Mauro Manotas scores twice as Dynamo ends winless drought

Mauro Manotas scored two goals and Alberth Elis had a goal and an assist Saturday as the Houston Dynamo ended its 10-match winless streak with a 4-1 victory over the visiting Portland Timbers.

The victory was the first for the defending Western Conference champions since a 3-0 triumph over Minnesota on July 7. Houston (8-13-7, 31 points) had gone 0-7-3 since that match.

The Timbers (12-8-8, 44 points) had their three-match winless streak come to an end. Portland had earned two victories and a tie in three matches to move into fifth place in the Western Conference.

Elis scored his 11th goal of the season in the 32nd minute as the Dynamo evened the match 1-1 after an early Timbers goal. The forward has scored in consecutive matches for the first time since May.

Elis had earned a yellow card on Portland defender Zarek Valentin, and on the ensuing free kick, Tomas Martinez fed Elis inside the box and his header rebounded off the right post, past Timbers goalkeeper Steve Clark.

The Dynamo took a 2-1 lead seven minutes later when Manotas slotted home a centering pass from Elis with his right foot. His second goal came in the 71st minute when he scored from just in front of the goal on a swinging right footed volley.

Manotas' two goals gave him 14 on the season and 18 across all competitions. It is the most goals ever from a Dynamo player in a calendar year.

Manotas just missed another goal in the 50th minute when his breakaway shot from just inside the box was high over the crossbar.

Portland took an early 1-0 goal in the ninth minute on an own goal. Portland's Alvas Powell delivered a centering pass from outside the box that rebounded off the leg of Dynamo defender Alejandro Fuenmayor and over the head of goalkeeper Joe Willis.

Fuenmayor made up for his earlier miscue when he scored from just in front of the Portland goal on a set piece in the 81st minute. It was Fuenmayor's third goal of the season.

--Field Level Media