Manotas a highlight in frustrating year
Forward Mauro Manotas continues to scorch the back of the net.
Unfortunately for the Dynamo, it is happening at the end of the Major League Soccer season with nothing but pride on the line
Manotas scored two goals Saturday night, but they were not enough for the Dynamo in a 3-2 loss to the visiting Colorado Rapids in front of 18,400 in paid attendance at BBVA Compass Stadium.
The result officially eliminated the last-place Dynamo (7-13-11) from playoff contention with three games remaining. It also kept second-place Colorado (14-5-12) alive for the Supporters’ Shield.
Manotas has five goals in his last three games and now leads the team with six this season. The Dynamo likely could have used that kind of production in the first half of the season; Saturday marked his eighth start in the last nine matches.
Most times a player scoring two goals is cause for celebration. That was far from the mood of the Dynamo on Saturday after conceding all three goals because of their own mistakes.
“We gave them the goals,” defender DaMarcus Beasley said. “We gave them the game. We’re at home and we came out flat again. When it rains it pours. Right now we’re not in a good groove.”
Colorado’s first goal (12th minute) came after a pass from Dynamo defender Raul Rodriguez rolled directly to the Rapids’ Sebastien Le Toux in the defensive third. Le Toux played it to Dillon Powers at the top of the penalty area.
Powers kicked it over his head and into the box for Dominique Badji, who then scored the first of his two goals.
Badji scored again in the 54th minute when Powers played a through ball between two Dynamo defenders. Rodriguez seemed to be caught in no man’s land on the play, and Badji ran right by him for an easy finish from inside the box.
The Rapids took a 3-1 lead in the 79th minute on a shot by Shkelzen Gashi from the top of the box.
“All around we could have done a little bit better,” Dynamo interim coach Wade Barrett said. “We’re disappointed with the way we gave the goals up. It is collective. It is on every single one of us.”
Manotas’ second goal came in the 81st minute when his free kick from just outside the penalty area deflected off the Colorado wall.
His first came in the 46th minute on a brilliant strike from inside the box. Sheanon Williams crossed it low to Manotas a shade to the right of center.
Manotas hit it out of the area and skipped it into the back of the net, beating Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard.
Saturday’s game was the beginning of a busy week for the Dynamo. They play a road game against Seattle Sounders FC on Wednesday and then return to Houston for the home finale against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Oct. 16.