Dynamo not surrendering points

TORONTO -- As the Houston Dynamo entered the second match of their four-game, four-country, 12-day road trip, it would have been easy for the Orange to see this match in Toronto as something of a break. TFC stood last in the league, and given the BMO Field turf and Houston's busy CONCACAF Champions League schedule, it might have been a good opportunity to rest some regulars.

However, the Dynamo didn't win two consecutive MLS Cups by giving away points.

"We're trying to win," said Houston coach Dominic Kinnear. "You can see with the lineups we're putting out. We're trying to put a fresh team out there, or as fresh as possible every game. So, traveling and games definitely make you tired, but the guys have been good.

"We're unbeaten. We're not winning games, but we're not losing games. We're very competitive so I'm pleased with that."

It was the second consecutive draw for the Dynamo after playing San Francisco FC to a scoreless tie in Panama City last Tuesday in Houston's Champions League opener. The Orange have lost just two of their last 15 games in all competitions, which has led to Houston sitting atop the Western Conference and in good position to defend their MLS title.

Trying to juggle both a Champions League bid and a playoff race is difficult, but Houston had virtually their entire first-choice lineup starting in Toronto. Dwayne De Rosario and Brian Ching both made their first starts in Houston's last three games, as the two stars missed one game to international duty and were limited to reserve duty in the other two due to Kinnear's desire to keep the two fit for the upcoming month.

There was little chance that De Rosario was going to miss a game in his native Toronto, but the Canadian international wasn't pleased that his team was leaving town with just one point.

"We play to win, we never play to draw," said De Rosario. "We'll take the draw if it comes but our goal in every game is to get a result, whether it's in this league or in the Champions League. That's the thing about this team, we don't accept anything less than a win. That's why this locker room isn't as joyful as it usually is. We had some great chances to score some more goals."

The Dynamo jumped out to an early lead thanks to an own goal from TFC defender Hunter Freeman, but played back on their heels early in the second half due to increased pressure from the Toronto attack. It appeared as if the game had settled and Houston had weathered the storm, but Marvell Wynne scored in the 73rd minute to equalize.

De Rosario was on the spot to see Wynne's strike, as it was the Houston midfielder who was left flat-footed when Wynne created a bit of extra space and managed to pick the ball off the turf for a clean shot that fooled goalkeeper Pat Onstad.

"I don't know if it caught his heel or what, but that's the way it goes," De Rosario said. "We got a lucky break in the first half, they got their break in the second half, that's the game."

De Rosario had a chance to re-take the lead just a couple of minutes later when he rushed towards the TFC net on a partial breakaway. The midfielder couldn't quite control the ball, however, and as a result Wynne was able to break up the play.

"I was just trying to get the ball in the right position where I could hit it, and with the turf, the ball always runs on you and it's difficult to get good placement on the ball so you can hit it properly," De Rosario said. "That was a good example of trying to control the ball so I could hit it with my left foot and unfortunately I didn't get it in the right spot. [Wynne] was quick and he closed down that space."

The Dynamo and Reds each had nine shots in the second half, and Houston actually outshot TFC 4-3 in attempts on target, but it was Toronto who had the majority of better scoring chances in the period. The draw continued Houston's winless streak on artificial surfaces -- the Dynamo are 0-3-3 this season when not playing on a grass field.

"The draw is probably a fair result in terms of the chances, but overall ... I think it's a difficult place to play and we're not very good on FieldTurf so I think we're pretty happy overall," Onstad said.

Houston's next stop on their international sojourn is Mexico City, when the Dynamo face Pumas UNAM in Champions League play on Tuesday. The road trip concludes in Denver against the Colorado Rapids on Oct. 4, before the Dynamo start a five-game homestand beginning on Oct. 7 against San Francisco FC in the CCL.