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Dynamo deny Union first place in East

Aug 7, 2011 - 3:33 AM Chester, PA (Sports Network) - The Houston Dynamo still have not won a game on the road nearly five months into the season, but they earned their seventh tie away from home Saturday night.

Geoff Cameron scored with six minutes remaining as the Dynamo escaped PPL Park with a 1-1 tie against the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer to become the fifth team with 10 draws already this season.

Jack McInerney scored his first goal of the season in the 15th minute, but the Dynamo responded in the 84th minute when Cameron scored his fourth of the year to deny the Union their eighth shutout of season and first place.

"I think frustration and disappointment are probably the two biggest feelings that we have right now, because we feel like we deserved three points in that game," Philadelphia assistant coach John Hackworth said.

Philadelphia (8-5-9) was unbeaten at home until losing to the Colorado Rapids in late July, and wasted a chance to overtake the Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference. The Union are one point back in second.

Houston (6-7-10) is fifth in the East, but is just six points behind Columbus.

The Union took the lead inside 15 minutes when Sebastien Le Toux combined with McInerney on the opener. Le Toux played a through ball to McInerney, who drove a right-footed shot to the bottom-right corner.

Philadelphia carried the lead into halftime, but with just a 3-0-3 record when ahead after 45 minutes, the Union left the door open after Le Toux found the left post in the 84th minute.

Houston responded on the other end, as Cameron settled a ball well to play the ball into space, then unleashed a 30-yard shot into the bottom-right corner.

Recent Dynamo signing Carlos Costly had a shot to mark his debut with a match- winner, but he headed a pass from Brad Davis off target in the 90th minute.

"I thought we played pretty well," Houston coach Dominic Kinnear said. "We made a mistake 15 minutes in and they took advantage of that mistake by our back four.

"I thought [the result] was very fair, considering how the game was played."

Houston built on its 3-1 win over Seattle Sounders FC last week, and remained in the hunt for a top-three finish and an automatic playoff berth in the East.

Philadelphia once led the East, but now the top six teams are all within seven points as the final months of the regular season approach.

"Every team is coming here to battle us. We're near the top [of the East], so we're gonna get everybody's best," Union defender Sheanon Williams said. "We just need to do a better job of closing out games."