Foxborough, Mass. - The Houston Dynamo Reserves (2-2-0, 6 pts.) scored twice in the game's first 16 minutes and added a second-half goal, winning 3-0 against the host New England Revolution Reserves (0-3-2, 2 pts.) at the Lower Practice Field at Gillette Stadium on Sunday morning.
Houston went close in the opening minute of play, testing New England keeper Doug Warren early. Forward Julian Nash sent in an outward bending cross from the right wing, connecting with midfielder Chris Wondolowski, but Warren made the save on the near post to preserve the 0-0 score.
Houston guest midfielder Brian Farber staked the Dynamo to an early 1-0 lead when he scored an unassisted goal in the sixth minute. He took a long feed out of the back down the left wing and dribbled around New England forward Kyle Brown, who was tracking back defensively. Farber cut inside Brown and shot near post, 15 yards out, for the goal.
In the 12th minute, New England saw its first scoring chance negated by the Houston back line. Brown came down the right wing and sent a cross into the box, where forward Willie Sims was unmarked 12 yards out. However, the Dynamo intercepted the cross and cleared the ball out without allowing Sims a chance on the ball.
Three minutes later, Sims intercepted Houston keeper Zach Wells short goal kick, but his first touch on the ball went straight back to Wells, who restarted the attack.
Houston added to its lead just one minute later in the 16th when Wondolowski collected a loose ball in the scoring area and netted a goal. Midfielder Marcus Storey came down the right wing and sent a cross in from the outside of the area, where Mpho Moloi headed the ball just in front of the net, out of reach of Warren who was on the near post. Wondolowski was unmarked two yards out and shot into the open net for the 2-0 Houston lead.
Houston had two more strong chances in the first half while controlling the run of play. In the 21st minute, Storey again got open on the right wing and sent a cross into the box, where Farber's shot deflected off a New England defender, forcing Warren to make the off-balance, one-handed save. The rebound went right to Nash, but his second-chance shot was blocked by a defender.
In the 33rd minute, Storey continued to create from the right side, this time setting up midfielder Stuart Holden for a first-time shot several yards out of net. However, Holden mistimed his run and the cross went under his leg as he dove in for the redirection.
At halftime, Sims came out of the game with an injury, but because of MLS Reserve Division playing rules, New England could not insert his substitute - T.J. Tomasso - until the 60th minute. Tomasso played a full 90-minute game as a guest goalkeeper for the New Hampshire Phantoms on Saturday evening, allowing him 30 minutes of playing time on Sunday.
Playing unofficially up a man for the first 15 minutes of the second half, Houston capitalized and converted in the 53rd minute, going ahead 3-0. Holden played a give-and-go with Nash down the left center channel, getting the ball back 10 yards out and scoring on a near post run to the right.
Once both teams returned to 11 men in the 61st minute, play settled down and the sides struggled to connect through the midfield. Houston held an edge in possession, but was unable to create many quality scoring chances in the attacking third of the field. Guest midfielder Alex Woods sent a shot in high from 15 yards out in the 65th minute, and Holden saw his attempt in the 69th sail high, but New England pressured in the midfield during the final 20 minutes to limit the Dynamo's chances.
In the 85th minute, New England guest forward Dane Smith had the game's final chance, sending a right-footed shot from 20 yards out just wide left, forcing Wells to dive off his line.
The New England Reserves next see action on Sunday, June 4, when they face the D.C. United Reserves at 9 a.m. Eastern in Washington, D.C., while the Houston Reserves return to action on Sunday, June 18, when the travel to face the Real Salt Lake Reserves.
Scoring Summary:
HOU - Farber (unassisted) 6
HOU - Wondolowski (Moloi, Storey) 16
HOU - Holden (Nash) 53
Lineups:
HOU - Zach Wells, Kelly Gray, Chris Aloisi, Patrick Ianni, Michael Chabala, Mpho Moloi, Stuart Holden, Marcus Storey, Brian Farber, Chris Wondolowski, Julian Nash (Alex Woods 55)
Substitutes Not Used: Martin Hutton
NE - Doug Warren, Danny Wynn, Pat Haggerty, James Greenslit, Geoff Walker, Adam Williamson, Tony Lochhead, Dane Smith, Bobby Thompson, Willie Sims (T.J. Tomasso 61), Kyle Brown
Substitutes Not Used: None
Misconduct Summary:
NE - Brown (caution) 54
Referee: Erich Simmons
Referee's Assistants: Gus St. Silva, Samuel Richards
Fourth Official: Russ Wolf
Time of Game: 1:41
Weather: Sunny, 75 degrees
