Torres extends hot streak with hat trick
Dynamo forward Erick Torres is making up for lost time.
He’s doing it in a hurry, too.
Torres scored the seventh hat trick in club history Saturday night, helping the Dynamo defeat the New York Red Bulls 4-1 at BBVA Compass Stadium.
The Dynamo (3-1) move to the top of the Western Conference standings with Portland (3-1) set to play Sunday night.
“I feel happy. I feel happy for my team,” Torres said. “It is my first hat trick in my life.”
Torres’ first goal marked a significant milestone, too. When he converted a penalty kick in the first half he became the first player in Dynamo history to score a goal in four straight games.
The club’s designated player did not score for the Dynamo in 22 appearances over the 2015 and 2016 seasons. He finally broke through this year in the season opener and has not slowed. League’s top scorer
Torres has six goals in four games and leads Major League Soccer all by himself.
He had not scored multiple goals in a game since Sept. 1, 2013, for Chivas USA at Vancouver.
Torres netted his second goal to give the Dynamo a 3-1 lead in the 56th minute.
His third goal came on a free kick in the first minute of second-half added time.
“I hope to continue helping with goals for the team’s benefit,” Torres said. “I feel happy, content for the way the team has started the season (and) for the work of my teammates. We need to continue working because there is a long way ahead.”
All three of Torres’ goals Saturday came well after the Red Bulls (2-2-1) scored the opener in the 13th minute.
Central midfielder Sacha Kjlestan caught the Dynamo’s back line cheating a little too high outside the penalty area and slipped a diagonal pass into the box for Bradley Wright-Phillips.
The pass drew goalkeeper Tyler Deric off his line, and Wright-Phillips easily scored into the empty net.
The Dynamo tied it one minute later when Dylan Remick scored the first goal of his career.
Alex got a pass back after serving a short corner and then looped a short cross to Remick at the near post. Remick found free space in the Red Bulls’ zonal marking and hit a strong header.
Torres put the Dynamo on top in the 41st minute when he converted a penalty kick past goalkeeper Luis Robles.
The penalty came after some clever work in tight space at the top of the penalty area. With his back to the goal, Torres chipped a pass through legs to Mauro Manotas. Damien Perrinelle, who had just subbed into the game, tripped Manotas as he ran onto the ball. Did their homework
The Dynamo’s 2-1 halftime lead set the stage for another show in the second half. The Dynamo have been the league’s best first-half team this season but its worst second-half team.
The Dynamo got it right Saturday, outshooting the Red Bulls 9-6 and limiting the visitors’ dangerous chances.
“We had the challenge about our 90-minutes consistency,” coach Wilmer Cabrera said. “We knew we needed to do the homework today against one of the best teams in this league.
“That was our goal after we lost to Portland — to be consistent for 90 minutes.”