With first place in the Western Conference on the line, Houston Dynamo scored just before the half and rode great defense to hold on from there and regain the divisional lead with a 1-0 win against FC Dallas on Sunday evening at Robertson Stadium.
Brian Ching's goal in the 42nd minute was the difference as the Orange ended a two-game losing streak in MLS play, while also handing the Hoops their first loss in seven league games.
FC Dallas, who still have never won in Houston in five matches all-time, nearly took the lead in just the second minute when Houston native Arturo Alvarez had a breakaway down the left side. But his shot was stopped by a diving Pat Onstad.
The Hoops continued on the offensive as Dax McCarty sent a good shot goalward in the fifth minute that looked to be going wide, though Onstad corralled it. Alvarez followed that with a shot from the left that Dynamo midfielder Richard Mulrooney blocked and cleared.
FC Dallas goalkeeper Ray Burse was making just his third career start in goal, and he just saved a good opportunity for Dynamo in the 12th minute. First, he misplayed a bouncing ball in the box and it went over his head, but he knocked it out of bounds before Houston striker Joseph Ngwenya could kick into the goal.
Dynamo again came close in the 18th minute, but Eddie Robinson's header from the center of the area sailed well over the goal.
The game settled into a midfield duel with no chances at either end until the 33rd minute when Onstad dove to his left to stop a shot from FCD's Ricardinho, the Brazilian making his first MLS start in the game. From the ensuing corner kick, Carlos Ruiz tried a header in the middle of the goal area, but Onstad was right there to catch it.
The Orange settled in a good period of threatening the FCD goal. First, in the 38th minute, Ching was denied with a fine save by Burse. On a 3-on-2 break, DeRosario passed it off to Ching on his left. Ching took a shot from the left side of the box, but Burse came off his line and deflected the ball out of bounds to the left.
Off the ensuing corner kick, Jaqua saw his shot deflected to the right. From Houston's next corner, Patrick Ianni's shot from the top of the box sailed high.
In the 41st minute, Houston had a goal ruled out because of offside. Jaqua had faked out Burse and got around him for an easy goal, but it was called back after referee's assistant Steven Taylor flagged Jaqua offside.
But Dynamo made the pressure pay off with the goal in the 42nd minute. Brian Mullan went around the right side of the area and crossed it to Ching, who hit a diving header from the left side of the six-yard box that went past Burse to give the Orange a 1-0 lead.
In the 54th minute, Ruiz nearly tied the score again from a corner kick. Again he got free for a header in the left side of the box, but Onstad was right there and caught it to deny the Hoops' scoring chance.
Two minutes later Ngwenya was forced off with an ankle injury. His substitute, Chris Wondolowski, nearly paid immediate dividends, as from a corner kick he hit a diving header from the left side of the box just outside the near post.
Hometown boy Alvarez again nearly brought the Hoops level in the 59th minute. In all alone, he rounded Onstad, who had come off his line, but his touch was too heavy and he lost the ball over the endline wide of the goal.
Burse saved the Hoops again on a number of occasions in succession. DeRosario received a pass from Ching and took a shot from the left side of the area toward the upper corner, but Burse came off his line and made a diving save to his left.
After faking a Dallas defender, Ricardo Clark let fly with a bullet in the 72nd minute that was stopped by Burse. DeRosario picked up the clearance above the restraining arc and let one go that went high. Four minutes later, Corey Ashe let one go from the left side of the area that Burse went high to knock over the goal.
There was a bit of controversy in the 77th minute when FCD striker Dominic Oduro appeared to be behind the last defender, only to get tripped up before he could race in alone on goal. Oduro appealed for a penalty kick, but only received a yellow card from referee Tim Weyland for his remonstrations.
FC Dallas had two final chances at the equalizer. In the 90th minute, Oduro got off a weak shot that dribbled right to Onstad. Then in stoppage time, Clarence Goodson missed tying the game as his shot from the right side of the area went wide right.
That sealed the victory on the night for Dynamo, and with it, it guaranteed "El Capitan" -- the 19th-century cannon awarded to the winner of the season series -- would remain in Houston for one more year.
Jeremy Rakes is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
