The two teams traded spells of possession and territorial domination in sweltering conditions at SeatGeek Stadium, with Jake O’Brien’s second-half header cancelled out moments later by Leonardo Castro’s poacher’s finish.
Yet with the Chicago Nations Cup match seemingly destined for a penalty shoot-out to settle matters, Colombian champions Millonarios were gifted the chance to win it from 12 yards in the final seconds of the game after a contentious penalty kick was awarded for handball against Jeffrey Schlupp; Castro duly dispatched the kick.
After the game, Hodgson observed: “We certainly deserved to draw the game. Losing to penalties like that is a bitter blow because I don’t think many people anywhere near the field of play thought that was a penalty, but it was given, so you end up losing the game.
“We didn’t deserve to lose it – a draw would have been a much fairer result and would have been a good account from it.
“There were spells for both teams I thought. We started the game very well, and then we lost our way during the course of the first half. Millonarios were on top in that period.
“Then, in the second half, especially when we brought the midfield players on, I thought we re-established some sort of control, but then the injuries disrupted matters.”
