The Houston Dynamo and Chicago Fire both had a three-point victory circled on their game plan; however, an afternoon of sluggish offense at Robertson Stadium left each team stuck in the mud in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Although both squads came into Saturday’s match undefeated in their last four regular season games, neither was able pull the trigger on its offensive weaponry to deliver a blow that would break the 1-1 impasse reached just prior to halftime.
Saturday’s match was merely an extension of the gridlock that the teams had become ensnarled in since they ended their April 29 meeting in Chicago with a 1-1 draw. However, unlike the spring faceoff that saw a direct, dangerous style of play, this game would be characterized by harmless possession resulting in a rather lazy day for Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall (3 saves) and Chicago net minder Sean Johnson (4 saves).
Bobby Boswell first awakened Johnson in the 20th minute when he snapped a header off a corner kick on frame from point-blank range, but Johnson reacted well in diving to his left. Chicago wouldn’t be so lucky on the next Dynamo corner kick, however, as Colin Clark punished the Fire with his fourth goal of the season and first since July 30 against Seattle. Davis drove his delivery toward the near post where the ball deflected off a Chicago defender before falling opportunely at Clark’s feet. The midfielder converted the finish straight on to give Houston the 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute.
With the early lead at home against an Eastern Conference seventh-place Chicago, the Dynamo was feeling comfortable. Just three minutes later Carlo Costly had his first MLS goal hand-delivered to him after Luiz Camargo’s cross left him with a nearly open net outside the six yard box, but Costly somehow managed to skyrocket his shot into the stadium stratosphere.
The momentum made Houston just cozy enough to the point where the Dynamo defense began drifting off to lullaby, and the brief nap would prove detrimental. Former Dynamo player turned Fire faithful Dominic Oduro jumped on the end of midfielder Baggio Husidic’s through ball and blazed past Boswell before using the outside of his foot to beat Hall to the far post.
The 43rd minute goal would change the tone heading into the locker rooms, and it would take Houston until the game’s waning minutes to bandage its ego and rev up its mojo. Ever so slowly, it began looking as if the Dynamo would pull off another one of its trademark, league-leading late goal wonders. Davis and Calen Carr both had fans on their feet in stoppage time only for them to throw back their heads and wince as each player’s attempt skirted the far post by a yard.
There would be no magic. There would be no three points. The Dynamo would be forced to settle with the single-point draw that would keep the team at third place with the high possibility of falling down more rungs in the Eastern Conference ladder after MLS action concludes for the week. The Fire’s playoff hopes seem all but extinguished. Instead, the Fire will have to fix its eyes on the prize of the U.S. Open Cup when it travels to Seattle on Tuesday for the tournament final. Houston will have some time to prepare for its road trip to Portland on Oct. 14 where three points will be crucial before concluding the regular season at home on Oct. 23 against a daunting LA Galaxy squad. The top three finishers in the Eastern Conference will secure a playoff spot, while four wildcard invitations will be extended to the next highest point getters from either conference.
