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Ching nets two as Dynamo beats Toronto

Jun 9, 2008 - 4:08 AM By Jeremy Rakes PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

HOUSTON (Ticker) -- Brian Ching scored two goals and assisted on another as the Houston Dynamo defeated Toronto FC, 3-1, on Sunday night at Robertson Stadium.

Dwayne De Rosario added a goal and an assist for the Dynamo (4-3-5), who improved to 4-1-1 in their last six and jumped into a tie for first place in the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

"Going into this game, we knew that if we won we would be tied with L.A. up top," Ching said. "It was definitely a topic of discussion and was something we had on our mind. We went out there and played well for that reason."

Toronto FC (5-4-2) was handed its first loss in three games.

In the first half stoppage time, Ching threaded a pass between two defenders to De Rosario in the left box. De Rosario took Toronto goalkeeper Greg Sutton one-on-one and beat him with a bullet into the net to give Houston a 1-0 lead at halftime.

"I thought the guys really played well tonight and that might have been our most complete game of the season from start to finish," Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear said. "The way 'De Ro' runs off the ball and created up front for us with Ching, that probably tormented them tonight. I thought the two of them played very well together and before this match I told them that I thought this was what was best for the team and their movement up top just gave the other team fits."

Ching scored in the 52nd minute to up the lead to 2-0. Patrick Ianni took the ball from midfield down the left side and crossed it into the box to De Rosario, who got the attention of Sutton.

Sutton came off his line, and De Rosario crossed it into the right box where Ching got control of the ball and fired it into the upper right corner of the goal.

Houston upped the lead in the 69th minute on Ching's second goal of the night and fifth this season. Stuart Holden did a tightrope walking act along the endline and crossed the ball to Ching in the middle of the box. Ching headed it into the middle of the net for the 3-0 lead.

"The guys played very well," Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad said. "It was very difficult for (Toronto). This is a tough place to play. It was a tough game for Toronto because of the heat we have here. The goal was because we had a few errors, but at the same token, you have to give (Jeff) Cunningham credit. When you smash the ball like that, you are going to score a goal in this league."

Cunningham cut the lead to 3-1 two minutes later with his 99th career MLS goal when he took control of a loose ball on the left side of the field and let one fly just outside the upper left box that found the upper left corner.

"I thought we were dreadful from the first whistle," Toronto coach John Carver said. "We had a spell in the game where Jeff scored a great goal, and we put a little bit of pressure on them. No excuses tonight. They looked sharper, they looked fitter, they passed the ball better than us, their finishing was very good, and they could have had a few more, so no excuses."