Fox in the Box: Dynamo wrap up preseason with loss against New England Revolution in penalty shootou

Mauro Manotas warming up prior to the scrimmage.

Credit to Houston Dynamo Media

Houston Dynamo finish the 2018 preseason campaign with a 1-1 draw that was later decided by penalty kicks against the New England Revolution in the Mobile Mini Sun Cup championship game.

In the first half, Wilmer Cabrera rolled out what could potentially be the first Starting XI of the upcoming regular season:

This lineup is set to bring back the team's success from last season, with a focus on possession and a counter-attacking style of play while taking in mind the key losses of AJ DeLaGarza (injury) and Tomas Martinez (red-card suspension) from the squad in time for the season opener.

Houston showed some positive signs in the offensive, with the Mauro Manotas and Alberth Elis partnership racking up chance after chance that nearly led to goals.

Boniek Garcia was shown a straight red card at the forty-third minute after he engaged in a challenge to the face towards New England's Diego Fagundez in retaliation for his challenge towards Alberth Elis. Arturo Alvarez replaced Boniek Garcia afterwards since the tournament allows a substitute for ejected players.

The Dynamo were able to hold up New England defensively through the first half, but showed some leaks in the final minutes prior to halftime.

Substitutions would not come in to the match until the forty-ninth minute on: Memo Rodriguez, Joe Willis, Leonardo, Alejandro Fuenmayor, Darwin Ceren, and Tomas Martinez would enter throughout the second half.

New England scores the first goal of the match after a defensive miscue by the Dynamo allows Kellyn Rowe to attempt a shot that hits the post but Krisztian Nemeth would put the ball in the back of the net off the rebound.

But Alberth Elis would get Houston back in the match after New England's Cody Cropper fouls Elis inside the box to force the penalty, in which La Panterita takes the shot from the spot and scores to make it 1-1 at the sixty-second minute.

The Dynamo kept the offensive pressure going, earning chance after chance, but were unable to capitalize in the final minutes of the second half. The scrimmage went directly to a penalty shootout to decide the champion of the tournament.

The Revolution would end up winning the shootout after Arturo Alvarez and Alberth Elis did not convert their chances. Houston finish their 2018 Mobile Mini Sun Cup run with a 2W-2D-0L record without counting penalties after regulation.

With the 2018 preseason in the books, the Dynamo will come back to BBVA Compass Stadium to host Atlanta United on March 3 in the team's MLS regular season opener. The match is set to begin at 2:30 PM CT and it will be televised on Univision.