Sunday, September 30, 2007

D-Mo and D-Ro Dominate in Dallas

What a dominating performance the Dynamo had in Frisco today. A 3-0 domination that left FCD with only 1 shot on goal. (Game guide -- Game Recap.)

The old D-Ro we know and love returned. He was the prime generator in the midfield, but also on the finishing end with a rocket to the near post in first half injury time, and another rocket from distance that was deflected by Sala...and those were just two of many.

Ching was doing his usual holding play and possession dribbling to make the insightful passes that make things happen. He got credit for the assist on Holden's goal of course (in the 84th), but my ultra-slow replays show that his head slightly deflected the ball on Mulrooney's corner kick, thus pushing the ball away from Sala's reach and getting the ball to E-Rob for the second goal in the 62nd minute.

As for the Defense? What can you say? Dominating. FCD's threats were few and far between.

Heck, I'm so happy I won't even mention Jaqua's horrendous finishing!

We've got 14 wins and 48 points, tied for first in the Western Conference (tied for 3rd overall). This is a good thing, because while the Supporters' Shield may be out of our reach (realistically, though not mathematically), we need the points to keep us in the top 4, which gets us into next year's SuperLiga. Then we can start worrying about the MLS Cup, which gets us the accolades and the invite to the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

As for the elephant in the room, I couldn't believe when I saw the usually cool Clark go ballistic on Ruiz at the end of the game. He'll get a sure match ban and fine after that violent act. In the replays, I couldn't see Ruiz do anything except jump for the ball then succumb to gravity and land on Clark. Then, using the ultra-slow replay of my DVR, I saw El Pescadito focused completely on Clark (not the ball) as he ran, then he jabbed Clark in the ribs (or sucker punched him in the kidney), and only then did Ruiz focus on the ball and jump for it over Clark's crumpled body. Clark was clearly incensed and kicked Ruiz in the arm, which of course caused the Lying, Cheating Guatemalan to grab his head and writhe in pain. Clark's violence was completely out of line and could have cost his team the clean sheet; however, had he not exploded (but couldn't he have done so less violently?), Ruiz's cheating would not have been recognized. Ruiz is a known cheater, and is incorrigible in his behavior, bringing disrepute to the game every time he is on the field. Clark should be banned for 2-4 matches, but Ruiz should be banned from the MLS. His cheating is pervasive, violent, cynical, and we only see a small fraction of the infractions that he attempts out on the pitch. No team with any values would support him or his manner of play...and I hope the MLS is composed entirely of teams with such caliber and ethics.

Thankfully, we got the 3 points and the clean sheet. We're closer to achieving our goal of being in the top 4 of the standings. Our defense has proven so stellar this year: we can allow up to 2 goals a game for our final 3 games and still set the record for goals conceded in a season and goals per game conceded in a season. If we can do this AND get 9 points out of our remaining games, life will be good...

...until the MLS postseason starts -- then we'll have a whole new set of goals we'll want to accomplish.

Go Dynamo!

Friday, September 28, 2007

Dynamo to be Sold?

A vague rumor has been posted that Dynamo-Houston will be sold to an unknown local group, and that this will be announced during MLS week. This could be great news, but should be viewed as a highly suspect rumor at this point.

I'd love to have local owners who are committed to developing a solid club (from youth levels to the first team) and are willing to spend the money to maintain top notch facilities, lure in highly skilled players, and treat fans to the best soccer experience in the Western Hemisphere. Here's hoping we get that someday.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

DeRo in Da News

Here's a nice article that touches on the backstory of DDR. Just like Zidane, DeRo grew up on the rough side of town, and was able to escape due to his footskills.

And here's a Canadian paper's take on D-Ro's latest game (vs the Galaxy).

Monday, September 17, 2007

Gifts from the Galaxy - Playoffs here we come

Last night's 3-1 win was sweet on so many levels. For one, we needed the 3 points. For another, it's always nice when we can top the Galaxy.

Looking at the stat sheet, it doesn't look like the Dynamo were very superior to their opponent, and that was certainly true in the chippy, choppy first half. Neither team looked particularly composed in the first half, but the second half was all Dynamo.

Thanks to the miracle of modern media, I missed the first 20 seconds or so of the first half, so I didn't see the build up that led to the foul that led to the penalty kick that led to our eventual game winning goal from D-Ro. It was gratifying to see D-Ro put the kick away so forcefully and decisively. From that point on, the game was Orange.

My wife and I jumped and cheered when Jaqua flicked in Ching's cutback pass for the goal off the far post at about the 60th minute...only it turned out the ball bounced the wrong way off the post and into Joe Cannon's arms. How did it do that? Ching, himself, had two sure opportunities with the ball at his feet, time to ready his shot, and no one between him and Cannon, but one shot went to Cannon and the other went just wide. Truly, the score could've been 5-1 in our favor.

The Galaxy are struggling to say the least. The teams midfield is capable, but the forwards are toothless (if we -- Clark was it? -- had not let Gordon run free on LA's corner in the 26th minute, they would not have had the free header and might not have gotten even that one goal) and the defenders are definitely raw and indecisive (on numerous occasions they inexplicably didn't close down our forwards in the box, and they habitually commit silly fouls). Clark's insurance goal was indicative of how naive the Galaxy's defenders were. Perhaps the game would have been different had Abel Xavier been in -- we surely wouldn't have had so many sitters in the box in that case -- and with Beckham in, Donovan would have been able to help out the struggling forwards more. We were definitely hurt by some of our missing starters, but the Galaxy have cast their lot on a select few players who weren't able to play. Maybe there's something to be said for balance when forming a team?

Thankfully we might have nearly all of our starters available at our next match, versus FC Dallas in Frisco on September 30. Hopefully Ngwenya and Mullen aren't new additions to the injured reserve, but our rare bye-week this weekend should provide much-needed help with everyone's recovery.

For now, we are definitely in the playoffs. We have 13 wins (better than our 11 wins last year) and our 45 points are only 1 point behind our season total for last year with 12 more points available on the table. We have conceded 21 goals this season, which puts us well on track toward setting a new MLS record for goals conceded in a season (the record is 29, held by 3 teams) and for goals conceded per game in a season (we need to allow no more than 27 to match the record, held by 2 teams).

I think our objectives for the remainder of regular league play should be to get at least 10 of the 12 points (and all 12 are feasible), which will help us position ourselves for the playoffs and probably get us into the top 4 teams for next year's SuperLiga. We should also work at keeping our Orange Crush defense focused on what they do best (and hope the RSL game was an aberration) to lock down the new defensive record. For the immediate term, and with those two goals in mind, we should rest our battered lads and hope the rest doesn't turn into rust.

Go Dynamo.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Dynamo vs the Galaxy

We're about 2 hours away from facing the LA Galaxy. (Game guide.) Like all of our remaining games, it's a must win. We are a better team than LA, but we've seen this year that this doesn't mean we necessarily get a result.

We are two points behind Chivas (with their tie today vs Colorado) in the standings and only 3 ahead of Dallas. It looks like the Supporters' Shield is out of the question (DCU gets the nod for that...second year in a row), so we need to finish in the top four if we want to compete in the SuperLiga next year. And we do want that.

Kelly Gray (ex-Dynamo and current Galaxian) had a prominent appearance in the most recent David Beckham's Soccer USA. Here's an interview with him, along with a link to the Soccer USA website.

Go Dynamo!

Sunday, September 09, 2007

ReAL, if Scattered, Thoughts from a Dynamo Fan...

Let's spend a few hours in the mind of one Dynamo supporter:

My '95 Saturn didn't pass the emissions test? I can't renew the inspection sticker yet? I'm at 185,000 miles; I wonder if I can I push it to 200K? Probably not. What a rotten day. It's 3 hours until game time; let's start packing things up.

Hey where's the orange ruckack with everything in it? Probably in the same place as the missing TV remote. At least we have the tickets...we DO have the tickets, right?

It's an hour and a half until kickoff; let's load up the van! Its inspection sticker is okay, isn't it? Good.

It's cool that I can listen to the Texas Longhorns pre-game while we drive in. The way they played last week against Arkansas State, TCU could easily hand us our first loss. Wouldn't it be cool if I could listen to a Dynamo pre-game while driving in?

Hey, is that a spot on the street? Goldmine! We just saved ourselves $10!

Mmmm...Sam Adams Light is the best light beer. And it helps keep me sexy & svelte -- all 190 pounds of me.

No time for a second beer, we gotta get inside the stadium in time to get a free t-shirt. Let's go guys!

Hey is that the real MLS Cup? Cool! Hey, it feels kind of light. I wonder if it's hollow.

Free inflatable noise sticks for all three of my kids? Great.

There goes Dalglish on a golf cart into the parking lot. I wonder where he's going.

Hey, this shirt isn't so bad! No cheesy sponsors on it; just the actual Dynamo jersey sponsor. It's a good t-shirt replica of a jersey, actually. They even put the star above the shield, cool!

Section 118...Section 118...here we are.

That's a great "fan appreciation" video on the Jumbotron. That Waibel is a card. I wonder if we'll be able to find a copy of the video on Youtube later.

Dynamo Girls...Dynamo Diesel (how did they get Stuart Holden to be party to THAT?)...finally: the Braveheart Intro! Here comes the Orange!

Who is that announcer? I like the excitement he bellows when announcing the Dynamo lineup! He's better than the one they had at the Columbus Crew game. I hope they keep him.

Good a cappella rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Did the announcer just say something about a moment of silence to remember the fallen on 9/11? Hard to hear over the Texian Army and El Batallon. Did he just thank us for our silence? Hard to hear over the Texian Army and El Batallon.

Now let's get some noise going. Looks like a light crowd. Will we hit even 10,000 tonight? [Addendum: MLS states we had 16,104 present.]

Dynamo are looking good already. Lots of possession on the far half of the field (which is the attacking half from our seats).

Gooooooooaaaaaal, Dynamo! Ashe from the left to Jaqua! Was that Ashe's first assist? [Nope; his second.]

More possession. Man, we're looking sharp! Do we have twelve men on the field? We're sure to get a second goal here.

Dude, that MLS newbie just pushed our defender down in our own box. Looks like we'll be getting a free ki--what? That's not going to count is it? You're kidding me! Could you really not see that he fouled us to get that shot off? Section 118 is lined up perfectly, and I saw it. How could you not see it, AR? Let's check the replay...just as I thought! Boooooo! Booooo! It looks like Salt Lake is the one with a twelfth man, and he's wearing black!

If we don't get 3 points from this game, I'm calling Glenn Davis' radio show this week to complain about the quality of refs in this league. Last week Ngwenya nearly got his leg broken in Kansas City's penalty box, and there was no call. We should've won that game on the PK.

That Texian Army and El Batallon are keeping the crowd into it tonight.

Honey, do you want those peanuts? If not then--what happened? We scored? Eddie Robinson? Woo-hoo! And he's on my fantasy team, Balder Dash! Big points for me, and we're in the lead!

Eh, Bud Light is cold, but it's no Sam Adams Light...

Halftime, and we're up 2-1. That should be enough with our defense, but another goal would be nice. Let's see: if we keep their goal count to 1, then we can allow 2 goals per game the rest of the year and still set a new record for fewest goals conceded in a season. Let's do it, Dynamo.

Longhorns are down 10-0 at halftime? That figures.

Okay, the teams are back on the field...more Dynamo possession; good, they didn't lose their edge during the break.

Woo-hoo! Ashe to Jaqua AGAIN! And D-Ro started that off from the middle to Ashe. Now it's 3-1 and that should just about do it!

There goes Pope, being subbed off. That'll be the last time I see him play live. The best defender (thus far) the US has produced. I wish you a great retirement.

Holy cow, it's...yes! Ashe to Jaqua AGAIN! We're tearing it up on the left side tonight! With the 4 goals, it's game, set, match, Dynamo!

Ma'am, you dropped a $20 bill. My daughter saw it. Yeah, she's very considerate. She used to be a Brownie.

Ah, yes. Four to one. It's nice being able to relax and just watch the soccer game. No worries about the result. Nice heel flick, D-Ro. We're really comfortable out there now. Ooo, terrible shot, D-Ro; was that a cross or a shot? No matter, it's good that we're still attacking. Wow, great rip that time from distance, D-Ro; unlucky that the keeper was there. I wonder if Kinnear will put in one of the never used subs later? Hoo-boy, Ngwenya turned his man cold and made a great run; too bad Rimando got a bead on that one. We're keeping the pressure on and looking good. I wonder if we can get 5 tonight?

Ah, great! The supporters group is finally doing the "yo si le voy le voy al naranja" chant. I dig that one.

Oh look, my Longhorns have taken a lead. This is a good night.

It's almost to the 70-minute mark. Salt Lake must be desperate; they're cranking up the pressure. Corner kick. No worries, we're solid on these, so we -- did he just--? Yep. Goal.

Not liking this, but that's okay; we've still got the 2 goal cushion. It's not unusual for us to allow teams to get 1 goal, and that's exactly what has happened tonight: Houston-4, Salt Lake-1, Referee-1.

We're looking tired out there, especially Jaqua. Nice shot D-Ro. I hope you don't end this season with 4 measly goals; that is not a reflection of what you bring to this team.

Ten minutes to go...we should be good, but Salt Lake is pressing, and we look tired. Who could Kinnear send in to spell the tired ones? Wondo for Jaqua would be good. Ianni for Cochrane would always be okay...although I haven't notice any of the goals being due to Cochrane tonight. After Wondo and Ianni, that’s about it for tested subs at this point.

Confusion in the box! Get it out of there! Rats. Goal. It's 4-3. What happened to our solid defense? This is looking like a crummy night.

I hate exciting sports stories when they're about other teams and my team serves only as the antagonist. I hope this weekend's story isn't about the hapless Salt Lake franchise turning the corner under their rookie coach, winning two straight and then coming back from a 3-goal deficit to get a result on the road against the MLS Cup Champions.

The supporters' section is spurring the team on. They are willing the Orange to victory. I hope they help the team get a second wind.

We're tired out there, but look at D-Ro hustle all the way back to our goal line to chase down that forward! He wants the points. I like that heart! Can we get another goal?

Three minutes stoppage time? Yikes.

Why, oh why, can't the folks at The Rob keep the clock running past the 90-minute mark? How hard can it be? How much time is left?

Good job Mullan, getting the ball down into the corner. Work that clock, Ngwenya! Ashe and Jaqua, playing smart on the left side.

Blessed relief! We got all three points! We'll have to clamp down on defense if we want to get that season record in the next 5 games, but those three points are what matters tonight! (Yet the ref nearly blew this one.)

Either there were fewer people at the game, or we dawdled in our seats for longer than usual. The traffic home seems slightly lighter than usual.

Hey, look! The Longhorns are pulling it out. Let's listen...they did it! Both my orange teams won, and we all got nice t-shirts. It's a good night after all.

Saturday, September 08, 2007

A ReAL Opportunity

Saturday night, the Dynamo begin a stretch that will determine how realistic the term "top tier MLS team" will be when applied to the team -- and perhaps whether such superlatives should even be used when describing this team.

Yes, we all know the Dynamo are a top tier team. They've proven it against quality opponents, from domestic and international quarters alike. They routinely compete for the top honors, including the MLS Cup, Goal of the Year, and MVP (for D-Ro, who came in second) last year, and this year we have proven our abilities with three 4-goal games, a record setting shutout streak, and nearly a season record for fewest goals conceded.

If Dynamo-H has a weakness, it's in its inability to finish when controlling a match, and in its inability to get results against controllable opponents. Saturday night, when RSL comes to town (game guide), we face just such an opponent.

ReAL Salt Lake isn't the complete creampuff it once was. It has already beaten us once, and they are coming off a 2-game winning streak. They have also added some creative Argentines. Nevertheless, they are not Dynamo-caliber and we should be able to take a full 3 points versus them...particularly when playing in Houston.

Moreover, we NEED those three points. We don't have much of a shot at the Supporters' Shield anymore, but we still can nearly equal the prestige. The Supporters' Shield winner earns a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and in SuperLiga. The Dynamo can get into both of these prestigious competitions without winning the Shield if they (1) rank in the top four teams (which earns them a SuperLiga berth) AND (2) win the MLS Cup (which earns them a CCC berth, as well as accolades -- including a star on their crest -- for being the MLS Champion). The league is getting very crowded. We are competing not only with FCD and Chivas in our Conference, but also with DCU, New England, and RBNY. To accomplish our goals, we NEED every point that comes our way, and only 18 are left for us. Getting those points propels us towards the top 4 and towards home field advantage through the MLS Cup tourney.

We need those points, but can we get them? We have had trouble finishing lately. Injuries have sidelined some of our best players, and D-Ro (while not playing poorly) hasn't had the dominant season that he can have. We need to string together another run, and RSL is the perfect place to start.

I say that tonight we win and capture the 3 points, passing up our 11 win mark from last season and giving us 42 points. That won't be enough, but it's a start. Then it's off to LA and Dallas, before returning to face LA again at home for our final regular season home game. Greatness can begin tonight!

Monday, September 03, 2007

Another defensive record on tap?

The Dynamo have already set a league record this year: most consecutive minutes (726) without conceding a goal.

With a defense like that, it's no surprise that Dynamo-Houston is closing in on another league record: fewest goals conceded in a season. The record is currently 29 goals, a record set by Los Angeles in 1999 and equaled by KC in 2000 and San Jose in 2001. Three consecutive years saw a team with that total, interesting.

With 6 games remaining, Houston has conceded only 17 goals. We set a new record if we don't concede more than 2 goals a game as long as we also have one 1-goal game. Better yet, how about a shutout or two?

In points per game, LA and KC set their records in 32-game seasons, giving them a 0.906 goal per game ratio. San Jose played 26 games in 2001, giving them a 1.115 goals per game ratio. If we concede 27 total goals this 30-game season, we beat both of those ratios with 0.9 goals conceded per game. It'd be a great accomplishment.

And, frankly, with the way our team finishes chances, we need that stout defense if we want to get the results we need.

Sunday, September 02, 2007

Ngwenya salvages 1 of 3 points

Saturday's game vs KC began a bit rough. Onstad's foot saved us an early deficit.

From 15 minutes on, we took control of the match and it looked like we'd generate enough opportunities to get a goal. Indeed, Ngwenya would have probably gotten the first goal had he not been mauled from behind by Nick Garcia. When I was playing soccer as a youth, I had a team mate who got his leg broken by an overzealous scissor tackle inside the box, much like the one Ngwenya suffered. Ngwenya didn't get off the shot, Dynamo didn't get the penalty, and Ngwenya (luckily) didn't seem to be injured. The only thing we got out of the ordeal is a Yellow for Ngwenya (dissent after the fact) and a general idea as to how the the ref (Ramon Hernandez) would call the match.

This was the first time the ref had officiated a Dynamo match. Let's hope he improves before the second time.

As is the norm, despite carrying the play and generating the threats from 15 minutes on, we couldn't get the ball into the net. The Wizards could. A few seconds past the 45-minute mark, a Harrington-Sealy-Johnson passing thread got them their goal against the run of play. We were way too loose on Sealy, the lynch pin on this play. Cochrane came forward to pressure Harrington, and Mullan let Sealy slip through for the through pass. Ianni slid over, but Sealy got the ball to Johnson who one-touched it into goal. Just like last week, Barrett was there, sliding only moments too late.

The second half continued the Orange-tilting game. DDR, playing more as a forward, was having one of his better games this season. He was moving the ball, finding his mates, taking the shots. Just before the 70th minute, E-Rob intercepts a pass in our defensive third. He slides a forward pass to D-Ro, who then dribbles through the middle third while the KC defenders retreat. Ngwenya runs to the left, then cuts back to the right. D-Ro splits two defenders with his pass and Ngwenya, pressured by his marker, one-times the ball into the net.

This was an outstanding play, and very well timed. I just wish all of our finishing could have been this crisp. In the first half Mullan has a direct shot sent wide left, and D-Ro has a shot from about 8 yards out go into low earth orbit. We'd get a lot more goals for ourselves if we'd just put our shots on frame. I know that ain't easy sometimes, but sheesh!

Taking away the first 15 minutes (which didn't hurt us) and the 2-3 isolated threats on our net (only one of which hurt us), it was the Dynamo's game to win. Skill, heart, and teamwork were in our favor, but finishing was not. For the second week in a row we take only 1 of the available 3 points. That one point may prove big later...but the lost 2 points could also prove big in a bad way.

Here's a simple listing of the current top 7 teams, the points they have, the number of games they've played, and the number of points still available to them (3 x remaining games)

Team / Pts / GP / PA
D.C. United / 42 / 22/ 24
New England / 42 / 23 / 21
Houston / 39 / 24 / 18
New York / 36 / 23 / 21
Chivas USA / 36 / 20 / 30 - 1 game left vs Dynamo
FC Dallas / 36 / 22 / 24 - 1 game left vs Dynamo
Kansas City / 33 / 24 / 18

The most disturbing fact is that we have only 18 points available to us, while Chivas USA (a mere 3 points behind us) has 30 points available to them. Furthermore, the teams ahead of us also have more than 18 points available to them.

Bottom line: we need just about every one of those 18 points to ensure we distance ourselves from the other contenders for the Supporters' Shield. If we fail to get the Shield, we need to (1) be one of the top 4 teams so we can be invited to SuperLiga (this will also require us to get a majority of those 18 points) and (2) win the MLS Cup so we get the recognition of being the MLS champions and so we get the invite to the CONCACAF Champions Cup (with only a few more points we can probably secure our position in the playoffs, and then it's just a matter of winning our way through the MLS Cup tourney).

To get those points we're going to have to score more goals. Hopefully our guys get healthy over the next week so we can field a rested and recuperated lineup to face RSL next Saturday. We also need DDR to continue improving his form; tonight was a good indication of what he can do, but we need more.

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Wizards & Waibel

The inconsistent Wizards come to town. (Game guide.) After a dynamite start and world class performances from Eddie Johnson, the team hasn't been getting the results and EJ has disappeared. Our own D-Ro hasn't been very visible either, but D-Ro has been doing the little things in the middle that keep our team in the game and keep the opponents on their toes.

Tonight, we need D-Ro to be more visible, and we need to be able to neutralize EJ's only real weapon: a speedy fast break.

If KC is tired, they might play a lot of men behind the ball, and we know how poorly we deal with that. Hopefully KC goes back to the bread and butter of their early season success, which is open, attacking soccer. If so, we should have the space necessary to get the goals we need. And we do need goals. The race is too tight, particularly with an upswinging Chivas USA having so many games in hand. We would have to completely choke to not get into the post-season, so that's a near lock; but I want the Supporters' Shield, and we have a lot of work to do before we can claim that or even challenge for it.

It won't be easy tonight or the rest of the season. Injuries have cut us to the quick, particularly at left midfield and forward. Tonight we'll be without Davis and Holden, as has been the trend, but we'll also be without Ching (which hopefully doesn't last long). Jaqua will be out due to yellow card accumulation. We're going to have trouble on the left flank and in the attacking third with this line up. That means we'll need some magic from D-Ro.

But as I've said many times: D-Ro, don't force it. Feel the game, be a part of it, then let your talent and creativity mold the game naturally. That's how you roll. When you try to impose your will and dominant the game, that's when your gifted instinct is set aside and your play suffers. Don't make me break out my Yoda graphic again...

Dynamo 2, Wizards 1.

The press:
Craig Waibel has a great interview at Goal.com. He's quite candid about the teams aspirations and shortfalls. Interesting to hear him speak so highly of New England. I suppose they are a team that gets results, but I hate their style of play for the most part.

LA GK coach, Tim Hanley, quietly left the Galaxy organization this week. I don't know if this is the beginning of a housecleaning effort by the Gals, or if Tim decided he didn't want to have anything else to do with the organization. I know he likes working with Frank Yallop and Joe Cannon, so I doubt it was a personality conflict with them. Tim is a genuinely nice guy. He left the Dynamo last season to be close to his family. In the warmups before his last Dynamo game, he actually came over and talked to my kids as we sat in Section 117. He was also the first to console Onstad after we lost to the Gals in Reliant Stadium and during the US Open Cup. Whatever the story, I wish the best for him and his family. He can surely find a job at the college level ... Stanford maybe?