Dynamo settle for draw with Atlante

HOUSTON, Texas -- The Houston Dynamo nearly opened their 2009 calendar in style, but ended up settling for a heartbreaking 1-1 tie with Atlante FC of Mexico in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series Tuesday at Robertson Stadium. Bobby Boswell's header in the 34th minute opened the scoring for Houston, but an 82nd-minute equalizer from Gabriel Pereyra left the teams deadlocked.

The Dynamo had multiple chances to extend their first-half lead, and it could leave them wondering what might have been as Atlante grabbed the vital away goal ahead of next Tuesday's return match at Estadio Quintana Roo in Cancun.

With Dynamo center back Eddie Robinson and Atlante 'keeper Federico Vilar suspended, there were no surprises in either team's starting lineups. Julius James got his first start as a member of the Houston Dynamo, and his first start in a CONCACAF Champions League match. Stuart Holden also started in an attacking midfield role, despite the recent passing of his father, which was memorialized with a moment of silence before kickoff.

The game started out sloppy with multiple turnovers in the first 15 minutes. With the Dynamo in the middle of a short preseason, it was probably to be expected. Atlante had a couple of quality chances early but couldn't capitalize. Their best chance came in the seventh minute, when a give-and-go between Giancarlo Maldonado and Pereyra set the Argentinean up for a shot on goal, but he couldn't get enough behind it and it was saved easily by Dynamo 'keeper Pat Onstad.

As the Dynamo began to get their feet underneath them, the pressure on Atlante's defense began to mount, resulting in numerous corners for Houston. On the fifth corner, in the 34th minute, Brad Davis found an unmarked Boswell, whose stooping header easily beat goalkeeper Omar Ortiz inside the right post to give Houston a 1-0 lead.

Up a goal, the MLS side really started to pour it on. In the 37th minute, a turnover by the Atlante defense found Holden alone in front of goal. He likely should have aimed toward goal, but instead opted to pass, missing his intended target.

In the 39th minute, Brian Mullan impressively beat Luis Venegas off the dribble. His cross found Kei Kamara, but the forward's header hit the crossbar. Then in the 41st minute, Holden narrowly missed extending Houston's lead as his shot went high and wide of goal.

While Houston was happy to be leading 1-0 when the whistle blew to end the first half, they would later come to regret the chances they missed at the end of the first half.

The second half was physical and foul-ridden, with referee Neal Brizan of Trinidad and Tobago showing six yellow cards and whistling 23 second-half fouls. With all the fouls, both teams were more dangerous on set pieces than in the run of play. In the 58th minute, Atlante threatened first when Fernando Navarro sent in a beautiful ball to Luis Gabriel Rey, but his header went over the bar.

The threat was merely foreshadowing of what was to eventually come in the 82nd minute as another Atlante corner from Navarro found Venegas beyond the far post. He headed the ball down and it bounced over Onstad into a pile of players in the goalmouth. Pereyra was first to the ball and just nudged it over the line to tie the game 1-1.

Houston had a couple of chances to pull ahead late. A Geoff Cameron header was saved well by Omar Ortiz in the 90th minute. The MLS side also had a Brad Davis free kick from 30 yards out go just wide of goal. However, those chances were too little too late, as the final whistle blew and left the teams still on level terms.

Despite playing their first competitive game in three months, the late goal was heartbreak for Houston as it not only evened the game, but also provided Atlante with a critical away goal. As a result, Houston will be left with two choices to advance. They have to either win in Mexico, or have to tie Atlante FC and score at least two goals in the process.