Houston Dynamo 2, San Jose Earthquakes 0 | 2017 MLS Match Recap

The Houston Dynamo are still undefeated at home this year, and they now have their first shutout under their belt.

The Dynamo posted a convincing 2-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Saturday afternoon. Erick "Cubo" Torres scored the winner in the Western Conference showdown via a ninth-minute penalty kick, and Alberth Elis added an insurance tally in the second half.

On the defensive side, Houston were strong throughout the 90 minutes. San Jose, who were playing their second road game in four days, were limited to just two shots on goal.

• Cabrera's adjustments pay off in Dynamo shutout win

Goals

• 9' – HOU – Erick Torres (PK) Watch
• 72' – HOU – Alberth Elis Watch

Three Things

1. DYNAMO DEFENSE IMPRESSES: Much of the talk about Houston to this point in the season has been about their potent attack, but on Saturday the defense stood out by holding the Earthquakes at bay. The Dynamo's backline gave up just two shots on goal despite the fact that the club lost the possession battle, and the hosts never really appeared in danger of losing their early lead because of the strong play in the defensive third. The end product was a shutout victory that should do nothing but inject the Dynamo with confidence.
2. FLAT UP FRONT: The Earthquakes may have had short rest after playing on Wednesday, but they just did not look the part in Houston. Like in Wednesday's scoreless draw vs. the New England Revolution, San Jose were unable to create quality chances. Veteran striker Chris Wondolowski struggled to get involved, and only Marco Ureña looked capable of doing anything in the final third in the first half. Head coach Dominic Kinnear tried to get more attack-minded by inserting Jahmir Hyka at halftime, but the move did not help the Earthquakes improve all that much.
3. BINGHAM BOTCH: As poor as the Earthquakes were in challenging the Dynamo, they were still a goal away from pulling level. That is until David Bingham misplayed a corner kick from the left in the 72nd minute, coming off his line to punch the ball clear but failing to make any contact. That allowed the ball to fall to Elis for the easy finish that sealed both sides' fates.

Next Up

• HOU: Friday, April 28 – at Toronto FC (7:30 pm ET | TSN1; MLS LIVE in the US)
• SJ: Saturday, April 29 – at Minnesota United (8 pm ET | MLS LIVE)