The Houston Dynamo Reserves (5-2-2, 17 points) came back from a three-goal second-half deficit to tie the Real Salt Lake Reserves (3-5-3, 12 points) 5-5 Wednesday afternoon at American First Field in Sandy, Utah. Cam Weaver scored a hat trick and increased his team-leading total to nine reserve league goals on the season.
Although the Dynamo had the first scoring opportunity of the match, Real Salt Lake got on the board first in the 11th minute. RSL defender Kenny Mansally started the play, centering a ball into the Dynamo six-yard-box that Emiliano Bonfigli poked in with ease to give the home side the 1-0 lead.
The lead was short-lived, though, as Dynamo striker Alex Dixon was tripped up in the RSL box by Mansally. Houston forward Cam Weaver scored the ensuing penalty kick to even the match.
RSL striker Justin Braun nearly scored in the 17th minute, when midfielder Enzo Martinez drove up the right flank and curled a floating ball in to the penalty area. Braun rose above the coverage and flicked the ball toward the upper 90. Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric lunghed to his left to redirect the shot with his fingertips.
RSL retook the lead in the 25th minute through recently-acquired midfielder David Viana. The Portuguese youth international ran onto a Braun cross at the corner of the 18, burying a low shot inside the near post to give RSL the 2-1 advantage.
Viana’s goal took the sides into the half. Houston responded well out of the break, nearly scoring off of a diving header from Dixon at the start of the half and eventually equalizing through Weaver in the 56th minute. Colin Clark assisted on the play, crossing a ball in from the left flank that Weaver headed home from six yards out.
Real Salt Lake did not take long before it again reclaimed the lead for the third time, getting another goal from Bonfigli to go ahead 3-2 in the 60th minute. Braun found the feet of his teammate once again and Bonfigli sent a cheeky chip over Deric’s outstretched hands.
Bonfigli completed his hat trick in the 69th minute, sprinting onto a lofted through-ball from midfielder Sebastian Velasquez in the box and burying a half-volley neatly inside the post to give RSL a 4-2 advantage.
Velasquez scored a goal of his own less than two minutes later, putting RSL up 5-2 by running onto a Braun through-ball, rounding Deric and slotting home from a tight angle.
With a 5-2 advantage and less than 20 minutes to go, it looked like RSL would be able to comfortably ride out the game. Houston, of course, had other ideas, pulling a goal back in the 72nd minute. Weaver scored to complete his hat trick, finishing with a low drive from 20 yards.
The Dynamo pulled within one in the 75th minute, when midfielder Colin Clark converted a penalty kick after Yordany Alvarez was called for a foul in the box.
Houston found its improbable equalizer five minutes later. Dixon scored the goal, finishing Clark’s cross to tie the game 5-5.
RSL pushed for a winner in the final 10 minutes, but could not find one, coming closest in the 88th minute, when Braun nearly beat Deric to an errant back pass.
With the tie, the Dynamo are now in second place in the Reserve League Central/Mountain Division with only Saturday's match against the Chicago Fire left on the schedule. With a win on Saturday, the Dynamo would win their Reserve League divison for the first time since 2008.MLS Reserve League
Real Salt Lake Reserves (3-5-3) vs. Houston Dynamo Reserves (5-2-2)
Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012
America First Field – Sandy, UT
MLS Reserve League
Real Salt Lake Reserves: Kyle Reynish; Carlos Salcedo; Kwame Watson-Siriboe (Nico Muniz 33); Chris Schuler (c); Kenny Mansally; Yordany Alvarez; Enzo Martinez; David Viana (Jonny Steele 77); Emiliano Bonfigli (Paulo Jr. 80); Justin Braun
Substitutes Not Used: Ive Burnett; Antonio Murillo; Bryan Hale
Houston Dynamo Reserves: Tyler Deric; Warren Creavalle; Nathan Sturgis; Renan Coalho; Christian Gonzalez* (Kofi Sarkodie, 90+); Alex Dixon; Giles Barnes; Luiz Camargo; Colin Clark; Cam Weaver; Colin Rolfe (Carlos Ibarra* 63)
Substitutes Not Used: Erich Marscheider (GK); Jose Rodriguez
Guest player
Academy player
Scoring Summary:
RSL – Emiliano Bonfigli (Kenny Mansally) 11
HOU – Cam Weaver (penalty kick) 14
RSL – David Viana (Justin Braun) 25
HOU – Cam Weaver (Colin Clark) 56
RSL – Emiliano Bonfigli (Justin Braun) 60
RSL – Emiliano Bonfigli (Sebastian Velasquez) 69
RSL – Sebastian Velasquez (Justin Braun) 71
HOU – Cam Weaver 72
HOU – Colin Clark (penalty kick) 75
HOU – Alex Dixon (Colin Clark) 80
Disciplinary Summary:
RSL – Yordany Alvarez (caution, Reckless Foul) 74
RSL – Nico Muniz (caution, Dissent) 81
HOU – Cam Weaver (caution, Reckless Foul) 82
