Mateusz Bogusz Scores Second-Latest Winner in MLS History as 10-Man Houston Beat Portland 3-2

The clock read 105 minutes. Houston was down to 10 men, Portland had just been denied twice by the goalkeeper in a goalmouth scramble, and a draw looked like the floor for the visitors. Mateusz Bogusz had other plans.

Houston Dynamo FC beat the Portland Timbers 3-2 on Saturday night, with Bogusz finishing a counterattack in the 15th minute of second-half stoppage time for his first Dynamo goal. MLS said it was the second-latest winning goal in league history, behind only a 107th-minute winner from Tom Barlow. It capped a game that had a saved penalty, a red card, two equalizers and enough chaos for a full season of a prestige TV drama.

A Saved Penalty That Still Went In

The first half was mostly cagey until the very end. Alexander Aravena forced Jonathan Bond into an early save, Ezequiel Ponce dragged a shot just wide on a fast break in the 34th minute, and Bond kept out a Finn Surman header in the 41st.

Two minutes later, Diadié Samassékou fouled Surman in the box, and VAR confirmed the penalty. Kristoffer Velde stepped up in the fourth minute of stoppage time and Bond saved it. Unfortunately for Bond, the ball stayed live, and Gage Guerra buried the rebound for a 1-0 Portland lead, his first goal of the season. Bond saved again from Ariel Lassiter before the break, but Houston went in behind.

The Turning Point: Houston's New Stars Take Over

Ben Olsen's side changed the game after halftime, and the new signings led the way. Héctor Herrera came on for Ponce and nearly scored with a header in the 51st minute, and James Pantemis had to save a Guilherme header a minute later.

The equalizer arrived in the 62nd. Bogusz whipped in a cross and Guilherme headed it from the center of the box into the bottom right corner. 1-1. Jack McGlynn then rattled the crossbar from outside the box in the 65th.

In the 77th minute, Guilherme turned provider, setting up Felipe Andrade for a right-footed strike from outside the box into the bottom right corner. 2-1. Per MLS, Houston's two new Designated Players each finished the night with a goal and an assist.

Portland answered almost immediately. In the 79th, Surman laid the ball off to Velde, who fired a right-footed shot from the center of the box into the bottom right corner. 2-2, and Velde had made up for the penalty.

Ten Men and a Counterpunch

Houston kept pressing for a third. Pantemis saved from Lawrence Ennali in the 84th minute and from McGlynn two minutes later, and Herrera fired over as regulation ran out.

Then the night got strange. Pantemis went down injured in the third minute of stoppage time, causing a long delay, and in the same minute substitute Nick Markanich, who had come on in the 81st, was shown a red card. With nine minutes of added time stretching on, Portland smelled a winner.

The Timbers threw everything forward. In the 12th and 13th minutes of stoppage time, Bond made two huge saves on Kevin Kelsy, the second from very close range, and Surman had a shot blocked in the same scramble. Joao Ortiz then sent a set piece effort high and wide.

That was the opening Houston needed. McGlynn launched a long ball, and Bogusz drove at the Portland defense on the counter before beating Pantemis from the center of the box into the bottom right corner. 3-2. Ballgame.

Star Watch: Bogusz, Guilherme and Bond

Bogusz finished with a goal and an assist on three shots. MLS noted he joined Houston from Cruz Azul this winter as a Designated Player, and the winner was his first goal for the club. Guilherme had a goal, an assist and five shots, the most on his team.

But Bond might have been the real hero. He made six saves, including the penalty stop and the double save on Kelsy that set up the winning counterattack. Without those, Bogusz never gets his moment.

"This is what we're trying to build here. We want guys that can win," Olsen said, per MLS. "Again, we're better in the box, and we're better in the final third, so that gives you a chance in this league."

For Portland, Velde and Guerra both scored their first goals of the campaign, and the Timbers said they were the club's first road goals of the season and their first goals in Houston since 2021. Surman's assist was his first goal contribution for the club, and the Timbers also noted that David Da Costa made his season debut in the starting lineup while Lassiter made his first start of the campaign.

Stats That Matter

• Shots: Houston 19, Portland 17.
• Shots on target: Portland 9, Houston 6.
• Saves: Bond 6, Pantemis 3.
• Corners: Houston 10, Portland 6.
• Possession: Portland 51.7 percent, Houston 48.3 percent.

What It Means

Houston improves to 2-0-1 with 6 points after an opening 2-1 home win over the Chicago Fire and a 2-0 home loss to LAFC. Bogusz, for one, thinks there is more coming from a squad still learning each other. "My feeling is every week we are getting closer, we know each other more, so I'm believing this is going to be good season. We just need the time," he said, per MLS. Next is a trip to FC Dallas for the Texas Derby on Saturday.

Portland falls to 1-0-3 with 3 points and has lost three straight, after a 2-0 defeat at Colorado and a 4-1 home loss to Vancouver. The Timbers host the LA Galaxy on Sunday, March 22.

Closing Take

Portland did enough to take a point and maybe even three. It got a goal from a missed penalty, came back from a deficit and had Houston down to 10 men with time to burn. Then it lost the ball once and paid for it in the 105th minute. Late winners like this are why people stay until the final whistle, even when the final whistle seems like it may never come.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by MLS (mlssoccer.com); club notes from the Portland Timbers (timbers.com).