HOUSTON (Saturday, April 16, 2022) – Houston Dynamo FC earned a point in a scoreless draw with the Portland Timbers tonight at PNC Stadium. The draw gives the Dynamo positive results in six of their first seven games to open the season.
The Dynamo nearly broke through twice in the early going when forward Darwin Quintero forced back-to-back saves from Portland goalkeeper David Bingham in the opening minutes of the game. Forward Fafa Picault won possession in the final third and played a ball to Quintero. The Colombian playmaker rounded a defender to put himself in alone on Bingham, but his effort was saved at point-blank range. The second ball fell to Quintero whose shot forced another save at the near post.
Quintero found Picault in space behind the Timbers back line in the 18th minute, but the forward’s effort was saved by the Portland shot stopper.
Portland midfielder Sebastian Blanco forced a save from his former teammate and Dynamo goalkeeper Steve Clark in the 52nd minute. The Dynamo ‘keeper finished with two saves against his former team while keeping a clean sheet for the second time this year.
Dynamo defender Adam Lundkvist found forward Sebastián Ferreira inside the box, but his header went wide of the far post in the 60th minute.
Houston forced a save in the 64th minute off a free kick from Quintero that found Ferreira inside the box. The Paraguayan international was denied at the far post by the Timbers goalkeeper.
The Dynamo were forced to play the final quarter-hour a man down after center back Teenage Hadebe was shown his second yellow card of the match for a foul.
Houston nearly took the lead in the 78th minute when midfielder Coco Carrasquilla lashed a side volley from 20 yards that looked destined for the goal before a Timbers defender got his body in front of it.
Rookie forward Thor Ulfarsson worked free for a shot in the 88th minute after Picault poked a clearance into space for him to run onto, but his left-footed effort was deflected by a Portland defender.
The Dynamo face a quick turnaround as they host Rio Grande Valley FC in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday at PNC Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 and tickets are available at HoustonDynamoFC.com.
Houston’s next league match comes on Saturday, April 23 when they travel to Frisco to take on FC Dallas in the first leg of the 2022 Texas Derby. That match is scheduled for a 2 p.m. CDT kickoff and it will be televised nationally on Univision.
