only for it to squarely hit the right-hand post. Later, Greg Vanney stepped up to a another free kick from nearly the same position, and he took the approach of driving it low through the barrier. It sailed through - but Moreno was perfectly positioned on the line to clear it and preserve the victory.
Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made one change to the team that lost 1-0 to the Los Angeles Galaxy the Wednesday before at home. Dwayne De Rosario returned from suspension, coming back into the team in place of Stuart Holden.
Here's Kinnear's team (4-3-1-2): Pat Onstad - Craig Waibel, Ryan Cochrane, Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett - Brian Mullan, Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis (Stuart Holden 89) - Dwayne De Rosario - Brian Ching (Adrian Serioux 84), Alejandro Moreno. [Substitutes Not Used: Ronald Cerritos, Kevin Goldthwaite, Kelly Gray, Zach Wells, Chris Wondolowski]
"Sometimes, as we've talked about quietly in this locker room, you need a little bit of luck on your side to get three points," said Kinnear. "I think we played well - we didn't have the luck but the effort we had from the guys for 90 minutes tonight was excellent."
TEAM NEWS
The victory ended a four-game winless streak for Dynamo. "It's important. This could be the game we look back on and say, 'That was the turning point of getting over that unlucky streak when we were outplaying teams and losing,'" said Waibel. "This gives us a good building block to go off of and get some wins."
Even with the victory, Kinnear said his team dodged a bullet. Dynamo were snake-bitten in front of goal against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Aug. 9 when they lost 1-0 in a match they dominated. This time they still dominated but came away with a goal and the win.
"I think we weren't as smart with the ball; I think our movement off the ball was lacking. That comes from fatigue," Kinnear said. "The times we did have it we made mistakes. Our defending was a touch impatient. We let them kind of camp out in our half a little bit. We've defended great all year. This is only our third shutout, which is not indicative of how we've defended."
However, the club received a big blow after the game when it was discovered Brian Ching had suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee. He underwent surgery on Wednesday and will miss up to four weeks.
The Galaxy will also be without All-Star defender Eddie Robinson for the Galaxy match. "Adrian [Serioux] is a logical choice for stepping in for Eddie [Robinson]. Adrian was playing great at the beginning of the season, but he's been hit with a little bit of an injury," Kinnear said. "When somebody gets pulled out because of injury or suspension it opens up an opportunity, so the logical explanation would be Adrian. We'll see how training goes this week."
With two victories and a draw in the first three league meetings between the Texas rivals, Dynamo secured "El Capitan" for the first year of offering, the 18th-century Mountain Howitzer cannon.
"Well I want to win everything. We're still in the Open Cup. I think we've claimed our first piece of artillery with 'El Capitan'," said Kinnear. "We don't play for cannons. We play for trophies but if that's a trophy we'll take it gladly. This is a step for the playoffs. My hope is to have many people come out and watch us play, for us to make the playoffs, and to win the Open Cup, stay healthy, and win the MLS Cup."
The victory against FC Dallas was the last home league match for more than a month, until Sept. 17 when Chivas USA visit Robertson Stadium. In between will be five away contests.
"I think we're one of the few teams in this league that whether we're home or on the road we come out with the same game plan," said Alejandro Moreno. "We try to pressure teams, we try to create opportunities to score goals, and we try to take advantage of those opportunities."
Still, there will be at least one home match in between - another meeting between the in-state rivals as FC Dallas come calling in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on Aug. 23.
"Open Cup setting is a little different. It's one game and you're done so you have to find a way to get through to the next round. It's one of those games where you have to take advantage of your opportunities so you can go to the next round," said Moreno. Added Waibel: "It's hot, it's heated. It gets a lot more serious when both teams are good, and that's what it's come down to. It's great for the Western Conference that the two teams in Texas are both vying for the top spot as of this point in the season. It's in the players' eyes. There's a lot being said out there that people can't hear."
