Houston Dynamo fell to defeat for the second consecutive week after opening the season in stunning fashion, falling 2-0 to D.C. United on Saturday evening at RFK Stadium.
Goals from midfielders Josh Gros and Christian Gomez gave United the victory and kept the home side unbeaten on the season, while Dynamo lost for the second week running after a 5-2 win against the Colorado Rapids in the club's first-ever match.
Without 2005 league MVP finalist Dwayne De Rosario in the lineup after a late red card in last week's agonizing last-gasp defeat at the hands of the Kansas City Wizards, Houston failed to convert a number of open chances throughout the game and indeed had many of the best opportunities in the opening stanza.
Ricardo Clark had Dynamo's first attempt at goal with an open look at the United net in the 12th minute, but his volley from the top of the penalty box sailed wide right.
Canadian international Adrian Serioux could have done better with a clear header on goal from a Brad Davis inswinging corner in the 14th minute, but nodded it just left of the goal.
Dynamo almost got on the board again when D.C. defender Brandon Prideaux gave the ball away in the 19th minute in his own end, sending an errant pass directly to Dynamo forward Alejandro Moreno, who slotted the ball through the seams of the defense to an onrushing Brian Mullan on the left side. But United goalkeeper Troy Perkins was able to stymie Mullan before he could get off a shot.
In the 24th minute, United complaints turned into jubilation. Referee Abbey Okulaja failed to allow advantage when Gros was fouled near the edge of the box on the left side, even though Gros managed to serve a cross directly to the feet of Moreno, who was dangerously in the middle of the box. But Okulaja blew the whistle, giving United a free kick, much to the astonishment of United players.
However, it turned out to be a fortuitous whistle. On the ensuing free kick, Gomez's dangerous cross was met by a point blank header at the net by forward Jamie Moreno, which Onstad did well to parry away. But Gros was there to bury the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 United lead.
Dynamo thought they had equalized in the 32nd minute -- a Brian Carroll yellow card 35 yards from goal left Dynamo in a dangerous position. A low free kick from United striker Jaime Moreno found Brian Ching 10 yards out from goal, who latched onto the pass, turned, and calmly slid the ball past Perkins. However, the referee's assistant had his flag up for offside -- one of three times the U.S. international was flagged in a trying opening period.
Moreno, on 96 career goals for his MLS career, nearly added to that total before the half was out. First, in the 40th minute, he barely missed wide right with a looping header off a Gomez corner kick. Then Dynamo defender Craig Waibel made a critical sliding tackle 40 yards out from goal in the 43rd minute to prevent Moreno from a clear path with only the 'keeper to beat.
After a series of hard tackles throughout the opening half, Serioux was booked for a two-footed challenge at midfield on United midfielder Ben Olsen in the 51st minute. The ensuing free kick by Freddy Adu found United forward Lucio Filomeno at the top of the box, whose flick-on to the back post was just out of reach defender Bobby Boswell.
United nearly doubled its lead in the 68th minute when Gomez played a cheeky chip behind the Dynamo defense into the penalty box for a streaking Adu, who collected the ball and hit a low slider across the face of the goal, just barely missing wide right.
Then in the 69th minute Adu, in his first start of the season, served as the catalyst for the second United goal when he was taken down by Dynamo defender Ryan Cochrane on a penetrating run through the heart of the defense. Gomez's free kick attempt from 25 yards out deflected off the Dynamo wall, leaving Onstad no chance as he went the wrong way and watched the ball sail into the back of the net.
As the Dynamo pressed forward looking for a retaliatory strike, they were nearly caught off guard in the back as Adu almost increased the lead twice. Displaying the talent that made him the youngest-ever MLS player, the 16-year-old weaved through a number of defenders, only to have his crafty, left-footed curling cross just barely bend over the top of the bar past a diving Onstad.
Seconds later, United forward Alecko Eskandarian, after a searching run through the box, laid the ball off to Adu who, with a deft touch, beat a defender and rifled a shot off the top of the crossbar.
In the final few minutes of play, Houston almost got on the scoresheet with two point-blank headers from Ronald Cerritos on crosses from Davis. Both attempts, however, failed to beat D.C.'s Perkins, and Dynamo were doomed to a second loss in a row.
Jordan Brown is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
