/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46487464/usa-today-8598583.0.jpg)
Ricardo Clark can get denied once. But twice? No way.
Four second-half goals, including Clark's decisive header in the 72nd minute, gave the Houston Dynamo the 4-2 home win over the New York Red Bulls Friday night.
Houston had a second chance at goal just minutes after the former USMNT midfielder had a corner-kick header disallowed for "contact" in the box. Oscar Boniek Garica nailed a corner kick from the right corner to Clark at the back post, who flicked it past Red Bull goal keeper Luis Robles for the game-winner.
Boniek Garcia's halftime substitution for Alexander Lopez may have swung the match in Houston's favor after a first half where the home team dominated possession but could not capitalize on the opportunities.
In addition to his assist, the Honduran international scored the Dynamo's first goal in the 60th minute on a deflected kick off Red Bull defender Karl Ouimette that arched over Robles' and floated into the goal to tie the match.
Will Bruin, who's individual play set up Boniek Garcia's goal, scored goals in the 80th and stoppage just for good measure to give Houston a comfortable lead. Bruin now leads the Dynamo with seven goals.
The Red Bulls tried to press late to catch Houston off-guard and steal a point, and scored another goal courtesy of Cameroonian rookie Anatole Abang's goal in the 90th
Early on, it looked like New York was going to beat Houston with a direct, long-ball approach in the first half that led the game's first score. And the visitors had plenty of opportunities to score, which they'll replay over and over again in the coming weeks.
Wright-Phillips passed the ball to Mike Grella, who was waiting in the top left of the 18-yard box. Grella beat Raul Rodriguez with a quick move to his left and shot the ball near post and past Deric for the goal in the 41st.
Sacha Kljestan almost scored on a free kick outside box, courtesy of a Luis Garrido handball, but Deric deflected the on-target effort with a sublime save
New York came close to an early goal in the eighth but a great individual play David Horst kept them out. Felipe fires a long ball from deep inside New York's defensive half to Bradley Wright-Phillips in front of Houston's box.
Wright-Phillips beat both Horst and Jermaine Taylor to the ball to get Deric in a one-on-one situation and appeared to have one-touched the ball past him.
But Horst recovered quickly and raced to the goal, reaching it in time to clear the ball just inches away from the goal-line.
Houston's win over the New York Red Bulls, which entered the match fourth in the Eastern Conference, is the team's first over the club from the Big Apple since the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs. It is also the club's first win since May 16, a 3-1 defeat of Portland at home.
The Dynamo resume MLS action June 20 against the Timbers.