WASHINGTON, DC (Nov 27, 2008) USSoccerPlayers -- The Houston Dynamo turned around an uninspiring run for Major League Soccer in the revamped CONCACAF Champions League, advancing to the knockout stage with a 1-0 win over CD Luis Angel Firpo on Wednesday night in Houston. The Dynamo were making up the game postponed due to Hurricane Ike.
Brian Ching got the game's only goal in the 13th minute off a Dwayne De Rosario corner.
"I think our focus was to set the pace and the tempo right away," De Rosario said. "To score early, we did that. After that, we lost our focus a little bit, but we kept our composure and made that huge goal stand up. We're very good at crosses and Ching is great inside the box. We showed that again tonight."
Eddie Robinson was ejected in the 82nd minute for serious foul play. Houston finished the game with 27 fouls to Firpo's 12. Firpo's Carlos Calderon was ejected in stoppage time for a second yellow. Nate Jaqua, who was selected by Seattle in the expansion draft, doesn't officially join the Sounders until the end of the week and started for Houston.
Houston will find out who they will be playing in February when the draw for the knockout stage is held on December 10th.
