Houston Dynamo winger Fafa Picault hugs Dynamo forward Sebastian Ferreira after Ferrira's goal.
Fafa Picault, right, celebrates with the goal-scorer and man of the match, Sebastian Ferreira. (Courtesy of Houston Dynamo FC | Maria Lysaker)

Sebastián Ferreira’s brace powers Houston past San Jose 4-3

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HOUSTON – The longest scoring drought of Sebastián Ferreira’s career is over.

The Paraguayan striker scored a goal on each side of the half in the Houston Dynamo’s 4-3 shootout win over the visiting San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday Night at PNC Stadium.

It took Ferreira until the sixth game of the season to find the back of the net, and no one was happier than the striker himself.

Ferreira smiled from ear to ear when asked to describe his feelings after finally getting on the scoresheet.

“I’m very happy. It took a while, but it came [the goal],” said Ferreira. “Let’s hope they start coming more often, and if they come in twos, I’m not going to get mad either.”

The goal that broke Ferreira’s drought came via a corner kick in the 8th minute. Adam Lundqvist played a long ground cross towards the box where a streaking Ferreira met it and struck it low and hard to the near post. The play had been something the team had been working on in training.

And it’s success on the training pitch led the team to put it in play in the game.

After the game, Houston Dynamo head coach Paulo Nagamura said assistant coach Chris Martinez is responsible for scouting the opposition and finding areas where the Dynamo could expose them and take advantage.

Sebastian’s second goal came in the run of play and allowed him to flex his skills.

Griffin Dorsey saw Fafa Picault get behind the defense — like he did much of the match — and sent a long pass to put him one-on-one with Earthquakes defender Tanner Beason. Picault cut to his left and slipped a pass to Ferreira on the back post.

The 24-year-old showed composure with the ball. He settled it, then got the defender to go the wrong way with a step dribble and blasted his shot into the back of the net.

Two goals in one game is not a bad way to break a scoring drought.

Teenage Hadebe, who also scored his first goal this season, said it shows characters that Ferrerira didn’t get desperate throughout his scoring drought.

Ferreria, one of Houston’s Designated Players, was signed too much fanfare in the offseason, so when the goals weren’t coming, doubt could have crept in. But Ferreira remained calm throughout his goal drought, and it helped that he had support from his teammates and coaching staff.

“The coaching staff and teammates talked to me, that I had good games, that I shouldn’t despair, that the goal was going to come, and now it has,” said Ferreira.

The Dynamo brought Ferrerira in because he’s a piece of the puzzle the club is putting together. Houston brought him in because they believed he could add to the team, and on Saturday, he was effective. But while the brace is a great way to knock off the rust, it wasn’t a perfect game from Ferrerira.

“I still believe that there is a lot of room for improvement in Sebas’ (Ferreira) game, I think he was effective today. He could have scored maybe one or two more, but he scored a brace,” said Nagamura. “It’s good to have these first two goals off his back, and now he’s building. It’s going to be a boost of confidence for him, and I hope he keeps building on that.”

Seba knows there’s room for improvement on his end, and while he’s glad to get on the scoresheet, he admits he doesn’t always have to score.

“It is not always the striker who has to score,” said Ferreira. “One must also help to create spaces for the wingers and the outside backs to get forward. It all depends on each rival. We are working day by day to continue growing.”