MLS Houston Dynamo FC

Árabe Unido Downs Dynamo 1-0

Published on October 25, 2013 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Houston Dynamo FC News Release


Árabe Unido defeated the Houston Dynamo, 1-0, on Thursday night to win Group 1 of the CONCACAF Champions League. Jose Gonzalez scored the winning goal in the 61st minute as the Panamanian club earned the critical win at Estadio Agustín Sánchez.

The Dynamo (2-1-1; 7 points) are eliminated from the competition while Árabe Unido (3-1-0; 9 points) joins the seven other group winners in the quarterfinals.

The scoring play began when a through ball from the Árabe Unido midfield was collected on the edge of the penalty area and played inside to Gonzalez, who fired a low shot from 12 yards that forced a save from Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric. The rebound came back to Gonzalez, who lofted a header over Deric, who retreated and tried to make a second save, but the ball deflected into the side of the net for a 1-0 advantage.

Houston's best scoring opportunities came in the first half. In the 26th minute Deric sent a free kick into the attacking third of the field, where Cam Weaver flicked a header to Omar Cummings. The Dynamo forward charged into the box and fired a shot from eight yards but it stayed wide of the near post.

Four minutes later Cummings created another chance. Alexander Lopez played a well-weighted ball through behind the at the Árabe Unido defense and Cummings had a clear opportunity, but his shot from 15 yards sailed high.

The Dynamo pushed for the equalizer in the second half, with Will Bruin, Giles Barnes and Warren Creavalle entering the game. But Houston struggled to create chances against Árabe Unido, which did its best to break up the flow of the game.

It was Bobby Boswell's 30th career international game with Houston to pass Brian Mullan and tie Corey Ashe for second on the club list. It was also his 25th career international start with the Dynamo to tie Craig Waibel for second on the franchise chart.

The Dynamo conclude the MLS regular season on Sunday with a crucial road game at D.C. United at 12:30 p.m. CT (TV: NBC).

The Dynamo (13-11-9; 48 points) are tied for fifth place in the Eastern Conference with the New England Revolution (13-11-9; 48 points), but trail the Revolution on the goals scored tiebreaker for the final playoff spot in the East.

For Houston to secure a place in the playoffs, it needs to defeat D.C. United on Sunday and have one of three teams - the Montreal Impact, Chicago Fire or New England Revolution - lose or draw its final game of the season next Sunday. The Dynamo can also gain a playoff berth with a draw at D.C. United and a loss by the Revolution plus a loss or tie by the Philadelphia Union.

Next Match: Sunday, October 27, 12:30 p.m. CT, D.C. United vs. Houston Dynamo, RFK Stadium Washington, D.C.

Check out the Houston Dynamo FC Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major League Soccer Stories from October 25, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central