Could this be the night FC Dallas took the decisive lead in the Supporters' Shield race?
Finishing up a marathon three-game nine-day 3000+ mile road trip, FCD turned around a 1-0 halftime deficit in Houston to record a stunning 3-1 victory at BBVA Compass Stadium, just Houston's second loss at home in MLS play this season.
"In the second half, we proved one more time that our character is always there, in spite of the long trips we have had in the last three weeks," said Oscar Pareja after the match. "The boys did a terrific job again, getting important points away against a rival that did very good things in the first half."
Playing against a Dynamo team that had allowed just three goals in their last six home matches, FCD upped the tempo in the second half with Tesho Akindele providing the spark off the bench to turn things around, earning a PK early in the second half that Mauro Diaz slotted home. Then Michael Barrios took over scoring twice to take over the team scoring lead with eight goals on the campaign.
"After [Barrios] scored his first goal, he was not tired anymore," said Tesho Akindele. "You could see right after that, he was buzzing around the field. He helped to raise everyone else’s level. For him, it was huge. For the team, it is a huge win against our rivals. We’re all happy."
With the win, combined with other results around the league, FC Dallas re-opens a five-point gap at the top of the MLS Supporters' Shield race with seven games left to play as they return home for a three-match homestand including MLS showdowns against Portland and Colorado with the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup final on September 13th.