MLS Review: Dallas dismantle Dynamo, Earthquakes held by RSL

FC Dallas had four different goalscorers as they routed Houston Dynamo 4-1 in the Texas Derby on Friday.

Ryan Hollingshead, David Texeira, Mauro Diaz and Fabian Castillo were all on target at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston to lead Dallas to their second consecutive 4-1 win over Dynamo away from home in MLS.

Dallas’ second win in three matches means Oscar Pareja’s men are top of the Western Conference after nine games, one point clear of Vancouver Whitecaps, who travel to Portland Timbers on Saturday.

Dynamo – winless in three matches – are sixth in the table with 10 points.

It only took eight minutes for Dallas to assert their dominance, after Hollingshead fired the ball underneath Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric from just outside the penalty area.

Texeira doubled the visiting team’s lead in the 21st minute, with Castillo laying the ball back for the former to curl beyond Deric.

Houston were offered a way back into the contest via Giles Barnes, who directed a 32nd-minute free-kick into the top corner of the net.

That is as good as it got for Dynamo as Dallas scored two unanswered goals in the second half.

Diaz restored Dallas’ two-goal buffer with a powerful shot into the roof of the net seven minutes after the break, and Castillo poked home his team’s fourth three minutes later to complete the rout.

Meanwhile, Western Conference strugglers Real Salt Lake and San Jose Earthquakes played out a 1-1 draw in Sandy, Utah.

United States international striker Chris Wondolowski’s controversial 19th-minute goal had the Earthquakes on track for all three points.

But Victor Bernardez bundled the ball into his own net as RSL escaped with a point at Rio Tinto Stadium.

The Earthquakes are fifth in the West, level on points with RSL.