HOUSTON - Benny Feilhaber crushed a 23-yard blast in the dying moments to snatch a point for Sporting Kansas City in a thrilling 4-4 draw with the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium.
Up a man and pushing for an equalizer after conceding in the 84th minute, Feilhaber scored his second goal of the night by putting his laces through the ball from distance and securing a bruising point for the visitors. Feilhaber’s late heroics erased what looked like a deciding goal from Dynamo newcomer Raul Rodriguez, the Spanish acquisition who rushed the near post to head home a Brad Davis free kick in the 84th minute.
Rodriguez’s goal looked to erase the impact of a poor back pass from teammate Giles Barnes which led to one Sporting KC goal and a controversial handball called on the Dynamo's Jermaine Taylor which triggered his red card and a Sporting KC penalty kick goal.
Feilhaber converted the 80th minute PK to tie the match at 3-3. It was awarded after Taylor was ruled to have handled a Krisztian Nemeth attempt on goal. Replays showed the ball may have come off Taylor’s chest, but referee Kevin Stott pointed to the spot and showed the Jamaican international a red card.
Dom Dwyer opened the door for Feilhaber’s equalizer, pouncing on an ill-advised back pass from Barnes and, after a failed cut-out attempt from Deric, slotted a shot into the open net at the 74-minute mark.
Before his blunder, Barnes looked to be the early hero. He scored in both halves, bookending a Will Bruin goal for a 3-1 lead as the home side erased an early Sporting KC goal.
Barnes' first came after Houston went down 1-0 to a third-minute Nemeth goal, as he punished a scuffed clearance from Sporting KC midfielder Servando Carrasco. The ball landed in the path of Barnes, who sliced the half-volley past SKC goalkeeper Luis Marin to pull the game level.
Barnes struck again less than a minute into the second half, driving up field and taking a shot from roughly 22 yards out. Marin was slow to react and was beat to near post to give Houston a 3-1 lead.
The two Barnes goals sandwiched Bruin's strike which gave Houston a 2-1 lead just before the end of an action-filled, bruising first half.
Bruin, making his third start of the season, bulled his way to the near post through a crowd of players. Davis, who had two assists on the night to move into third-place among all-time MLS assists leaders, set up the chance by delivering a pinpoint corner kick and Bruin opened his 2015 account with a flick off the back of his head.
Nemeth got the night started quickly, scoring three minutes into the game. Houston turned the ball over, allowing Nemeth to eventually pick the ball up and charge toward goal. The forward met no resistance from the retreating Dynamo defense and fired accurately from 25-yards to the far post to claim an early 1-0 road lead.
Houston next renew the Texas Derby with FC Dallas at home on Friday night (8 pm ET, Univision Deportes Network). Sporting KC continue by taking on the Chicago Fire next Sunday (5 pm ET, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and TSN1).
