Dynamo draw Timbers 1-1 in Houston’s first midweek matchup

HOUSTON – The Houston Dynamo and Portland Timbers traded goals in each half Wednesday night in a 1-1 draw at BBVA Compass Stadium.

The Timbers are only the second team this season to earn a point in Houston — the first being Real Salt Lake who earned a draw in the first game of the season.

And after the final whistle, Dynamo head coach Wilmer Cabrera knew his side left points on the field.

“We created more chances but we couldn’t finish and they stole one point and we lost the points at home,” Cabrera said. “It wasn’t our best performance but we were solid and I think we were trying to find the second goal. We couldn’t find it.”

The Orange, who have had a knack for scoring early goals in home matches, found getting one past Timbers ‘keeper Jeff Attinella easier said than done.

It started in the 11th minute when Elis unleashed a shot towards goal but Atinella dived to parry it away. Houston would continue to mount the pressure on the Timbers, and aside from a Jeremey Ebobisse missed shot in the 15th-minute, kept Portland in check.

The Orange would finally break through and get one past Atinella, who finished the first half with four saves.

In the 40th minute, the Dynamo earned a free kick. Memo Rodriguez sent a cross in the box that Alberth Elis headed toward the back post. The ball floated towards Mauro Manotas who headed towards goal. The ball bounced off Atinella’s fingertips banged off the post and into the back of the next for the game’s first goal.

Prolly shouldn't forget about Mauro in the box 🤷‍♂️https://t.co/hBIqIMJsBp

— Houston Dynamo (@HoustonDynamo) May 16, 2019

The goal is Manotas eight against the Timbers in their past nine meetings. And beyond giving Manotas his sixth score of the season, it gives him 41 for his career, tying him with Dynamo legend Brad Davis for third-most in La Naranja history.

Manotas shared with the media after the game that the set-piece goal design was created at a training Tuesday.

“Wilmer (Cabrera) told me to stay with the keeper and make sure he didn’t leave the box, which is where I normally am. I had the intuition, the vision, to tell Wilmer that I wanted to crash the far post and wait for Boniek Garcia to go with their center back because he was coming from behind,” Cabrera said.

“I told Wilmer that I want to be in that space and wait to head in a ball or clean up at the far post. And, well, things worked out. It just worked out. I went to the far post and the ball just fell to me.”

After the goal, the Dynamo had three more shots on goal before the halftime whistle, but all three were bottled up by Atinella to keep the game within striking distance for Portland.

Houston started the second half the same way it finished the first half, applying pressure on the Timbers and looking to extend its lead. Among the scoring opportunities for Houston was an Elis shot that lacked pace in the 67th, and a Boniek Garcia mishit effort in the box.

“We know that we are creating a lot of opportunities and we just need to get that final touch to finish the play, just a little more quality at the end and a little more patience to either score the goal or lay the ball off to a teammate in a better position,” Manotas said. “I’m sure we will work on that this week and talk with the coaching staff about that.

And the Dynamo would come to rue their missed opportunities as the Timbers newest signee, Brian Fernandez, rescued a point for Portland. Worse, it came off Garcia’s missed scoring opportunity. 

After the Timbers recovered the ball in the box, they got it out wide to Sebastian Blanco. The Argentinian picked out Fernadez, who got behind the Dynamo backline. Blanco sent a long diagonal pass to Fernandez who brought it down with his chest and calmly slotted his shot past an onrushing Joe Willis.

The goal would be enough for the Timber to take a point from on the road.

For Houston, the attention now shifts to D.C. United and Wayne Rooney who come to town Saturday night.