After Saturday night's 1-0 win against D.C. United that secured the team a place in the 2006 MLS Cup Playoffs, Houston Dynamo players and coaches were talking about one thing: Dynamo forward Brian Ching's spectacular game-winning bicycle-kick goal in the 86th minute.
"You don't see that every week," said Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear. "It was fantastic. ... It's been a frustrating time for us, and I think that goal erases that frustration for a lot of people."
Prior to Ching's goal, Houston had only scored three times in September, while posting a 1-1-2 record for the month.
Ching himself played down the goal, saying that he was acting on instinct: "Nothing was going through my mind. That's probably why I scored. ... I didn't really have time to think; I just reacted."
Kinnear was also encouraged by his team's overall quality of play against United.
"We didn't give them much," Kinnear said. "[D.C. is] a very high-powered offensive team. ... The defense held well, and the only time they looked a little dangerous was when we carelessly gave the ball away."
With the possibility of clinching a playoff berth with a win against the highest-scoring team in MLS and 20,029 fans crowding Robertson Stadium, Dynamo players said that the game felt like a playoff match.
"We felt the energy from the crowd," Ching said. "Everybody was tired at the end of the game, and I think the crowd really helped us to finish it off well."
The result is an important one for Houston, which breaks a two-game winless streak and has a chance to build some momentum going into the postseason.
"It's a huge win," said Dynamo midfielder Dwayne De Rosario. "Playing against a great team like D.C. United and getting the win against them is huge. Hopefully it will motivate us for the next two games we have."
While D.C. United were disappointed with the game's result, the team was happy to earn the 2006 MLS Supporters' Shield thanks to the 3-1 loss by FC Dallas to the Columbus Crew.
"It was one of those games where you work, work, work, and then in the final minutes of the game they get a goal and you're just down," said United forward Freddy Adu. "But we got the Supporters' Shield, so that's why you don't see guys putting their heads down right now."
United coach Peter Nowak was happy with his team's defensive performance for the night, shutting out Dynamo for 86 minutes before allowing Ching's goal.
"The defensive work was exceptional today," Nowak said. "I don't know if we made a mistake or they got lucky, but that was a great shot by Brian Ching."
United goalkeeper Troy Perkins also thought his team's defense played well, but was a victim of bad luck at the end of the game.
"I think it caught our defenders by surprise," Perkins said of the play. "It didn't look like [Dynamo forward Paul Dalglish] was going to be able to get to it ... he just flicked it on and got lucky. Good finish from Ching, and they got a little lucky, I think."
After earning the Supporters' Shield, United is focused on finishing out the season and winning MLS Cup.
"Obviously, it's great that we got the Supporters' Shield, but it doesn't mean anything if we don't go all the way and win [MLS Cup]," said Adu.
Also looking forward to the playoffs is United forward Jaime Moreno, who says that his team needs to just get ready for the postseason.
"We need to find our rhythm again, find our sharpness and get prepared for the playoffs. That's the most important thing in our heads right now," he said.
Lucas Ogden-Davis is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
