Will Bruin bagged a brace for the Houston Dynamo as they defeated the Portland Timbers 3-1 at BBVA Compass Stadium in front of 20,844 fans Saturday night.
The Dynamo got the match off to a great start with an early goal from Bruin. In the 9th minute, the Dynamo were awarded a freekick near the touchline. Brad Davis stepped up and sent a perfectly weighted cross towards an open Bruin who made no mistake in heading the ball down and into the net.
A similar situation appeared in the 14th minute with Davis sending a great dead ball to Bruin who put the ball in the back of the net only for the referee to wave it off and give Portland Timbers striker Fanendo Adi a yellow card for a high elbow to the head. The ref determined that the foul occured before the ball was put into play. The ensuing replay ended up with no goal.
More controversy in the 48th minute when an apparent foul in midfield saw the Dynamo loose possession in midfield. The team expected the whistle but when it didn't happen they were caught off guard as Diego Valeri sent a slicing through ball to Adi, who leveled the score. Luis Garrido was down on the challenge from Diego Chara, requiring attention from the medical staff. Fortunately for the young Honduran, he was able to continue in the match. Unfortunately for the team, the goal stood.
After showing well in the first half, the Dynamo conceded more possession to the Timbers, sitting back and hoping to catch them on the counter. The defense did well in covering for each other, limiting the opportunities for the Timbers to take the lead. As the match wore on and the humidity started to take its toll, the midfield grew increasingly stale.
Owen Coyle responded.
Alex Lopez entered the match in the 74' for fellow Honduran Oscar Garcia and the offense instantly looked better. The youngster brought a freshness to the field and crisp passing that paid off quickly. The Dynamo brought the ball up the left side of the field before moving the ball centrally to Barnes. When the Jamaican international couldn't find a clean shot, he laid the ball off to Lopez. The crafty Honduran juked around the box, looking for a seam. When he didn't find one, he didn't go for a low percentage shot nor did he try for a corner. Instead he patiently waited for that seam to appear and sent a perfectly weighted pass back to Barnes. He made no mistake in placing his shot past the keeper.
The final goal of the match came in the 83rd minute when Jermaine Taylor sent a ball over the top towards a streaking Bruin. The Dancing Bear blew right past the defense and got to the ball a hair before Timbers goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey did. Bruin's mistakes in 1v1 situations are well documented but he made no error this time. He one-timed a chip past Kwarasey and into the empty net.
The club smartly saw off the Timbers for the remainder of the match, never letting them get back into the game. Besides the strikers, a player who put in an excellent performance was Ricardo Clark. The veteran midfield was a menace all night long, breaking up plays in midfield as well as doing a good job of transitioning the ball forward. Alex Lopez was extremely impressive during his fifteen minute stretch. Lastly, DaMarcus Beasley had his best performance with the club to date. His work rate on both sides of the ball allowed Davis the chance to move around freely. Beasley even had a wonderful chance in the 36' when he found himself alone in the box on the left, sending a low, hard shot at the keeper which was smartly saved.
With the win, the Dynamo are now at .500 and next go on the road to the Stub Hub Center for a clash with the Los Angeles Galaxy. The Timbers cross the border to face off against Toronto FC at BMO Field.