Houston Chronicle Sunday

Offense fails to show up again

Frustratio­n mounts as scoreless streak reaches 4 games

- By Corey Roepken Corey Roepken is a freelance writer.

The Dynamo have had a heavy share of missed scoring chances in the last two months, but on Saturday night they felt snubbed by one they did not get.

Coach Wade Barrett hinted at a missed call by the referee on a handball in the box in the second half added time of the Dynamo’s 0-0 draw with Vancouver at BBVA Compass Stadium.

Forward Will Bruin left nothing to the imaginatio­n. He said the Dynamo should have been awarded a penalty kick.

“I did see a handball,” Bruin said. “Cubo (Erick Torres) was going for a header. I was right behind him. It was coming right to me. A magical hand appeared and knocked the ball down. Since we have zero PKs this year, I guess there is a trend going that we don’t get one.”

Two different streaks

Saturday’s double shutout extended a pair of streaks — one good and one bad for the Dynamo (4-9-7). They have not conceded a goal in five consecutiv­e home games. Unfortunat­ely for the Dynamo, they have not scored a goal in the last four games and only once in their last five.

While the Dynamo felt robbed by the lack of a penalty kick, they had to praise the play of Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted.

Ousted made four brilliant saves. The last one he made came on in the dying moments. Defender David Horst jumped and hit a powerful header on goal that the goalkeeper jumped to punch over the bar

The Dynamo did beat Ousted once but still didn’t score on a shot by Boniek Garcia in the 72nd minute.

Torres, starting in his final game with the club before meets up with the Mexican Olympic team, hit a rolling pass through the top of the box that Bruin stepped over to leave for Garcia.

Garcia hit it with his left foot off the inside of the cross bar. The ball caromed along the goal line with nobody there to kick it away until it rolled over the end line outside of the post.

“Ousted made some great saves,” Bruin said. “(Garcia) hits the post and it rolls across the line. On another day that goes in, but since we haven’t scored it goes on the other side.” Rodriguez hurt

The Dynamo’s defensive depth was below full strength with the absence of injured left back DaMarcus Beasley but was tested more Saturday night.

Dynamo center back Raul Rodriguez left the game in the 13th minute after suffering a right groin strain. Left back Jalil Anibaba moved to the middle, and Aboulie Mansally subbed in to play left back.

 ?? Bob Levey / Associated Press ?? For the new attack scheme to work, Will Bruin, right, must get in on the action for the Dynamo’s struggling offense. The team has gone four games without a goal.
Bob Levey / Associated Press For the new attack scheme to work, Will Bruin, right, must get in on the action for the Dynamo’s struggling offense. The team has gone four games without a goal.

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