The Houston Dynamo was eliminated from the MLS playoffs on a controversial night that featured Héctor Herrera.
The action that sparked the controversy occurred in the 65th minute of the match against Seattle Sounders, when referee Armando Villarreal He showed a yellow card to the Mexican midfielder.
Herrera, visibly frustrated, walked with his back to the referee and spat in his direction, leading to Villarreal being called by the VAR to review the play.
After watching the video, the referee decided to sanction Herrera with a red card, leaving the Houston Dynamo with ten men at a crucial moment in the match.
This expulsion left the Texan team at a disadvantage in a duel that remained 0-0 until that moment. The absence of their captain and midfield leader affected Dynamo, who quickly found themselves overwhelmed.
Seattle eliminated Houston on penalties without Héctor Herrera
Cristian Roldán opened the scoring for Seattle in the 87th minute, which seemed to seal the game and the elimination of Houston. However, in added time, an own goal by Roldán himself gave Dynamo hope by tying the score and forcing a penalty shootout.
In the penalty round, Seattle Sounders was more accurate and won with a score of 6-7. Tate Schmitt missed the decisive penalty, sealing Houston’s defeat and elimination at home.
This defeat was the second in a row in the series, as Dynamo had also fallen in the first match against Seattle the previous week, which ended their hopes of advancing to the next phase.
Herrera’s expulsion marks the third time the player has seen a red card since arriving in MLS in 2022.
The elimination in the playoffs leaves a bitter taste for the Dynamo, who after a good regular season, sees their aspirations cut short in a match full of frustration and tension.
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