Driver's strike lifts Houston past L.A.
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Andrew Driver produced the lone goal at The Home Depot Center on Sunday as his 56th-minute strike earned the Houston Dynamo a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The result sees Houston (5-2-2) go level with Red Bull New York, Sporting Kansas City and the Montreal Impact for top spot in the Eastern Conference on 17 points apiece.
Los Angeles (4-2-2) remains in second place in the West with 14 points, sitting level with Real Salt Lake and the Portland Timbers.
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The best chance of the opening period in Sunday's affair fell to the Galaxy after Tally Hall's sliding challenge on Jose Villarreal in the 24th minute yielded a penalty for the home side, but the Dynamo 'keeper made amends for his foul by stopping Landon Donovan's ensuing attempt from the spot.
It proved to be a costly miss for Donovan as the Dynamo grabbed the lead on the other side of halftime.
Giles Barnes latched on to a through ball on the right side of the penalty area and pulled it back to the opposite corner of the box where Driver was arriving to hammer a first-time shot past Carlo Cudicini at his near post.