The bad weather wanted to have its way, but the skies eventually cleared, Houston Dynamo shook off the elements and took an emotional 3-1 victory against Chivas USA on Saturday afternoon at Robertson Stadium.
Ante Razov gave Chivas an early lead, but Brian Ching pulled Dynamo level before the break. Brian Mullan and Alejandro Moreno then finished off the victory with second-half goals to extend the Dynamo unbeaten streak to eight games, while ending the Chivas unbeaten run at six games.
The game was entertaining from the start and the home side returned to their aggressive and powerful stance in attack. The visitors came out with desires of their own, looking to make their place in the Western Conference hierarchy, but encountered a Dynamo side determined to maintain their place.
Dynamo began the game trying to get off on a good start, coming off a draw with the Columbus Crew at home that they saw as two points lost. But their anxiousness led to some imprecise play in the opening minutes.
Chivas took advantage in the eighth minute. Razov carried the ball for several yards while the Dynamo defense didn't close him down, and as he approached the top of the area hit a low, angled shot that skimmed on the wet grass and beat Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad inside his left-hand post.
The early goal complicated things for the home team, and Chivas continued to create clear chances at goal. Two minutes after the goal Juan Pablo Garcia was sent clear through, only for Onstad to make a great save diving to his left.
But Dynamo finally reacted to their situation, and in the 20th minute the individuality of midfielder Ricardo Clark helped pulled them level. Once again with one of his runs from midfield, he latched onto the ball on the right and rolled in a precise cross to Ching at the back post, who settled with his right foot and powered the ball high into the goal with his left for the equalizer.
The tie score was a proper result at that point, as Dynamo had started to gain the upper hand on the field, moving the ball side to side and creating quality opportunities. Ching twice put headers just wide -- from either side of the goal -- and also saw a looping header just go over the bar.
Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made an important change in the second half, bringing on Brad Davis on the left in place of Kevin Goldthwaite that gave the team better consistency in the midfield and stronger attacks down the flanks. Shortly after coming on Davis cut inside and hit a powerful shot that Burpo pushed over the bar.
In the 64th minute, Houston's second goal came. Twice earlier Preston Burpo had come off his line to clear balls played through behind the Chivas defense, but on the third time he failed. Moreno launched a long pass into the Chivas penalty area and Burpo slid out to try and grab it, but it slipped out of his hands and Mullan took it and touched it into the unguarded goal.
With the goal, the spirits of the home fans were greatly lifted, and even though Ching missed on another chance to add to the Dynamo lead, they continued to go forward in search of more goals.
And the third came in the 84th minute. Eddie Robinson knocked the ball away from Francisco Palencia from behind, and Moreno ran onto the loose ball, broke into the area and fired a low left-footed shot inside Burpo's near post from the left side of the area to make the score 3-1.
It was a victory that again calmed Dynamo, and denied Chivas an opportunity to reach second place in the Western Conference, while also bringing Houston that much closer to FC Dallas atop the division.
Carlos Mojica is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
