The Houston Dynamo reserves suffered a 4-1 defeat to the Kansas City Wizards reserves Sunday at Robertson Stadium.
Chris Wondolowski scored the only Dynamo goal of the match to regain the MLS reserve division scoring lead, with five goals in eight reserve appearances. Wondolowski's goal came in the 54th minute to cut a Kansas City lead to 2-1.
The Wizards (4-4-1, fourth place, 13 points) scored twice in the first half. Ryan Pore opened the Kansas City scoring with a perfectly placed free kick in the 31st minute from 25 yards that beat Dynamo goalkeeper Zach Wells to the right corner. Aaron Holbein made it 2-0 Wizards in the 44th minute after Pore deflected a Will John corner kick and flicked it to Holbein, whose header beat Wells directly in front of the Dynamo goal.
Wondolowski's goal, after a 20-yard John Michael Hayden strike deflected off Kansas City goalkeeper Boris Pardo, cut the Wizards lead in half. Wondolowski was directly in front of Pardo and had the entire left side of an open net to punch in what turned into the only Dynamo tally of the morning. Wondolowski was later ejected from the game after receiving two yellow cards. Wondolowski's first caution was in the 68th minute. The second, for arguing, was in the 77th minute, and the Dynamo played one man down the rest of the game.
Kansas City regained a two-goal advantage in the 63rd minute when Lance Watson collected a deflected ball just inside the penalty area and found the right corner of the net for a 3-1 lead. Yura Mousisyan finished the scoring in the 86th minute with a strong left boot from 23 yards out beat Wells to the left post. Both goals for Mousisyan and Pore were their fourth in reserve play this season.
The loss puts the Dynamo reserve record at 2-4-2, with eight points and in ninth place in the MLS reserve division standings. The Dynamo is winless in the last four reserve matches, with the last victory May 27 at D.C. United. The next reserve game for the Dynamo is Sunday, September 9, against Real Salt Lake, in a game that closes out the current four-game homestand for Houston. That reserve game will be played at Robertson Stadium at 10:00 a.m.
Kansas City's next reserve match is Sunday, September 16, at home against Columbus.
Kansas City Wizards: Eric Kronberg (Boris Pardo 46'), Jose Burciaga Jr.(Michael Kraus 55'), Tyson Wahl, Aaron Hohlbein (Willy Guadarrama 64'), Ryan Raybould Edson Elcock 74'), Will John, Carlos Marinelli (Amir Lowery 46'), Lance Watson, Eloy Colombano (Allan Nekuda 83'), Yura Movsisyan, Ryan Pore
Houston Dynamo: Zach Wells, Mpho Moloi, Eric Ebert (Jake Sagare 72'), Stephen Wondolowski, Mike Chabala, Nick Hatzke, Erik Ustruck, John Michael Hayden, Chris Wondolowski, Nate Jaqua, Kenneth Hoerner (Dave Frank 46')
Scoring Summary:
HOUSTON: Wondolowski, 54' (unassisted)
KANSAS CITY: Pore, 31' (unassisted), Holbein, 44' (John, Pore), Watson, 63' (unassisted), Movsisyan, 86' (unassisted)
Disciplinary:
CAUTIONS
HOUSTON: Wondolowski (68', 77'), Chabala (87')
EJECTIONS
HOUSTON: Wondolowski (two yellow cards)
KANSAS CITY: Lowery (88')
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82
Attendance: 132
