CHARLESTON, S.C. - Things went pretty much as expected in the opening match of the Carolina Challenge Cup between Houston Dynamo and Toronto FC Saturday, as the defending MLS Cup Champion Dynamo dispatched the expansion side 2-0.
Even missing five starters through injury and national team call-ups, Houston looked very much like the Cup holders they are. Toronto, on the other hand, demonstrated the growing pains that come with an expansion year.
Ryan Cochrane and Chris Wondolowski scored on either side of halftime for the Orange.
Both clubs ran out an approximation of what would be their first teams if the season were to begin this weekend, though both were missing several starters. In addition, both coaches kept substitutions to a minimum.
In the fifth minute it looked like Houston had struck first blood when Wondolowski beat Toronto's Greg Sutton from close range but was ruled offside.
Nine minutes later Cochrane easily touched home a Brad Davis corner kick after Sutton misplayed the in-swinging ball. All an unmarked Cochrane had to do was help the ball into the goal.
Sutton redeemed himself, however, diving to his left to parry wide a long-range bomb from Davis that should have been Houston's second goal.
Houston continued to control the run of play through to the halftime whistle, and the second half began in much the same vein as the first.
In the 72nd minute Toronto coach Mo Johnston looked for an offensive spark by inserting Abbe Ibrahim in for Jose Cancela.
With Toronto putting more pressure forward, Houston took advantage of the space in the midfield when Kevin Goldthwaite sprung Wondolowski with a cross-field ball from the left flank. Wondolowski ran through Toronto's offside trap and easily slotted the ball past Sutton.
"It bit us," Johnston said. "The substitution opened things up for them in the back."
It was not all doom and gloom for Toronto, however. After joining the team on Friday, recently acquired midfielder Richard Mulrooney started and played all 90 minutes.
Both teams will be in action Wednesday as the round-robin tournament continues. Toronto will face New York Red Bull at 6 p.m. ET and Houston will take on the Charleston Battery at 8:15.
Andrew Mosier is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
Saturday, March 24, 2007: Carolina Challenge Cup
Houston Dynamo 2
Toronto FC 0
Houston: Pat Onstad, Craig Waibel, Eddie Robinson, Ryan Cochrane, Kevin Goldthwaite, Chris Wondolowski, Kelly Gray, Brad Davis, Stuart Holden, Paul Dalglish (Corey Ashe 77), Alejandro Moreno.
Toronto FC: Greg Sutton, Jim Brennan, Andrew Boyens, Chris Pozniak, Richard Asante, Ronnie O'Brien, Andrew Welsh (M. Canzarez 63), Richard Mulrooney, Jose Cancela (Abbe Ibrahim 70), Alecko Eskandarian (Joey Melo 81), Edson Buddle.
Scoring Summary
HOU - Cochrane (Davis) 16
HOU - Wondolowski (Cochrane) 72
Misconduct Summary
HOU - Cochrane (Caution) 12
HOU - Goldthwaite (Caution) 36
Attendance: 3,183
All statistics contained in this boxscore are unofficial
