Houston Dynamo FC drew 0-0 with Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Wednesday night.
The Dynamo started the game out strong, with two dangerous attacking possessions in the first 10 minutes. The first chance at a goal for Houston came in the seventh minute. After an extended run of possession, the ball found defender Sam Junqua on the left flank, where he sent a cross into midfielder Darwin Quintero, whose shot narrowly missed the target.
Just two minutes later, forward Fafa Picatult got on the end of a long, downfield pass from defender Maynor Figueroa and had a clean shot on goal. The ball caught the inside of the far post but ricocheted back to the Whitecaps goalkeeper, who secured possession and staved off the second threatening attack from Houston.
The Dynamo nearly scored once more at the end of the first half, when Quintero and Picault found themselves on a two-man counterattack. Quintero passed the ball to Picault, who could not break free in time to generate a shot on goal.
While they created numerous chances in the attack, the Dynamo exhibited stout defense throughout the first half. By the end of the opening period, Houston had generated nine shots to Vancouver’s one. Overall, the Dynamo took 17 shots to Vancouver’s 5.
The Dynamo came out firing in the second half, as they created their first good chance at goal mere minutes into the period. Quintero hit a cross into box that the Whitecaps’ defense was able to knock out of bounds before anyone on Houston could get to it. Quintero also connected for the first shot on goal of the half, as midfielder Matias Vera found him right in front of goal for a potential scoring opportunity. Quintero’s shot, however, fell into the arms of the Whitecaps’ diving goalkeeper.
Quintero led the team in shots with five, the most shots the midfielder has recorded in any game this season.
Quintero continued to apply pressure to the defense up until the very end of the match. In the 77th minute, forward Tyler Pasher struck a ground shot from outside the 18-yard-box that was parried away by the Vancouver goalkeeper. The ball rebounded off the keeper’s hands and found Quintero on the end of it, however the Colombian midfielder missed the goal by just a few feet.
This match marked Pasher’s first appearance since Sept. 3 against Portland.
The next match for the Houston Dynamo takes place on Sunday, Oct. 3 at 3:00 pm CST when they travel north to take on Sporting Kansas City. The match will be aired nationally on UniMas and TUDN as well as locally through Quest Texas 55.
