Story and photo Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved
HOUSTON, TEXAS (May 18, 2019) On a humid evening in Houston, where fans hoped the rain moving in from the northwest would be delayed, witnessed the Houston Dynamo score two goals in two minutes to down D.C. United by the score of 2-1 at BBVA Compass Stadium. The United loss was their fourth of the season, with Houston taking a 16-6-5 lifetime record versus D.C. The win was Houston's fifteenth over United in history and the tenth in Houston. Houston improves their season record to 7-2-2 (23 points) and pushes them into third in the Western Conference standings; behind Los Angeles FC (9-1-3, 30 points) and Seattle (7-1-5, 26 points).
The two squads battled to a scoreless draw after 45 minutes, which held into the five minutes of added time. In the 10th minute, fan favorite Alberth Elis left the game after he collided with United player. He was bleeding, and was immediately placed under concussion protocol. The Honduran forward, who was hoping for a score in the game to move to fifth on the club's regular-season goal list, was replaced by Memo Rodriguez.
However, the scoreless game did not last in the second half. In the 46th minute, midfielder Ulises Segura got the ball at the far post; pushing it to a waiting Wayne Rooney at the near post; who tapped the ball into the unprotected left side of the goal for his seventh goal of the season.
The Dynamo were not to be denied, as they scored two goals in the span of two minutes to take a 2-1 lead in the 68th minute. The scoring frenzy began in the 67th minute when Memo Rodriguez came down the right side of the pitch; cutting across the top side of the box, and punching the ball to the left post for his fifth goal of 2019. One minute later, Tommy McNamara kneed the ball pass goalkeeper Bill Hemis for his first gaol in a Dynamo uniform. He entered the game two minutes prior to the score, as a replacement for Romell Quioto.
“It was good three points at home. We really fought today, and it was good team effort defensively. We’re closing out huge now. Sometimes we suffer but we still get the three points and that’s important," stated Rodriguez. He added "It (the team’s performance)was difficult because this was our third game in eight days. We knew that some of us were tired but it’s part of fútbol. You have to be ready at all times. We knew DC United was in first place in their conference. Their a tough team and they play well but we knew that we had to come out with the intensity and bring the game to them.”
The match wrapped up a eight-day, three game series; and was the eighth home game for Houston. In their next ten games, the Dynamo will play seven of them on the road.
Story and photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved
HOUSTON, TEXAS (May 15, 2019) The Houston Dynamo scored late in the first half and and kept the lead for the next 37 minutes, when the Portland Timbers tied the score. The score stayed the same for the remainder of the game. The 1-1 draw at BBVA Compass Stadium pushed Houston's season record to 6-2-2 (20 points) and placed them in fourth place in the Western Conference standings of Major League Soccer.
Mauro Manotas' goal in the 40th minute tied him with Brad Davis (41) for third on the club's regular-season goal list. The goal also increased his total for the season to six, which leads the club this season. The goal was scored with assists by Alberth Elis and Memo Rodríguez. Elis' assist gives him six for the season, which also leads the team. The Timbers' goal came in the 77th minute when Brian Fernández score in the 77th minute, with an assist by Sebastián Blanco.
Houston will have a scant three days to prepare for their next match; a Saturday, May 18 meeting with Wayne Rooney and DC United. The "Black-and-Red" top the Eastern Conference with a 7-3-3 record. Rooney lead DC United with six goals this season, with two of them from penalty kicks. He also leads his team in assists (4), shots (34), and shots on goal (13). Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. CDT. The game theme of the match is "Superhero Night" presented by Greater Houston Honda Dealers.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 25, 2011) The Houston Dynamo twice rallied from a one-goal deficit and used a dramatic 89th-minute goal from captain Brian Ching to pull out a 2-2 road tie against D.C. United on Saturday and take the season series from their Eastern Conference rival. Ching, making just his second start of the season, headed in a cross from Colin Clark as Houston earned its fifth tie in eight road games. Ching had also set up Houston’s first goal by drawing a penalty kick.
The Dynamo are now unbeaten in their last five games (4-0-1) against D.C. United and lead the all-time series 9-3-2. Houston won the season series with a 1-0-1 record thanks to a 4-1 win over D.C. on April 29.
D.C. United took the lead in the 31st minute, when Josh Wolff teed up Chris Pontius for a shot from outside the penalty area, and Pontius drove a right-footed shot inside the left post for his fifth goal of the season.
The Dynamo tied the game shortly before halftime when Je-Vaughn Watson set up Brian Ching in the penalty area, and Ching was tripped up by D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid. Brad Davis stepped up to the resulting penalty kick and drove it into the lower right corner for his second goal of the season, both from the spot.
The teams traded chances late in the first half, with Houston rookie Kofi Sarkodie clearing a shot off the goal line, before the Dynamo took over early in the second half. D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid had to make four saves in the first 25 minutes of the second half, including tipping a Danny Cruz shot against the crossbar. Cruz also came close to giving Houston the lead when he hit the outside of the post from a Colin Clark cross in the 64th minute.
Against the run of play, D.C. United took the lead in the 73rd minute. Midfielder Andy Najar dribbled the end line into the six-yard box, and when the Dynamo knocked the ball away from him, it deflected right to D.C. forward Charlie Davies, who snapped the ball into the empty net for his eighth goal of the season, tied for the league lead.
Having used substitutions on injury (Brad Davis) and illness (Corey Ashe), the Dynamo went to three forwards over the final 12 minutes with the introduction of Cam Weaver, and the team’s pressure finally paid off in the 89th minute. Brian Ching held the ball up in his own half of the field and fed it to Geoff Cameron streaking through the midfield. Cameron raced into the attacking half and passed to Colin Clark on the left, and Clark chipped a cross to the penalty spot, where Ching arrived to head it into the net with the help of a deflection to tie the game.
The tying goal was the third time this season the Dynamo have tied the game in the final 15 minutes (April 23 at Chicago, May 28 vs. FC Dallas) and, combined with the goal late in the first half, gives Houston a league-high 13 goals in the final 15 minutes of either the first or second half.
Forward Brian Ching made just his second start of the season due to injury and his first since the Dynamo’s April 2 match against the New York Red Bulls. His 90 minutes were a season high, and he factored in both Houston goals.
The Dynamo made five changes from last week’s lineup, including the third MLS appearances of the season for defenders Kofi Sarkodie and Jermaine Taylor and the fourth start of the year for midfielder Je-Vaughn Watson. Taylor and Watson played their first games after returning from national team duty with Jamaica.
For their Dynamo careers in all competitions, several players made milestone appearances, including: midfielder Brad Davis (180th appearance), defender Corey Ashe (150th appearance), midfielder Geoff Cameron (110th appearance), defender Andre Hainault (75th appearance), and forward Cam Weaver (50th appearance).
The Dynamo played without forward Calen Carr (concussion); midfielder Lovel Palmer (red card); and defender Eddie Robinson (MCL sprain).
By Chris Price
Copyright 2008 TexSport Publications
WASHINGTON DC (June 20, 2008) The Houton Dynamo scored three goals by Ricardo Clark, Bobby Boswsell and Stuart Holden to down DC United, 3-1, in the nest-to-last Group A pool games at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC.
Francis Doe scored the lone goal for United in the 76th minute off a Marc Burch assist.
Houston won the grouping in a tie-breaker between themselves Atlante and Chivas, all of whom had 2-1-0 records and six points in the standings. United ended pool play 0-3-0.
Atlante defeated Guadalajara, 2-0, Saturday in the other Group A game at Buck Shaw Stadium at the University of Santa Clara in Santa Clara, CA.
Sunday is the final day of group play with Group B leader, the New England Revolution facing Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA, and defending tournament champion Pachuca meeting winless Santos Laguna at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX.
HOUSTON, TEXAS (June 21, 2008) The Houston Dynamo and D.C. United announced today that their postponed game from June 4 will be rescheduled for Tuesday, July 22, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., at 6:30 p.m. CT.
The match will be the second in four days between the teams after they meet in SuperLiga action on July 19. Tickets for the June 4 game will be honored on July 22.
The Houston Dynamo, two-time defending MLS Cup champions, play a road match in Colorado on Saturday, June 21, before returning home to host rival FC Dallas on Thursday, June 26, at Robertson Stadium.
By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2008 TexSport Publications
HOUSTON, TEXAS (June 13, 2008) The teams and sites for the 2008 edition of SuperLiga was recently announced. The SuperLiga is a North American soccer competition between teams from Mexico's Primera División and the Major League Soccer.
SuperLiga will decide the best in the region and will also award $1,000,000 to the winner; the heftiest winner’s purse in North American soccer history.
The second edition of the cross-border showdown is set for July 12 to August 5.
The Houston Dynamo, DC United, New England Revolution and Chivas USA will represent MLS while Chivas Guadalajara, Atlante, Pachuca and Santos will represent Mexico.
The groups, schedules, and venues are as follows:
Group A
Houston Dynamo
D.C. United
Guadalajara
Atlante
Group B
Chivas USA
New England
Pachuca
Santos
July 12: DC United - Guadalajara @ RFK Stadium in Washington DC, 8pm
July 12: Houston - Atlante @ Robertson Stadium in Houston, TX, 10pm
July 13: New England - Santos @ Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, 8pm
July 13: Chivas USA - Pachuca @ Home Depot Center in Carson, CA, 10pm
July 15: DC United- Atlante @ RFK Stadium, 8pm
July 15: Houston - Guadalajara @ Robertson Stadium, 10pm
July 16: New England - Pachuca @ Gillette Stadium, 8pm
July 16: Chivas USA - Santos @ Home Depot Center, 10pm
July 19: DC United- Houston @ RFK Stadium, 8pm
July 19: Atlante - Guadalajara, Location to be determined, 10pm
July 20: Chivas USA - New England @ Los Angeles, 8pm
July 20: Santos - Pachuca, Location to be determined, 10pm
July 29: Semi-final 1, Time and location to be determined
July 30: Semi-final 2, Time and location to be determined
Aug 5: Final, Time and location to be determined
All times are Eastern Time Zone.
