It took 16 games for the Houston Dynamo to win a regular season match on the road in 2011. It took only one game for Houston to accomplish that feat in 2012, after Andre Hainault’s stoppage-time goal gave the Dynamo a 1-0 win over Chivas USA, Sunday afternoon at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
The Dynamo controlled the run-of-play for much of the afternoon, outshooting Chivas USA 9-2 and forcing Goats goalkeeper Dan Kennedy to make seven saves for the game.
Houston nearly got on the board in the 13th minute when Geoff Cameron played a long ball over the top of the defense to Brian Ching. The Dynamo captain dribbled toward goal but could not get the shot off before Kennedy came off his line to smother the ball.
The Dynamo continued to press and found another opening in the 25th minute. Bobby Boswell played a through ball to Will Bruin who went one-on-one with Kennedy. The Chivas goalkeeper stayed big, though, and used his leg to deflect the shot attempt.
The home squad’s best opportunity came late in the first half off a corner kick from Laurent Courtois. Goats forward Juan Pablo Angel beat the defender to the ball, but his volley hit off the inside of the near post and was cleared away.
Houston continued to push for the game’s first goal and nearly found it in the 74th minute. After Kennedy parried away a long-range bomb from Adam Moffat, the Chivas goalkeeper was forced into action again when the ball landed at the foot of Will Bruin. The second-year striker took one touch and fired the ball on target but Kennedy pushed the attempt to the side. Bruin led Houston with four shot attempts including three on goal.
With time running out and one point seemingly in the bag, the Dynamo found the late-game heroics that were prevalent in 2011. In the second minute of stoppage-time, Brad Davis sent in a corner kick that was headed out to Moffat. The Scotsman controlled the ball and sent it back toward the net. Hainault picked up the Moffat pass eight yards away from goal, spun, and fired past a helpless Kennedy. The goal was Hainault’s fifth of his career.
Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall recorded two saves in the game en route to his eighth career shutout.
The win was also the 101st regular season victory for Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear.
The Dynamo are next in action on Saturday, March 17, facing the San Jose Earthquakes in San Francisco, CA, at 4 p.m. CT.
Houston Dynamo (1-0-0) vs. Chivas USA (0-1-0)
March 11, 2012 – The Home Depot Center, Carson CA
Attendance: 14,464
Goals by Period 1 2 Tot
Houston Dynamo 0 1 1
Chivas USA 0 0 0
Scoring Summary:
HOU – Andre Hainault 1 (Adam Moffat) 90+
Houston Dynamo -- Tally Hall, Andre Hainault, Bobby Boswell, Geoff Cameron, Corey Ashe, Colin Clark, Adam Moffat, Je-Vaughn Watson, Brad Davis, Brian Ching (Macoumba Kandji 86), Will Bruin (Calen Carr 77).
Substitutes Not Used: Luiz Camargo, Tyler Deric, Nathan Sturgis, Jermaine Taylor, Cam Weaver.
TOTAL SHOTS: 18 (Will Bruin 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 9 (Will Bruin 3); FOULS: 14 (Andre Hainault 3, Brian Ching 3); OFFSIDES: 4 (Brian Ching 3); CORNER KICKS: 6 (Brad Davis 6); SAVES: 2 (Tally Hall 2)
Chivas USA – Dan Kennedy, James Riley, Heath Pearce, Rauwshan McKenzie, Ante Jazic, Oswaldo Minda, Laurent Courtois (Ryan Smith 65), Ben Zemanski, Nick LaBrocca (Casey Townsend 77), Peter Vagenas (Cesar Romero 59), Juan Pablo Angel.
Substitutes Not Used: David Junior Lopes, Tim Melia, Alejandro Moreno, Jorge Villefana.
TOTAL SHOTS: 7 (Juan Pablo Angel 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 2 (Juan Pablo Angel 1, Casey Townsend 1); FOULS: 12 (Four players with two); OFFSIDES: 2 (Peter Vagenas 1, Cesar Romero 1); CORNER KICKS: 2 (Laurent Courtois 1, Nick LaBrocca 1); SAVES: 7 (Dan Kennedy 7)
