Anatomy of a goal: Aliyu caps a four goal night
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
The Houston Dynamo put four goals past the Vancouver Whitecaps on their way to a 4-1 Wednesday night. ALiyu Ibrahim came off the bench to score the fourth goal after a great build up and break from the back.
Today we’re breaking down the build up that led to Aliyu’s goal. All the images we’re using are from the Apple TV broadcast and Major League Soccer’s YouTube highlight video.
The play begins Micael (circled) on the ball. The Dynamo are passing the ball around the back, looking to kill off the game, up 3-0 and with the crowd chanting oles.
Micael plays the ball centrally to Teenage Hadebe (circled) who looks up and surveys the field for a chance to push forward.
Hadebe finds Luis Caicedo (circled) who has time to turn and move the ball forward into the attack.
Caicedo moves the ball on to Hector Herrera (circled) who is able to ride a challenge and shield the ball away from the oncoming defender.
Herrera (circled) loses his man and now has space forward to drive into. Brad Smith is wide on the left (arrow) calling for the ball into the huge amount of space in front of him.
Herrera’s pass into all of that space is run onto by Smith (circled) as he is nearly into the Vancouver box. Smith picks his head up and sees three teammates (arrows) making runs.
Smith (circled) makes his cross into the box for the three runners (arrows), originally trying to find the run of Aliyu Ibrahim in the middle of the box.
Smith’s cross deflects off a Vancouver defender into the path of Herrera (large circle) who is wiped out by Sebastian Berhalter retreating back. Aliyu (small circle) continued his run into the six-yard box and is, importantly, onside here when the ball is touched by the combination of Herrera and Berhalter.
Herrera (rectangle) is down after the tackle but the ball lands right at the feet of Aliyu (circle) with no defender in front of him.
Aliyu has the instincts to take a shot right away, while the Vancouver defense is still looking around wondering what happened. The ball (small circle) ends up in the back of the net while the Whitecaps defense (large circle) appeal for offside, to no avail.
When the Dynamo are clicking, they score some beautiful goals. It wasn’t the prettiest in the end but the ability to build out of the back and quickly break forward shows how dangerous they can be offensively.
