Kenny Cooper kisses the ball after scoring in the 7th minute. (Getty Images for NYRB)
Sometimes in sports it's better to be lucky than good. Well, I wouldn't argue that the Red Bulls aren't good, but without Thierry Henry, they're certainly down a notch. Last night a flukey goal helped them to an important home result over a Houston Dynamo squad that was obviously preoccupied.
In the opening minutes it honestly seemed like a match that neither side wanted to be involved in. New York seemed to be slightly the more interested side, and it paid off for them in the 7th minute on what would end up being the only goal of the match. Mehdi Ballouchy slid a ball across the center to Kenny Cooper near the top of the area, but Cooper couldn't quite hold on. Houston attempted an awful back pass in their own area to Tally Hall, and as he rushed on to clear it, Cooper jumped in the way and deflected the clearance into the net to give the Red Bulls a 1-0 lead.
Houston gradually came into the match after the goal, getting more and more of the possession. Quality chances were few and far between for much of the first half though. Cam Weaver forced a save out of Ryan Meara in the 15th, and Geoff Cameron missed a header in first half stoppage time, but that was largely it as the half ended with 1-0 score line.
The Red Bulls subbed in Juan Agudelo for the second half, and the young US International certainly injected some pace into the game and gave the Dynamo defense someone to be concerned about other than Cooper. In the 65th minute he cranked a shot on target from just outside of the area, but Tally Hall dived to his left and made a great save.
Still, the better chances came for Houston in the second half. The last ten minutes really opened up and resulted in the best action of the match. Brad Davis, returning from injury, had a flurry of chances. However, he failed to hit the target in both the 81st and 82nd minutes. In the 85th minute Adam Moffat slammed a shot that literally barely went over the bar. Meara would have had no chance. Davis would have another chance on the 88th minute, but his on rushing header again failed to find the target as the Houston midfielder collapsed to the pitch in frustration. Calen Carr took the last attacking breath for the Dynamo in the final minute of stoppage time, but once again Meara came up big on the save and preserved the 1-0 home win for New York.
NOTES: The clean sheet was the second straight for the Red Bulls patch work defense and 'keeper Ryan Meara after blanking the Galaxy in LA last weekend. Meara becomes the first NY 'keeper to post back to back clean sheets in his rookie season, a stat that goes all the way back to the Metrostars days. Rafa Marquez is finished with his three game ban, but sat out due to an ankle injury. For Houston, Brian Ching stayed behind as the Dynamo look to open BBVA Compass Stadium this weekend against DC United.
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