HOUSTON(AP) -- Danny Cruz scored his first career goal and Dominic

Oduro added another to help the Houston Dynamo defeat struggling

D.C. United, 2-0 on Saturday night.

Cruz gave Houston (5-4-1) a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute when he

received a pass on the right from Luis Landin, took it into the

upper right box and let it fly from 14 yards out. The shot found

the back of the net just inside the far post.

Oduro made it 2-0 in the 55th minute, getting a pass from the

right to the center of the box from Landin and sending a

one-timer into the upper center net.

D.C. United (1-8-0), which lost its third straight, didn't

threaten until second-half stoppage time when Rodney Wallace

crashed the net, trying to send in a rebound. Houston goalkeeper

Tally Hall made the stop, one of two saves he made in his first

MLS start.

Troy Perkins finished with seven saves for D.C. United.