Petar Musa's Late Winner Lifts FC Dallas Past 10-Man Houston Dynamo 4-3 in Wild Texas Derby

Seven goals, a four-minute collapse, a VAR-awarded own goal, a red card and a super-sub winner. If you only watch one Texas Derby this year, the bar has already been set absurdly high.

FC Dallas beat Houston Dynamo FC 4-3 on Saturday night at Toyota Stadium, with Petar Musa finishing a Joaquín Valiente cross from point-blank range in the 86th minute. Dallas led 2-0 inside 14 minutes, trailed 3-2 at halftime after Houston scored three times in four minutes, and then rode Musa's second-half cameo and an Erik Sviatchenko red card to the win. MLS said the seven goals tied the record for a meeting between these clubs, set in the very first derby in May 2006.

Farrington Fast, Then Houston Faster

Logan Farrington made it look easy early. In the sixth minute, he finished a Shaq Moore pass from the center of the box into the bottom left corner. In the 14th, Herman Johansson set him up again and Farrington went to the other corner. Dallas said it was the second brace of his career, and it left the hosts cruising.

Then the floor fell out. In the 29th minute, Guilherme picked his spot from the right side of the box and beat Michael Collodi to the bottom right corner. Two minutes later, Guilherme's cross after a corner found Sviatchenko, who headed into the top left corner for 2-2. Two minutes after that, Guilherme slid a through ball to Lawrence Ennali, who finished from the right side of the six-yard box. Three goals in four minutes, per MLS, and Houston led 3-2.

Dallas nearly answered before the break. Bond saved a Johansson header in the 42nd minute, Christian Cappis went close from outside the box after a set piece in first-half stoppage time, and Kaick missed from the center of the box. Sviatchenko was booked in the 45th minute, which would matter later.

Musa Changes the Game

Eric Quill went to his bench at halftime, sending Musa on for Cappis. The Croatian striker had scored a hat trick to rescue a 3-3 draw against San Diego FC a week earlier, according to MLS, and he needed nine minutes to change this one.

In the 54th minute, Dallas drew level when Duane Holmes put the ball into his own net, with the goal awarded after a VAR review. MLS said Musa caused it; Dallas said he helped force it. Either way, it was 3-3, and the momentum had flipped back to the home side.

Then came the turning point. In the 68th minute, Sviatchenko picked up a second yellow card for a bad foul and was sent off, leaving Houston with 10 men for the final stretch. Dallas poured forward. Farrington missed from the right side of the six-yard box off a Bernard Kamungo cross in the 75th, Bond saved from both Kamungo and Musa in the 82nd, and Musa had another effort blocked in the 85th.

The breakthrough came a minute later. Valiente swung in a cross and Musa finished from very close range for 4-3. Dallas called it his seventh career game-winning goal.

Houston had one last chance in stoppage time. Ondrej Lingr headed a Jack McGlynn cross toward the bottom right corner, but Collodi saved it, and Guilherme fired high and wide after the resulting corner.

Musa, Farrington and Guilherme

Musa took three shots in his second-half shift, put two on target, scored the winner and had a hand in the equalizer. Dallas said he now leads the team with six goals this season, and MLS noted four of them came in his last two games. His coach was not surprised.

"Musa comes into the game and does what Musa does, gives us a huge lift and goals," Quill said. "He's special. He and Logan together are a lethal tandem."

Farrington's two goals came on four shots, and Dallas said he now has three this season. Guilherme was the best player on the losing side by a mile: a goal, two assists and three shots in a dizzying first-half spell that nearly won the derby on its own.

Valiente deserves a mention, too. Beyond the assist on the winner, Dallas credited him with a secondary assist on Farrington's opener and called them his first two goal contributions for the club.

Bond made three saves for Houston, including the double stop in the 82nd minute. Collodi made one for Dallas, but it came at the most important moment.

Stats That Matter

• Shots: Dallas 16, Houston 10. On target, Dallas led 6 to 4.
• Possession: Dallas 54.6 percent.
• Saves: Bond 3, Collodi 1.
• Corners: Houston 8, Dallas 6.
• Clearances: Dallas 32, Houston 30, which tells you how often both boxes were under siege.

What It Means

Dallas moves to 2-2-1 with 8 points and remains unbeaten at Toyota Stadium this season, with two wins and two draws. The club said the crowd of 11,004 extended its regular-season sellout streak to 38 consecutive matches. Defender Sebastien Ibeagha, who came on in the 90th minute, made his 100th MLS appearance with FC Dallas, according to the club. Dallas visits D.C. United on April 4.

Houston falls to 2-0-2 with 6 points and has alternated wins and losses through four matches. The Dynamo will be kicking themselves after leading at halftime, and they host the Seattle Sounders on April 4 after the international break.

Musa, meanwhile, heads into the break with his mind on international duty. "Today, it was only one purpose: to win the derby against Houston," he said. "Now, it's focus on the national team."

Closing Take

This game had the energy of a playground match where nobody wanted to go home until someone won. Houston had the best four minutes of the night. Dallas had the last word. Quill gave the rest of the roster their due too: "The other guys behind them are warriors, man." In a derby this chaotic, that's exactly what it took.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by MLSsoccer.com; additional notes from FC Dallas.