Donovan, Nelson reap benefits in match

As the minutes ticked into injury time at BBVA Compass Stadium on Friday night, fans expected a tie in the 10th annual Charities Cup between the Dynamo and C.F. Monterrey.

But Monterrey forward Luis Madrigal got his foot on a cross from the left corner and directed the ball into the opposite corner of the net to steal a 2-1 victory.

Monterrey, one of Mexico’s top teams, had threatened early in the match. At halftime, the team had six shots to the Dynamo’s four, and Monterrey outshot the Dynamo 11 to six for the game.

“It was labeled as a friendly, but both teams were extremely competitive,” Dynamo goalkeeper Michael Nelson said.

The Dynamo struck first. In the 49th minute, midfielder Luis Gil attacked from the right flank and angled a shot that split two defenders. Monterrey’s goalkeeper jumped at the ball and denied the attempt, but Dynamo defender Conor Donovan was there for the second-chance opportunity. Donovan pounced on the ball after it fell from the keeper’s hands and tapped it into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. It was his first goal for the Dynamo since being signed from the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on May 31.

“The keeper bobbled it a little bit, and it just fell straight to me,” Donovan said. “I’ll take it. I’ll take whatever I can get right there.”

The Dynamo held the advantage for several minutes, but Monterrey responded in the 64th minute. After a Dynamo foul, Monterrey midfielder Alfonso Gonzalez rifled a free kick past the wall and into the left corner of the net.

The match was tied at the end of 90 minutes and headed into injury time. That’s when Madrigal found the back of the net for Monterrey and sent Dynamo fans toward the exits.

Despite the loss, the Dynamo appreciated playing against toplevel competition.

“It was great,” said Nelson, who made his first start for the Dynamo. “You train hard every day and hope to get the opportunity to get minutes, and I was fortunate enough to get that tonight.”

A portion of the revenue from the match will benefit KIPP Opportunity Campus.