Forward Mauro Manotas played a role in each of Houston’s goals as the Dynamo defeated Minnesota United 2-0 at BBVA Stadium on Wednesday to earn interim coach Davy Arnaud’s first win since taking control of the team in August.
Technically nine points away from the sixth and seventh-place teams in the Western Conference with five games left, Houston’s (10-15-4, 34 points) playoff hopes are still alive although mostly on life support.
They took those distant hopes into Wednesday’s game and played third-place Minnesota (13-10-6, 45 points) to a sluggish start through the first quarter of the match.