Houston Dynamo kept their unbeaten and shutout streaks going, but a visiting 10-man Toronto FC kept their unbeaten streak alive as well as the two teams played to a record-setting scoreless tie Sunday night at Robertson Stadium.
Dynamo extended their winless streak to 10 games, and they set a new MLS shutout record, surpassing the old record of 681 minutes set by Kansas City in 2000. Dynamo now haven't allowed a goal in 695 minutes. Toronto played the entire second half a man down, but they were able to extend their unbeaten streak to four games despite being outshot 16-4 by the Orange.
Houston had its first opportunity in the fourth minute when Joseph Ngwenya crossed a pass into the box for a Brian Ching header, but Ching deflected the header off Stuart Holden. The ball bounced to Ngwenya on the right side of the box, but before he could get a shot off, Ngwenya was whistled for offside.
Toronto FC had their chances early. In the 10th minute, Ronnie O'Brien hit a free kick from 35 yards out that went wide right. Then in the next minute, O'Brien fired a bullet wide of the far side from the right side of the box.
Ching was tightly marked by the TFC defense all night long, but in the 13th minute, he was able to work free and get to a Brian Mullan cross, only to head it just right of the right post.
The Orange were victimized by the offside flag all night long. In the 17th minute, Ngwenya took a pass in the middle of the box and fired a bullet past Toronto goalkeeper Srdjan Djekanovic, but the goal was disallowed when the linesman's flag went up. Dynamo were called for offside nine times in the game, seven in the first half.
Houston nearly took the lead in the 32nd minute. Ching took a pass from Ngwenya, but his shot from the left side of the area went off the lower post and bounced out. In the next minute, Ngwenya rounded a defender in the area, but his shot from the right went straight to Djekanovic.
In the 42nd minute, Toronto FC's Maurice Edu was issued a red card after he and Houston's Brian Mullan collided in mid-air while both were challenging for a high ball. Mullan was bloodied and down for several minutes while being attended to by Houston's training staff, but Mullan returned to the game in the 45th minute.
Toronto nearly got a vital goal before the end of the half as Collin Samuel got around one Dynamo defender and took a shot just inside the left side of the area, but Houston 'keeper Pat Onstad made a diving save. Houston nearly pulled ahead as well in stoppage time when Holden took a pass on the left side of the box and fired a shot, but Djekanovic made another save.
With the man advantage, Dynamo were piling on the pressure. Ricardo Clark went close twice, first heading over the bar in the 56th minute from a Mulrooney cross, then seeing a shot from inside the area deflected just wide in the 61st minute.
From the ensuing corner kick, Patrick Ianni's shot was blocked by a Toronto defender, and Dwayne De Rosario's rebound attempt was blocked and bounced to Ching, who gave it to Nate Jaqua. But he fired high from close range. Two minutes later, Ching crossed the field to Holden on a 3-on-2 breakaway, but Holden's shot from the left side of the area was wide.
The physicality of the game continued to show as Houston's Eddie Robinson was issued a yellow card in the 67th minute for pushing Toronto's Andrea Lombardo. Two minutes later, Holden took a pass outside the left side of the box and cut inside Marvell Wynne but his shot rolled right into the waiting hands of Djekanovic.
As Dynamo piled on the pressure, TFC had everyone behind the ball. The Orange nearly found net again in the 74th minute when Jaqua took a pass from De Rosario in front of the goal, but his header was saved by a jumping Djekanovic. Then the Dynamo attack continued its relentless assault as Clark fired a shot from the right side of the area in the 75th minute, but again the shot went right.
While Dynamo broke the MLS league shutout record in the 78th minute, they still needed a goal to make the night a complete success. Wade Barrett crossed to Ching, but his header went left of the goal. In the 83rd minute, Jaqua missed a header from the middle of the box wide right.
Still, TFC had their chances to steal the victory at the end. In the 79th minute, Lombardo took a shot from 30 yards out that rolled into Onstad's waiting hands.
Then in the 85th minute, Wynne had a chance at a breakaway, but he kicked the ball too far ahead of him, and Onstad came off his line and stopped any chance by sliding to gather the ball. But the Toronto defense did its part, and despite creating history, Dynamo were left to share the points.
Jeremy Rakes is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
