HOUSTON — After one of the wildest comebacks in MLS this season, the Houston Dynamo celebrated while LAFC walked off in disbelief.
As for the final margin of victory? Well, it was actually a 2-2 draw.
LAFC controlled the game and carried a 2-0 lead into the 90th minute. But Mauro Manotas and Philippe Senderos each scored deep in second-half stoppage time to help the Dynamo salvage a point and send the Houston crowd into a frenzy -- at least those that remained beyond a 90-minute weather delay and 90 minutes of play dictated by the visitors.
For LAFC, it was a chance lost at catapulting to the top of the Western Conference standings, which they could've done with a victory.
“Late in the game, obviously, it's desperation time and [it's about] our ability to still connect a few more passes and just manage the situation," said LAFC coach Bob Bradley. “I thought overall we had a lot of good effort but got sloppy and a little bit careless at the end and paid for it.”
Despite those late sequences, Bradley said his squad is still a good team that believes in the way it plays, and that the draw provides something to learn from. The former US national team coach also praised the play of defenders Jordan Harvey and Tristan Blackmon against Houston’s fast and agile wingers.
Meanwhile, Houston coach Wilmer Cabrera said that while the late drama only resulted in one point, it could be a turning point for his side this season.
Houston had dropped 12 points from winning positions entering the game. On Tuesday, La Naranja flipped the script.
“We’ve been talking about losing points in the last 10 minutes of the game and losing games the last 10 minutes of the games, and today we were able to change that,” Cabrera said. “We scored in the [94th] and the [96th] to comeback, which shows character and shows our mentality.”
Senderos, a three-time World Cup veteran, said Houston’s is happy to get a point because of the circumstances of the game, but that there needs to be a better performance if the Dynamo wish to take three on Saturday from visiting Minnesota United (9 pm ET | TV & streaming info).
“We know we have to get better,” Senderos said. “The Western Conference is a tough conference and we know we need to pick up points at home.”
