The Houston Dynamo jumped on the Montreal Impact early and never let up to claim a 3-1 win on a hot, muggy Wednesday night in south Texas.
Andrew Wenger headed in a Mauro Manotas cross from the top of the six just 52 seconds into the game, and Alex doubled the lead after a long spell of possession twenty minutes later. Homegrown and former Dynamo academy forward Memo Rodriguez made it 3-0 with his first league goal - a driven shot from outside the box - six minutes after entering the match.
Montreal's Michael Salazar ended the shutout late with a first-time finish at the back post on a cross from Laurent Ciman.
Goals
- 1' – HOU – Andrew Wenger WATCH
- 23' – HOU – Alex WATCH
- 67' – HOU – Memo Rodriguez WATCH
- 89' – MTL – Michael Salazar WATCH
Three Things
- EARLY GOAL: Andrew Wenger's first-minute goal set the tone for the game, which the home side seemingly better suited to deal with the oppressive heat. It was the third fastest Dynamo goal ever and his first of the year, but more importantly, it answered a question the Dynamo had coming into the match: who would step in to help the offense with the absence of Romell Quioto, Alberth Elis and Boniek Garcia who are with Honduras for the Gold Cup.
- HOMEGROWN STEPS UP, TOO: Memo Rodriguez has also been awaiting his chance. In late 2014 he became the sixth academy product to sign with the first team, but he didn't make his debut until a month ago. And he's making the most of his time, having scored a game-winning Open Cup goal and then on Wednesday notching his first league goal on his fourth league appearance.
- MONTREAL HURTING: Whether it was the heat or Houston's comfort, Montreal had a difficult time keeping the Dynamo at bay early on. And if not for goalkeeper Evan Bush - who made eight saves - and some missed opportunities by Houston, the score could have been much worse (Houston ended with 19 shots).
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