Oduro powers Dynamo past UCF

The Houston Dynamo used a second-half hat trick from Dominic Oduro to earn a 4-1 scrimmage win over the University of Central Florida Tuesday afternoon at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. The Dynamo will next compete in the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic this weekend, their first competition against MLS teams this preseason. Houston will face the New York Red Bulls on Thursday at 5 p.m. CT, with Toronto FC and FC Dallas playing in the other semifinal. The losers will play at 5 p.m. on Saturday, and the winners will play at 7:30 p.m. Fans can hear both Dynamo games via an internet-only radio broadcast on HoustonDynamo.com.

In Tuesday's scrimmage, the Dynamo started four new trialists in their first day with the team: Navion Boyd (Jamaica), Jonathan De León (Mexico), Lovel Palmer (Jamaica), and Shaun Saiko (Canada). Boyd scored the opening goal in the 28th minute after De León laid back a cross from Danny Cruz. UCF tied the game in the 36th minute, as Kevin George scored from an Eduardo Jimenez free kick.

In the second half, the Dynamo continued in a 3-5-2 formation but changed lineups, and Dominic Oduro netted three goals in a 14-minute span to earn Houston the win. Brian Mullan set up the first goal with a cross, although he later missed a penalty kick, and Oduro also scored on a breakaway and from a deflected Corey Ashe cross. Oduro now has seven goals in his last three preseason appearances. Goalkeepers Tally Hall and Tyler Deric split the action for Houston.

Houston Dynamo