HOUSTON – While Saturday’s 1-0 win over D.C. United in the inaugural game at BBVA Compass Stadium was picturesque, one thing kept it from being perfect for the Houston Dynamo: Brian Ching was left goalless.
“It’s been a great day and if Chingy could’ve got one at the end it would’ve been icing on the cake,” Brad Davis (above) told the media after his left-footed strike gave Houston the historic win. “I don’t think we were hunting for him but we were all hoping he’d get on the end of one."
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Although he did not score, it was not for a lack of trying. The 33-year-old captain repeatedly put himself in great positions in front of goal and his teammates did their part by finding him with good services. The ball just never bounced his way.
Ching helped ingratiate the Dynamo into the hearts and minds of Houston sports fans with his four goal performance to open the club’s history at Robertson Stadium in a 5-2 win over the Colorado Rapids in 2006. Saturday, Ching admitted that he was anxious to recreate some of that magic.
“His old age is catching up to him,” Geoff Cameron joked to the media after the match. “He always finds himself in great positions but unfortunately tonight he wasn’t able to put the ball in the back of the net. He’ll get into his groove and he’ll start finding the goal.”
Heat an ally
Coming down the tunnel from the locker room every player is greeted by a sign with the message: “Our heat, our heart, our home.” Even though the temperature was in the low 80s, the heat came through to help the home team secure the victory as D.C. looked a bit weary coming down the stretch.
“I hope we don’t have too many of those [games in the heat],” defender Bobby Boswell quipped after the match. “I think it helped in the end with them dying a little but it was a great day.”
Back in the win column
Despite the festive atmosphere, Houston were all business. The win ended a 5-game, and 8-week, winless streak.
“I wish I could’ve experienced it a little more but we needed to win so we were focusing on three points,” goalkeeper Tally Hall said. “Thankfully we got it.”
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com. Follow him on twitter at @DarrellLovell.
