one from center back Eddie Robinson in the 23rd minute and one from Brian Ching after eight minutes -- both sailed over the bar.
Garlick was called into action on a couple of occasions in short order before the half was out. De Rosario led a quick break, finding Alejandro Moreno racing forward, but he was able only to clip his first-time effort straight into Garlick's arms.
Then Ching forced a tremendous save out of the RSL 'keeper. Brian Mullan worked his way down the right flank before floating in a teasing cross to the back post where Ching powerfully headed down, only for Garlick to dive to his right and push out the shot.
After the break, a dreadful giveaway led the visitors' goal. A throw-in from the left touchline near midfield was aimed for Robinson, but it somehow eluded him. Cunningham quickly pounced and collected the ball before racing forward into the Dynamo area. He hit an angled shot that bounded off the inside of the far post and into the net.
But after earlier showing their aerial danger on set pieces, Dynamo used one to equalize just three minutes later. Davis whipped in a corner from the right, and Waibel shook off second-half substitute Atiba Harris to rise up unmarked at the top of the six and power home a header.
As the second half went on, Real were getting forward more into the Dynamo half, and in the 70th minute won a free kick that nearly led to a second goal. Some 35 yards straight out from goal, Kreis drilled a drive that sailed around the wall and beat Onstad's desperate dive to his left. But the ball hit the inside of the post, bounded across the goal line and hit the other post, remarkably staying out of the net before De Rosario hooked away the clearance.
Then five minutes from time Dynamo hit for the match winner. Robinson banged the ball forward from the midfield stripe, finding Ching, who leapt up and chested the ball down as De Rosario came racing forward. The Canadian international took the ball in full stride, split the RSL defense and came in alone on Garlick, slotting the ball under the 'keeper inside the left-hand post from inside the area.
Real still had one last gasp at an effort to gain a draw for the second successive week. From a free kick, the ball squirted out of a scramble in a packed penalty area, falling to Chris Klein to the right of the Houston goal. But Onstad got over well to block Klein's angled drive with his legs and seal the victory for Dynamo.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
