Gabriel Pec scored a stoppage-time penalty, but the LA Galaxy couldn’t hold onto their lead as Houston Dynamo FC equalized in the dying moments, resulting in a 2-1 defeat on Saturday night.
But what is Decision Day without some late-match drama?
Pec's equalizer came after the Galaxy were awarded a penalty, allowing him to send Dynamo goalkeeper Steve Clark the wrong way and find the back of the net in the 90+ minutes.
However, in a dramatic turn of events, Houston struck back just before the final whistle, as Daniel Steres nailed a header from the center of the box to the top left corner, securing a late equalizer for the Dynamo.
“It’s a harsh lesson, and it’s not like our first lesson of this year,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “We’ll certainly make an example of it, because the guys feel like crap right now, as everyone should at this moment.”
After the Galaxy scored the equalizer from the penalty spot, Vanney noted the challenge of managing the game’s dynamics.
“I think it’s a harsh reminder, when you have a group of guys who are competitive, they haven’t had a ton of these moments together,” he said. “This is a reminder of how quickly it can potentially end.”
Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy kept things level for most of the first half, denying a dangerous left-footed effort from Adalberto Carrasquilla. Maya Yoshida had a save of his own as he headed out another shot by Carrasquilla.
Houston broke through just before the break when Ezequiel Ponce finished a well-placed free kick from Hector Herrera, giving the Dynamo a 1-0 lead.
Just minutes into the second half, the Galaxy thought they had tied things up as Joseph Paintsil found the back of the net in the 50th minute to bring LA back level.
However, after a video review, Maya Yoshida was ruled to have committed a foul before the goal and the call was reversed and kept LA behind, 1-0.
“I didn't see the challenge. So I don't have a I don't have a position on the foul or not,” Vanney said. “I do know and feel like there was probably three or four or more of those challenges throughout the game where center backs were being aggressive and trying to recover balls like that that weren't always called.”
Despite dominating possession for much of the second half, the Galaxy couldn't capitalize on a golden opportunity just before the 70-minute mark. Marco Reus had a clear shot on an open net, only to be denied by Houston's defense, followed by a missed attempt from Dejan Joveljic.
Next, the Galaxy will return to Dignity Health Sports Park to face the No. 7 Colorado Rapids in a best-of-three first round series.
Vanney said he wasn’t worried about momentum heading into the postseason, because he expects the home crowd to rally around the team.
“You come back home," Vanney said. "Our fans are going to be there.
"They're going to be roaring ready to go. It's, the cup, which is what everything is about in our league.”
