By BRYAN ROBISON
In a match that saw the Montreal Impact eliminated from the playoff race, the Houston Dynamo failed to take advantage of an opportunity to put some distance between them and sixth-place Columbus Crew, as a 1-1 draw puts the Dynamo just two points ahead going into today's Columbus vs. Sporting Kansas City match.
The draw does extend Houston's unbeaten streak at home to twenty four consecutive matches, second longest in MLS history. Their dominance at home has helped keep them in the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference.
Houston took the lead late in the first half thanks to a Will Bruin tap-in after some beautiful dribbling by Calen Carr inside the box. The goal was Bruin's twelfth on the year, as the MLS sophomore has more than doubled his goal output from his rookie season.
Montreal evened it up during the second half, as Sanna Nyassi knocked in the equalizer after knocking in Tally Hall's rebound on his first shot. He nearly scored the game-winner in the closing seconds, as he knocked in his second goal, but was called offside. Shortly after, substitute Brian Ching was also called offside on the last play of the match. However, the referees got together, and decided Ching was indeed offside, preventing Houston from the last-second win.
Houston will return home to BBVA Compass Stadium in their season finale at their new stadium, as they welcome the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, October 20th. Montreal will travel to Toronto to take on Canadian rivals Toronto FC on October 20th, as well.
Here are the match highlights:
———–
What did you think of the match? Will Houston be able to hold off Columbus for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference? Were you impressed by Montreal in their debut season?
Share your thoughts below.
I’m not sure what to say on formation. I said about midseason that Bruin was the only F consistently doing anything for us. So that creates a conundrum for the knee jerk 442.
I don’t know if he was concerned about a late injury but I felt the delay on the 3rd sub hurt us. Garcia looked tired and he didn’t get a midfield sub in until very late. I’m a big believer in the value of midfield energy subs (like Holden and Cameron once were here). You saw what Mapp did for them.
I also felt like 2 target guys was a bad allocation. Dom’s disciples will say we nearly scored some goals but my response would be that we didn’t actually, we tied, and I think with lumbering Fs you get fewer chances. They each got about one look apiece, and missed one off post and offsides at the very end. Plus, there is no Davis to deliver the ball to Ching and Weaver. Another reason I was befuddled at no 3rd sub til real late….who exactly had the legs to get deep and deliiver the ball? On the offsides they ultimately worked off each other….otherwise we lacked the midfield legs to serve them….
I think trading for Ching is pretty pivotal for our season because you’re allocating $200K of cap to a player with 5 goals when his former understudy has 20+, and there are many people around with at least 6. Ching is getting fluid injections in his knee. Offense is not awful but just lacks a little punch.
I like Creavalle but think he should be used at back. He gets stuck in, is composed, and can get forward if necessary. But DK continues to use him late as a middie sub.
Kandji has just disappeared, I don’t know what happened. But I think either he’s off form or tired or annoyed or something. People talk smack about him but I think we’ve risen and fallen with his form. When Carr and he are on we have wing Fs who can create….when they are off….and they are both historically bench players, not starters….we become quite ordinary.
Dom was all over the place… ran out the lame duck 433 early and sat on the subs for far too long. It is pretty clear that the most effective striker tandem is Ching and anybody else. Can Ching only play for 10 min? Maybe so, His knees are like jelly. Why not take an ineffectual Moffat out earlier and bring in Barnes? Only to bring on Creavalle in the last minutes?
I am getting really tired of seeing Carr and Kanji. Yes Carr got an assist but they are both turnover machines.
Last 10 minutes was like a pick up game. Great atmosphere at the Compass once people showed up. $25 well spent when the alternative is UH vs. UNT for free at the Rob.
Quite the dynamo effort, on Bryan’s part.
Running the crappy Sarkodie out there week after week when Creavalle is available…and even used routinely as an attacking sub….is also strange.
The defense needs a makeover (more speed, more quality), the offense needs a #10 and some striker turnover (retire Ching, get more than one reliable F in town), and the coach needs a sense of tactical urgency and more faith in his young attackers. If you look at the table, losing to Philly, beating New England on two goals in the last 12 minutes, and then tying Montreal, is shaky. They are lucky KC did them a favor today.
I see what you did there. Impact
Did I see a pun in the headline?