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Houston Hands Chivas USA Comprehensive 1-0 Loss
A Stuart Holden goal was enough to give the Houston Dynamo over the visiting Chivas USA.
Jun 11, 2009 12:05:40 AM
Heading into the top of the West clash in midweek Major League Soccer action, Chivas USA had yet to win in Houston. The Dynamo made sure that trend continued by beating the Goats much more comprehensively than the 1-0 scoreline would suggest.
Stuart Holden scored his third goal in three games with the last kick of the first half to secure the win, moving Houston to within three points of Chivas USA with two games in hand.
Chivas head coach Preki, who has never beaten Houston, altered his traditional 4-4-2 to start the match, going instead with a narrow 4-5-1. Sasha Victorine added an extra midfield body to the setup with Maykel Galindo performing as a lone striker. Jim Curtin replaced the suspended Mariano Trujillo on the right side of defense.
For the Dynamo, Cam Weaver started despite having been purchased from the San Jose Earthquakes only a day before kickoff.
First Half
The hosts gave a sign of how the game would go in the fourth minute. Craig Waibel crossed from the flank and Kei Kamara juggled it in the air before slamming wide.
Two minutes later, Weaver had to leave the pitch with the corner of his eyebrow bleeding heavily. He received butterfly stitches and a new shirt in a bloody moment that belied the limp and lackluster performance Chivas USA would give.
Both Richard Mulrooney and Holden missed chances that bounced out to the top of the box with vicious volleys that lacked accuracy. Those chances and a weak Kamara header were the only real opportunities to come from a cagey, frustrating first half. Chivas USA's five-man midfield did well to squeeze any room for attack out of the game, but couldn't produce anything itself.
Perhaps surprisingly, Houston was finding good success through long Pat Onstad clearances, with a Chivas defense sluggish to turn and close down chances.
In the extra minute added to the first half, that route proved effective. Chivas looked as if it had already mentally checked out of the match when Onstad cleared. Cam Weaver dropped deep, pulling Shavar Thomas with him, and flicking a header into the space vacated by the Jamaican. Stuart Holden burst through the midfield with Paulo Nagamura slow to keep with him and Carey Tally reluctant to slide over and prevent any damage. Holden collected Weaver's flick-on alone on goal with the stranded Zach Thornton and easily rounded the goalkeeper for a simple tap in.
The Chivas players look a bit stunned, but Houston knew such a breakthrough was invaluable. The organization had yet to lose when leading in the first half.
Second Half
Surprisingly, there were no changes made in the intermission. Preki satisfied himself with switching the flanks of Atiba Harris and Michael Lahoud, and Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear knew his side had the upper hand.
It only took Houston four minutes to find the back of the net again. Kamara floated a cross into the box which an unmarked Weaver calmly headed past Thornton. However, the goal was called back on a questionable offsides decision.
Straight from the restart of that play, Harris made use of his new flank to slide the ball into Maykel Galindo. The Cuban poked his shot narrowly wide from a good position.
With his side unable to connect passes, Victorine in particular guilty of a heavy turnover rate, Preki shifted the attacking positions once again. Galindo dropped to the left flank, pushing Harris up top alone and Lahoud back over to the right. That didn't help matters, so Eduardo Lillingston entered the game on the hour mark to push another body up top.
It was still one-way traffic, with Holden dominating play, his work rate and industry far above anyone else's on the pitch. A minute after Lillingston came on, Holden bundled into Thornton as they both went for a Kamara cross, which riled up the veteran goalkeeper, but the 23-year-old playmaker looked unfazed.
A few minutes later, Brian Mullan sneaked in behind Flores and drilled a low shot off Thornton's foot. The rebound fell to Kamara with the net gaping, but Curtin managed to bundle it out for a corner. From Brad Davis' delivery, Andrew Hainault headed back into the pack and Bobby Boswell pushed the ball on goal. Diminutive Brazilian Nagamura managed to head dramatically off the line to keep his team within one goal.
By now, Chivas was struggling to get a foot in or lead an attack that lasted more than a few seconds. From another Weaver flick-on twenty minutes from fulltime, Kamara chipped over Thornton and the goal from a tight angle.
In the last ten minutes, Chivas finally showed the heart that had been missing for 80 minutes. The best chance came in the 83rd minute. Galindo bounced a Aleck Eskandarian pass off rock-solid Geoff Cameron. The ball bounced back to him, and he smashed a shot with the outside of his foot towards the far post. Pat Onstad pulled off a diving reaction save to punch Chivas' best chance of the game around the post.
Eventually, Houston's superior work rate and shape held strong, meaning Holden's lone goal decided the game in favor of the hosts.
Zac Lee Rigg, Goal.com
Stuart Holden scored his third goal in three games with the last kick of the first half to secure the win, moving Houston to within three points of Chivas USA with two games in hand.
Chivas head coach Preki, who has never beaten Houston, altered his traditional 4-4-2 to start the match, going instead with a narrow 4-5-1. Sasha Victorine added an extra midfield body to the setup with Maykel Galindo performing as a lone striker. Jim Curtin replaced the suspended Mariano Trujillo on the right side of defense.
For the Dynamo, Cam Weaver started despite having been purchased from the San Jose Earthquakes only a day before kickoff.
First Half
The hosts gave a sign of how the game would go in the fourth minute. Craig Waibel crossed from the flank and Kei Kamara juggled it in the air before slamming wide.
Two minutes later, Weaver had to leave the pitch with the corner of his eyebrow bleeding heavily. He received butterfly stitches and a new shirt in a bloody moment that belied the limp and lackluster performance Chivas USA would give.
Both Richard Mulrooney and Holden missed chances that bounced out to the top of the box with vicious volleys that lacked accuracy. Those chances and a weak Kamara header were the only real opportunities to come from a cagey, frustrating first half. Chivas USA's five-man midfield did well to squeeze any room for attack out of the game, but couldn't produce anything itself.
Perhaps surprisingly, Houston was finding good success through long Pat Onstad clearances, with a Chivas defense sluggish to turn and close down chances.
In the extra minute added to the first half, that route proved effective. Chivas looked as if it had already mentally checked out of the match when Onstad cleared. Cam Weaver dropped deep, pulling Shavar Thomas with him, and flicking a header into the space vacated by the Jamaican. Stuart Holden burst through the midfield with Paulo Nagamura slow to keep with him and Carey Tally reluctant to slide over and prevent any damage. Holden collected Weaver's flick-on alone on goal with the stranded Zach Thornton and easily rounded the goalkeeper for a simple tap in.
The Chivas players look a bit stunned, but Houston knew such a breakthrough was invaluable. The organization had yet to lose when leading in the first half.
Second Half
Surprisingly, there were no changes made in the intermission. Preki satisfied himself with switching the flanks of Atiba Harris and Michael Lahoud, and Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear knew his side had the upper hand.
It only took Houston four minutes to find the back of the net again. Kamara floated a cross into the box which an unmarked Weaver calmly headed past Thornton. However, the goal was called back on a questionable offsides decision.
Straight from the restart of that play, Harris made use of his new flank to slide the ball into Maykel Galindo. The Cuban poked his shot narrowly wide from a good position.
With his side unable to connect passes, Victorine in particular guilty of a heavy turnover rate, Preki shifted the attacking positions once again. Galindo dropped to the left flank, pushing Harris up top alone and Lahoud back over to the right. That didn't help matters, so Eduardo Lillingston entered the game on the hour mark to push another body up top.
It was still one-way traffic, with Holden dominating play, his work rate and industry far above anyone else's on the pitch. A minute after Lillingston came on, Holden bundled into Thornton as they both went for a Kamara cross, which riled up the veteran goalkeeper, but the 23-year-old playmaker looked unfazed.
A few minutes later, Brian Mullan sneaked in behind Flores and drilled a low shot off Thornton's foot. The rebound fell to Kamara with the net gaping, but Curtin managed to bundle it out for a corner. From Brad Davis' delivery, Andrew Hainault headed back into the pack and Bobby Boswell pushed the ball on goal. Diminutive Brazilian Nagamura managed to head dramatically off the line to keep his team within one goal.
By now, Chivas was struggling to get a foot in or lead an attack that lasted more than a few seconds. From another Weaver flick-on twenty minutes from fulltime, Kamara chipped over Thornton and the goal from a tight angle.
In the last ten minutes, Chivas finally showed the heart that had been missing for 80 minutes. The best chance came in the 83rd minute. Galindo bounced a Aleck Eskandarian pass off rock-solid Geoff Cameron. The ball bounced back to him, and he smashed a shot with the outside of his foot towards the far post. Pat Onstad pulled off a diving reaction save to punch Chivas' best chance of the game around the post.
Eventually, Houston's superior work rate and shape held strong, meaning Holden's lone goal decided the game in favor of the hosts.
Zac Lee Rigg, Goal.com
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