Written by Juan Pereira

Photo by Houston Dynamo FC

We might have just witnessed the game of the year. There’s no other way around it. What seemed like a routine win for Houston turned into disaster, at least until Houston pulled off a dramatic comeback thanks to two bangers that many would not have seen coming. 

First off, let’s not forget about Ezequiel Ponce, who played very well in his Dynamo debut. Ben Olsen was very happy with the striker’s performance in limited minutes. Lawrence Ennali didn’t make the team sheet, but he should be ready to go before the next match. 

The game didn’t start off well for Houston, as they were not entirely comfortable in possession. It could have been the artificial turf, or maybe Vancouver was employing a high press that Houston was not expecting. 

As the game went on however, Ben Olsen’s side began to build themselves into the match, per usual. Key players included Ibrahim Aliyu and Artur, who seemed to have an extra pep to their step throughout the match. 

After Vancouver’s initial wave, Houston was able to tack on two goals, one in the 29th minute and one in the 36th minute. The first one was all thanks to Ibrahim Aliyu and Coco Carrasquilla. The Nigerian winger delivered a clean pass to Coco who struck it cleanly. Although there was a slight deflection, the goal was all Coco’s. Keeping that in mind, this could have been Carrasquilla’s last goal for Houston in MLS. The Dynamo midfielder has drawn the eyes of Europe yet again, and this time, offers are starting to come in. It seems like just a matter of time until Houston accepts an offer. 

The second goal was started by Aliyu yet again. He attempted a pass that was deflected away, but the ball found Dorsey in the perfect position, and he was able to slot it home perfectly. Houston then denied Vancouver the ability to progress the ball until halftime. 

So far, so good…right? 

Well, everything that could have gone wrong ended up going wrong in the span of 20 minutes, in which the home side scored three goals in rapid succession. Fafa Picault scored in the 48th minute followed by another Vancouver goal in the 54th. Then, in the 66th minute, Picault completed the remontada, and it seemed like Houston would never recover.

That was until Brad Smith, who subbed in for Aliyu, scored a screamer in the 78th minute. It was a nasty delivery into the top right corner from distance, and Houston was given a bit of life. From then on, the game proceeded into chaos, with both sides looking for a winner in what was becoming an instant classic. 

In a match filled with twists and turns, it was Dorsey yet again who found his shooting boots to grab the go-ahead goal. It was a beautiful finish from outside the box that no goalkeeper could have possibly saved. This season has been one of inconsistency for Dorsey, so this game might prove to be the turnaround of his campaign.

As time trickled down, Houston went into an all-out defensive formation, and Vancouver proceeded to throw everything they had at a Houston defense that was shaky throughout the half. Thankfully for Houston, the defense held firm, and the Dynamo had made history. This was the first time the Dynamo had ever beat Vancouver away from home. 

Ben Olsen didn’t have too many words to describe what he had just witnessed. “I have no idea.” he said with his body looking like one which was shattered then rebuilt in the span of minutes. 

The Dynamo will now rest up for a couple of days before beginning their Leagues Cup campaign against LIGA MX giant Atlas FC on July 27.