On a night where the Houston Dynamo celebrated men and women who serve our community in uniform, as well as one of the greatest players to wear the club’s uniform, the current Dynamo squad gave fans plenty to celebrate on their own with a 3-1 win over the Montreal Impact.
The Dynamo offense started the game in high gear as they scored their earliest goal of the season and the third-fastest in franchise history just 52 seconds in. After a give-and-go play between forward Mauro Manotas and midfielder Alex off of a short corner kick, Manotas sent a cross to the middle of the box where forward Andrew Wenger headed the ball into the net. It was the first goal of the season for Wenger, the former No. 1 overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft by Montreal.
Manotas had another intervention on the score as the Dynamo extended the lead. In the 23rd minute, defender DaMarcus Beasley played a quick free kick to Manotas on the middle of the field. The Colombian native, passed the ball to Alex who from outside the box delivered a left footed shot to the bottom right hand corner of the net.
Five minutes after having replaced forward Erick Torres, midfielder Memo Rodriguez scored his first MLS career goal. In the 67th minute, Rodriguez picked up a ball deflected from defender Laurent Ciman and blasted a shot from 20 yards out to bottom left hand corner leaving goalkeeper Evan Bush without an opportunity to stop the ball.
Montreal avoided the shutout in the 89th minute when Ciman’s cross found midfielder Michael Salazar inside the box for his first goal of the season.
The Impact had an opportunity not long after the Dynamo’s second goal. In the 27th minute, forward Mateo Mancosu took a left footed shot that went just passed the right post.
Montreal tried to shorten the lead as the first half was coming to an end. In the 45th minute, Salazar sent from inside the box to the middle of the box, where midfielder Blerim Dzemaili connected with the head but when just wide of the right post.
Montreal kept knocking trying to short the lead. In the 60th minute, midfielder Dominic Oduro sent a cross to the middle of the box, where Moncosu connected with the head but failed to beat goalkeeper Tyler Deric.
The Dynamo will continue the 2017 season, presented by 76, on Wednesday, July 19 at 7 p.m. CDT against Minnesota United FC at TCF Bank Stadium. Houston returns to BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday, July 29 at 7 p.m. against the Portland Timbers. For additional information and tickets, visit HoustonDynamo.com.
Houston Dynamo vs. Montreal Impact
MLS Week 19
July 5, 2017 – BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 15,470
Scoring Summary:
HOU: Andrew Wenger 1 (Mauro Manotas 3) 1
HOU: Alex 2 (Mauro Manotas 4) 23
HOU: Memo Rodriguez 1 (unassisted) 67
MON: Michael Salazar 1 (Laurent Ciman) 89
Lineups:
Houston Dynamo: Tyler Deric; A.J. DeLaGarza, Adolfo Machado, Leonardo, DaMarcus Beasley; Ricardo Clark ©, Juan David Cabezas, Alex (Joe Holland 87); Andrew Wenger (José Escalante 79), Erick Torres (Memo Rodriguez 62), Mauro Manotas
Unused Substitutes: Joe Willis, Charlie Ward, Dylan Remick, Jalil Anibaba
Total shots: 19 (Erick Torres 4); Shots on goal: 10 (Alex, Andrew Wenger 2); Fouls: 13 (Ricardo Clark 4); Offside: 1 (Erick Torres 1); Corner kicks: 2 (Mauro Manotas, Memo Rodriguez 1); Saves: 1 (Tyler Deric)
Montreal Impact: Evan Bush; Hassoun Camara© (Daniel Lovitz 58), Kyle Fisher, Laurent Ciman, Chris Duvall; Hernán Bernardello, Marco Donadel (Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla 46); Dominic Oduro (Nicholas DePuy 72), Blerim Dzemaili, Michael Salazar; Matteo Mancosu
Unused Substitutes: Wandrille Lefevre, Calum Mallace, Andrés Romero, Eric Kronberg
Total shots: 12 (Blerim Dzemaili, Hernan Bernardello, Matteo Mancosu 2); Shots on goal: 2 (Michael Salazar, Matteo Mancosu 1); Fouls: 15 (Michael Salazar 4); Offside: 3 (Laurent Ciman, Matteo Mancosu, Nicholas DePuy 1); Corner kicks: 3 (Blerim Dzemaili 3); Saves: 7 (Evan Bush 7)
Discipline:
MTL: Michael Salazar caution (foul) 4
HOU: Leonardo caution (foul) 12
HOU: Ricardo Clark caution (foul) 25
MON: Blarim Dzemaili (foul) 31
MON: Hernan Bernardello (unsporting behavior) 79
OFFICIALS
Referee: Chris Penso
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Da Silva
Assistant Referee 2: Logan Brown
Fourth Official: Ted Unkel
