Houston Dynamo 1, Philadelphia Union 0 | 2016 MLS Match Recap

Cristian Maidana smashed in a free kick at the death to give the Houston Dynamo a 1-0 victory against his former club, the Philadelphia Union.

The win marks the first three points for the Dynamo in the Wade Barrett era.

Houston were the aggressor all evening long, maintaining the lion’s share of chances, as Philadelphia were forced to defend for large portions of the match. Andre Blake made numerous saves to keep the Union level until Maidana’s nearly perfect strike broke the draw.

The Union’s Joshua Yaro received a second yellow card late in the game, forcing his side to bunker in with 10-men for the closing minutes.

Box Score

90'+5' - HOU - Cristian Maidana
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Three Things

MAIDANA PLAYS HERO: Cristian Maidana’s clutch free kick-winner marked his second goal of his 2016 campaign with the Houston Dynamo. Bagging a goal from the dead ball situation will certainly be a welcome site to manager Wade Barrett, as the tally was the first goal scored directly from a free kick for the Dynamo so far this season.

GREAT WALL OF BLAKE
: Andre Blake, fresh off a solid showing at
Copa America Centenario
, played a crucial role in keeping in the Union even for nearly the entire match. The Jamaica international displayed his athleticism with two point-blank saves early in the first half and was active throughout, extending his box as Houston peppered the Philadelphia defense.

Despite the last-minute loss, @andreblake29 put on a show in Houston 👏 https://t.co/yw3IAqz895
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 3, 2016

ATTACK FROM THE FLANKS: The Houston Dynamo were active on the flanks all evening long. They pumped in 33 total crosses throughout the 90 minutes, one shy of their largest total for 2016. Houston's 9 completed crosses tied for their second-most this season as well.