A Cristian Pavon golazo was cancelled out by a second-half goal from Mauro Manotas, as the LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo settled for a 1-1 draw Saturday before a sellout crowd at BBVA Stadium. The match served as Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez’s official Galaxy debut, and also was Tab Ramos’ competitive debut as Houston’s head coach.
The Galaxy rushed out to a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute, when Pavon scored a jaw-dropping curler from atop the 18-yard box. The Argentine winger collected a long punt from David Bingham, dribbled past several Houston defenders and left goalkeeper Marko Maric with little chance on his strike.
But the Dynamo stayed resilient and drew level in the 54th minute, when Manotas gathered a through ball from right back Zarek Valentin. The Honduran striker hit a low, driven shot past an onrushing Bingham to the far post that made it 1-1.
There were several promising chances aside from the goals, including a header from Galaxy winger Aleksandar Katai that rifled off the near post in the 2nd minute. LA midfielder Joe Corona also couldn’t capitalize on a golden opportunity in the 66th minute, with his first effort blocked off the goal line by Dynamo center back Aljaz Struna.
