With the Dynamo staring a disappointing draw in the face, Joseph Ngwenya put on his cape and saved the day for the Houston...with a lot of help from his friends of course.
With less than five minutes in the game, Corey Ashe sent a smooth cross in from a free kick that found Ngwenya in the air who redirected the ball with his head past Pachuca keeper Miguel Calero. It was Ngwenya's second goal of the night and it rang true through the hot night air like a cry for justice shouted from a mountain top across a pristine valley...don't judge me, I'm happy.
The Dynamo opened the scoring in the 20th minute after a blocked shot deflected to the feet of Joseph Ngwenya. The forward wasted little time and blasted the ball past the Pachuca goalkeeper to give Houston a 1-0 lead. The goal came completely against the run of play as Pachuca had dominated possession. That's not to say the Dynamo weren't creating chances, they just weren't able to hold the ball early. After the goal, the team settled and Tally Hall made several big saves to keep the Dynamo up at the half.
The second 45 minutes was a spirited affair with end to end action, a Pachuca goal, a crime against soccer and a fantastic game winning goal.
Pachuca drew even in the 51st minute when Damien Manso was able to get space and beat Tally Hall. The Dynamo struggled all night with Pachuca's speed, but thanks to some great saves from Hall, lots of hustle and some luck, it was the only time Pachuca was able to find the net all night. The Dynamo's backup goalkeeper was stellar, making several great saves, including stopping multiple breakaways in the first half.
If not for Ngwenya's late goal, the entertaining and completive match would have been overshadowed by an officiating error. After Calero saved a free kick shot from Lovel Palmer, Brian Ching pounced on the rebound and seemingly put the Dynamo ahead 2-1. However, the linesman saw the play differently and ruled Ching offside. Replay showed Ching was clearly onside but fortunately, it didn't end up costing the Dynamo the victory.
The Dynamo will now rest and prepare for another SuperLiga match on Sunday against Chivas USA. A win should lock-up a spot in the SuperLiga semifinals and take the pressure off the their final group stage match against Puebla.