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Villa penalty salvages draw for NYCFC vs. Dynamo

MLS: Houston Dynamo at New York City FC

Photo by Noah K. Murray/USA TODAY Sports

BY MICHAEL PENG

NEW YORK — New York City FC fell behind early yet again Saturday night but managed to salvage a point against the Houston Dynamo for a 1-1 result thanks to a helping hand.

After conceding another goal in the opening half-hour — for the sixth consecutive match, NYCFC got the equalizer from striker David Villa when he converted a penalty kick during stoppage time of the first half.

The penalty — the first in the club’s short history — was awarded after Houston’s Raul Rodriguez was called for a handball on a cross into the box. Villa proceeded to bury the ball into the bottom right corner and past a diving Tyler Deric for his third score on the season, which also tied him with Mehdi Ballouchy for the team lead.

The score cancelled out a 16th-minute strike by Will Bruin, who scored after David Horst’s header off of a corner kick dropped the ball right at Bruin’s feet and near the edge of the goal box.

“[Bruin] just swung really fast and it went into the upper corner. It all happened really fast,” said NYCFC defender Chris Wingert, who was marking Bruin on the play.

Houston’s goal marked the ninth time this season that NYCFC has given up a score in the opening 30 minutes of a game. The expansion club has given up 17 goals in total on the season.

“I think it’s one of the hardest things in soccer,” NYCFC head coach Jason Kreis said on the early deficits. “Being involved with a team that continues to do that; it can be very mentally frustrating.”

In the second half, however, NYCFC rode on the momentum of Villa’s goal to create several chances, but ultimately could not get the game-winner it desperately needed to snap what is now an 11-match winless streak.

NYCFC came close on a couple of occasions in the waning minutes of the contest, with the first coming in the 89th minute when Jeb Brovsky’s diving header off a cross by substitute Kwadwo Poku was pushed away by Deric.

Brovsky would get another chance a couple of minutes later on a cross by midfielder Mix Diskerud into far post, but Brovsky’s volley went just wide of the goal before Houston managed to hang on for the road draw.

“It’s just the way our season has been going right now,” Brovsky said. “We can’t get a bounce, we can’t get a break, and people are making big plays against us. I don’t know what it is. It’s tough because you work hard for 90 minutes, and you want a result, but one point is point, and we need to keep rolling.”

NYCFC will return to action next Saturday when the club travels to Philadelphia for the second time this season to take on the Union. Houston, meanwhile, will visit the Portland Timbers on June 20.

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