HOUSTON -- For the second time in as many weeks, the Houston Dynamo found the back of the net four times and came away with three points in the MLS Western Conference standings.
Kei Kamara recorded the first two-goal game of his career and Stuart Holden and Nate Jaqua added tallies as the Dynamo scored all four goals in the first half on their way to a 4-0 victory against Chivas USA. The Dynamo became the first time since the 1998 L.A. Galaxy to score at least four goals in the first half of two consecutive games.
Kamara narrowly missed what would have been a third goal in the 77th minute, but his shot hit the left post.
Backup goalkeeper Tony Caig made two saves and won his second match of the year filling in for Pat Onstad, who played in a World Cup qualifying game for Canada Wednesday. For Caig, it was his second shutout of the season and the Dynamo's eighth overall in league play, which ties them with the Chicago Fire in that category.
Richard Mulrooney played for the first time since June 12 and recorded two assists. Mulrooney was out with a knee injury, but did play in Houston's 4-1 reserve match win against Real Salt Lake last weekend.
With the win, the surging Dynamo increased their lead in the standings to five points ahead of Real Salt Lake. Playing without Brian Ching and Dwayne De Rosario, also away from the team playing in World Cup qualifying matches, the Dynamo extended their winning streak to four matches.
Houston is unbeaten in its last seven overall and the Orange have improved to 6-1-3 at Robertson Stadium.
Holden got things started in the 11th minute when he took a pass from Brad Davis and streaked down the left side toward Chivas 'keeper Zach Thornton. Cutting into the area completely unmolested, Holden scored his first league goal of the year when he chipped a shot over a diving Thornton for a 1-0 lead.
Kamara scored his first of the game 11 minutes later when he took a pass from Mulrooney, and with Shavar Thomas, spun around the Chivas defender and found some room in the area. After settling the ball, he snuck his rolling shot just inside the far post for a 2-0 margin.
In the 28th minute, Jaqua scored his second MLS goal in a Dynamo uniform when he converted a rebound just moments after Ricardo Clark hit the crossbar off a corner kick by Brad Davis. At first, it didn't appear that Jaqua's final touch crossed the line, but the linesman was perfectly placed to see the ball cross the line.
Kamara, Jaqua and Mulrooney teamed up again just 12 minutes later for the prettiest goal of the night when Mulrooney pushed the ball ahead to Jaqua who found some room just outside the left side of the box and fed Kamara with a perfect cross. Kamara was unmarked and sent a header by the outstretched hand of a helpless Thornton for a four-goal lead.
The Red-and-White had their best chance of the game in the 56th minute when Kraig Chiles got by the Houston defense and challenged Caig with the fourth Chivas shot of the match. Caig dove to his left, but Chiles pushed the ball too much to the right and the shot missed the near post by less than a foot.
With the win, the Dynamo improved to 4-1-4 all time against Chivas USA and avenged a scoreless tie against the Red-and-White at Robertson Stadium on May 3.
Chivas USA has only scored five goals in 12 all-time meetings against the Dynamo and have not found the back of the net against Houston since 2006. The Dynamo now have not allowed a goal to their Western Conference rivals in the last 573 minutes.
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