The Houston Dynamo have had a flair for the dramatic this season, and Wednesday night was no different.
The Dynamo scored a late goal to pull out a result against the New England Revolution for the second time this year. Hunter Freeman struck in the 86th minute on April 17 to give Houston a home win over the Revolution. On Wednesday, it was his defensive teammate Bobby Boswell who did the honors. Both goals were scored from less than one yard away.
DECISIVE, LATE DYNAMO GOALS, 2011 SEASON
- April 17: Freeman GWG vs. NE (86')
- April 23: Boswell GTG at CHI (83')
- May 28: Clark GTG vs. FCD (87')
- June 25: Ching GTG at DC (89')
- August 6: Cameron GTG at PHI (84')
- August 17: Boswell GTG at NE (90')
Heading into the dying minutes trailing 1-0 at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, Boswell — whose 83rd-minute goal against the Chicago Fire on April 23 saved a road point — was in the proverbial right place at the right time to tap in a rebound from a Carlo Costly header in the 90th minute to pull out a much-needed result on the road.
“The guys were pumped because we put a lot into that game,” Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear told MLSsoccer.com by phone after the match. “It took us a while to get the ball across the line, but sometimes, playing against a stingy defense and good goalkeeper, you need a scramble to win, and that’s what we got late.”
Boswell’s goal at the end was big for him in more ways than one. The center back mishit a clearance in the fourth minute that contributed to former Dynamo defender Ryan Cochrane putting New England up 1-0. He was also unlucky minutes later when his header was cleared off the line by Kevin Alston.
Houston responded to the early deficit by taking the game to New England, dominating possession and pumping balls into the box. But the combination of former All-Star goalkeeper Matt Reis’ spectacular seven-save performance and the Revolution bunkering in the penalty box made scoring a goal a tough proposition.
GAME NIGHT:
DYNAMO 1, NEW ENGLAND 1
With the Dynamo fighting for chances and Reis looking unbeatable, Houston pounced on one of the few shots that Reis failed to tip out of his penalty area, sending the club home with a well-deserved point.
“[Bobby] was unlucky in the first half not to get a goal, and his determination was good, and it paid off for us and him at the end,” Kinnear said.
Boswell’s late-game heroics marked the sixth time this year the Dynamo have pulled out a result in the final 10 minutes of the match.
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com. Follow him on twitter at @Dynamoexaminer.
