who scored the fourth Dynamo goal -- broke nearly year-long goalless droughts.
Houston came out firing. In the third minute, Stuart Holden ripped a shot after getting a neat layoff from Joseph Ngwenya. Holden's shot from the left corner of the goal area was batted away by Brad Guzan with a fine reaction. Kelly Gray got onto to the end of the rebound from inside the box, but it went over the goal.
But, two minutes later, Mullan hit the back of the net to give the Dynamo the lead. A Davis free kick hit at the base of the Chivas USA wall. The ball deflected to the top of the area where Mullan picked it up, placing his shot perfectly just inside the right-hand post. It was his first league goal since July 8, 2006 -- also against Chivas -- a span of 26 games.
Chivas nearly tied the score in the 14th minute, but Sacha Kljestan's header went over the net. Three minutes later, Francisco Mendoza took a pass from Maykel Galindo near the endline, but his left-footed shot sailed wide left.
Houston tried to up its lead in the 23rd minute when, off a free kick by Davis, Gray headed one from in front of the middle of the goal area over the goal. Two minutes later, Shavar Thomas had a good chance from the middle of the area, but popped it right to Houston goalkeeper Zach Wells.
Kelly Gray was once again in a forward-looking midfield role and was very active in the attack, especially in the first half. He fired a long-range shot from 25 yards out on the left that went wide left in the 28th minute, and followed that up with a shot from 30 yards out straight out from goal that rolled right to Guzan.
Ante Razov charged into the Dynamo penalty area in the 37th minute before losing the ball in the box, and Zach Wells eventually fell on it, but the attacking forays from Chivas were few and far between.
At the other end, Stuart Holden shot wide from the right in the 41st minute, then Ngwenya fired a bullet from the right corner of the box, which Guzan easily cradled. Mullan followed that with a shot in the 44th minute from outside the restraining arc that Guzan again stopped.
After the break, the Houston attack became irresistible. In the 55th minute, the Orange had the ball in the Chivas end for a couple of minutes without respite. Davis chased down the ball on the left flank, and passed it back to Wade Barrett, who gave it back to an unmarked Davis charging into the box. From an angle on the left, he nailed a wicked drive inside the far upper corner.
For Davis, it was also his first goal in 26 regular season games, his last league strike coming July 15, 2006.
After the goal, Chivas tried to retaliate quickly as Zotinca went down the field and took a shot from the right corner of the area, which Wells batted down. Then in the 66th minute, Laurent Merlin hit a quick shot on the turn from an early cross from the right, but it bounced off the crossbar.
Gray seemed to have knocked over while racing in just ahead of the last defender in the 64th minute with no call, but Chivas weren't as lucky two minutes later. Ngwenya got in behind Shavar Thomas and would have been all alone on goal, but Thomas pulled him down from behind. Referee Jorge Gonzalez immediately pulled out the red card and ejected Thomas.
On the ensuing free kick, Davis deflected the ball off the wall and it went right to Guzan. But he wouldn't miss on his next shot.
Ngwenya had done a good job linking with midfielders all night long, and he laid off another pass to Davis, just outside the top of the arc. He hammered a first-time shot into the lower right corner of the goal past a diving Guzan.
In the 75th minute, Dynamo won a penalty kick after Zotinca tripped up Mullan as he raced along atop the edge of the box. Davis stepped up to take the penalty and finished off his hat trick, sending the spot kick right down the middle of the goal.
Houston outshot Chivas 17-8 on the night, and had an 11-2 advantage in shots on goal. Guzan finished with seven saves, and Wells notched two saves for his first career shutout. The loss was the worse loss in club history for Chivas.
Jeremy Rakes is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
