Brian Ching and the Houston Dynamo insist that Lady Luck is not the only reason they are in the win column, even if she did help them get past the Colorado Rapids last Saturday at Robertson Stadium.
Ching scored his first goal of the season in the first half and midfielder Dwayne De Rosario netted the game winner on a penalty kick in the second half, propelling the team away from the word "winless" that has been used to describe the first six weeks of their second title defense.
Like they have so many times this season, the Dynamo carried play in the first half and probably should have had one or two more goals in the opening 45 minutes of play.
Ching had the best chance in the first 20 minutes, but his open shot from 25 yards out sailed high over the crossbar. But he made up for it with time winding down when he slipped by the Colorado defense and drew Rapids 'keeper Bouna Coundoul out of position.
Coundoul missed the ball entirely and Ching scored into an open cage for the all-important 1-0 lead.
"You need a little bit of luck sometimes to go your way," said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear. "Brian put a little pressure on Coundoul, and then the goalie misses the kick. Then, it turns into an easy goal for Ching.
"You wouldn't have minded seeing Brian score his first goal in maybe a more dramatic fashion. It was kind of funny how everyone was kind of excited, but it just wasn't the same if it were a great play or a great finish. I was so happy for him just knowing how much work he puts in every week."
In the second half, a seemingly innocent play turned into the game winner when the officials ruled that Ugo Ihemelu played the ball with his hand as trying to chest it down.
The Dynamo were awarded a penalty kick that De Rosario promptly turned into a 2-1 lead when he buried his shot in the left corner past Coundoul, who guessed wrong and dove the other way.
"Both of our goals came from a little bit of luck," Kinnear said. "If the referee lets the teams play on instead of calling the hand ball, then maybe you are still there looking for the goals to come from somewhere else.
"Even though there was some luck involved, we had to create it. The way Brian moved in, if he lets up and Coundoul gets to it, then we probably don't score on the first one."
Ching agreed after the match that Lady Luck helped the team's cause Saturday for win No. 1. But he quickly attributed a week of hard work at practice and overall will to win as the main reason behind the team's first victory and celebration.
There is more to come, he said.
"It is always good to win and that is the most important thing here," Ching said. "We won and as far as won-loss results go, we are not that far out of first place.
"We are only three points out and to be where we are, that is just fantastic. We are still not where we want to be, but this win (against Colorado) really puts us in position to make a move."
Andrew J. Ferraro is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
