MLS Houston Dynamo FC

Dynamo Advance with 3-0 Playoff Victory

Published on November 1, 2013 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Houston Dynamo FC News Release


The Houston Dynamo opened their 2013 MLS Cup Playoff campaign with a 3-0 win over the Montreal Impact on Thursday night in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round. Will Bruin scored two goals and Boniek Garcia added a penalty goal as the Dynamo advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals to face the New York Red Bulls, with the first leg on Sunday at 2:30 CT at BBVA Compass Stadium.

The Dynamo improved to 9-1-0 in ten all-time home playoff games, the best win percentage (.900) in MLS history. Houston has outscored its opponents 21-6 in home playoff games.

Exactly one year after scoring two goals in a 2-1 Knockout Round road win over the Chicago Fire, Bruin duplicated the two-goal performance with another Halloween night brace in similar fashion, with one goal in each half.

16 minutes into the game, Bruin played a pass to Ricardo Clark near the top of the penalty area. After taking one touch to his right, Clark laid a perfect back heel pass to Bruin, who charged into the box and buried his chance for a 1-0 lead.

Ten minutes later, Garcia collected the ball near the Montreal penalty area and tried to nativage through tree Impact defenders. The Honduran was rewarded when he was fouled by Hernan Bernardello on the inside edge of the box and the Dynamo were awarded a penalty kick.

Garcia slotted the spot kick to his left for his second penalty goal in five days and a 2-0 Houston lead.

Montreal came close in the 44th minute, as Marco Di Vaio slipped into the penalty area, but Tally Hall made a sliding save to carry a two-goal lead into halftime.

The Dynamo came close twice in the 58th minute. First, Bruin forced a diving save from Montreal goalkeeper Troy Perkins. The ensuing corner was met by Giles Barnes but his header glanced of a teammate and over the bar.

Hall answered the call again in the 61st minute, parrying away a 25-yard strike from Di Vaio after a Houston turnover.

Montreal was reduced to ten players when defender Nelson Rivas was shown a second yellow card for an apparent elbow on Bruin as the two contested a goal kick.

Bruin shook off the challenge two minutes later, taking a clearance from Corey Ashe at the center circle and heading it forward before racing past defender Matteo Ferrari before collecting the ball outside the penalty area. He then cut past Jeb Brovksy and Perkins before slotting into an empty net for a 3-0 lead and his second goal of the night.

It is the fourth time a Dynamo player has scored twice in a playoff game, with two of the four registered by Bruin. Paul Dalglish scored two goals in the 3-1 Western Conference Final victory over Colorado in 2006. Brian Ching recorded the other two-goal playoff game, scoring twice in a 4-1 second-leg win over FC Dallas in the 2007 Western Conference Semifinals.

After setting a franchise record with four goals last postseason, Bruin now has six career playoff goals (all coming in his last seven playoff games.) Bruin trails Ching by one goal on the club's playoff scoring list.

Hall preserved the clean sheet six minutes later, diving to his left to push away a low header from Impact midfielder Justin Mapp.

It was Hall's fourth career playoff shutout to tie Pat Onstad for the most in franchise history.

It was also Hall's seventh career playoff win with Houston to pass Onstad (6 wins) as the franchise leader in playoff wins by a goalkeeper.

Defender Bobby Boswell reached 20,082 career minutes in all competitions with the Dynamo. He is the second player in franchise history to amass 20,000 career minutes with the club, joining Brad Davis, who surpassed 20,000 earlier this season.

The Dynamo will host the New York Red Bulls on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. CT at BBVA Compass Stadium. It is the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, a two-game aggregate score series. The second leg is on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. CT at Red Bull Arena. The club with more total goals from the two games wins the series.

Other Dynamo Milestones:

It was Boswell's 16th career playoff start with the Dynamo to tie Brian Ching for second on the franchise list (Brad Davis, 21, is the leader).

Boswell has now amassed 1,590 career playoff minutes with Houston. Tonight, he passed Ching for second on the club list (Davis, 1,986, is the leader).

Corey Ashe registered the assist on Bruin's second goal for his first career playoff assist.

It was Ashe's 171st start in all competitions with the Dynamo to pass Pat Onstad for fourth on the club list.

It was Ashe's 14th career playoff game with Houston (along with Ricardo Clark) to vault Onstad and Brian Mullan for fourth on club list.

It was also Ashe's 11th career playoff start with Houston (along with Tally Hall) to pass Dwayne De Rosario, Eddie Robinson and Adam Moffat for eighth on franchise list.

Finally, Ashe reached 1,089 career playoff minutes to edge Wade Barrett for seventh on the club list.

Ricardo Clark has now amassed 15,406 career minutes in all competitions with Houston. Tonight, he passed Onstad for fourth on the club list.

It was also Clark's 14th career playoff start with Houston to pass Onstad and Mullan for fourth on the club list.

Clark's assist on Bruin's first goal was his second career playoff assist with Houston.

It was Hall's 134 career games in all competitions with the Dynamo to equal Robinson for 10th on the franchise list.

It was also Hall's 11th career playoff start with Houston to pass De Rosario, Robinson and Moffat for eighth on franchise list (with Ashe).

Hall also reached 990 career playoff minutes to vault De Rosario (948), Andre Hainault (955) and Robinson (984) for ninth on the club list.

It was Bruin's 10th career playoff game with the Dynamo to pull even with De Rosario, Hainault and Moffat for 11th on the club list.

Tonight was Warren Creavalle's first career playoff start.

Next Match: MLS Cup Playoffs - Eastern Conference Semifinals, First Leg: Sunday, Nov. 3, 2:30 p.m. CT, Houston Dynamo vs. New York Red Bulls, BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, TX

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