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Ching, Dynamo capture MLS Cup on penalty kicks

Nov 13, 2006 - 2:04 AM FRISCO, Texas (Ticker) -- Brian Ching kept the Houston Dynamo alive in overtime before delivering a championship to the team.

Ching scored the winning goal on a penalty kick as the Houston Dynamo edged the New England Revolution, 4-3, on penalty kicks to win the MLS Cup.

Kelly Gray, Stuart Holden and Dwayne De Rosario also scored for the Dynamo on penalty kicks.

Ching scored the game-winner in the fifth set of penalty kicks when he beat New England goaltender Matt Reis. He was named the game's MVP.

"This has been the best year of my life," Ching said. "Going to the World Cup, then getting off to a good start in a new city (Houston) and ending up today with an exclamation point."

The teams had played to a pair of 1-1 ties during the regular season so it was no surprise that the game was scoreless at the end of regulation.

The Dynamo - formerly the San Jose Earthquakes - appeared finished when New England's Taylor Twellman beat Houston goalkeeper Kelly Gray from close range in the 113th minute of overtime.

That put the Revolution just seven minutes from the championship, but Ching headed the tying goal past Reis off a pass from Brian Mullan a minute later to tie the game, 1-1.

"After (the Revs) scored, we were not going to give up," Ching said. "That's been our mentality all year. We still had seven minutes left and got a fortunate deflection. I knew Mullan would cross the ball, so I had to get into the box. I was in the right place at the right time."

Shalrie Joseph, Reis and Twellman scored on penalty kicks for the Revolution, who lost the MLS title game to the Los Angeles Galaxy, 1-0, in overtime last season.

Surrendering a lead so quickly after it was obtained will undoubtedly haunt the Revolution this offseason.

"We had a couple of chances at the beginning of the game and (Houston) had a couple of chances," New England coach Steve Nicol said. "When you finally do score and take the lead, though, you expect to be solid and tight and not give a goal up right off the bat.

"This was absolutely more painful than last year's loss was."