Late penalty kick sinks Fire

HOUSTON - Houston's Stuart Holden converted a penalty kick in the 83rd minute, and the Houston Dynamo held off the Chicago Fire 3-2 on Sunday night to end the Fire's five-match unbeaten streak.

Houston (11-6-5) extended its lead in the Western Conference to 7 points over Los Angeles, which has two games in hand. The Fire (8-4-8) missed a chance to draw within 3 points of Columbus in the East.

The Fire trailed 2-0 at halftime, but cut the lead in the 46th minute on a goal by Chris Rolfe. Rolfe took a pass from Patrick Nyarko and cut to the left, then right and fired from 30 yards into the right side of the net.

Two minutes later, Peter Lowry scored his first career MLS goal off a cross from Cuauhtemoc Blanco. Lowry side-volleyed his shot with his right foot from just outside the 6-yard box before Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstead could get in position.

After Corey Ashe was tackled from behind by the Fire's Brandon Prideaux, however, Holden scored his MLS career-high sixth goal, hitting the penalty kick to his left for the go-ahead goal.