3160ym19115013894575693032">The Houston Dynamo were held to their third home draw of the season on Saturday night as the Portland Timbers, the team right behind them in the Western Conference standings, came to visit. With the tie, the Dynamo stay ahead of Portland and remain undefeated at home.
3160ym19115013894575693037">Here are three things that stood out from the match:
3160ym19115013894575693042">1. The team remains undefeated at home
3160ym19115013894575693047">The Dynamo didn’t have their best game collectively but the importance of walking away with a home result cannot be overlooked. It was important for the team to come away with a result because it would’ve otherwise undone the effort they put in to win at D.C. United.
3160ym19115013894575693052">The team responded well to being down at halftime – the first time during a home match this season – and took advantage of a tired Portland in the second half. In the process, the team completed its first four-game unbeaten streak since September of 2014.
3160ym19115013894575693057">It maintains the mystique of being a team that’s difficult to beat, which becomes part of the mental game of the postseason. The Dynamo also maintain themselves on pace toward their goal of finishing as one of the top two teams in the conference.
3160ym19115013894575693062">2. “Los Cafeteros” continue to shine
3160ym19115013894575693067">The Colombian duo of Mauro Manotas and Juan David Cabezas will take the headlines being the two players who found the back of the net. Both have been a key part of the team these past months – collecting their 13th and 16th consecutive starts respectively – so their contributions are no coincidence.
3160ym19115013894575693072">With his seventh goal of the season, Manotas reached a new career high and moved up to second in the Dynamo scoring chart. Cabezas scored his first of the season to tie the match in the 81st minute.
Add in head coach Wilmer Cabrera – a former Colombian international as well – and Los Cafeteros have been an integral part of the Dynamo's successes this season.
3160ym19115013894575693082">3. Memo collects another first
3160ym19115013894575693087">Memo Rodriguez has quickly gone from debutante to consistent contributor. On Saturday night, the 21-year-old midfielder subbed on for veteran Ricardo Clark and collected his first MLS assist.
It extended a run of four straight appearances for the Dynamo Academy product, with a pair of starts. In those four games, Rodriguez now has two goals and an assist.
3160ym19115013894575693092">The kid’s got spunk, and Saturday night he was big contributor entering as a sub in the central attacking midfielder role after previous appearances on the wing. Cabrera noted that provided good energy, "trying to create and receive the ball behind their defensive midfielders" and drew key fouls, including the free kick that provided his game-tying assist.
