The Dynamo Academy U-17s lost the final two games of the Eurovoetbal 2011 tournament on Monday, falling 2-0 to Brazilian club Botafogo and 3-0 to Turkish side Galatasaray to finish in eighth place out of 12 teams.
Heading into the match against Botafogo, the Dynamo knew they could finish no higher than third in their group after PSV Eindhoven defeated Slavia Prague in the 9 a.m. match to clinch the second seed in the group.
From the first whistle, Botafogo controlled the tempo of the match and moved the ball at will around the Dynamo players. Botafogo nearly got on the board in the fourth minute, but Dynamo goalkeeper Adam Masa dove to his left to knock the ball away for a corner kick. The Brazilian club broke through in the 17th minute, though, after Masa dove to make a save and then spilled the ball inside the six-yard box. The ball fell to Luiz Ricardo Alves, who blasted it into the back of the net.
With the one-goal advantage, the Brazilian club continued to move the ball around the field and make the Dynamo players chase. Botafogo doubled its lead in the 38th minute off a set piece. Left back Hygor Cardoso da Fonseca sent a free kick into the Dynamo box that skipped through the defense to the back post, where Ricardo Alves was waiting to score his second goal of the match.
Houston finished tied for fourth in its six-team group with Feyenoord, but because the clubs had an equal goal differential and number of goals scored, they had to complete a penalty shootout to decide final placement in the group.
In the shootout, Raffi Gregorian, Christian Gonzalez, Isaiah Noreiga, and Bryan Celis converted for the Dynamo. After Feyenoord hit its first three penalty kicks, the fourth shooter pushed the ball wide. During the fifth round, Dynamo goalkeeper Juan Navarrete tipped the shot over the crossbar and Celis converted to set the Dynamo up with a showdown against Galatasaray for seventh place.
Unfortunately for the Dynamo, the 10 days in Holland caught up with them, and they proved no match for the Turkish club. Dogan Seckin scored in the 22nd minute to give Galatasaray a 1-0 lead.
Houston had a golden opportunity to even the match minutes later after Lorenzo Salazar flicked the ball behind the Turkish defense to a streaking Celis. With the goalkeeper off his line, Celis lofted the ball across the box to Noreiga at the back post, but Noreiga could not get a good touch on the ball, and the goalkeeper recovered to thwart the Dynamo attack. Salazar tested the goalkeeper again in the 25th minute with a curling strike to the far post that the keeper pushed wide of the net.
Galatasary doubled its lead in the 31st minute. Midfielder Omer Faruk beat two Dynamo players to the ball and dribbled into the Dynamo penalty box. Dynamo center back Bradley Bourgeois fell in front of Faruk and played the ball with his hand. The referee issued Bourgeois a red card, and Berk Ismail converted the ensuing penalty kick.
Right before the final whistle, Galatasaray added its third and final goal of the match. After three poor Dynamo clearances, a Turkish midfielder sent a ball in from the left-hand corner, and Ismail snuck into the box to slot the ball past Navarrete.
The Dynamo finished the tournament in eighth place with a 1-3-2 record. Sporting Lisbon defeated Groningen 2-0 in the finals to win Eurovoetbal 2011.
Houston Dynamo 0, Botafogo 2
June 13, 2011 -- Groningen, the Netherlands
Eurovoetbal 2011
Scoring Summary:
BOT -- Luiz Ricardo Alves (unassisted) 19
BOT -- Luiz Ricardo Alves (Hygar Cardoso da Fonseca) 38
Misconduct Summary:
HOU -- Miguel Zapata (caution; reckless foul) 21
Houston Dynamo -- Adam Masa, Christian Gonzaez, Bradley Bourgeois, Luis Mendoza, Alex Ochoa, Bryan Salazar (Gabriel Moreno 28), Raymundo Marquez (Christian Diaz 21), Miguel Zapata, Isaiah Noreiga, Christian Manisck (Raffi Gregorian 21), Lorenzo Salazar (Bryan Celis 24).
All statistics contained in this boxscore are unofficial
Houston Dynamo 0, Galatasaray 3
June 13, 2011 -- Groningen, the Netherlands
Eurovoetbal 2011
Scoring Summary: Houston Dynamo -- Juan Navarrete, Christian Diaz (Gabriel Moreno 26), Bradley Bourgeois, Luis Mendoza, Alex Ochoa, Bryan Celis, Raymundo Marquez (Alan Arellano 26), Miguel Zapata (Christian Manisck 23), Isaiah Noreiga, Raffi Gregorian (Bryan Salazar 26), Lorenzo Salazar.
GAL-- Dogan Seckin 22
GAL -- Berk Ismail (penalty kick) 31
GAL -- Berk Ismail 40
