Mateusz Bogusz found the net with an unlikely, short-handed goal 15 minutes into second-half stoppage time as the host Houston Dynamo defeated the Portland Timbers 3-2 on Saturday in a wild, early-season Western Conference match.
Bogusz got loose on the counterattack with a run down the left side before taking a pass from Jack McGlynn and beating Portland goalkeeper James Pantemis to the bottom-right corner.
Any chance that the Dynamo (2-1-0, 6 points) had to win seemingly died when Nicholas Markanich was assessed a red card three minutes into the final stoppage time. But Bogusz dispelled that notion, coming up big and lifting Houston to the victory.
Portland (1-3-0, 3 points) dropped its third straight game and has now conceded two or more goals in seven consecutive matches dating back to last year’s opening-round MLS Cup playoff series against San Diego.
The Timbers broke through in the fourth minute of first-half added time after being awarded a penalty kick in a bizarre series of events. Houston’s Diadie Samassekou was booked for holding Portland’s Finn Surman in the box during a shot by Kristoffer Velde off a corner kick. However, video review showed that as Velde’s attempt flew far over the goal, Samassekou was tugging on the jersey of Surman and pulled him to the ground.
The shot from the spot was taken by Velde but was saved by Houston goalkeeper Jonathan Bond. But the ball bounced right to the foot of the Timbers’ Gage Guerra, who sent a shot just out of the reach of a diving Bond and into the net off the right post.
Guilherme Santos answered for the Dynamo in the 62nd minute, waiting at the far post before leaping over a Portland defender to head home a cross box from Bogusz and tying the game at 1-1.
McGlynn made a bid to put Houston on top in the 65th minute but clanged a shot off the crossbar.
Felipe Andrade gave Houston the lead in the 77th minute with a precise shot from outside the box and into the lower-right corner past Pantemis. Guilherme garnered an assist on the goal.
The lead was short-lived as Velde scored two minutes later off a shot while in traffic in the center of the box after a throw-in by Jimer Fory and an assist from Surman.
That set the stage for the unlikely finish.
–Field Level Media
