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Barnes blast earns Dynamo draw vs. Rapids

GilesBarnes (GettyImages)

By IVES GALARCEP

The Houston Dynamo didn’t play like they usually do at home, but the Colorado Rapids weren’t able to make the most of an uncharacteristically flat Dynamo performance and gave Giles Barnes enough room to deliver some magic and keep Houston unbeaten at BBVA Compass Stadium.

With the Rapids leading on the strength of a Drew Moor header, Barnes stepped up and delivered a brilliant equalizer, taking a long Tally Hall goal kick and dribbling at the Rapids defense before unleashing an 18-yard blast past Clint Irwin that helped the Dynamo salvage a 1-1 draw on Sunday.

The Dynamo pushed their home unbeaten streak in all competitions to 36, and gave them the record for most consecutive MLS home matches without a loss with 30.

Colorado took the action to Houston in the first half, creating more chances and really testing Houston’s normally stingy defense. The Rapids broke through in first-half stoppage time when Moor skied up to head home a Dillon Powers corner kick for his 17th career goal.

The Dynamo finally found the net in the 66th minute when Barnes belted a right-footed shot into the top corner of the net to tie the match.

Neither team could find the winner, and Houston saw the match end on a sour note when star midfielder Brad Davis was issued a last-minute red card for a challenge on Nathan Sturgis. The red card will rule Davis out of next week’s MLS Cup rematch vs. the Los Angeles Galaxy.

 

The road draw was a positive result for the Rapids, though they did play well enough to take all three points. The result is a bittersweet one for Colorado though, as they appeared to suffer yet another injury, with Honduran midfielder Hendry Thomas forced to leave the match with a knee injury.

Here are the match highlights:

What did you think of the match? Surprised at how flat Houston looked? Starting to think Colorado is cursed due to all these injuries?

Share your thoughts below.

 

Comments

  1. I have seen the future of the MLS and its name is Rapids.

    I can hardly even think of what is missing, except some size at center back. Otherwise, these young guys just need a season to gel. They are making a lot of teams look bad and are dropping a couple oh-so-close games that they will not lose in future years with more experience.

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  2. Houston came out in a very cautious 451 and were getting outplayed, gave up the first half goal. They pushed Barnes up and voila got a goal from him and “won” the second half. If we’d played a 442 and with more tactical aggression as we often do at home, we should have won. As with the TFC game I blame the coach for a cautious game plan that gave the modest opposition too much credit.

    Kinnear also needs to find some attacker subs who are not forwards because his middie subs were lunchpail utility players in Camargo and Creavalle, not speedy or technical guys like you need if you are going for three. Two weeks in a row the subs are basically the sort of people you put in to play for a stalemate. Camargo in particular looks out of shape and ineffective, but apparently because he is a veteran who the coach seemingly trusts, we’ve thrown him on in two tight games and he really doesn’t help anything happen.

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    • I kept thinking that it sure would be nice to throw someone like Alex Dixon in the mix instead of Camargo. Creavalle surprised me at how out-to-lunch he was given his recent performances.

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      • I don’t know if they are still out but I know at some point Ownby and Dixon were sent on loans.

        They have wing attributes. Creavalle and Camargo are really more like Clark or Moffat, destroyers. They have the work ethic to play wing defense but not the offensive effectiveness to create out wide as mids.

        I even like Creavalle, I just don’t think he’s a wing mid. It’s like the type of guy Klinsmann keeps playing wide in midfield.

    • Agreed, attacking options would be great but the guys in the middle of the feild were gassed, especially Rico. Dom’s not going to sacrifice a point by adding an attacking player for Rico late in a game with slow centerbacks. The Texas heat kills midfielders. I do wish we had a player like Kanji to sit behind Bruin late in games and then run the channels to pulls their centerbacks out wide.

      As for the 442, Barnes should have been higher up the pitch in the first half. Even more, he looked gassed and didn’t seem to want to make runs after the 25th. Again, Texas heat kills.

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      • It looked to me on TV like it was a 451 first half 442 second. Barnes was 10-20 yards further up the field, and it showed. I’ve never been a big 451 fan because Bruin can be a hard guy to find sometimes, and when we can’t find the forwards we struggle to clear the zone. Even bad teams can then sit on our end. I’m not even a Carr fan but having some other mobile option up top is what makes our offense hum…..the difference between last spring and last fall.

        If the DMs are gassed you sub the DMs at DM. We brought in Creavalle and Camargo but then played one of them wide. Creavalle is not a wing and Camargo doesn’t look up to the task. Cashier him, get someone in here that does make an impact.

        Personally, I’d like to see Barnes moved back, get some darned forwards in. Then Driver and/or Barnes are supersubs. I think we have some middie talent now but we have some depth/age issues (eg, how many years does Ching get brought back to do nada anymore), that if not handled just so right now can be a tactical liability.

  3. Colorado really came out and played well and once again the Dynamo are ‘lucky’ to grab a point. The defense is looking like a sieve.

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  4. “The Dynamo pushed their home unbeaten streak in all competitions to 36, and gave them the record for most consecutive MLS home matches without a loss with 30.”

    Considering that and the injuries for the Rapids this season, it’s a remarkably good result for them.

    Reply

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