Dynamo legend Brian Ching fondly remembers BBVA Compass Stadium

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Brian Ching's name already was chiseled in stone as the Dynamo's greatest scorer, but as the summer of 2012 wore on his resume felt incomplete.

Ching's brightest Dynamo days were played in Robertson Stadium, but when the club opened BBVA Compass Stadium on May 12, 2012 he desperately wanted to score there.

It took him five games in the new digs before he finally netted an 83rd-minute penalty kick in a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union on June 30 of that year. It ended a nine-game scoreless streak.

"I thought I was cursed for a little while," Ching said this week. "It took me so long to get that first goal. I was doing everything – hitting the post, just missing, keepers making good saves.

"That first goal was a big relief for me. I always wanted to score in this place because I really felt like I was part of getting the stadium built. Finally having a place to call home and as a striker to score here, was priceless."

The goal against Philadelphia was the 79th of his 82-goal career. He scored a record 56 MLS goals for the Dynamo. Two of them came at BBVA Compass Stadium.

Houston Dynamo's Brian Ching bows to the crowd after the Brian Ching Testimonial Match, Friday, December 13, 2013, at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston. Houston Dynamo's Brian Ching bows to the crowd after the Brian Ching Testimonial Match, Friday, December 13, 2013, at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston. Photo: Eric Christian Smith, For The Chronicle Photo: Eric Christian Smith, For The Chronicle Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close Dynamo legend Brian Ching fondly remembers BBVA Compass Stadium 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

Friday marks the fifth anniversary of the opening of the club's current home. The Dynamo put their six-game unbeaten streak there on the line when they play host to Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Houston still is a long way away from its MLS record 36-game home unbeaten streak from July 2011 to May 2013, which is what Ching said is his favorite part of BBVA Compass Stadium.

"The opening of that stadium is right smack in the middle of the streak," Ching said. "We wouldn't have been able to do that if we didn't have this place to call home. It is our fans. The building is just a building, but when our fans get in here and they make it our home it provides the team with a fantastic advantage.

"We really felt a sense of pride and put on a performance there for our fans. That's one of the records I am extremely proud of. It might stand for a long time to come."