Orange escape trap to pick up three points
Defender Beasley collects rare goal; Lima’s late score thwarts San Jose
Seventy-six minutes of dominance were almost wiped away in one instant Saturday night, silencing the BBVA Compass Stadium crowd and forcing the Dynamo to regroup against the short-handed San Jose Earthquakes.
Fortunately for the Dynamo, Brazilian midfielder Alex Lima saved them from what would have been an embarrassing draw with the Earthquakes.
A short time after the Earthquakes tied the game, Lima scored the game-winner from close range in the 77th minute to give the Dynamo a 2-1 victory before 21,876.
Coyle pleased
“All in all, fantastic to get the three points,” Dynamo coach Owen Coyle said. “Again, the courage and conviction to pick themselves up after giving up the equalizer and going on to win the game, that speaks volumes for the characters that we have in that locker room.”
Although the Dynamo played the final 30 minutes of the match up a man, former Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear’s gritty Earthquakes almost escaped with a point.
“We relaxed a little bit and we gave up the tying goal, and it became difficult for us because the weight of the match was heavier on us,” Lima said. “But thank God I got a cross from the right side and I was able to score that very important goal for the Dynamo.”
Until the Earthquakes tied it, Dynamo defender DaMarcus Beasley had been the story of the match with his first goal in Major League Soccer in nearly 12 years.
With the game scoreless, attacking midfielder Giles Barnes fed Beasley the ball just outside the left corner of the 18-yard box.
Beasley made one cut and broke free after Earthquakes defender Victor Bernardez missed badly on the play.
Beasley then beat goalkeeper David Bingham at the near post in the 55th minute for his first MLS regular-season goal since he scored for the Chicago Fire on Oct. 18, 2003. He also scored in the 2003 MLS Cup final Nov. 23, 2003.
San Jose midfielder Fatai Alashe, who was given a yellow card in the first half for a vicious tackle on Luis Garrido, was sent off in the 60th minute for clutching on to Barnes after he was beaten on the left wing. Catching a break
But despite being down a man, Kinnear’s Earthquakes kept pressing. The Earthquakes got their break with 20 minutes left.
San Jose midfielder Sanna Nyassi, who en- tered in the 69th minute, headed the ball toward the mouth of the goal. Dynamo goalkeeper Joe Willis, who started for the injured Tyler Deric, broke off his line and slipped between the Earthquakes’ Chris Wondolowski and Quincy Amarikwa.
Unfortunately for the Dynamo, Willis whiffed on the ball and let it fall to Amarikwa, who easily put it into the back of the net with his chest.
The Dynamo countered in the 77th minute to regain the lead on Lima’s goal. Boniek Garcia set up the goal with a through ball to Sheanon Williams on the right side of the 18-yard box. Williams crossed to Lima, who didn’t miss.
“It was a real blow,” Coyle said of the tying goal. “You sensed the silence in the stadium because it was one of disbelief that we lost a goal at that part of the game. But that’s such a good, honest group of players. They picked themselves up, and we scored a wonderful team goal, the second goal.”