The Orange and The Redwhite&blue on top

Dynamo looked absolutely awesome this evening. They didn't look the sharpest they've looked, but they were awesome.

With four veterans gone and facing a full-strength Rapids team, Kinnear didn't just rearrange the remaining vets, he turned to the green boys: Wondo starts, Holden and Ashe get significant time, and Ianni puts in some minutes.

The starting lineup wasn't too surprising, although it wasn't what I thought Dom would do. Gray as D-Mid is a safe choice, but I thought that Mulrooney would work there and Dom would put an attack-minded player in the Attacking Mid role. Instead, it looked kind of like what Clark/Mulrooney did during the Dallas game, with Gray/Mulrooney taking turns going forward on the attack and hanging back to provide support.

In the first 3 minutes, Ngwenya scores in a virtual imitation of his goal vs Dallas last weekend. In the first 10 minutes, it looks like Ngwenya might have another, and Mullan and Davis also get opportunities. Then the C-Rapids picked up their game a little bit and Dynamo began to react rather than act. A rash swing of the arm by Robinson about 12 minutes in leads to a PK, and all the hard work of the first 10 minutes are erased.

At that point, the game found a balance, with both teams pressing at times and neither team being particularly threatening. Dynamo's timing and spacing seemed to be off with the new contingent -- not so much a factor of inexperience in technique than inexperience working with each other, I believe -- and the usual panache of Clark and DeRo were missing, but the squad had heart and everyone fought for a result.

The spacing and passing were particularly wonting in the midfield, and our usual stalwart back line had several potentially costly gaffes, most egregious was Robinson's decision to pass the ball to Cochrane, who had little space and had to make a hurried pass towards his own goal, forcing Wells to desperately knock the ball out and gift the C-Rapids a corner. Oh yeah, there was also that needless foul in the box that led to the previously mentioned PK.

At about the hour mark, it looked like a draw was inevitable, but then Kelly Gray scoots a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Stewie Holden, who had been in the game all of 50 seconds. Holden drills the ball into the far netting, putting us ahead for good. That shot was perhaps the best goal by a Dynamo this season, and young Stewie nailed it.

Flashback sequence: When I was a kid, I played either right back or left forward in a 4-3-3. As a fullback, one of the best feelings is when the ball is bouncing around the box among a crowd in front of your own goal, and it falls in front of you and it's just step-step-bang! and the ball is safely cleared from danger. As a forward, one of the best feelings is running with the ball, nothing but green between you and the goal, the whoosh of the air around your head, then striking that ball perfectly on your instep without breaking stride. I bet Stewie -- I mean, Mr. Holden -- had that sensation tonight as he ran towards the gently rolling ball. Ah, to be young again.

Memo from the Dept of The Glass is Half Empty:
Gray, if you ever receive an opportunity like Ashe busted his butt for you to have today, you'd better get your foot cleanly on the ball. Yeah, that was a nice assist on Stewie's -- Mr. Holden's -- goal, but you should've had one yourself at that range, with only the goalie to beat. (Okay, so the ball was bouncy and hit your shin; just be glad that Mr Holden's goal stood up, buddy!)
- Signed: Manager of I'm Never Satisfied, Department of The Glass is Half Empty.

It was fitting that the game ended with another near disastrous defensive blunder when Wells didn't call for the ball and collided with Robinson on a cross. Luckily, nothing came of it and the game ended.

So, our attack was more effective than usual, our possession play was hot and cold, and our defensive line (the only group to not be hit by National Team call-ups) floundered at times. Before the match, I would have swapped "attack" and "defensive line" in the previous sentence. Luckily, I was wrong about the attack, and the team got the result it needed. Hopefully the midfield will start clicking (and the backs will get back to their normal selves) in time for the C-bus game. Unfortunately, they don't have much time to work out the kinks.

Well, the USMNT stole my forecasted score for the Dynamo game, beating Guatemala 1-0. I didn't watch much of the game, but what I saw looked very chippy (after the goal) and not very flowing (the whole game). That's to be expected I suppose, particularly when playing in the CONCACAF. I'm looking forward to the T&T match on Saturday. We'll have to do it without Onyewu, eh? Maybe folk-hero Jay DeMerit will get his first start in a competitive match.