It didn't fall exactly into the script, but the New York Red Bulls did take a lead, squander it and play to yet another draw, tying Houston Dynamo 1-1 at Giants Stadium on Saturday night.
Jean Philippe Peguero gave the Red Bulls the lead in the second minute but former MetroStars first-round draft pick Ricardo Clark leveled for Houston. It was New York's seventh draw in 10 games and the sixth time they squandered a lead. The only difference is that Houston didn't score late, as was the case in a draw at New England and in a 2-1 win over Los Angeles last week.
Peguero's second minute goal was tied for the fastest goal in team history. Clint Mathis also scored in the second minute for the then-MetroStars Sept. 5, 2002. Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad came off his line and got a piece of Youri Djorkaeff's early service from the right side. But Peguero plowed into Onstad, the ball bounced loose and the Haitian tapped in his fifth goal of the year.
The Red Bulls nearly doubled their edge a minute later but Onstad stopped Peguero from in close.
In his first game back at Giants Stadium since being claimed by San Jose on Jan. 14, 2005, Clark leveled in the 19th minute. He received a square ball from Ronald Cerritos and his shot from 35 yards out deflected off of Mark Lisi and beat Tony Meola inside the near post.
Clark was the second overall pick in the 2003 SuperDraft and he played 26 games in his only season with the MetroStars.
Three minutes later Dynamo forward Alejandro Moreno got behind New York defender Jeff Parke but Meola came off his line to make the save before and the two collided. He was clearly laboring and substitute Jon Conway hurriedly warmed up, but Meola was able to finish out the match.
Dynamo winger Brad Davis saw his game come to an early end, limping off in the 35th minute with a left quadriceps strain. He was replaced by Kevin Goldthwaite. Davis missed Houston's game two weeks ago in New England with a left knee sprain and was instrumental in both Dynamo goals against the Galaxy a week ago.
The Red Bulls should have led going into the break. First, Parke headed a Lisi service off the post in the 39th minute, and the Red Bulls had one more scoring chance, but Djorkaeff's low free kick from 20 yards out skipped into Onstad.
Dynamo were the better team after the restart. Meola was called into action in the opening minute of the second half when Dwayne De Rosario corralled Craig Waibel's cross but Meola came out and made a kick save. De Rosario put Moreno's service over the net in the 50th minute and three minutes later Wade Barrett put his shot from 25 yards out wide. In the 63rd De Rosario had another chance, but he put his close-range shot wide of the near post.
After being held out of the starting lineup with a right hamstring strain that forced him to miss Thursday and Friday's training sessions, Amado Guevara entered the game in the 61st minute, replacing Mark Lisi. Red Bulls head coach Mo Johnston made his second change in the 68th minute, bringing Peter Canero on for Chris Henderson.
The Red Bulls made their final change in the 77th minute as Marvell Wynne replaced Carlos Mendes. Canero moved to right back and Wynne played wide right in Johnston's 3-5-2. One minute earlier Julian Nash came on for an injured Cerritos.
Djorkaeff had the game's final scoring chance with a free kick in the 81st minute after Goldthwaite fouled Danny O'Rourke, but his kick from 22 yards out sailed over the crossbar.
With less than a third of the season gone, the Red Bulls have more than half of the Columbus Crew's MLS-record 13 ties recorded in 2004, and are already approaching the club record of 11 set last year.
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
