The New England Revolution extended their unbeaten streak to six games with a 2-0 win against the Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium on Thursday night.
Steve Ralston and Kheli Dube scored first-half goals and Matt Reis saved a second-half penalty kick to give the Revolution their second shutout victory of the season against the Dynamo, after falling in last year's MLS Cup Final.
The win increases the first-place Revolution's lead over the rest of the Eastern Conference, putting them seven points ahead of the second-place Chicago Fire. It also continues New England's dominance over the Dynamo all-time in the regular season, improving the Revs' record to 3-0-3 against Houston in regular-season play.
Both teams entered the match missing key players due to national duty in World Cup qualifying. New England was without midfielders Kenny Mansally (Gambia), Khano Smith (Bermuda) and Shalrie Joseph (Grenada). Houston was missing forward Brian Ching (USA), as well as goalkeeper Pat Onstad and midfielder Dwayne De Rosario (Canada).
The Dynamo opened the match in an unfamiliar 4-5-1 formation to account for the absences, while the Revolution went with a 4-4-2 system. For Houston, that meant Brian Mullan started as a center forward with Corey Ashe and Geoff Cameron on the wings, and Stuart Holden guiding the attack in the center of midfield.
New England struck early, getting a goal from Ralston in the eighth minute. Dube slipped around defender Patrick Ianni to latch onto a throw-in, and he got to the endline on the left before sending a low centering pass to the far post. Houston goalkeeper Tony Caig dove to stop the cross but couldn't quite reach it, leaving Ralston with an easy tap-in at the back post.
Ralston's score was the first goal given up within the first 15 minutes of any match this season by the usually stingy Dynamo defense.
The Revolution had a hairy moment in the 26th minute, when midfielder Jeff Larentowicz's attempted clearance deflected off of a teammate to Houston midfielder Corey Ashe. Ashe quickly put the ball back across the goal with the New England back line in disarray and goalkeeper Matt Reis out of position, but Cameron's sliding shot slid just outside the left post with the open goal gaping.
Dube doubled the New England lead in the 35th minute. Midfielder Mauricio Castro sent a corner kick across the box to Dube, who was waiting outside the six-yard box for the volley. Dube's shot bounced up off the turf and hit Caig in the chest before deflecting into the side of the net.
Houston went on the attack after Dube's goal, firing off three shots between the 40th and 42nd minute, but good discipline by the New England back line and a timely save by Reis on Mullan kept the home team scoreless at the half.
Reis also saved an almost certain goal by leaping to deflect a long cross away from the head of Dynamo defender Craig Waibel in stoppage time. The Dynamo still have never scored a goal in the first half against New England in any of their all-time meetings.
New England spent much of the second half on the defensive, as Houston pressed the attack in an attempt to make up the deficit. Houston outshot the Revolution 15-7 on the match, but New England's attack was much more potent: the Revolution put six shots on goal compared to Dynamo's five.
In the 80th minute, Revolution defender Michael Parkhurst was whistled for a foul just inside the penalty area on Houston forward Franco Caraccio. Caraccio appeared to knock Parkhurst down, and Parkhurst then locked his legs around Caraccio's, bringing the substitute attacker to the ground.
Dynamo midfielder Stuart Holden took the ensuing penalty kick. Holden stutter-stepped and then sent a thigh-level attempt to Reis' right, but the 'keeper anticipated the kick and preserved his clean sheet with a diving save.
New England will return to Gillette Stadium to face the New York Red Bulls on Wed., June 18 (7:30 p.m. ET). Houston Dynamo will travel to Dick's Sporting Goods Park to face the Colorado Rapids on Sat., June 21 (9:30 p.m. ET).
Lucas Ogden-Davis is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
