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Recap: Dynamo Win 3-0, Advance To Semis

The playoffs started off just the way the Dynamo hoped that they would: with a big 3-0 win over Montreal Impact, advancing them deeper into the playoffs.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

This game was exactly what Dynamo fans were hoping to see from their team. The Dynamo played a great game from the minute that play started getting good turnovers, great passing and finally finishing. They looked like their playoff selves.

In beautiful fashion the Dynamo opened up their scoring account after a defensive error was committed by the Impact and Ricardo Clark was able to get a heel on the ball. A back heel that sent the ball to Will Bruin, who sent it on into the back of the net for an amazing goal. But don't take my word for it, watch it.

The team continued to push and get past the Impact defense but pesky finishing eluded them again. The Impact's Hassoun Camara gave the ball away at mid-field to Boniek Garcia, who ran it just inside the box. It was a bold move, as he was surrounded by a number of Impact defenders, but it paid off when Hernan Bernardello decided to stick his leg out and trip up Garcia, forcing the referee to call a penalty. Garcia took the penalty and put the Dynamo up 2-0, and at that point, you could almost hear the door closing on the Impact's season.

The second half rolled around and things only got worse for the Impact. Nelson Rivas was shown his second yellow after an elbow to Bruin's head (he had been given his first for an elbow to the back of Giles Barnes' head), and left the Impact to play with just 10 men for the rest of the match. Moments later Bruin scored easily, beating Matteo Ferrari on the left wing and then dribbled the ball past Jeb Brovsky and Troy Perkins to easily score. The Dynamo were up 3-0, and the door was effectively nailed shut on Montreal's season.

At the end of the match, tempers really flared on the Montreal side when Andres Romero shoved Kofi Sarkodie down and then kicked the ball at him. Marco Di Vaio then slapped Corey Ashe during the ensuing scrum. Di Vaio was sent off and Ashe was shown a yellow. It was during the dying minutes on the clock, thus it made no real impact on the game, but Montreal finished the game with 8 men - and more importantly for the Dynamo, Ashe has a yellow.

Dom and his playoff magic once again seems to be taking shape. The defense will have to play sharper if they want to keep going deep into the playoffs, but this a good start that saw the team clicking in a way it hasn't been. A team ready to play for another Cup.

With the Halloween play-in madness in the rear-view mirror, sights now turn to the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Red Bulls. The first leg of the semifinals will be a home game on Nov. 3 at BBVA Compass, and the second November 6 at Red Bull Arena.