By RYAN TOLMICH
Will Bruin entered the 2014 MLS season with a point to prove, and he got off to an ideal start on Saturday evening.
The Houston Dynamo kicked off the 2014 MLS season in stunning fashion, thrashing the New England Revolution, 4-0, at BBVA Compass Stadium in downtown Houston. Bruin scored twice in the game as the Dynamo found themselves with a three-goal lead inside 25 minutes.
Bruin was on his game early and often for the Dynamo, as the 24-year-old forward started his night by finding the back of the net in the second minute. Bruin took a heavy touch at the top of the box that forced the ball into the air before calmly volleying the ball on net and past New England Bobby Shuttleworth.
The Dynamo forward scored again just 12 minutes later to double the Dynamo’s lead. Cory Ashe found a back-post Bruin run with a cross from the left side of the box, which allowed a sliding Bruin an open shot at net for his second on the night. Bruin’s big goalscoring night came on the heels of a disappointing 2013 season that saw him score only eight regular season goals.
Bruin then played distributor for Houston’s third goal, which was scored by Oscar Boniek Garcia. Bruin found a late arriving Garcia at the top of the box, allowing Garcia to take a touch before finishing to make it 3-0.
The Dynamo added insult to injury just before the final whistle with an Omar Cummings goal to make it 4-0. A Ricardo Clark shot from outside the box hit Cummings square in the head and deflected past Shuttleworth, giving the Jamaican his first regular season goal for the Dynamo.
The Dynamo did come away from the match with one drawback, with on-loan midfielder Tony Cascio forced to leave the match in the 55th minute with an apparent knee injury. The Revolution were also forced to make an early move when Kevin Alston was forced to limp off the field.