and survived playing the final quarter hour a man down -- ending a three-game losing streak Sunday with a 2-1 win against intrastate rivals FC Dallas at Robertson Stadium.
FC Dallas took the lead in the 31st minute with a goal by Abe Thompson, but Ricardo Clark pulled Dynamo level six minutes into the second half. Joseph Ngwenya then hit for the eventual game-winner midway through the half, to continue Dynamo's dominance in the battle for "El Capitan." Dynamo have now won four of the six all-time meetings in all competitions.
Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad was sent off with 12 minutes to go when he tripped up Arturo Alvarez just outside the area when he was nearly in alone on goal, shown a direct red card by referee Michael Kennedy.
After a quiet opening 10 minutes, FC Dallas nearly got on the board with a shot by Juan Toja in the 10th minute, but Onstad knocked the effort over the goal.
Dynamo then nearly took the lead through a couple of chances. Ngwenya put a header wide in the 11th minute, then Brian Mullan had an opportunity in the 17th minute after he went through two defenders and took a shot from the upper right corner of the area, but Sala easily stopped the attempt.
FC Dallas also had a great opportunity when right back Drew Moor was given all kinds of time to race into the area, but his angled shot from the right in the 15th minute was punched away by Onstad.
The Hoops took the lead through a great passing movement. A long ball downfield found Thompson, and he quickly laid it off to Kenny Cooper before sprinting forward. Cooper passed to Dax McCarty, who slipped the ball behind the Houston defense where Thompson had continued his run. He poked the ball under the advancing Onstad for his first goal of the season.
After falling behind, Dynamo nearly tied the game with a free kick by Brad Davis that was stopped by Sala. Two minutes later, a Waibel header attempt hit the crossbar. Then in the 42nd minute, Brian Ching's header went wide right.
Ramon Nunez then nearly doubled the FCD lead, but he was denied by Onstad. The Hoops had four shots in the first half, with three coming on goal. Houston had four shots in the first half but only one was on goal.
No love was lost between the two rivals as three FC Dallas players were whistled for yellow cards in the first half, as Pablo Richetti (29th minute), Bobby Rhine (35th) and David Wagenfuhr (43rd) all had their names taken by Kennedy.
Dynamo came back to tie the score in the 51st minute. Mullan picked off a poor clearance and found Clark inside the area. He turned and nailed a rising shot from the right side of the box inside the near post past FCD 'keeper Dario Sala.
After Houston tied the score, FC Dallas came close to taking back the lead, but Cooper's shot on goal in the 57th minute was saved by Onstad. The Orange charged back up the field and just missed taking the lead in the 58th minute. Craig Waibel was able to slip past Alex Yi as he dribbled across the top of the area, but his blast was denied by a diving Sala.
Ngwenya continued the Dynamo assault on the FC Dallas goal in the 59th minute. From a corner kick he got to the ball first at the near post, only to see it bounce off the face of the post with a defender helping clear it away from the line.
Dynamo then took their first lead in four games when Ngwenya took a pass in behind the FCD defense from Clark and curled a shot from just outside the area past an on-rushing Sala inside the right-hand post. Substitute Corey Ashe started the play with a quick burst out of his end to midfield before slipping the ball to Clark and being knocked to the ground as he tried to continue his run.
Trailing 2-1, the Hoops nearly tied the score, but Dominic Oduro's breakaway shot from the right side was batted away by Onstad.
Onstad was then sent off after a long back pass from the midfield stripe was picked off by Alvarez, and right on the edge of the area, he was tripped up by the former Canadian international 'keeper as he tried to move to his left. Zach Wells came on to finish out the match, replacing Ngwenya.
Dallas tried to tie the score late, but off a corner kick, Dallas was whistled for a foul in the box to halt any chance at scoring in the 86th minute. In stoppage time, Alvarez sent a shot from outside the box high over the goal, and Houston once again had the upper hand on their in-state rivals.
Jeremy Rakes is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
