Manotas lifts Houston Dynamo to a 1-1 draw

Dynamo forward Mauro Manotas is hotter than the Houston temperature. The young Columbian scored in his eighth consecutive match across all competition. His equalizer in the eighth minute of play helped Houston forge a 1-1 draw n the opening salvo of the 2018 Texas Derby.

Houston has been waiting for a striker of Brian Ching’s value since ....... well since Brian Ching left the pitch for the final time in 2013. Many thought “the Waltzing Bear” Will Bruin would be the man but after what appeared to be a breakthrough season in 2012, He was unable to find the consistency. Then came the short lived - much hyped Cubo era, which ended with Torres departure last spring. Meanwhile Manotas continued to show he had what it took to be a world class striker.

His thought is simple; “There are many that rate forwards with goals since forwards that can’t score is not a forward.”

Plain and simple forwards are paid to score, strikers are paid to strike the back of the net.

Cabrera, a World Cup Columbian defender by trade, came to Houston via the Colorado Rapids, Chivas USA, and the USL Dynamo affiliate Rio Grande FC. At Chivas, he turned Cubo into a scoring machine. Now Matt Jordan has provided him weapons enough to push the attack in relentless waves and with Manotas in the middle action, Houston has thrived over the last two seasons.

Fifty two seconds into Saturday night’s game FCD’s Matt Hedges opened the scoring knocking home a header.

Have no fear Mauro would appear just seven minutes later. Romell Quioto served a ball into the box and Manotas put it away.

“The pass was nearly perfect. My movement was very good because I advance to the central. It was a movement I was looking for because El Profe (Wilmer Cabrera) always told me to make that move because the ball was going to fall there, thank God the ball there fell and I could put it. “

Coming into the match, the native of Sarbanlarga, Columbia matched his career high with the equalizer. Entering the match, the Dynamo striker had climbed to within fifth on the all-time franchise scoring list trailing former Dynamo star Giles Barnes by a single goal. The 23 year old scored his 34th career goal matching Barnes needing only 5, 316 minutes of play to Barnes’ 10,387 minutes. Manotas has scored on 41 percent of his shots on goal this season.

Dynamo goalkeeper Joe Willis came up big in the 61st stopping FCD’s Roland Lamah’s penalty kick to make Manotas’ marker even bigger and keep the game level. It was Willis’ second PK stop this season in three attempts against him.

Moments later, Manotas appeared to have a second brace in as many games, but after a VAR review the goal was waived off for an offsides.

Houston (7-6-6, 27 points) prepares for another midweek match as they meet the Philadelphia Union on July 25th at BBVA Compass Stadium.