Hale'iwa's Brian Ching scored in the first half and the host Houston Dynamo went on to defeat FC Dallas, 1-0, yesterday and retake the lead in the Western Conference.

It was Houston's league-leading 10th shutout of the season and gave the Dynamo a one-point lead in the conference standings. Houston (11-7-4) had lost two straight in MLS play after an 11-game unbeaten streak.

Ching, who leads the team in goals with seven, scored in the 44th minute. Brian Mullan kicked a long pass from outside the box on the right into the middle where Ching punched it in from 3 yards out.

Dallas (11-7-3) snapped a six-game unbeaten string and slipped back to second place in the Western Conference.

Ching was to leave last night for Sweden, where the forward will be with the United States men's team in a game against Sweden on Wednesday.

AUTO RACING

NASCAR RACE RAINED OUT, WILL TRY TODAY

A steady rain yesterday forced NASCAR to postpone the 3M Performance 400 Nextel Cup race until today.

With more rain in the forecast for Brooklyn, Mich., though, there was the possibility that the drivers would not get on track again until tomorrow morning — or even later.

"It's a situation that we sometimes have to deal with," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said. "It's not fun for anybody but, first, we'll do everything we can to get the race in tomorrow. If we can't get it in Monday, we'll do everything we can to get it in Tuesday."

The National Weather Service was calling for an 80 percent chance of rain today, but dropping to 40 percent tomorrow and to 30 percent on Wednesday, with scattered thunderstorms possible each day.

The Cup transporters are due in Bristol, Tenn., Thursday afternoon to set up for Saturday night's Sharpie 500.

The Michigan race is one of four remaining events scheduled prior to the start of the 10-race Chase for the championship.

Asked what would happen if the race could not be run this week, Poston said: "Although we certainly hope to get it in, and plan to get it in this week, if we had to move it, the race would be scheduled for the weekend after Thanksgiving, making it the last race on the schedule."

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

YOUNGS, BRANAGH WIN AVP BOSTON OPEN

Elaine Youngs made a perfectly placed shot on the right sideline to give her and teammate Nicole Branagh the title at the AVP Boston Open with a 15-21, 21-19, 16-14 victory over Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh yesterday in Quincy, Mass.

"To be perfectly honest, I said I'm going to gauge Kerri," Youngs said. "I saw an opening and I went for it."

Youngs and Branagh, the tournament's No. 2 seed, ended No. 1 Walsh and May-Treanor's stretch of 10 consecutive titles.

"Apparently there was an emotional letdown," said Walsh, who used her 6-foot-3 frame to block a number of shots. "Something wasn't there. I just feel like it was a fluke for us."

It was the third AVP title for Branagh and Youngs, and halted Walsh and May-Treanor's 39-match winning streak. The champs had been just 1-5 in finals against the duo.

"It's great to be in a final against Misty and Kerri and win," Youngs said. "They're unbelievable."