Chicago Fire 1-2 Houston Dynamo
A goal in each half by forward Will Bruin gave the Dynamo a 2-1 upset victory over the Chicago Fire in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round match at Toyota Park on Wednesday night. It was the first road win in more than three months for the reigning Eastern Conference champions.
Bruin’s first goal came on a free near-post header in the 12th minute on a corner kick from teammate Brad Davis. Then just 19 seconds after halftime he got his brace on a blistering diagonal shot after he was sprung on the heels of a costly Chicago turnover.
Aside from a momentary flash of hope on Alex’s 83rd minute goal for Chicago, the rest of the match was an exercise in game management by the Dynamo, who enjoyed the better possession and succeeded in thwarting Chicago’s desire to launch quick counterattacks.
The match could have taken a very different turn in the 10th minute had Jalil Anibaba’s curling left-footed shot from the top right corner of the Houston penalty area not finished wide of the far post. That was followed by a close range poke shot from Chicago’s Alvaro Fernandez which was stuffed by charging Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall.
The Houston Dynamo will host Sporting Kansas City in the first leg of the 2012 Eastern Conference semifinals, presented by Kroger, at 2:30 p.m. CT on Sunday, Nov. 4 at BBVA Compass Stadium. Tickets may be purchased at www.HoustonDynamo.com, by calling 713-276-GOAL, or by visiting the BBVA Compass Stadium box office (2200 Texas St., Houston) from 9 a.m. 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. The game will be broadcast nationally on NBC.
Houston advanced to the semifinals with a 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire in the Knockout Round on Wednesday night at Toyota Park. Will Bruin scored two goals to lead the Dynamo.
We are excited to host our first playoff match at BBVA Compass Stadium, Dynamo president Chris Canetti said. It should be another magical playoff moment for Dynamo fans. We are expecting a big crowd, so I recommend that fans act urgently in getting their tickets.
The Dynamo went 1-0-2 against Sporting Kanas City in 2012. Houston earned a 2-1 home win over Sporting Kansas City on July 18 and drew both meetings at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park – 0-0 on July 7 and 1-1 on Sept. 14.
Houstons all-time post-season record against Sporting KC stands at 2-0-0, after a 2-0 win in the 2011 Eastern Conference final and a 2-0 triumph in the 2007 Western Conference final.
The Dynamo are undefeated in their last 28 home games in all competitions (including playoffs and CONCACAF Champions League) and completed the fourth unbeaten home season in league history in 2012 with an 11-0-6 home record.
The two-leg playoff series will conclude at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. CT. The club with the better aggregate score from the two legs will advance to the 2012 MLS Eastern Conference Championship against the winner of the D.C. United-New York Red Bulls semifinal series.
