Dynamo Houston played the Carolina Dynamo, a PDL team out of Greensboro, NC. Trekking in from work in the Galleria area, we didn't settle into our seats until almost 10 minutes into the first half. No worries, because both teams waited until we arrived to really gear up.
Carolina seemed to get the first break. The home crowd was still paltry and quiet when Carolina earned a PK halfway through the first half. This was to be backup 'keeper Zach Wells' first test...and he passed it smashingly, diving to his left to block the well-placed, if anemic, shot. Robertson was so jazzed about the stop that it shot off a water sprinkler (or was it a water cannon?) that arced over the field for -- what? -- two minutes? Play was stopped until the spray could be shut off. What a great goal celebration that would be on a regular basis, particularly on a hot day...
Houston's play amped up a bit after that; seemingly energized by their GK's accomplishment. Less than 10 minutes after the PK, Moreno sailed up effortlessly and nodded home a Mullan cross. About 5 minutes later, a Davis free kick was saved and Moreno picked up the rebound and knocked in his second. A 2-0 lead at half thanks to Moreno; this is what we like to see from our forwards!At halftime I stood in the beer line for a $7 domestic brew. Glenn Davis walked by and was called over by the guy (a manager at Saltgrass steakhouse) in line before me. They talked for a bit before I saw a hawker with no line nearby. I still had to pay $7, but at least I didn't have to wait for it.
The second half continued the good fortune of our forwards. Ronald Cerritos scored (off a Holden corner) about 10 minutes into the second half. Cerritos had not scored all season, so this was well worth it...and ended up being the winner after Carolina exposed some lax clearing and/or defending to make it a 3-2 game. This was fortunate timing not only because it broke Cerritos' slump, nor because it gave us a much-needed goal, but because Cerritos is from El Salvador and the crowd (which had grown steadily to a healthy number) included a highly partisan (orange and black) Salvadoran crowd who was there to see CD Águila take on the Honduran CD Olimpia (and their red and blue clad fans) after the Dynamo match.
Eddie Robinson provided the necessary cushion after the 80th minute when he headed home another Holden corner. Holden, a hometown player, has done well for himself the past few games. His two assists helped us to the 4-2 win.
Our family sat up in Section 200. This was the first time we sat on the West stands. I've sat on both goal lines and numerous times on the East stands. These seats were the farthest from the field I've ever sat, but the views of the South Goal were excellent, without forsaking the views of action at the North Goal. We clearly saw our first two goals and both of Carolina's goals, and we had no trouble seeing our two second-half goals either. One complaint: there was no replay on the video screen for this game, so you couldn't see different angles of the goals, of great plays, or of fouls.
We left not long after the game ended. I wanted to see the two Central American teams play. The crowd seemed passionate and vocal. There were lots of club colors and banners (on our way out, I heard a Dynamo security lass telling another that she had confiscated all of the flags from one section). But we had another 45 minutes to wait until the second game started, and the kids were getting restless and I knew I had more of my life-sucking workweek to go, so we headed home.
As we walked out, we saw Aaron Lanes, Dynamo player and rock guitarist, dressed in his street clothes. Apparently he didn't suit up for this game. Hopefully we'll see him soon; seeing the reserves advance is one of the joys of this game.
Had we stayed, we would have seen (according to the Chronicle) "a benches-clearing brawl, a pair of ejections, two late penalties and a last-minute goal." With the score tied at 2-2, Olimpia of Honduras (who had lost to Águila in its last two attempts) netted one in stoppage time to win it in regulation, 3-2.
We relinquished all this excitement for an easy trip out of the parking lot (that's a first!), still warm with the pleasure of having increased our stash of Dynamo coozies and, oh yeah, seeing our team progress to the quarterfinals of the tourney to face none other than FCD (Fakers, Cheaters, and Divers of Frisco).
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