The Houston Dynamo extended their home unbeaten streak to six consecutive league matches and eight straight across all competitions with a 3-0 win over Minnesota United FC Saturday night at BBVA Compass Stadium.
Defender Philippe Senderos led the way with his first career brace, scoring off of corner kicks on either side of halftime, and forward Alberth Elis put things on ice with his ninth goal of the year in stoppage time. Goalkeeper Joe Willis posted his second clean sheet of the season, and the team’s third, as the Houston back line conceded just five Minnesota shots on the night.
After threatening multiple times in the first half hour of the contest, the Dynamo were broke through in the 36th minute. Forward Romell Quioto sent a ball in from the right corner to the middle of the penalty area, where Elis headed the ball to the ground and Senderos put his left foot through it to score his third goal of the season, and second of the week.
Senderos extended the Dynamo lead early in the second half when he headed home a corner kick from Quioto in the 52nd minute. This time, Quioto’s corner kick, this time from the left side, found Senderos directly, and the former Swiss international powered a header into the back of the net, giving him his first career brace. He is just the second Dynamo defender, and first since Craig Waibel in the 2006 season finale (Oct. 14, 2006 vs. Colorado) to score two goals in a game.
Elis put things on ice with an easy tap-in during stoppage time, moving him back into a tie for the team lead with nine on the year. Elis slipped a ball to midfielder Boniek GarcÃa behind the Loons back line, but it got caught up beneath GarcÃa’s feet. The attempted clearance came right back to Elis, however, and La Pantera easily slid a right-footed shot past goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth.
Willis was only called on to make one save in the game, but it was a big one early on to keep the game scoreless. In the ninth minute, Minnesota midfielder Rasmus Schüller played a through ball to forward Christian RamÃrez, who outran the Dynamo defense and fired a shot from the edge of the box, but Willis was quick off his line to cut down the angle and stop the ball. Forward Darwin Quintero tried to collect the deflection, but defender DaMarcus Beasley headed the ball out of the danger.
Houston controlled possession throughout much of the match and outshot Minnesota 22 to 5, including a nine-to-one edge in shots on goal; and for the 13th time in 26 home games under head coach Wilmer Cabrera, the Dynamo scored at least three goals at home.
Houston Dynamo (7-6-4; 25 pts.) 3-0 Minnesota United FC (6-11-2; 17 pts.)
MLS Regular Season Week 19
Saturday, July 7, 2018 – BBVA Compass Stadium – Houston, Texas
Attendance: 13,947
SCORING SUMMARY:
HOU: Philippe Senderos 3 (Romell Quioto 8, Alberth Elis 7) 36
HOU: Philippe Senderos 4 (Romell Quioto 8) 52
HOU: Alberth Elis 9 (unassisted) 90+2
LINEUPS:
Houston Dynamo: Joe Willis; Adolfo Machado, Alejandro Fuenmayor, Philippe Senderos, DaMarcus Beasley © (Adam Lundkvist 46); Eric Alexander (Boniek GarcÃa 72), Tomás MartÃnez, Darwin Cerén; Alberth Elis, Mauro Manotas, Romell Quioto (Memo Rodriguez 80)
Unused subs: Chris Seitz, Kevin Garcia, Leonardo, Luis Gil
Total shots: 22 (Alberth Elis 6); Shots on goal: 9 (Alberth Elis, Mauro Manotas, Philippe Senderos 2); Fouls: 9 (Mauro Manotas 3); Offside: 0; Corner kicks: 7 (Romell Quioto 6); Saves: 1 (Joe Willis 1)
Minnesota United FC: Bobby Shuttleworth; Michael Boxall ©, Brent Kallman, Tyron Mears; Miguel Ibarra, Ibson, Collen Warner (Harrison Heath 86), Rasmus Schüller (Eric Miller 72), Alexi Gómez; Christian RamÃrez (Mason Toye 66), Darwin Quintero
Unused subs: Wyatt Omsberg, Matthew Lampson, Collin Martin, Maximiano
Total shots: 5 (Christian Ramirez 2); Shots on goal: 1 (Christian Ramirez 1); Fouls: 11 (Collen Warner 3); Offside: 6 (Christian Ramirez 3); Corner kicks: 2 (Alexi Gomez, Darwin Quintero 1); Saves: 6 (Bobby Shuttleworth 6)
DISCIPLINE:
MIN: Tyrone Mears (caution; foul) 5
HOU: Philippe Senderos (caution; foul) 41
MIN: Alexi Gómez (caution; foul) 62
HOU: Adam Lundkvist (caution; foul) 72
MIN: Ibson (caution; foul) 75
MIN: Eric Miller (caution; foul) 77
MIN: Harrison Heath (caution; foul) 88
OFFICIALS:
Referee: Kevin Stott
Assistant Referee 1: Craig Lowry
Assistant Referee 2: Ian McKay
Fourth Official: Sorin Stoica
VAR: Rosendo Mendoza
