Toronto FC can throw away points at the end like no other MLS team.
It happened again Saturday, and it really must be so very painful to the BMO faithful.
The Reds were so tantalizingly close to a win over Houston that would have left Ryan Nelsen’s team, at least temporarily, fifth in the Eastern Conference.
It’s certainly early to say something like this – but we have historically been able to say it so very little about Toronto: If the playoffs had started immediately after a 1-0 Toronto win Saturday, the long-suffering Reds would be in! How about that!
Alas, we won’t say that. Because TFC didn’t win … never mind taking a 1-0 edge at home, playing a man up, into the 93rd minute Saturday at BMO Field. Rather, the Dynamo will walk away happily with a 1-1 draw at BMO.
Jeremy Hall’s 58th minute strike had given Ryan Nelsen’s team the lead. Jermaine Taylor’s ejection four minutes later (we’ll get back to that one on another post) had put the visitors a man down for the game’s final 30-or-so minutes. And that is hardly a recipe for success, especially for a Dynamo team that looks so very different than the swashbuckling outfit that simply does not lose at home.
Houston didn’t have much at all in the way of attack Saturday. In fact, the Dynamo directed just two shots on target all afternoon.
Thus, TFC was that close to its first win at BMO Field since last July. (The Reds did win in Toronto earlier this year, but that match was indoors, before the Reds began their schedule of matches along Exhibition Place.)
(MORE: Injuries dampen the afternoon worse for Houston)
But Irish center back Darren O’Dea, who has been such a steady defender for Nelsen’s men this year, erred late, giving the Dynamo a corner kick rather than a throw-in. Yes, a corner kick; providing one of those to Houston is just asking for it.
Sure enough, Warren Creavalle (pictured above) was unchallenged to flick home the unlikely, late, late, late equalizer. The Dynamo will gladly take a point – while TFC will add this to the list of late points thrown away.
Here is the full highlight pack, including Creavalle’s late, game-tying goal.
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