|
|
First Leg Draw For Houston and Atlante
The Houston Dynamo and Atlante F.C. played out an exciting draw at Robertson Stadium on Tuesday night.
Feb 25, 2009 12:01:39 AM
Questions before the match surrounded Stuart Holden of Houston, who lost his father recently. The Orange and White jerseys of the Dynamo had a silver sleeve on this night in honor of Stuart’s father, and when the game arrived the Olympian showed that he was ready to play.
Atlante brought out the big guns for the quarterfinal tie with Luis Gabriel Rey, Giancarlos Maldonado, and Gabriel Pereyra all in the starting eleven.
The fast paced contest ended in a 1-1 draw and set up an all important return leg next week in Mexico.
First Half:
The match got off to a fast start with both team pressuring high and breaking up possession. The first half-chance fell to Houston in the third minute with Brian Ching a step late on a diagonal ball which he was only able to push over the crossbar.
Atlante responded in the sixth minute with good combination play up front, leading to a chance on Pat Onstad’s goal. The Canadian got down well, however, and the score remained level.
After a choppy first 15 minutes Onstad came close to making a vital error. Defender Julius James and Onstad could not clear from the top left of the 18 yard box, but Luis Gabriel Rey failed to hit the target from 35 yards out.
Houston put on the first bit of sustained pressure in the 22nd minute when good play down the right flank led to another half chance for Ching. The Texans continued pushing, earning two corners in the ensuing minutes, but could not find the final touch.
Atlante provided Onstad with a bit of catching practice in the 29th when Fernando Navarro’s shot from a good spell of possession was too soft and easily gathered in by the veteran.
Two minutes later Kei Kamara forced Omar Ortiz into a good save on the other end with a headed effort that lacked the pace to beat the ‘keeper to his near post.
The frantic pace continued with Bobby Boswell finding the breakthrough in the 34th with a powerful headed effort off of a Brad Davis corner. The snap header sailed past Ortix inside the near post and the home side had a 1-0 lead.
It was almost two when Brian Mullan’s cross found Kamara’s head. The 24-year-old’s effort beat the ‘keeper, but could not beat the post.
The half would end with Houston well and truly on the front foot.
Second Half:
The second half opened much the same as the first closed, with Houston sustaining pressure on the Iron Colts’ back line and not allowing the Mexican side room to find a rhythm.
However, Atlante started to find more space ten minutes into the half. Luis Gabriel Rey came close to equalizing off of a corner in the 57th, but his header floated just over the Houston goal.
With the Iron Colts pushing for an equalizer and the Dynamo in search of a second, the match quickly turned into an end to end battle. Neither side was able to find any kind sustained attacking presence with hard tackles flying in all over the pitch.
Kamara, who was lively throughout the match, earned a free kick in a promising position in 72nd, but Ching could not get high enough to get his head on the end of it.
Rey, looking to help his team find more possession, began dropping deeper into the midfield as the second half wore on. The increase in possession began to open up the Houston defense.
A corner in the 82nd minute for Atlante would level the match. A floated ball in was played back across the frame of Houston’s goal where Pereyra pounced and finished well, giving the visitors an equalizer in the late going.
Houston got back on the front foot quickly after the goal, but the late flurry was not enough for the Major League Soccer side to take a lead with them for the return leg in Cancun.
Allen Ramsey, Goal.com
Atlante brought out the big guns for the quarterfinal tie with Luis Gabriel Rey, Giancarlos Maldonado, and Gabriel Pereyra all in the starting eleven.
The fast paced contest ended in a 1-1 draw and set up an all important return leg next week in Mexico.
First Half:
The match got off to a fast start with both team pressuring high and breaking up possession. The first half-chance fell to Houston in the third minute with Brian Ching a step late on a diagonal ball which he was only able to push over the crossbar.
Atlante responded in the sixth minute with good combination play up front, leading to a chance on Pat Onstad’s goal. The Canadian got down well, however, and the score remained level.
After a choppy first 15 minutes Onstad came close to making a vital error. Defender Julius James and Onstad could not clear from the top left of the 18 yard box, but Luis Gabriel Rey failed to hit the target from 35 yards out.
Houston put on the first bit of sustained pressure in the 22nd minute when good play down the right flank led to another half chance for Ching. The Texans continued pushing, earning two corners in the ensuing minutes, but could not find the final touch.
Atlante provided Onstad with a bit of catching practice in the 29th when Fernando Navarro’s shot from a good spell of possession was too soft and easily gathered in by the veteran.
Two minutes later Kei Kamara forced Omar Ortiz into a good save on the other end with a headed effort that lacked the pace to beat the ‘keeper to his near post.
The frantic pace continued with Bobby Boswell finding the breakthrough in the 34th with a powerful headed effort off of a Brad Davis corner. The snap header sailed past Ortix inside the near post and the home side had a 1-0 lead.
It was almost two when Brian Mullan’s cross found Kamara’s head. The 24-year-old’s effort beat the ‘keeper, but could not beat the post.
The half would end with Houston well and truly on the front foot.
Second Half:
The second half opened much the same as the first closed, with Houston sustaining pressure on the Iron Colts’ back line and not allowing the Mexican side room to find a rhythm.
However, Atlante started to find more space ten minutes into the half. Luis Gabriel Rey came close to equalizing off of a corner in the 57th, but his header floated just over the Houston goal.
With the Iron Colts pushing for an equalizer and the Dynamo in search of a second, the match quickly turned into an end to end battle. Neither side was able to find any kind sustained attacking presence with hard tackles flying in all over the pitch.
Kamara, who was lively throughout the match, earned a free kick in a promising position in 72nd, but Ching could not get high enough to get his head on the end of it.
Rey, looking to help his team find more possession, began dropping deeper into the midfield as the second half wore on. The increase in possession began to open up the Houston defense.
A corner in the 82nd minute for Atlante would level the match. A floated ball in was played back across the frame of Houston’s goal where Pereyra pounced and finished well, giving the visitors an equalizer in the late going.
Houston got back on the front foot quickly after the goal, but the late flurry was not enough for the Major League Soccer side to take a lead with them for the return leg in Cancun.
Allen Ramsey, Goal.com
Make Your Prediction
Vancouver Whitecaps FC - Houston Dynamo
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Houston Dynamo
Prediction Submitted
Most Popular Predictions
-
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3-1 Houston Dynamo
- 50 %
-
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 0-1 Houston Dynamo
- 50 %
Inside Goal.Com
-
RIGG: Anelka struggling against the current in Shanghai
Nicolas Anelka went against the grain when he moved to Shanghai. Now he's finding that coaching and gelling tactically is like swimming against the tide.
-
ROGERS: Bradley should command a bidding war among Serie A teams
Chievo is currently shopping the American midfielder and several Italian clubs have shown interest.
-
ISOLA: Neymar-led Brazil should be considered the 2014 WC favorite
Neymar was brilliant as Brazil easily handled the United States with early World Cup preparations officially underway.
-
LATHAM: Mexico using summer friendlies to build depth
With World Cup qualifying to begin in June, Mexico is using three U.S.-hosted friendlies to build squad depth.
-
McCARTHY: Harrisburg springs its wildest Open Cup upset to date
The City Islanders fought back from three goals down with nine minutes to play and won the game on penalty kicks in a stunning game on a wild night for the U.S. Open Cup.