DC United missed the chance to move back above New York Red Bulls at the summit of the Eastern Conference following this morning's 1-1 draw with Houston Dynamo.
Ricardo Clark was on hand to cancel out Chris Rolfe's ferocious first-half free kick as Owen Coyle's side won a deserved point in Washington.
It was Dynamo who dominated the opening stages and went close twice through Giles Barnes and Clark, both of whom were denied by goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra in the first 13 minutes.
The hosts, who now sit behind Red Bulls on goal difference, were toiling in the final third but Houston had a problem when Rolfe lined up a free kick and found the top right-hand corner with a fine effort on 36 minutes.
It could have been two before the break when Jairo Arrieta latched onto Michael Farfan's ball before firing straight at Tyler Deric from a promising position.
Coyle's side threatened an equaliser when Clark struck the post on the hour mark in a slice of misfortune that did prove a sign of things to come.
Five minutes later, Clark levelled up the clash by tapping home a rebound after Dykstra had denied Will Bruin's initial effort.
The pendulum should have swung back in United's favour on 74 minutes when Nick DeLeon failed to keep Tayler Kemp's inviting cross under the crossbar in what proved the last clear-cut chance in the capital.
Shane Callaghan
