Wondolowski scores hat trick in win
Dynamo top Laredo Heat in Saturday friendly
Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear wanted the players he sent out to treat the scrimmage as a regular MLS game and was happy with his team's performance.
"It was good," Kinnear said. "I told the guys with the reserve league out of the way, you have to come out with the same seriousness and enthusiasm because it's an important 90 minutes for us."
If Kinnear was focused on the players most likely to help the first team, he was likely impressed as most of them had a good game. The defense of Andrew Hainault, Julius James, Mike Chabala and Craig Waibel dealt with the little that came their way. Ashe was dangerous on the left, Ade Akinbiyi contributed despite jet lag after arriving late Friday night and Wondolowski had a hat trick.
After a lackluster start to the game, Houston got its first goal in the 40th minute. Akinbiyi was rewarded for making a great turn on his defender and was fed a beautiful ball into space down the right side. Akinbiyi ran onto the ball and sent a cross to the far post where Ashe finished, giving Houston a 1-0 lead before the half.
On the second goal, it was again new acquisition Akinbiyi making things happen for the Dynamo. Akinbiyi charged into the box and was dragged down by a Heat player. On the penalty, Wondolowski stepped up and buried it, giving Houston a 2-0 lead.
For Akinbiyi, the most important goal was to begin to get match-fit, so his contribution on the first two goals impressed his head coach.
"He came in last night at 6 o'clock, and I just told him to play as long as he could," Kinnear said. "He spun well for the first goal and gets pulled down for the penalty, so he had something to do with the first two goals and you have to be happy with that."
"The guys are fit, for me it was just trying to get my pace back and get into the game," Akinbiyi said. "Every game I play, my fitness will come. ... Bit jet-lagged -- felt OK though."
The only injury concern from the match came in the 70th minute. Midfielder Danny Cruz, who had been playing a solid game to that point, went up for a header with a Heat player. The Laredo player threw his elbow into the face of Cruz, earning a red card and giving Houston a man advantage for the remaining 20 minutes. The early diagnosis for Cruz was a broken nose as he was quickly replaced.
With the man advantage, Houston started pouring on the offense. Ashe turned provider in the 77th minute with a cross from the left that found defender Chabala. However, Chabala's header hit off the post and into the path of Waibel, whose shot was blocked. The ball fell perfectly to Wondolowski, who couldn't miss from short range.
The final goal came in the 81st minute. Again Ashe provided the spark, playing a great give-and-go with Kei Kamara. Kamara sent a good cross to Wondolowski on the opposite side of the field and once again, Wondolowski clinically finished the opportunity giving Houston a 4-0 victory.
For the Dynamo reserves, it was an opportunity to get a solid 90 minutes of play and hopefully an attempt to impress Kinnear. For Christian Cruz, Sebastien Ibeagha and Conner Mowery, three members of the Houston Dynamo under-18 team, the game provided the opportunity to get to play alongside members of the senior squad. Cruz replaced Danny Cruz earlier, and Mowery and Ibeagha came on after the fourth goal. Of the three youth players, Mowery's passing out of the back was impressive in limited minutes.
In 2008, the Dynamo depth was tested repeatedly. The team's reserves won the reserve title, kept Houston alive in the CONCACAF Champions League and filled in seamlessly when players were out due to injury, suspension, or national team duty. For Kinnear, Saturday's 4-0 victory provided him an opportunity to see how some of his depth could do, and with most players he seemed impressed.
Dwain Capodice is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
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