Metro settles for 1:1 tie on De Rosario's debut
April 2, 2011
His plane touched down earlier today. His only training with his new teammates came in pre-game warm-ups. He did not start. But Dwayne De Rosario's first substantial touch as a Metro produced a bit of magic, setting up a Dane Richards goal. Unfortunately, Houston responded soon after, and the game ended 1:1.
With all the internationals back from last week's absence, "Clever" Hans Backe reverted to the opener's line-up, with the only difference being in goal, where Bouna Coundoul made his 2011 debut for the concussed Greg Sutton.
Although Metro started by taking the game to Houston, the Dynamo had the best opportunity of the first half, when a flying Brian Ching hit one off the crossbar off a free kick. With Mehdi Ballouchy impotently running the midfield, Metro chances were far and between, with the best coming when Roy Miller walked in on goal, only to be denied by Houston keeper Tally Hall.
Ballouchy sat for De Rosario at the half, and just two minutes into the period, the changed paid off. The newest Metro sent a perfect through ball from midfield onto Dane Richards, with oodles of open space in front of him. The speedster ran into the area, paused to fool a backtracking defender, and, with only the Hall to beat, did just that to open the scoring.
Sadly, the lead only lasted three minutes, as off a Houston goal kick, the ball was headed over Rafael Marquez and onto Cam Weaver. Coundoul came out of the net, and Weaver chipped it to tie the match.
Metro owned the rest of the game, but sadly, could not break through. A Joel Lindpere shot deflected shot that grazed a cross bar, De Rosario setting up Thierry Henry up close, only for the Frenchman to miss, De Rosario himself missing from close range, and a Henry shot late that was just pushed over the top all could have been winners. In injury time, Luke Rodgers, who came on late in the match, hit one right into Hall from barely a meter away.
If last week's tie was encouraging, this one was disappointing. Yet if this is the De Rosario that we see for the rest of the year, one can only hope that disappointment will be left behind. One can only hope.
Lineup: Coundoul, Miller, Ream, Marquez, Solli, Tainio, Lindpere, Richards, Ballouchy, Agudelo, Henry. Subs: De Rosario, Rodgers.
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