The Houston Dynamo struck twice in the first half and went into cruise control in the second half to defeat the 10-man Colorado Rapids Saturday at BBVA Compass Stadium.
The Dynamo (6-5-3) broke through on the half-hour mark as Tomas Martinez dispossessed Johan Blomberg in the Rapids defensive third, split a pair of defenders in the box and put home the rebound of his own saved shot.
A tough first half for Blomberg continued five minutes later when he clipped DaMarcus Beasley in the box, which led to a Mauro Manotas penalty kick that doubled the Dynamo lead.
Things went from bad to worse for the Rapids (2-9-2) when Yannick Boli was sent off on a straight red for hands to the face of Leonardo in first-half stoppage time.
Goals
- 30’ — HOU — Tomas Martinez
- 36’ — HOU — Mauro Manotas (PK)
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: The reeling Rapids were the perfect remedy for the Dynamo to snap out of a modest two-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Rapids dropped an eighth straight MLS game with much of their problems self-inflicted with a pair of Blomberg blunders and an unnecessary Boli expulsion.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: The game was essentially iced in first-half stoppage time when Boli shoved Leonardo in the face in midfield, a clear red card, forcing Colorado to play down a man for the entire second half.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: There were a few contenders for the Dynamo, but Martinez gets the nod for threatening throughout the match and his work that led to his fourth goal of the season.
Next Up
- HOU: U.S. Open Cup - Monday, June 18 vs Minnesota United FC (6:30 PM MT)
- COL: Wednesday, June 13 vs Chicago Fire (7:00 PM MT)
