Revolution Draw Despite Brace From Sene

FOXBOROUGH, Mass – Houston substitute Luiz Camargo scored a late equalizer and the Houston Dynamo were able to overcome Saer Sene’s two goals, tying the Revolution, 2-2, at Gillette Stadium.

Despite taking the lead twice, the Revolution surrendered it both times, once on a set piece and the other via Camargo’s 86^th minute tying goal from the corner of the six-yard box.

“Unfortunately I don’t think we played our absolute best, but we still had a chance to win the game,” Revolution head coach Jay Heaps said. “We did some things well, and some things not so well. All in all, I liked the way we fought at least – we competed – and one of the things going forward is I want to make this a tough place to play and I think we did that tonight. I think the Houston Dynamo knows they played us tonight. Unfortunately, they got out of here with a deserved point. I’m not saying they stole a point. They deserved the point.”

It looked like the Revs were in trouble early when they surrendered an early set piece, something they have struggled to defend this season. Brad Davis’ in-swinger was dangerous but was cleared away by Chris Tierney.

After that, the home side controlled the tempo. In the 21^st minute, Sene controlled the ball right outside the box on the left side, taking  quick touches before crossing it to the far post. Sharlie Joseph out jumped two defenders to get a head to the ball, but it wasn’t enough to beat Dynamo goalie Tally Hall.

Then in the 25^th minute, Lee Nguyen found Tierney streaking down the left side of the field with a crisp pass. Tierney crossed it but Hall slapped out the ball with one hand. The ball bounced to Sene but before he could trap it, Davis took him down from behind. Referee Baldomero Toledo blew the whistle and the Revs were rewarded their first penalty kick of the season.

Moments later, Sene slotted the ball into the lower right corner as Hall dove to the left, giving the Revolution a 1-0 lead i nthe 26th minute.

“Yeah, I scored two goals tonight but I’m sad,” Sene said. “I’m disappointed because we take on a new importance on this game and we must take these two points.”

But just six minutes later, the Revolution were faced with another set piece, this one a free kick about 30 yards out coming off the foot of Davis. Davis sent a curving ball into the area, finding the head of Will Bruin for the first equalizer of the game. Revs keeper Matt Reis came off his line, but his punching attempt was too late and the ball sailed over his head.

For the Revolution, it was almost déjà vu, having surrendered another set-piece goal this season.

“It’s one of those things were you go over it and over it and over it and over it and it’s disappointing,” Heaps said. “I’m flippin’ mad, if you want to know the truth.”

Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis leaps over the slide of Revolution right back Kevin Alston during Saturday's 2-2 draw. (Photo: Walter Silva)

It didn’t look promising when the second half started, as Houston controlled the play early on. But just twelve minutes into the second half, the Revs took advantage of a Dynamo mistake in the midfield.

Revolution forward Blake Brettschneider tangled with Attleboro native Geoff Cameron at midfield and even though it looked like Cameron won the challenge, the ball squirted free, allowing Sene to run onto it full speed from the halfway line. Four touches later and Sene completed his brace with a left footed shot that beat Hall near post from about eight yards out.

“A great second goal,” Heaps said of Sene’s brace. “I thought Saer was really good on that side of it. I think we still need him to evolve and get a little better at holding the ball for us. He’s really coming into his own and I like the way he’s competing.”

After the second Revs goal, play between the Dynamo and the home-team became somewhat chippy. After Nguyen made a nice move on the end line, he went around his defender only to get tripped up from behind right outside the area. Then, just two minutes later, Nguyen broke free down the sideline before being taken down on a late challenge by Calen Carr.

Carr was given a yellow card caution, but not before tempers flared between the two teams. After the foul, Benny Feilhaber ran over to Carr to have a few words before he was shoved over by Houston’s Bobby Boswell. Both Boswell and Feilhaber were given yellow cards.

“I thought that foul was a little bit unnecessary that’s why I ran over there,” Feilhaber said. “It looked like Lee had the ball clear out in front and Calen just came in behind and just whacked him. To me, that’s a pretty bad foul.”

After the scuffle, Houston put in Camargo for Je-Vaughn Watson. Four minutes later, Colin Clark came in for Brad Davis. The Revolution made two changes within three minutes, with Diego Fagundez taking out Sene and Fernando Cardenas replacing Feilhaber. Macoumba Kandji was the final Houston substitute in the 76^th minute, replacing Calen Carr.

Play settled back down, but it fell in Houston’s favor. The Dynamo had a commanding 64.2 per cent possession advantage in the second half and finished with 61.8 percent. After a failed clearing attempt from the Revs, Camargo controlled the ball and then found Brian Ching six yards outside the area.

Ching took two touches before looping a ball over the head of Stephen McCarthy, right back to the feet of Camargo who juggled it with his right foot before burying the ball with the outside of his left foot near post.

“We just have to look at the film and be a little bit better a little bit tougher and not let it happen again,” Revs defender AJ Soares said.

Fagundez combined well with Cardenas and Brettschneider on a couple occasions but nothing came out of it.

The Revolution will travel to take on D.C. United at RFK Stadium on Saturday, May 23^rd at 7:30 p.m.

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