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TFC lock horns with Dynamo at BMO

Jul 11, 2014 - 8:35 PM Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - A pair of Eastern Conference foes will clash on Saturday when Toronto FC hosts the Houston Dynamo at BMO Field.

Both teams will be hoping for a better performance than last week as Toronto suffered a 2-1 defeat to D.C. United last Saturday, while Houston played to a 2-2 draw last Friday with Red Bull New York.

After a scoreless first half, United struck first in the 54th minute through Nick DeLeon, who forced a turnover by TFC defender Nick Hagglund from an advanced position and bamboozled the TFC defense before placing a shot past goalkeeper Joe Bendik to give United a 1-0 lead.

But Toronto quickly pulled itself level as Jackson picked out Jermain Defoe, whose shot deflected onto Moore�s foot. The English forward tucked away the chance by sliding onto the ball to give Toronto the equalizing goal.

Substitute Lewis Neal made an immediate impact for United when he swung a cross into the box and connected with Kitchen, who got his head on the ball to beat Bendik and give his side the 2-1 lead in the 70th minute.

"It's frustrating because it was just a couple mistakes, a lapse in concentration and it cost us the game," TFC head coach Ryan Nelsen said. "I thought we played well, I tried something a bit different but we couldn't really keep our shape."

Houston, meanwhile, desperately needs three points as the club sits in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 18 points. They haven't won a league match since a 1-0 result over the Los Angeles Galaxy on May 17.

Houston got off to a flying start against New York as Giles Barnes struck in the first minute of play, but the Red Bulls equalized in the 13th minute through Bradley Wright-Phillips.

Wright-Phillips then netted his league-leading 14th goal of the season 18 minutes from time to give New York the lead, but United States international Brad Davis fired home a penalty kick in the 82nd minute to rescue a point for the Dyanmo.

"The game's won in the box on both sides of the pitch, defending and attacking," right back Kofi Sarkodie said after the game. "If we finish in the final third and we defend in our final third, then we win matches. [Friday] I think we showed some characteristics of scoring in their final third, and we've got to continue to do a better job at box defending."

"I think we gave (Wright-Phillips) him a little too much room on both goals," head coach Dominic Kinnear said. "He created those with good movement in the box, a good run over the time. Sometimes service and good movement causes you problems, and he took advantage of that tonight."