Dynamo score 3 goals early, rout Timbers 5-0 to end skid

HOUSTON (AP) — Amine Bassi, Nelson Quiñónes and Corey Baird scored goals in the first 14 minutes and the Houston Dynamo cruised to a 5-0 victory over the Portland Timbers on Sunday night as league play resumed after a five-week hiatus for Leagues Cup play.

Bassi’s goal was his ninth of the season and came on a penalty kick in the 5th minute after Griffin Dorsey drew a foul from Portland’s Claudio Bravo. Houston snapped a nine-match winless streak in all competitions. Four of the Dynamo’s previous five matches ended in draws.

Quiñónes took a pass from Héctor Herrera and scored six minutes after Bassi for a 2-0 lead. It was the 21-year-old’s second netter of the season and the second of his career in 11 starts and 26 appearances over the past two seasons. Herrera has 10 assists in 21 appearances this season.

Baird used an assist from Adalberto Carrasquilla to score his fourth goal the season. Baird picked up an assist when defender Franco Escobar notched his second goal of the season, scoring in the third minute of stoppage time for a 4-0 lead at halftime.

Steve Clark did not have to make a save in earning his ninth clean sheet of the season for Houston (9-10-5). Clark notched an assist on the Dynamo’s final score — a goal by defender Brad Smith. It was Smith’s first score in eight appearances for Houston and his first since he had three goals for the Seattle Sounders in 2021.

Aljaz Ivacic turned away three shots for the Timbers (6-10-8), who entered play with a 5-0-3 record in the last eight matches of the series.

Portland had two 4-1 losses and four 0-0 draws in its last six road matches. Two of the Timbers’ previous 107 road matches ended in scoreless draws.

Houston travels to play Real Salt Lake on Saturday. Portland returns home to host the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.

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