The Houston Dynamo dropped their fourth consecutive game on Wednesday and lost a game in stoppage time for the fourth time this year, allowing a 96th-minute goal to the Kansas City Wizards in a wild 4-3 road loss.
The loss marked the second consecutive game in which the Dynamo let a halftime lead slip away after they had begun the season 5-0 when leading at halftime. Houston led 3-1 at halftime on Wednesday before Kansas City scored two fortunate goals in the second half, then notched the game winner deep into stoppage time. The Dynamo had been 16-0 all-time in regular season play when holding a two-goal lead at halftime.
The loss broke a nine-game Houston unbeaten streak (6-0-3) against the Wizards since the clubs’ first ever meeting, a 2-1 Kansas City win in 2006. The Wizards are now unbeaten in their last five MLS games and three points out of a playoff spot.
Houston is back in action on Saturday with the second in a stretch of three consecutive road games, facing D.C. United at RFK Stadium at 6:30 p.m. CT.
The Dynamo took the lead in just the 13th minute, when Brad Davis chipped a through ball for Mike Chabala down the left wing, and Chabala served a low cross to the near post, where Cam Weaver one-timed a shot inside the near post for his second goal of the season. Chabala’s third assist tied his career high, set last year, and Davis’ assist was his eighth of the year, tied for sixth in MLS, and the 60th of his MLS career. It is the fifth time in the last six years Davis has recorded at least eight assists in MLS play.
Houston doubled its advantage in the 34th minute when Lovel Palmer won a midfield header, and Cam Weaver headed the second ball behind the Kansas City back line. Dominic Oduro raced onto the pass and slotted the ball past Jimmy Nielsen with a right-footed shot to put the Dynamo up 2-0. It was Oduro’s fifth goal of the year in all competitions.
Kansas City came right back in the 35th minute when Craig Rocastle found former Dynamo forward Kei Kamara alone in the penalty area, and he fired a right-footed shot past Pat Onstad. It was Kamara’s 10th goal of the year and fourth consecutive game with a goal or assist.
The Dynamo responded quickly to restore their two-goal advantage, as a Brad Davis free kick was deflected by Kansas City and tapped into an empty net by Adrian Serioux. The goal was Serioux’s second of the season; his first came in the Dynamo’s only road win this year, a 2-0 win at Chivas USA on May 8.
Kansas City tied the game with a pair of fortuitous goals in the second half. In the 60th minute, Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad lost his footing while taking a goal kick, and the kick went straight to Kansas City forward Teal Bunbury, who capitalized on a breakaway to make it 3-1. In the 71st minute, a Ryan Smith shot that appeared to be headed wide deflected off of Houston’s Adrian Serioux and went in to tie the match.
The match had seven minutes of stoppage time due to at least three long breaks for injury, and Kansas City capitalized in the sixth minute when a long ball by goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen found right back Michael Harrington overlapping down the wing, and Harrington served in a cross to substitute forward Josh Wolff, who angled a header into the net for the winning goal.
Dynamo defender Bobby Boswell picked up a late yellow card, his fifth of the season, and will be suspended for Saturday’s match against his former club, D.C. United, due to yellow card accumulation.
For Houston, forward Joseph Ngwenya made his 100th career appearance in an MLS regular season game. Midfielder Corey Ashe made his 14th start of the season, a career high. Midfielder Geoff Cameron made his 90th career appearance for the Dynamo in all competitions.
The Dynamo played without forward Brian Ching (knee), midfielders Colin Clark (ACL surgery) and Anthony Obodai (meniscus surgery), and goalkeeper Tally Hall (ankle).
Next Game: Saturday, September 25, 6:30 p.m. CT, Houston Dynamo at D.C. United, RFK Stadium, Washington DC
Next Home Game: Sunday, October 10, 7:30 p.m., Houston Dynamo vs. New England Revolution, Robertson Stadium
HEAD COACH DOMINIC KINNEAR
On what went right in the first half ...
“Individually we were playing well. The two forwards were linking well. Cam [Weaver] was winning a lot of balls in the air, and Dominic [Oduro] was running off of it; we were holding the ball well and breaking. In the second half, they just started launching the ball, and we just couldn’t apply pressure and hold the ball up when we needed to.”
On playing a team that is in the playoff hunt ...
“It’s a game. The first game of the season is the same as the 25th game of the season, and there are points on the line. We knew they were desperate. We still had an outside chance. I know we don’t now. We also have something to play for. We knew in the second half they were going to start throwing balls in the box, and we didn’t handle it as well as we could have.”
On Wizards that impressed him ...
“[Ryan] Smith is a good player. He runs pretty diagonally quickly; he is a danger guy. We kept him pretty quiet in the first half. We kept everyone quiet in the first half but just could not sustain the level of play that we wanted to in the second half, and they got their quick players on the ball a little more.”
FORWARD CAM WEAVER
On the game ...
“We came out strong; we played well together in the first half, for most of the first half. We just got our chances and took them. We didn’t continue that in the second half, and that is disappointing because in the end, all that effort was for nothing.”
On having a good game individually in a loss ...
“Well it’s not one person having a good game, it’s the whole team. You can’t point out individuals I don’t think when you lose. It’s a collective effort. It’s just disappointing."
