Dwayne De Rosario's early cracker was all that Houston needed to secure their second consecutive win in the Texas Pro Soccer Fest, as Dynamo defeated Chivas USA 1-0 in Friday's second game at Steele High School Stadium.
Just as in the opener against Toronto, Houston came roaring out of the gate. Dynamo were rewarded with an early goal just as they were against Toronto, and what a goal it was.
De Rosario must have been feeling a little ambitious when he struck a rocket from a good 30 yards out, but that ambition paid off as the shot flew past Lance Parker for a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute.
Houston didn't let up, and pushed for more. They should have been up 2-0 up just as quickly, but Brian Ching's close-range header in the 13th minute was cleared off the line, and they also didn't make the most out of two free kicks from dangerous positions.
Those near-misses allowed Chivas USA to have a chance to make it a game, and it was Houston that had to be sharp in the 33rd minute, as sub Maykel Galindo saw his shot cleared off the line.
Both teams substituted heavily in the second half, and the action slowed down for the most part. But Chivas USA had another golden opportunity to snatch an equalizer go awry, as Chukwudi Chinjiju had the 'keeper beaten with his 65th-minute shot, but it went off of the post and out of harm's way.
"I didn't know if one would be enough tonight, because there were a lot of chances in the box," Houston Dynamo head man Dominic Kinnear said. "But good defending, good goalkeeping by us, and we made it stand up."
But a hamstring injury to Brad Davis might have put a damper on the victory, as Davis was forced off in the 39th minute. His status for Sunday, and for next Wednesday's CONCACAF Champions' Cup quarterfinal against CSD Municipal in Guatemala, is up in the air, but he'll be evaluated on Saturday, said Kinnear.
Houston Dynamo 1, Chivas USA 0
Scoring Summary:
HOU -- Dwayne De Rosario (Chris Wondolowski) 12
Chivas USA: Lance Parker; Jonathan Bornstein (Jorge Flores 46), Shavar Thomas, Jim Curtin (Eric Ebert 46), Bobby Burling; Chukwudi Chijindu, Jesse Marsch (Dan Paladini 46), Kraig Chiles (Mike Uremovich 46), Lawson Vaughn (Gerson Mayen 46); Atiba Harris (Anthony Hamilton 46), Justin Braun (Arnaldo Salazar 74).
Houston Dynamo: Tony Caig; Richard Mulrooney (Craig Waibel 46), Eddie Robinson (Steve Wondolowski 46), Bobby Boswell (Jeff Cameron 46), Wade Barrett (Johnny Alcarez 62); Corey Ashe (John Michael Hayden 46), Ricardo Clark (Kieran Hall 46) (Brian Mullan 81), Dwayne De Rosario (Nick Hatzke 46), Brad Davis (Eric Ustruck 38); Brian Ching (Franco Caraccio 46), Chris Wondolowski (Kyle Brown 46)
Misconduct Summary:
CHV -- Braun (caution) 7
HOU -- De Rosario (caution) 8
CHV -- Bornstein (caution) 17
HOU -- Davis (caution) 32
Eddie Griffin is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
