Andy Welsh's first career MLS goal provided the rainbow on a wet night at BMO Field as Toronto FC notched a 1-0 win Wednesday against defending MLS Cup champion Houston Dynamo.
After a quiet start to the game, the TFC offense broke through in the 26th minute. Ronnie O'Brien curled a direct free kick into the Houston goal area, where it was headed in by Welsh. It was the first goal in MLS for the 23-year-old and the second point after his assist in TFC's 3-1 win against Chicago last Saturday.
The goal seemed to stimulate the Houston offense, who held the ball in Toronto's end for the majority of the rest of the half. While they won the possession battle, Dynamo were frustrated by the Toronto defenders and could only manage one shot on goal.
Brian Mullan's pass to midfielder Brad Davis in the 37th minute resulted in a quick shot that required a heads-up save by TFC goalkeeper Greg Sutton.
It was a hard-luck half in particular for Davis. His free kick in the 11th minute sailed toward the left-hand corner of the net before Sutton swatted it away. About a minute later, a Davis corner kick made its way through the scrum of players and bounced off of Houston defender Eddie Robinson. The ball rolled behind Sutton, who was playing close to the goal area line, but O'Brien was there in the goalmouth to kick the ball away.
Welsh nearly connected again later in the half. He made a nifty move to steal the ball from Dynamo defender Ryan Cochrane, but Welsh's centering pass was cut off by two Houston defenders in the goal mouth.
The rainy weather and 45-degree temperatures didn't create a particularly pleasant atmosphere for soccer, and the conditions nearly led to a goal after the break. A Toronto defender slipped on the wet turf in the 52nd minute and allowed Houston forward Joseph Ngwenya to go in alone from the right side against Sutton. Ngwenya ripped a hard, low shot that rolled just a few inches wide of the right post.
Dynamo midfielder Dwayne De Rosario had an opportunity in the 79th minute. Despite being covered by three TFC players, De Rosario managed a hard drive that sailed a few feet over the net. De Rosario, a native of the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, was playing in his first MLS game in his hometown.
Toronto nearly put the game away with nine minutes left. Edson Buddle got a breakaway and carried the ball nearly all the way up to the goal area before shooting. But the Toronto forward was in too close and fired his shot off Onstad's chest and over the net.
Still pushing in a one-goal game, Houston poured on the effort in the game's final few minutes, but couldn't manage to get the tying score. The TFC defense took no chances, kicking the ball out of their end at every opportunity.
After being outscored 10-0 in their first four matches (all losses), Toronto FC are suddenly on a roll. The win against Dynamo is the club's second in a row, with both victories occurring at BMO Field, where home-field advantage and the rowdy Toronto fans have clearly played a part in the club's resurgence. Despite the poor weather, another sellout crowd filled BMO Field and made as much noise as the fans in TFC's previous (more temperate) home matches.
Neither side has very long to dwell on the match's outcome. Dynamo head back to Houston on Saturday to play host to the New England Revolution in a rematch of last year's MLS Cup Final; New England currently leads MLS with 14 points. Toronto FC are also at home on Saturday for the club's first-ever meeting with D.C. United.
Mark Polishuk is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
