The Houston Dynamo looked to be on the way to beating their rivals for the second time this season on Saturday night, as they were up 1-0 against FC Dallas with 30 minutes left. But a shot that found Raul Rodriguez' arm in the box opened the floodgates and Dallas beat Houston 3-1 at BBVA Compass Stadium.
The Dynamo went up in the 19th minute thanks to an Alex screamer that found the top corner, and looked to be in control until a Tesho Akindele shot found Rodriguez' arm in the 58th minute, leading to a penalty-kick goal from Mauro Diaz.
From there Michael Barrios took over, first receiving an incredible longball from Maynor Figueroa and slotting it past Joe Willis. He followed it up 19 minutes later, receiving a pass from Tesho Akindele and curling a ball around Willis to give his side a two-goal cushion.
Houston does have some consolation in the loss. Thanks to their 5-0 win against Dallas in March, they take home El Capitan for the first time since 2012.
Box Score
- Full box score
- Stats
- Watch highlights
- 19' - HOU - Alex (Boniek Garcia)
- 59' - DAL - Mauro Diaz
- 60' - DAL - Michael Barrios (Maynor Figueroa)
- 79' - DAL - Michael Barrios (Tesho Akindele)
Three Things
- BACK IN THE SADDLE: Since their stunning 2-1 win against the LA Galaxy on August 10 in the US Open Cup semifinal, FC Dallas had not won. It was just three games, but they looked to be slipping in the Supporters' Shield race. With a sterling comeback they now lead MLS in points per game and are five points clear atop the Shield standings.
- BARRIOS STUNNERS: After Diaz slotted home his PK, Barrios did not take long in giving his team the lead. The winger had not scored since July 4 but with his two goals against Houston, he leads Dallas with eight goals this season. He will need to continue producing if Dallas have any hope of capturing the elusive treble.
- DYNAMO DONE?: The good news is that the Dynamo have finally won El Capitan again. The bad news is that they look to be finished in their race to get above the red line. After their 1-1 draw against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night, the Dynamo needed a win on Saturday night to get within four points of the Portland Timbers. With this loss, it would now take a miraculous stretch to reach the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Next Up
