Houston Dynamo FC concluded its season with a 2-0 defeat to CF Montréal this evening at Stade Saputo.
The first goal of the game came in the 58th minute when CF Montreal won a corner kick, and after Houston goalkeeper Kyle Morton prevented the first shot on goal from going in, the ricochet fell to defender Rudy Camacho, who backheeled the ball into the net to give Montreal a 1-0 lead.
Montreal doubled its lead four minutes later, once again off of a corner kick. This time, midfielder Djordje Mihailovic found the head of defender Kamal Miller in the 62nd minute, who placed the ball past Morton and gave Montreal a 2-0 lead.
The first chance of the game for the Dynamo came after forward Griffin Dorsey worked his way up the right flank while dribbling past multiple Montreal defenders and won a corner kick in the 11th minute. Forward Ari Lassiter took the corner but was unable to connect with any of his teammates as the defense cleared the ball away from danger.
CF Montreal had an opportunity to score in the 23rd minute after Joaquín Torres gained possession in the midfield and worked his way past the Dynamo defense. However, Lassiter came in from his attacking position make a goal saving tackle to keep the score level.
Just before Montréal’s first goal, midfielder Memo Rodriguez nearly put Houston ahead with a nifty individual effort. The Dynamo Academy alum used a crafty feint to create space between two defenders before dribbling past another to the top of the penalty area. He found space for a shot, but his left-footed effort was saved by Montréal goalkeeper Sebastian Breza.
In his MLS debut, goalkeeper Kyle Morton finished with five saves, including one in the 39th minute. Montreal was able to work the ball in and around the Houston goal until Ibrahim Sunusi got a shot off from short distance. Morton, however, was able to corral the ball and prevent Montreal from taking the lead. Morton came up with another strong save just before halftime to deny Ahmed Hamdi and keep things scoreless going into the break.
In addition to Morton, head coach Tab Ramos made a concerted effort to play several younger players this evening. Twenty-year old defender Ian Hoffmann made his second consecutive start at right back and 17-year-old midfielder Juan Castilla, who made his professional debut on Sunday afternoon against Colorado at PNC Stadium, came on in the 81st minute. Midfielder Coco Carrasquilla, 22, came on in the 71st minute while the 22-year-old Dorsey started and put in a 62-minute shift.
Tonight’s match was the final one of the 2021 regular season for the Dynamo. Houston ends its season with a 6-16-12 record overall.
