Houston Dynamo FC and Real Salt Lake played to a 1-1 draw this afternoon at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Ariz. This was Houston’s first preseason game in the annual Desert Showcase which includes six MLS teams.
Dynamo forward Darwin Quintero sparked Houston’s lone goal of the match when he won the ball near midfield in the 20th minute. The Colombian playmaker crossed the ball into the box and found forward Fafa Picault, who finished the play with a deft header over the Salt Lake goalkeeper at the far post.
Picault was threatening the Salt Lake goal from the opening whistle and forced a save from the goalkeeper in the fourth minute after capitalizing on a botched clearance from the backline.
Quintero was also a lively presence throughout the first half and played a ball to forward Corey Baird that forced the Salt Lake shot stopper to frantically close the space at the near post. Baird’s effort just missed the inside of the post.
On the opposite side of the field Dynamo goalkeeper Steve Clark tallied a save in the eighth minute and the Dynamo backline contained most of the danger for the remainder of the half. The Dynamo goalkeeper and the rest of the starting XI came off at halftime for a mix of veterans, Dynamo Homegrown and Dynamo Academy players. Among the group was midfielder Juan Castillo and Dynamo Academy Under-17 forward Andre Gitau.
Houston conceded the equalizer in the 55th minute after a turnover outside the box. Dynamo goalkeeper Michael Nelson later denied Salt Lake with a lunging save toward the bottom corner of the far post in the 74th minute and again in the final minutes of the second half for the 1-1 draw.
The Dynamo return to Kino Sports Complex on Saturday, Feb. 5 to face the Colorado Rapids at 5 p.m. CST. That match will be streamed live on HoustonDynamoFC.com/Live.
