Houston Dynamo's Brian Ching celebrates after scoring a goal during the first half of a Major League Soccer match against the New York Red Bulls on Thursday. Red Bulls' Dave van den Bergh is at right. Bob Levey | Associated Press

Houston (8-5-2) is unbeaten in seven games since a 2-1 loss at D.C. United on May 26. The Dynamo haven't allowed a goal in four straight games, including a scoreless tie at Dallas last week.

New York (6-5-3) lost for the third time in four games. The Red Bulls have a tie in that stretch and haven't won since a 2-1 victory at Toronto on June 6.

Houston improved to 1-1-2 against New York this season.

Ngwenya scored his first goal on a header in the 28th minute to give Houston a 1-0 lead.

The play began after New York's Kevin Goldthwaite was given a yellow card for tripping. Ngwenya took the free kick from Stuart Holden and punched it in the left corner of the goal.

Brian Ching, a Kamehameha alum from Hale'iwa, scored in the 31st minute to make it 2-0. Ching had a header seconds earlier that rebounded off the left post. The Red Bulls tried to clear it from the front of the goal but the ball came right back to Ching, who kicked it in from 20 yards.

Ngwenya netted his second goal early in the second half off a corner kick by Holden. From close in, Ngwenya sent the ball to the right corner, and New York goalie Ronald Waterreus let it slip through his hands as he fell back into the goal in the 50th minute.

In the 79th minute, Holden took a pass from Nate Jaqua and kicked a shot in from 22 yards out for a 4-0 lead.

The Dynamo's four best players, Ching, Dayne De Rosario, Pat Onstad and Ricardo Clark, all returned after missing a month while playing for their national teams in the Gold Cup.