Houston Dynamo continued their hot streak Sunday evening at Crew Stadium, defeating the Columbus Crew 2-1. The defending MLS Cup champions have now won three in a row after losing five of their six previous matches while extending the Crew's winless streak to six games.
Recent Dynamo acquisition Joseph Ngwenya continued his scoring streak, notching his third goal in as many games -- this time against the team that traded him away only weeks earlier.
Ngwenya and Crew forward Alejandro Moreno both got their first chances Sunday to face their old teams since the players were traded for each other a month ago, and both would prove to be pivotal players in the match. They traded goals three minutes apart midway through the first half before a Chad Marshall own goal proved to be the game-winner, the third goal in a seven-minute stretch.
Andy Herron was back in the Columbus lineup for the first time since May 26, when he scored two goals in the first half against Toronto FC before leaving the field with an injury. Crew fans were hoping the three-pronged attack of Herron, Moreno and Guillermo Barros Schelotto could continue their combined success. Columbus has enjoyed only a limited amount of game time with those three on the field together, but with two goals in 38 minutes against TFC it was the most productive half the Crew have produced this season.
Sunday's match opened under perfect conditions, but with both teams getting off to somewhat slow starts. Columbus did manage to come close in the eighth minute -- through a very fluky play.
Schelotto sent in a dangerous corner kick that Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad punched out of the box. Crew defender Rusty Pierce hit a high lob that bounced in the middle of the box and almost caught Onstad in no-man's-land, forcing the Houston veteran to backpedal and punch it away just before it dipped under the crossbar.
Midway into the half, Ngwenya made Crew fans wish he was still dressed in the Black & Gold. Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis sent in a corner from the left, and Ngwenya flashed forward to the near post, sending a glancing header looping over Crew 'keeper Andy Gruenebaum and off the inside of the back post into the goal. For Ngwenya, it was his third consecutive game with a goal.
Moreno answered three minutes later on a virtually identical play at the other end. Schelotto sent in a cross from the right, just outside the corner of the area, and Moreno snapped home a header for his first goal of the year.
But it took Dynamo just four minutes to regain the lead, once again opening up the Crew defense. Midfielder Kelly Gray had an open lane down the right flank and sent in a low, hard cross. Crew defenders were crashing the net, desperate to stay in front of the Houston attackers, and Chad Marshall found himself in the wrong place as he tapped the cross inside the left-hand post for an own goal.
The early stages of the second half saw Moreno getting himself involved in the Crew attack in all sorts of ways. Four minutes in, he made a streaking run through the middle of the penalty box and went down in a collision with Onstad, but with no call.
Minutes later Moreno was on the end of a good buildup through midfield but his cross found no one on the back post and rolled harmlessly over the touch line. In the 66th minute Moreno nearly cemented a spot in the Sierra Mist Goal of the Week contest, barley missing a bicycle kick attempt from eight yards out.
With the lead in the second half, Houston coach Dominic Kinnear began to drop some attackers back and emphasize a containing defense. Columbus seemed to enjoy a little more possession but with all 10 defenders pulled back to nearly the edge of the penalty area there was little room to maneuver.
The strategy worked and Houston was able to hold on to the slim margin, sending the crowd on hand at Crew Stadium home with little to cheer about.
Nathan Linton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
