Houston Dynamo fight back in second half to defeat San Jose Earthquakes

Saturday night the Houston Dynamo hosted the San Jose Earthquakes at BBVA Compass Stadium. The newly crowed US Open Cup Champions were looking for a win to keep their MLS playoffs hopes alive. They allowed San Jose to get out to a 2-0 lead in the first half but fought back in the second half to claim a victory.

The Dynamo were the stronger team for much of the first half out shooting San Jose 5-0 until the visitors were awarded a penalty kick. San Jose was awarded a penalty in the 35th minute after Alejandro Fuenmayor brought down Tommy Thompson with a late challenge. Chris Wondolowski took the penalty kick and drilled it into the net. While Joe Willis guessed the correct direction on the kick he was a little too low to be able to stop the ball giving the Earthquakes a 1-0 lead.

Ten minutes later the Earthquakes were able to double their lead. The Quakes put the ball off the goal post and it bounced from SJ player to SJ player as the Dynamo failed to clear it. Eventually the ball made its way to Wondolowski and Fuenmayor who was covering him. The ball went off Fuenmayor and past Willis for an own goal that put the Earthquakes up 2-0.

Houston finally found a way to put the ball into the net in the second half.

The first of three second half goals was scored by Mauro Manotas Tomas Martinez made a through pass to Manotas. The Houston forward made his way to goal and fired the ball past a diving Andrew Tarbell to cut the Earthquake lead in half, 1-2.

Tomas Martinez would later nab a goal himself off of a corner kick. The ball came in off the corner and found its way to Martinez on the edge of the play. He settled the ball took that shot and it bounced off the post and into the net to level things 2-2 in the 68th minute.

It looked like the Dynamo would have to settle for a draw until the 87th minute when instead of giving up a late goal, they scored one. Manotas crossed the ball into the box to Quioto which pulled Tarbell out of goal. Quioto then jumped on the ball after Tarbell failed to cover the ball and banged it into the net. The goal gave Houston their first lead of the night with only minutes left in the game.

When the final whistle blew Houston had 19 shots on the night while they held San Jose to eight. Houston controlled for much of the game hanging on to the ball for 53.3% of the game. The win kept Houston (very) slim playoff hopes alive. They have to win out the rest of the season as well as get a few favorable results to make it into the postseason.

Next the Dynamo are on the road to face the Seattle Sounders on October 8.

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