• Recap
• Bleachers

Jaqua's late rebound goal helps Dynamo tie Crew

Aug 26, 2007 - 5:25 AM HOUSTON (Ticker) -- The Houston Dynamo remained on top of the Western Conference, but they did not get the win they wanted.

The Dynamo capitalized on a man-advantage situation to tie the Columbus Crew, 1-1, in front of an announced crowd of 14,351 at Robertson Stadium on Saturday.

Things were heated throughout the first half as Nate Jaqua was issued a yellow card in the 26th minute for a reckless foul. The yellow card was the fifth of the season for Jaqua, who automatically is suspended for Houston's next game against Kansas City on September 1.

The Crew's Marcos Gonzalez picked up yellow cards in the 33rd and 38th minutes for pushing and holding, and then tripping Houston's Joseph Ngwenya. The two yellows spelled the end of the evening for Gonzalez, whose ejection gave the Dynamo a man advantage for the remainder of the match.

"The positive was that we came back and took advantage of the man advantage," Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear said. "We scored on one of those opportunities. We also defended well, swatting balls and blocking chances. We did miss some scoring chances."

Houston made Columbus pay in the 79th minute. After goalkeeper Will Hesmer blocked Ngwenya's shot from the left box, Jaqua buried the rebound from in front to knot the game at 1-1.

"It was a right-place, right-time goal," Jaqua said. "Give Joseph all the credit for doing all the work and getting a good shot. The keeper was able to get a hand on it, but he wasn't able to catch it. I was able to get a shot and put it in the back of the net."

In squandering the lead, the Crew (6-7-9) extended its winless streak to four games. With the win, Houston (11-7-5) improved to 2-0-2 all-time vs. Columbus and expanded its lead in the West to two points over idle FC Dallas.

However, the Crew started this contest as the aggressors.

Venezuelan forward Alejandro Moreno haunted his former team, giving Columbus a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute. Guillermo Barros Schelotto deked two Houston defenders and drew a third toward him before crossing a pass to Moreno, who was on the right side of the box.

Moreno hit a bullet into the lower left corner past diving goalkeeper Pat Onstad.

"We started the game well," Moreno said. "We were pressuring them and then we scored a goal. Then the penalties came and changed the face of the game. From then on, they attacked a lot and they created a lot of opportunities.

"We leave with a point that is very valuable to us, and we're content with the result. Now we're going to look for positive results at home."

A member of the Dynamo's MLS Cup championship team a year ago, Moreno was traded to Columbus in May for Ngwenya.

Moreno's goal came minutes after Ricardo Virtuoso missed a shot from the left box. Houston had several chances to tie the match before the half, including two by Dwayne De Rosario.

De Rosario took a shot from outside the upper box in the 30th minute that Hesmer deflected above the goal. In first-half stoppage time, De Rosario dribbled a loose ball through two defenders before firing a shot that went just to the right of the post.

After the game, Columbus head coach Sigi Schmid was upset about the officiating.

"Obviously we would've wanted to keep the ball in the other side of the field, but there were a lot of situations that looked like they were fouls," Schmid said. "I don't think we got a lot of breaks today on the calls. We were unlucky with the officiating.

"If you look at Alejandro, he's got cleat marks on his back, so that's just something that happens and at times I felt that we were playing against more than the 11."