A take to please everyone? Takeaways from the Dynamo's Texas Derby draw

HOUSTON – Welcome to the real Texas Derby! (cc: Adrian Healey)

Anyone that tuned into the most recent (and 50th) all-time meeting between Houston Dynamo FC and FC Dallas saw what was arguably best one yet. The MLS debut of Hector Herrera drew extra eyeballs to this one locally, nationally and internationally.

Both teams came into this one struggling since coming back from the June FIFA international break. They're still struggling but at least they delivered a show.

While everyone is sure to have a different take on it, the fact is that there is a take to be had. That's a huge starting point for a Dynamo team that has been irrelevant in its own market, and a good starting point to only get better on and off the field.

The good: A draw that feels like a win for the capacity crowd

This result has a glass half-full feeling to it because of the way the game unfolded. FC Dallas was leading 1-0 to start the second half, and then the awaited debut of Hector Herrera took place in the 55th minute.

Also coming onto the field alongside Herrera was forward Thor Ulfarsson for Designated Player Sebastian Ferreira. Ulfarsson tied the match in the 69th minute and Houston looked to have taken the lead on a header from Daniel Steres in the 82nd. That goal was called back.

A number of fans feel their team got robbed and that referees have cost their team on several occasions this year, including the previous Texas Derby when a Memo Rodriguez free kick was ruled as not completely crossing the goal line.

To make matters worse, the team from Frisco took the lead on a breakaway in minute 90' + 3'. Jesus Ferreira pointed to the FC Dallas crest on his jersey, as he celebrated in front of the supporters end of PNC Stadium, and revealed himself as the most hated man of the match.

The fans then rallied, "Let's Go Dynamo!" thunderously and in unison. Could Houston, at the very least, rescue a draw? Even with an initially-announced 10 minutes of added time, which turned out to go past 12, the task looked tough.

Eleven minutes into stoppage time, Darwin Quintero fired a fastball that goalkeeper Maarten Paes couldn't grasp despite blocking the attempt. Teenage Hadebe scored off the rebound for the latest goal during a regular-season match in MLS history.

Scenes of celebration and victory were felt by the capacity crowd.

FC Dallas may have taken the draw, El Capitan and ended hopes to win Copa Tejas but they wouldn't leave with a win on Houston soil. 

The reviews locally were positive. Fans that went to see the team for the first time were probably convinced to return, as were longtime fans who had waited to see such a performance and the arrival of a bona fide Mexican national team player.

Hope, for a city that has seen a dormant MLS club for the better part of a decade. For one resurgent night, the Houston Dynamo showed every bit the soccer club every Houstonian knows it can be.

The neutral: Hector Herrera makes solid MLS debut

A lot of viewers could care less what the result was going to be. They tuned in to watch the debut of the Mexico national team midfielder Hector Herrera.

Coming off the bench for just over 45 minutes, with stoppage time, Herrera delivered a solid performance for a player coming back from summer vacation, including a great pass over the box led to the first tying goal of the night.

The player also provided personality on the field. He was a source of accountability and a voice on the field that just amped up the intensity level. A breed of player the club has needed desperately for years.

He is not the be-all, end-all solution but he provides a big chunk of help. That was evident on his first night and, once he gets in more rhythm, the Dynamo will benefit from having a player like him on the field over the course of ninety minutes.

The impact was also felt in the stands. His debut brought the first post-COVID sellout for the club. The previous sellout was in February 2020 — coincidentally the MLS debut of another high-profile Mexican, as the Dynamo hosted Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and the LA Galaxy.

The match also hosted the most media attention the club has garnered in recent memory, perhaps the best since the 2017 MLS Western Conference Final first leg against Seattle Sounders FC. Herrera drew the impact equivalent, if not better, of an MLS Cup Playoffs match.

The bad: Fan behavior, Dynamo still bad

The hard truth is the Dynamo avoided disaster. The 2-2 draw in late fashion, and the good feelings that come with it, will mask inflicted mistakes for a team that still needs plenty of improvement.

Derbies are meant to be won. The Dynamo nearly lost this one on their own turf and, as much as the referee is taking the fall, the team should be blaming itself.

The players have had subpar performances for the better part of the season. A few have saved themselves and Steve Clark, who had an off night with uncharacteristic mistakes, is among those. The rest of the roster is filled with players that aren't cutting it. Was Hector Herrera really needed to up the intensity and expectations? Getting paid thousands, in some cases millions, to play a kids' game isn't rewarding enough? Playing a derby against your hated rival in your own stadium, packed for the first time in a long time, isn't motivation enough? There are too many guys on the roster that don't merit having a contract, not with this club at least, but they keep being allowed to stay. 

Coach Paulo Nagamura and his staff need to take accountability for their shortcomings also. Lack of urgency? That's been a problem now for several games. Lack of hitting the target? Whatever is being done in training clearly isn't working. A 5'7" Zeca covering a 6'4" Matt Hedges, by the way, one of FC Dallas' prime targets on corner kicks? Who allows that to happen in the first place?

And there's blame for general manager Pat Onstad and his technical director Asher Mendelsohn too. Where is the turnover in the roster? Why make a multi-million purchase of Sebastian Ferreira if the head coach isn't sold on playing him in one of the most important matches of the season? Is he a bust or just not getting the right support? If it's the former then it was a bad buy and if it's the latter, why hasn't a move — trades, transfers, what have you - been made for a better supporting cast? I'm sure player movements aren't the easiest things in the world but enough time has passed to at least bring one more key player into the fold. If that doesn't happen in this transfer window, then Onstad needs to reconsider his supporting cast.

As far as the fans in the stands, they were fine for the most part. The beer cans thrown on the field, the "puto," "culero," and "F***k You Dallas!" chants, however, sour and even spoil the game for the crowd that just wants to see a respectful, sportsmanlike rivalry. Can and should it be cleaned up? Absolutely. There's a larger conversation to be had on this topic, but the summary here is it's unfair to judge all Dynamo fans on a night that drew many new spectators. It was also a derby, which doesn’t excuse the behavior, but it does provide context. Let's hope it only improves and it's not a recurring theme.