After winning the first two games this week and the nine point week in sight the Dynamo came out and showed the league that they are a team to be reckoned with. Dynamo fans are feeling invincible after their team ran off three straight home wins this week to put their team into discussions among the elite teams in Major League Soccer. The final win came last night as the Dynamo beat the Montreal Impact 3-0.
Montreal nearly took the early lead as Lamar Neagle hit the post on a header from a corner kick in the 3rd minute. After nearly going down 1-0 the Dynamo quiclky rebounded and took the lead in the 7th minute. The play started with a great long ball out of the back from captain Bobby Boswell down the right flank to Calen Carr. Carr passed inside to Will Bruin cutting into box. Bruin crossed in front to Mac Kandji. Kandji’s initial shot was blocked but he then poked his second attempt past Impact keeper Donovan Ricketts.
Montreal pushed for an equalizer throughout the second half but it was Houston who would find the match’s second goal. Substitute Brad Davis earned a corner when his right footed shot from the top of the box was punched over by Ricketts. Davis swung in the ensuing corner and Boswell rose to power a header past Ricketts and give the Dynamo the 2-0 lead in the 84th minute. Boswell spoke before the match about getting some revenge for the loss in Montreal and his goal blew the roof off of BBVA Compass Stadium.
The 9 point week was in the bag but it Kandji who put a nice bow on it with a goal in the 89th minute. Kandji used his speed to get behind defense. Faced with Ricketts one one one he rocketed shot top shelf to seal the game for Houston. Earlier in the half Kandji was denied what could have been a hat trick when Impac defender Shavar Thomas slid to deny him an empty net. After the match Kandji said that Thomas made a great play and he won’t rue his missed hat trick.
Nine points in seven days moved the Dynamo up to third place in the East. BBVA Compass is becoming a fortress for visiting teams as the Dynamo have improved to 7-0-3 at home this season. The crowd and heat help make it an incredibly tough place to play. The Dynamo will leave the friendly confines of BBVA for their next match as they head north of the border. They will try to win back to back matches against Canadian opposition as they take on Toronto FC. Toronto is one team who has had some success at BBVA, losing a 3-1 lead in a 3-3 draw on June 20th. I’ll have more on this upcoming match later in the week but for now let’s sit back and enjoy the week the Dynamo just had. I said before the week that this was the stretch that could make or break the season. The team will hopefully ride this great wave of momentum into a strong second half of the season.
(image courtesy of Anthony Vasser/Houston Dynamo)
