Brad Smith scored on an assist from Sebastian Ferreira six minutes into second-half stoppage time to lift the Houston Dynamo to an unlikely 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday in a tentatively played Western Conference clash in Commerce City, Colorado.
Smith, who entered the game in the 89th minute, used his left foot to beat Colorado goalkeeper Zach Steffen into the left side of the box, carrying the Dynamo (2-1-1, seven points) to their second straight victory. Smith’s shot was just the second on goal for Houston.
Dynamo goalkeeper Steve Clark was credited with two saves while recording his first shutout of the year and the 63rd of his 11-year MLS career. Clark and the Houston defense had to fend off the Rapids for five additional minutes after Smith’s tally.
The Rapids (1-2-2, five points) outshot Houston 8-5 and also had just two shots on goal. Colorado is still winless in two home games this season.
The Dynamo got the game’s first real scoring chance in the 22nd minute when Ibrahim Aliyu hit a right-footed shot from the center of the penalty area, but Steffen made the save.
The Rapids swung back with a Djordje Mihailovic shot on goal in the 42nd minute that forced Clark to make a stop.
After the teams exchanged yellow cards midway through the second half, Colorado’s Kevin Cabral challenged Clark with a left-footed shot from the center of the box in the 66th minute, but Houston’s last line of defense was up to the task.
The Mihailovic tried again to beat Clark in the 75th minute from near the same spot as Cabral, but could not get his shot past the Houston keeper.
Colorado produced its final scoring chance in the 86th minute when Jonathan Lewis had a weak attempt, and Clark gobbled it up.
–Field Level Media