Cabezas’ late goal salvages tie, preserves home streak
The Dynamo remained unbeaten at home Saturday night, but this time it was by the skin of their teeth.
Juan David Cabezas scored on a late header to help the Dynamo steal a share of the points in a 2-2 draw against the Portland Timbers in front of 19,382 fans at BBVA Compass Stadium.
The Dynamo (9-7-6) are 8-0-3 in home games. The tie allows them to remain in third place in the Western Conference standings and two points ahead of Portland (8-8-7).
Cabezas’ tying goal came in the 82nd minute.
After he was fouled outside the penalty area, Memo Rodriguez served a free kick to the far post that Cabezas headed in from 10 yards away. It was the first goal for the loan player from Colombia.
“We weren’t as sharp as we’re used to being,” Dynamo coach Wilmer Cabrera said. “We weren’t as clean with the ball. We weren’t creating those attacks that create chaos on the defense. I give a lot of credit to the players because they fought. The team came back every time that we were losing.”
An unlikely hero
Cabezas was an unlikely hero considering the second-half subs called on by Cabrera. Still beat up from international duty with Honduras, electric forwards Romell Quioto and Alberth Elis did not start.
Elis came on at halftime. Quioto came on in the 62nd minute — three minutes after Rodriguez. Rodriguez had scored in two of his previous three games with the Quioto and Elis away for the Gold Cup.
Call negates goal
The Dynamo were in position to tie the game because a goal by Portland’s Fanendo Adi was called back in the 55th minute for an unconventional offside.
Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric rushed off his line all the way outside the penalty area but whiffed on the ball. Portland’s Diego Chara chipped a pass over Dynamo defender A.J. DeLaGarza to Adi inside the penalty area.
Adi headed it to his feet, dribbled toward the goal and finished into the empty net. After conferring with his linesman, referee Jose Carlos Rivero ruled no goal. He said Adi was ahead of the second-tolast defender — Dynamo’s Leonardo — even before the ball got to the penalty area.
“(Adi) was in an offside position and interfered with an opponent,” Rivero said. “The flag was delayed as the assistant referee confirmed with the referee on the interference. … (Adi) makes contact with Leonardo and impedes Leonardo from playing the ball or defending the ball, and that is interference according to the law.”
The Dynamo trailed at halftime for the first time in 11 home games.
Portland scored the opener through Diego Valeri in the 13th minute. Right back Zarek Valen- tin hit a low cross to Valeri inside the 18-yard line. Dynamo defender Leonardo lunged at the ball but missed.
Manotas on the money
Valeri balanced himself and then shot directly over Deric and off the underside of the cross bar in the center of the goal.
The Dynamo leveled the score in the 37th minute when Mauro Manotas hammered home the rebound of a deflection by Portland goalkeeper Jake Gleeson.
It did not take long for the Timbers to back in front as Sebastian Blanco scored in the 43rd minute.