Houston Makes MLS Cup Final

Dynamo 3, Rapids 1

Dynamos captain Wade Barrett holds the MLS Western Division trophy after Houston defeats Colorado, 3-1, on Sunday. (Bob Levey - AP)

HOUSTON, Nov. 5 -- Paul Dalglish scored twice in the first half and Brian Mullan added a goal in the 71st minute to help the Houston Dynamo advance to the MLS Cup with a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids on Sunday in the Western Conference final.

Houston will face the New England Revolution in the title game Sunday in Frisco, Tex.

Though this is the first season for the Dynamo, the squad is made up primarily of players and coaches from the San Jose Earthquakes, the MLS champion in 2001 and 2003.

Jovan Kirovski's goal in the third minute after a hand ball by Adrian Serioux gave Colorado a 1-0 lead. Dalglish tied it in the 10th minute on a goal from inside five yards.

Dalglish put the Dynamo ahead in the 20th minute on a header in the middle off a pass from Brad Davis. Mullan also got an assist on the play.

"This is awesome," Dynamo Coach Dominic Kinnear said. "For the guys to come back from a goal down early was great. I was thinking words you can't say in public when we got down so quick."

Dalglish, the son of Scottish soccer star Kenny Dalglish, bounced around Europe until the middle of the MLS season before signing with the Dynamo. At the time, Houston had become a predictable team that relied on either Brian Ching or Dwayne De Rosario.