**Photo Credit: Bob Levy/Associated PressIt was a night filled with goals and goal celebrations at Robertson Stadium in Houston --well at least for one team.
The Defending MLS Cup Champion Houston Dynamo defeated the New York Red Bulls 4-0 in front of 14,072 at Robertson Stadium on Thursday night.
Joseph Ngwenya and Stuart Holden led the way for the men in orange. Ngwenya recorded two goals, and Holden served up two assists (both on Ngwenya's goals), scored a goal of his own (his second of the season, third of his career), and sent in a corner which eventually led to Brian Ching's third goal of the year.
The scoring was opened in the 27th minute after former Dynamo and newest Red Bull Kevin Goldthwaite pulled on Midfielder Brian Mullan's shirt just enough to bring him down stop the breakaway which would've ensued. Goldthwaite was shown a yellow card by referee Tim Weyland for a 'professional foul,' and Stuart Holden took the free kick. Holden whipped in a ball which crossed to the opposite side of the penalty area and found the head of Ngwenya, who, with that, recorded his fourth goal on the season.
After the game, Ngwenya said he's obviously happy with extending the unbeaten streak --especially against New York.
"It's great," Ngwenya said. "Hopefully we can keep it going on [Sunday]. It's good to get three points. Everybody stepped up tonight. They beat us over at their place, and it's good to get a win against them here at home. Everybody is happy."
The scoring continued for the men in orange off of a Stuart Holden corner kick which bounced around inside the 18 before Brian Ching found the lower left corner of RBNY goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus and his third goal of the season.
Ngwenya scored again at the 50 minute mark --also via a Stuart Holden set piece. This would mark Ngwenya's fifth goal of the season and Holden's fourth assist of the season.
Holden, who had a career game, was filling in for Brad Davis, who is sidelined indefinitely with a torn medial meniscus. After the game, Holden said that although he's happy with his performance --which helped to render a 'convincing result,' Davis is a key part of the team who is going to be greatly missed.
"Brad is a big part of our team," Holden said. "We're obviously missing him. People are going to get called to step up. I offered a couple set pieces in tonight, and Joe [Ngwenya] got some great headers. Helping out with a goal is icing in the cake since we're already up three-nil. It was just a convincing result for us."
The men in orange weren't finished yet. Forward Nate Jaqua came on late in the game, and fed Holden the ball on his second goal of the season. Jaqua obtained possession on the left side just atop the 18. He laid off a beautiful ball to Holden, who in turn juked two Red Bull defenders out of their boots to put Dynamo up 4-0.
Jaqua, who was aquired via a mid-week trade with the Los Angeles Galaxy, said that he was pleased to come on in his first game with his new club and create the opportunity for a goal.
"I was just excited to get out there," Jaqua said. "It was a great game tonight. The team played great. To be a part of that -- even if it was only for 10 minutes -- was great. Hopefully I can help this team."
Dynamo Head Coach Dominic Kinnear was also pleased with the result.
"Excellent," Kinnear said. "I think we won pretty convincingly, and I thought we played well on and off the ball. We attacked with some of the best stuff we've had all year."
One of the players you might not have read about in the paper on Friday morning is defender Patrick Ianni. Ianni, did a superb job on former Aston Villa striker Juan Pablo Angel. Angel, is the league leader in goals --averaging just over one per game. Ianni held Angel quiet through midway through the second half, when RBNY Head Coach Bruce Arena subbed him out for MLS Veteran Clint Mathis.
Kinnear said he was quite pleased with Ianni's coverage of Angel.
"He did a good job," Kinnear said. "We just told him to stay close, be physical with him. His best moves are when he's in the box. We told him to just always be aware of where he was. Pat [Ianni] had a good game tonight."
Ianni also commented on what it was like to play against a former English Premier League superstar.
"It's a privilege to play alongside the guys on my team, first of all," Ianni said. "The veterans and starters on our team make up the best squad in the league. Playing against Juan Pablo Angel is a privilege as well. I was just making sure that I was concentrating every second of the game. Even when he left they had Clint Mathis coming into the game."
Starting on Sunday Dynamo go into a stretch where they will play five games in eleven days. They'll of course be sticking to their MLS domestic league schedule, but they'll also be opening play against the Charleston Battery in U.S. Open Cup action. Last year Dynamo made a semi-final exit with a loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Speaking on playing five games in eleven days, Holden thinks the team's main objective will be to get rest and maintain focus.
"We've just got to get our rest," Holden said. "[We've got to] keep icing, keep training hard, keep our fitness up, and we obviously have to be smart with a lot of games in few days. Minutes are going to get around, so everyone is going to have to be prepared. I think [Dominic Kinnear] and [assistant soach John Spencer] do a good job at getting us prepared for all those games."
Dynamo's next action is against D.C. United on Sunday night at Robertson Stadium in Houston.
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