TFC can't stop Houston Dynamo
Red hot Dynamo spoil De Ro's return
Toronto FC were coming off a 3-1 win against New England last week and had lost just once in their last six games. Houston entered riding a six-game unbeaten streak, with wins in four of those six games.
Looks, however, can often be quite deceiving.
Houston jumped on Toronto FC early, getting three goals in a five-minute span of the first half and then sitting back the rest of the game, dominating the Reds in a 3-0 defeat.
"We had a really, really poor couple minutes where they scored goals, but after that, they just sat back," Toronto FC interim head coach Chris Cummins said. "We are disappointed. We didn't play particularly well today, and I thought Houston did."
After Houston destroyed San Jose for three goals off set pieces last week, this week TFC made it a point to stop Houston crosses and set pieces the best they could.
However, Toronto FC could not stop the Dynamo. Houston scored twice off direct free kicks and once off a cross into the box.
Brad Davis scored Houston's first goal on a direct kick from just outside of the area on the right side in the 20th minute. Davis' kick went through the Toronto wall and into the middle of the net. It froze Toronto goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
Kei Kamara received a nice cross from Brian Ching in the middle of the box and sent a nice deflection just inside the far post in the 22nd minute, and Stuart Holden finished the scoring in the 24th minute, sending a free kick from about 25 yards out on the left side under the Toronto wall and off the left post and in.
"We knew going in that was their game plan, and they capitalized on it," said Toronto FC midfielder Dwayne De Rosario. "We didn't come out the way we knew we should have. After the first 25 minutes, we are 3-0 down. By that time, it's hard to get back into the game, especially against them and in the heat.
"We are disappointed moreso for our lack of attitude. In the second half, we were playing more for pride, but I think there was enough there. If you think you can beat a team 3-1 and then just show up next week, you can't."
It appeared Toronto closed the gap to 3-1 before the half, but an Adrian Serioux header that went into the right side of the net was negated after referee Yader Reyes called Serioux for a foul.
"I'm not sure why he disallowed it to be honest with you," Cummins said. "He's there, and he has to make a quick decision. He must have thought there was a push, and maybe if they had a 3-1 game, it would have been a different story. But we can't use the referee as an excuse when we didn't play well."
De Rosario, who had played for Houston for three years before being traded in the offseason to Toronto, was making his first return to Houston since the trade. Watching his old team play brought back some fond memories.
"When the game is going, we are playing trying to get three points and do everything you can to give your team a lift," De Rosario said. "Before and after the game, I reflect a little on the great memories I had here and I guess watching them play in the second half, just sitting back, knowing it was a pleasure to watch them do that."
Toronto will try to put the disastrous game behind them and move forward to next week. Toronto has three consecutive games at home, starting next Saturday against Los Angeles.
"At the end of the day, we got beat by the better team, but saying that, we have a good team, and we didn't show up tonight," De Rosario said.
