Houston goalkeeper Tyler Deric recorded a shutout in his MLS debut to help the Dynamo beat the San Jose Earthquakes 1-0 on Saturday night.
Andrew Hainault scored in the 23rd minute, diving low to head Brad Davis' corner kick over Earthquakes midfielder Bobby Convey, who was guarding the near post. San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch couldn't get a hand to the well-placed attempt.
It was the second win in four matches for Houston (8-15-6), which moved past Chivas USA and out of last place in the Western Conference.
San Jose (12-9-7), which clinched a playoff spot last weekend, suffered a second consecutive home defeat.
Busch was nearly knocked out in the first minute of the match, taking an inadvertent kick to the face from Houston forward Cam Weaver. Busch bled profusely from a lacerated left earlobe but continued playing after a seven-minute delay to wrap his head in bandages.
