Braun cuts deep into Dynamo defense
Justin Braun scored a hat trick to lead Chivas USA to a 3-0 win over the Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer Saturday.
Chivas beat the Dynamo for the first time since 2006, snapping a 12-game winless streak against Houston in the MLS.
In other matches Saturday, Sporting Kansas City downed Toronto FC 4-2, Real Salt Lake thrashed the San Jose Earthquakes 4-0, the Columbus Crew beat the Portland Timbers 1-0, the Colorado Rapids drew 2-2 with the New England Revolution and the New York Red Bull also played out a 2-2 draw with FC Dallas.
Braun opened the scoring in the 31st minute for Chivas, putting a slight touch on Ante Jazic's cross for his fifth goal of the season. Braun doubled Chivas' lead in the 40th, breaking alone on the net and chipping the ball over Dynamo All-Star goalkeeper Tally Hall.
Braun added his third in the 86th minute off a Chivas USA counter attack.
Costa Rica forward Alvaro Saborio scored in the 60th and 75th minutes of Salt Lake's home win over San Jose.
Kyle Beckerman scored in the 79th and Jamison Olave sealed the win in the 83rd for Salt Lake.
Eddie Gaven scored the lone goal of the match in the 79th minute to lift Columbus over Portland and into a share of first place in the Eastern Conference with Philadelphia.
Thierry Henry scored his league-leading 11th goal in the 85th minute to lift New York to a draw with FC Dallas.
Henry's goal, coming after Marvin Chavez's second goal put Dallas up 2-1 in the 79th minute, came off a pass from newly-acquired Dax McCarty. Henry blasted it in from just to the left of the box, beating goalkeeper Kevin Hartman to the wide side.
Juan Agudelo's fifth goal of the season in the 39th minute put the Red Bulls up 1-0 before Chavez equalized in the 51st.
The draw put the Red Bulls a point behind Eastern Conference leaders Philadelphia and Columbus.
Grenada midfielder Shalrie Joseph scored from a penalty in the final minute of regulation time as New England drew at Colorado.
Benny Feilhaber scored in the 25th minute for the Revolution, who kept the Rapids frustrated most of the game.
Caleb Folan scored in the 65th minute to level the scores and Japanese defender Kosuke Kimura gave Colorado the lead in the 82nd with a strike from midfield that bounced over the head of New England keeper Matt Reis.
At Kansas City, Kansas, Sierra Leone forward Kei Kamara and Mexico's Omar Bravo scored two goals each as Sporting Kansas City extended its unbeaten streak to 12 matches.
Kamara scored his first goal from a half-volley in the 28th minute and made it 2-0 in the 34th with a header off a cross from Roger Espinoza. Three minutes later, Bravo took a pass from Brazilian midfielder Jeferson, dribbled past keeper Stefan Frei and scored into the open net.
Bravo's second goal, in the 64th minute, made it 4-1.
Danny Koevermans and Ryan Johnson scored second-half goals for Toronto.