Philippe Senderos, Houston Dynamo salvages late draw with LAFC

Philippe Senderos scored the tying goal almost six minutes into second-half injury time to lift the Houston Dynamo to a 2-2 draw with the LAFC on Tuesday at BBVA Compass Stadium in downtown Houston in the first-ever MLS meeting between the two sides.

Senderos, who had been beaten 12 minutes earlier for LAFC's second goal, waited at the back post for a cross off a corner kick in the match's closing seconds, blasting a shot off Los Angeles' Mark-Anthony Kaye and past goalkeeper Tyler Miller into the net.

Houston saved its best work for the final three minutes, scoring twice in stoppage time after looking dead in the water for more than 90 minutes.

Mauro Manotas scored four minutes into stoppage time to give the Dynamo life and set the table for Senderos.

The match was delayed 98 minutes because of rain and lightning in the area. When the game began it was the LAFC, and Latif Blessing, that struck like a bolt in the fifth minute.

Lee Nguyen dribbled through the Houston defense just outside the box before turning to his right and finding Adama Diomande, who wheeled and threaded a pass just out of the reach of Dynamo center-back Adam Lundkvist to Blessing.

Blessing, the Ghana national, had just to corral the pass and flip it over Houston goalkeeper Joe Willis and into the net to give Los Angeles the lead.

Manotas had a great chance to tie the match in the 49th minute when he passed the ball to himself through the legs of LAFC defender Laurent Ciman before unleashing a point-blank shot that Miller knocked aside.

Los Angeles added to its lead in the 72nd minute as Kaye worked a give-and-go with Diomande in the midfield and outraced Senderos into the box before pushing a shot to Willis' right and into the net.

Los Angeles returns home to host Orlando City on Saturday while Houston remains at home to square off against Minnesota United.