For 45 minutes, Dominic Kinnear's Houston Dynamo executed his gameplan (or supposed gameplan) perfectly. The Union had more of the ball and pushed bodies forward, but created absolutely no chances. Not even a single solid half-chance. The Dynamo held their shape well and defended perfectly. The way they were playing, they were obviously content to go into halftime tied 0-0 with the Philadelphia Union. And then, in the second minute of stoppage time, they went ahead.
Houston Dynamo Vs. Philadelphia Union, 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs: Brian Ching Goal All But Seals The Deal At Halftime
Brad Davis delivered yet another fantastic free kick into the box in second half stoppage time, and notched yet another assist when Brian Ching headed the ball into the back of the net to give his team a 3-1 aggregate lead. Ching was unmarked on the goal, which is pretty remarkable. A 6'2" striker who played his way to 40-plus USMNT caps primarily off of his work rate and his ability to win headers in traffic was unmarked on a set piece.
And for that, the Union probably deserve to be eliminated from the MLS Cup Playoffs.
For more news and analysis, be sure to visit our Philadelphia Union blog the Brotherly Game and our Houston Dynamo blog Dynamo Theory. For more on the entire world of soccer and the rest of the MLS Cup Playoffs, check out SB Nation Soccer.
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