Less than a week after the death of his father, Erick Torres took to the field and helped the Houston Dynamo score a vital 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday night in Houston. The victory pushed the Dynamo four points ahead of seventh-place Real Salt Lake and San Jose with two matches to play as teams vie for the six playoff berths from the MLS Western Conference.
Torres did not start but entered the match in the 73rd minute. Moments later, he was in the box as young Kansas City defender Erik Palmer-Brown accidentally put the ball into his own net on a free kick sent into the box by Tomas Martinez.
The Dynamo went behind in the first half via a well-placed shot from 20 yards out by Jimmy Medranda. Martinez equalized with a nice volley in the 63rd minute.
Aside from a bizarre incident in which a fan threw a streamer that hit KC coach Peter Vermes, much of the focus of the match was on Torres’ return. Torres left the team on Thursday to be with his family in Mexico. His father died of leukemia and Dynamo players and coaching staff wore black armbands to honor Luis German Torres Neri. A moment of silence was held before the game.
Descanse en paz, Luis German Torres Neri.
— Houston Dynamo (@HoustonDynamo) October 12, 2017
Before the match, Dynamo coach Wilmer Cabrera said Torres’ mental state was strong and he would be considered to start in the crucial game.
“For me, it is admirable his mental strength,” Cabrera said. “He’s going through a lot of pain in a tough situation. He's ready. He wants to use this tough situation to get better and to help the team achieve and help himself achieve the goals. That is important. We feel like he's going to be important."
Enter Cubo. #HOUvSKC pic.twitter.com/fgKjTH7Z7V
— Houston Dynamo (@HoustonDynamo) October 12, 2017
Though Torres didn’t come in until the 73rd minute, he was on his teammates’ minds even before he entered the match. After Martinez’s equalizing goal, he and the Dynamo ran to the sideline to celebrate with Torres.
“He’s one of our friends,” Martinez said. “To have him in our hearts, to have him in our thoughts is important for us moving forward because he needs our support. We’re all here for him because he would do the same for us.”
The 24-year-old Torres, who has six caps for Mexico and has played in the past for Guadalajara and Chivas USA, has had a breakout year for the Dynamo under Cabrera, scoring a team-best 14 goals. He could start against KC this weekend as the two teams meet again, this time at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
Le enviamos mucha fuerza a @erickestefano15 y su familia por esta sensible pérdida. Que encuentren pronta resignación. pic.twitter.com/6dVpiSx275
— Selección Nacional (@miseleccionmx) October 6, 2017
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