English Premier League club Bolton Wanderers scored once in each half to beat the host Houston Dynamo in the third annual Dynamo Charities Cup Saturday night at Robertson Stadium. Bolton captain Kevin Davies had a goal and an assist.
The match was the third edition of the Dynamo Charities Cup; Houston won the first two games, beating Mexican club Monterrey 2-1 in 2009 and Salvadoran side Aguila 4-0 in 2010.
GAME NIGHT:
DYNAMO 0, BOLTON 2
The Dynamo partnered with Houston City Council Member and District I representative James Rodriguez to ensure proceeds from Wednesday’s match will benefit East End youth soccer programs. The programs are in danger of being eliminated due to City of Houston budget constraints.
Houston returns to action in league play on Saturday, taking on Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., kicking off at 9:30 p.m. CT.
In Saturday’s game, the Dynamo used a mix of regulars and reserves, with only two starters from last Saturday’s match against Kansas City in the starting lineup. Goalkeeper Tyler Deric, defender Bobby Boswell, and midfielders Colin Clark and Alex Dixon were the only Houston players to play all 90 minutes. Deric made four saves, and Dixon played three different positions.
Bolton took the lead in the 32nd minute when Kevin Davies flicked on a long throw-in, and Croatian international forward Ivan Klasnic got to the ball first at the near post to flick it past Tyler Deric.
Wanderers scored their second goal in the 58th minute, as Bulgarian international Martin Petrov beat Tyler Deric to a long ball outside the penalty area, then crossed for Kevin Davies to tap in from close range.
Houston had several good chances to score but could not beat Finnish international goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, who made a fantastic save to deny Houston midfielder Danny Cruz in the 77th minute. One minute later, forward Jason Garey headed in a pass from midfielder Josue Soto, but Garey’s shot was disallowed for offside.
Dynamo forward Cam Weaver played the first half, making him the only player to start all three editions of the Dynamo Charities Cup. The attendance of 13,612 was the highest in the short history of the event.
Next
Match: Saturday, July 23, 9:30 p.m. CT, Dynamo at Chivas USA, The Home Depot
Center, Carson CA
Next
Home Match: Saturday, July 30, 7:30 p.m., Dynamo vs. Seattle Sounders,
Robertson Stadium
