The Houston Dynamo snapped a four-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over D.C. United Saturday night at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. With the win, Houston moved ahead of Chivas USA into seventh place in the Western Conference and avoided elimination from the MLS Cup playoff race.
After allowing three goals in the second half on Wednesday, the Dynamo rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit with three second-half goals of their own on Saturday to earn the win. And after facing seven minutes of stoppage time on Wednesday, the Dynamo had to endure almost 11 minutes of stoppage time on Saturday after goalkeeper Pat Onstad collided with defender Andrew Hainault early in stoppage time. Onstad recovered to remain in the game, finishing with four saves, and forward Dominic Oduro iced the game with a breakaway goal.
Both coaches – Dominic Kinnear of the Dynamo and Ben Olsen from D.C. United – were ejected in the 89th minute in a match that included six yellow cards.
The Dynamo return to action next Saturday, facing the Philadelphia Union on the road at 3 p.m. CT in the Dynamo’s first ever visit to PPL Park.
D.C. United took the lead in the 29th minute when Santino Quaranta found Andy Najar with a long, cross-field ball, and the 17-year-old dribbled into the penalty area and faked out two Dynamo defenders before firing a left-footed shot past Pat Onstad.
Houston tied the game in the 66th minute when defender Richard Mulrooney got forward down the right sideline and floated in a back-post cross that floated over the hands of D.C. goalkeeper Troy Perkins. The Dynamo’s Brad Davis tried to play the ball back across the box, but it deflected off of United’s Devon McTavish and went in to tie the game.
Brad Davis also played a part in the Dynamo’s go-ahead goal in the 70th minute, as he served a free kick into the penalty area, where Geoff Cameron glanced a header off the hands of D.C. goalkeeper Troy Perkins and in at the near post to give Houston a 2-1 lead. It was Cameron’s second goal of the year, fifth of his MLS career, and first since rupturing his PCL on April 24. The assist was the ninth of the season for Davis and his third consecutive game with an assist, tied for the second longest streak in MLS this season.
The Dynamo held on for the win, with Pat Onstad making a crucial save on Andy Najar from a tight angle in the 87th minute. Houston then sealed the win in the 10th minute of stoppage time when Lovel Palmer stole the ball in the midfield and fed it to Brian Ching, who slotted a pass through for Dominic Oduro. The speedster, who converted a breakaway goal on Wednesday, netted with a shot inside the left post for his fourth MLS goal of the season.
The win was Houston’s first on the road since May 8, breaking a nine-game winless streak in road matches. The Dynamo scored six goals on the two-match road trip, almost doubling their season goalscoring total in road games from seven to 13.
For Houston, Richard Mulrooney started at right back for the 265th start of his MLS career. Midfielder Brad Davis made the 180th start of his MLS career.
The Dynamo played without midfielders Colin Clark (ACL surgery) and Anthony Obodai (meniscus surgery), defender Bobby Boswell (yellow card accumulation), and goalkeeper Tally Hall (ankle).
Next Game: Saturday, October 2, 3 p.m. CT, Houston Dynamo at Philadelphia Union, PPL Park, Chester PA
Next Home Game: Sunday, October 10, 7:30 p.m., Houston Dynamo vs. New England Revolution, Robertson Stadium
