidore
    Boyd
    Sapong
    Wooten
    Bruin

    Bunbury is not in the national team picture at the moment (thankfully), Agudelo is behind Gomez and Wondo, apparently.

    Bruin was called in to U-23 camp by Porter, and was not selected for the roster, so he didn’t think much of what he saw, apparently. But if Bruin keeps scoring like this, he should certainly be called in to the next January camp.

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  2. Wow. I know everyone is going to talk about Bruin and his two goals, but if you watch those plays, its Cameron that makes them happen. Of course Cameron had the assist on the last goal, but his pass to Davis that set up Bruin’s first goal was BEAUTIFUL. Cameron on the USMNT has me excited! Bruin…let’s talk to him in a couple years.

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  3. People seem to forget that Cameron started as a RM and that arguably that remains his best position. That Ownby and Cameron were having a field day going up a right channel that Clark could not exploit should tell you something. I don’t know where Boniek is headed on the field, but I can tell you where Clark shouldn’t be playing.

    Brad Davis is the meal ticket out wide left. One issue I had was Corey Ashe the past two games pressing up into his space in a way that seemed to take away Davis’ room and leave Corey taking the crosses instead. Do not interfere with the meal ticket. Ashe’s job should be to commit defenders and then pass it to Davis in space. Him actually taking the crosses is a mis-allocation of resources.

    I think there needs to be a forward shakeup because Bruin seems to be able to produce on a whole nother level than everyone else, who are yet playing the same opposition. If the rumored F signing takes place the new guy should start with Bruin, Ching off the bench, Kandji used as M/F utility guy, Weaver waivered.

    Hainault underwhelmed but the generally shakiness of the backline suggests it should be a loci of consideration in the transfer window, particularly if Cameron is in the transfer shop window as rumored. Between this game and Vancouver there should be the hint this is not a championship defense.

    I was impressed by TFC although the fact that a new coach and new formation are THIS motivational suggests they may have simply quit on the old coach and dogged it until the organization took action. He’s not THAT good a turn-around operator to fix the team in two weeks.

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  4. Why is Will Bruin not in any conversation for a call-up to the National team? If it wasn’t for injury issues last year I firmly believe he would of had a 10 plus goals in his rookie season. And now he has 8 goals in his sophmore season thus far. He has been better than the much hyped Agudelo, Sapong, and Bunbury this season.

    I think he is very talented, and would fit in with Klinsmann’s system. Very hard working, good speed, has size and is physical, and he has some skill to go with his goal scoring. Would like to see him called into the January camp, or maybe even against Mexico in August.

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  5. Let this be a hint to the team that it might want to be more active in the upcoming window than just the pre-announced Boniek signing.

    The defense was awful, every single one of them had a breakdown that contributed to a goal. To the extent Kinnear seems to like to blame the talented but slow Taylor as the new guy, this should have been a wake up call, Taylor didn’t even dress, they gave up 3 anyway (after giving up 3 to Vancouver this may suggest deeper seated problems than just “depth”). Speaking of which, any idea why?

    The offense was ponderous and largely ineffective until we moved to a 352 and brought Ownby on. The more aggressive formation took the pressure off the iffy defense and made it “TFC’s problem.” Just like actually having a right mid who can run and create danger caused TFC issues (Clark was awful and I was amazed he was the third sub and not the first). I personally felt that after two runs the Watson sub was ho-hum, and Ching did squat. What in the end won it was more Bruin, a little Ownby effort, and pushing the formation up to take the game to TFC. Sometimes our cute little 442 style lets teams like TFC stay in games and just doesn’t create enough offense…like last night. Some nights call for grabbing the opposition by the throat, and that didn’t happen til 70′ in. I think the game plan was meh so throw Kinnear in there with everyone else who took the game a little lightly…..I certainly didn’t expect a side wth a new coach and new formation to be unmotivated.

    I liked Ownby’s effort but he is so sloppy and defensively challenged that I see his effect as more telling of Clark’s lack of mobility and impact — and our general lack of effective RM play — than I see it as “we gotta use this guy more.” Oh, I’d play him some, because his youthful verve is notches above some of the others going through the motions, but the fact he can be such a mixed bag but still an improvement really screams, GET SOMEONE GOOD AND FAST OUT WIDE. We used to have Mullan and Holden….

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  6. I think both halves say a great deal about this team. First, given an opportunity to take the foot off the gas and coast, they will. Rarely do we see the Dynamo seize the opportunity by laying it on a weaker opponent. Both home draws this year have been against very inferior opponents (Portland and Toronto). Meanwhile, victories against DCU and at San Jose show what the team is capable of. Second, the Dynamo proved again that when there back is against the wall they bring it and are capable of totally dominating every aspect of a game. The last 30 minutes of that game was such domination that Toronto was desperately grasping at anything to hang on. In my opinion, this is why the Dynamo can be expected to once again rise in the playoffs and make a run, but also why they won’t rise to the top of the Eastern table and do themselves any favors. Ultimately, the lack of focus when their back is not against the wall probably will (and should) be their undoing. Regardless of all the subjectivity in soccer, you generally get what you deserve.

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  7. Bruin went into full beast-mode.

    I love Ching for what he has done for our organization, but it is time to keep him as a sub.

    Brad Davis starting to look like himself again.

    Cameron’s service out of the back was sick. The guy is a player.

    Hainault needs to step his game up if he wants the starting line up.

    Obviously, I’m a Dynamo fan, but it is good to see Toronto play a competitive game. It is good for the team and the league. Additionally, TFC fans deserve better than what they have been having to watch since that team was organized. Congrats TFC, you have a coach.

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