The Montreal Impact earned 1-1 tie against a powerful Houston Dynamo club Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to keep them in the playoff race.
The home team took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Will Bruin in the 44th minute on a skillful deflection past the helpless Impact keeper.
But Sanna Nyassi managed to net the equalizer for the Impact after half-time, scoring in the 66th minute on a rebound of his own shot made after Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall stopped his initial effort.
Houston appeared to score another goal in stoppage time as Brian Ching’s shot appeared to hit the twine but officials ruled that it was out of play.
“Tonight, it was a game of two different halves. We dominated and they scored, then in the second half, they dominated but we scored,” the Impact's Patrice Bernier told a reporter for the team's website. “In the final 10 minutes, the game was crazy and we gave it our all.”
The Impact (12-15-5, 41 points) entered the game with the slimmest chances at making the playoffs, needing all nine possible points in its last three games just to possibly tie for the fifth and final playoff spot.
The Dynamo (13-8-11, 50 points) increased its lead to two points over the Crew Columbus in the fifth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
The Impact's next game is in Toronto on October 20 at 1:30 p.m. and its final game is at home against the New England Revolution on October 27, at 2 p.m.
