Dynamo Dos fall in stunning fashion

The Houston Dynamo 2 chose the wrong time to fail to close out a game. Traveling to the Pacific Northwest for their first ever MLS Next Pro 2 playoff match against the Tacoma Defiance (Seattle Sounders 2). Houston brought with them players who have featured with the first team Houston Dynamo side but in the end, they could not close the deal losing on penalty kicks.

Traveling to the Pacific Northwest for their first ever MLS Next Pro 2 playoff match against the Tacoma Defiance (Seattle Sounders 2)., Houston knew there was a big a challenge ahead. The Defiance had the third best home record in the league while the Dos had an average 4-4-4 road record. Still there were high expectations that they continued to grow as each minute ticked off the clock until the final ten minutes.

Houston built a 2-0 on the lead on the strength of goals from Beto Avila and Jacob Evans. It stood until the official, Thomas Snyder, whistled Houston for a foul inside the box. TV replay showed the foul occurred outside the box but with Snyder trailing the play he did not have a good luck and no use of the VAR. Marlon Vargas quickly snapped home the conversion and it was 2-1 with seven minutes left in regulation.

At 90 plus two, Snyder again pointed to the spot but Vargas banged it off the frame and Houston needed just two more minutes to close out Tacoma and advance to the Western Conference Finals. It was not to be. With mere seconds left, Tacoma's centering ball deflected off a Houston player into the back of the net and the match was level at 2-2.

Extra time left the two teams scoreless and when Tacoma converted all penalty kicks and Houston missed one, the Defiance advanced the Dynamo went home. Forty eight hours after the match, the loss still stings yet Houston can hold their head high knowing they put together one of the best seasons of soccer anywhere in the nation.