The over 18,000 fans in attendance at Robertson Stadium were nearly lulled to sleep in an otherwise uneventful evening with the Dynamo hosting the struggling San Jose Earthquakes, until rookie Will Bruin burst through to bury a late goal that sealed Houston’s Eastern Conference leading ninth home victory of the season.
The 1-1 score line sat for much of the second half as neither team could muster much magic in its final third of the field. When the game appeared to be destined for the same mediocre conclusion, Danny Cruz stepped up to flick on Luiz Camargo. In just his fourth appearance with the Dynamo since his acquisition in August, Camargo’s cross found Bruin in the box for the Brazilian’s first assist to stand as the game winner. Bruin provided a clinical left-footed finish past Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch as Houston clinched the 2-1 lead and the game in the 79th minute.
The match marked Bruin’s return home after missing nearly two months following knee surgery. Bruin’s fifth goal of the season puts him atop the charts for MLS rookies and adds to his remarkable first campaign with the Dynamo. Bruin has already etched his name in the Dynamo record books for rookie goals (5), starts (21), and minutes (1,669). His 23rd MLS appearance of the season also brings him into a tie with Geoff Cameron for all-time Dynamo rookies.
Had it not been for Bruin’s heroics, the storyline would’ve defaulted to the two goals exchanged by both teams on either side of halftime.
Despite the Dynamo dominating much of the game, the Earthquakes jumped on the board first in the 40th minute off the counterattack. Joey Gjertsen caught Dynamo defenseman Corey Ashe out of position and sent Steve Beitashour into space. The right back eyed Khari Stephenson in the box and delivered a deliberate cross for the Jamaican to volley past Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall for the 1-0 advantage.
Nevertheless, Houston wasted little time in the second half to even the score. Brad Davis, sporting the captain’s armband in place of an injured Brian Ching, displayed deft dribbling ability in the box as he cut to his right and drew a trip from Earthquakes defender Bobby Burling. Davis stepped up to take the ensuing penalty kick and drove home a bullet into the right side of the net, beating Busch in the 47th minute.
Neither Houston nor San Jose could create a goal-worthy effort for the next half an hour until Bruin’s goal gave the Dynamo a 9-3-3 home record on the season, the team’s second-best statistic next to its 10-1-4 home finish in 2008.
The victory keeps the Dynamo level with Philadelphia for third place in the Eastern Conference standings and positions both teams just two points shy of conference leaders Columbus. San Jose travels to Portland for a mid-week match, while Houston will rest until Saturday when it treks to take on inner-state rival FC Dallas.
