Houston Dynamo FC earned one point in their opening Leagues Cup group stage match at Orlando City SC earlier tonight. The teams played to a 1-1 draw in regulation, while Orlando won the ensuing penalty shootout 5-4 to earn an extra point.
The penalty shootout started with a miss from Dynamo midfielder Héctor Herrera, whose attempt was saved by a diving Pedro Gallese to the left side. Every player from both teams converted on the ensuing attempts, as Facundo Torres scored the winning penalty with a strong shot into the inside of the right side netting.
Houston scored the opening goal in the final minutes of the first half. Defender Griffin Dorsey won a penalty kick in the second minute of first half stoppage time after he suffered a foul at the edge of the box. Forward Amine Bassi converted the penalty kick for his 10th goal of the year in all competitions, six of which have come from the spot.
Orlando scored the equalizer minutes into the second half after Duncan McGuire got a foot on a clearance from Dynamo goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell inside the box.
Dynamo forward Nelson Quiñónes suffered a foul just outside the box in the 16th minute. Bassi took the ensuing free kick, but his effort went wide of the far post.
Quiñónes found Dorsey open at the back post in the 24th minute, but his header was cleared by the Orlando backline.
Forward Aliyu Ibrahim intercepted a ball just outside the box in the 39th minute and created space for a shot, but his effort went wide of the near post.
Orlando forward Facundo Torres found midfielder Martín Ojeda outside the box in the 41st minute for a shot that was initially on target but deflected off a Dynamo defender for a corner kick.
Houston attempted to equalize in the 50th minute when defender Franco Escobar delivered a ball into the box from the left side. Dorsey headed the ball down into the middle of the box to the feet of forward Corey Baird, but the 27-year-old’s attempt went over the crossbar.
Dynamo midfielder Adalberto “Coco” Carrasquilla and Herrera entered the match in the 61st minute and combined for a dangerous opportunity moments later in the final third. Herrera played the ball to Carrasquilla, who headed the ball back to his teammate inside the box. Herrera pulled the ball back to create space for a shot for the Panamanian international, but his effort deflected off an Orlando defender.
Tarbell made a crucial stop in the 81st minute when Rafael Santos whipped a ball into the six-yard box from the left wing. The veteran goalkeeper beat the Orlando attacker running onto the ball to keep the match tied at one goal apiece.
Tarbell stepped up again in the 87th minute, diving to the left to save a strong shot from Torres after he cut into the right side of the penalty box. Tarbell ended the night with four saves.
The Dynamo continue Leagues Cup group stage play when they host Santos Laguna on Tuesday, July 25 at Shell Energy Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT.
