Saturday, December 15, 2007

Blogs, Boswell, and Buh-Bye to Bachelorhood

Scattered blogs 'bout the 'Mo:
Stuart Holden and Pat Ianni have been writing a great blog from their tour with the U-23 MNT in China. There are some nice bits to the blog:
  • Holden calls Ianni a "Meatball"
  • Ianni calls Holden "Mr. Teen Houston"
  • Ianni notes that in the game vs the Chinese Olympic team, "I'm sure Stu will tell you, but he had quite a few shots and a couple of really good ones."
  • And the best line of all comes from Stu: "So now we are just relaxing at the hotel in Guangzhou about to watch a movie with our good friend Arturo (thanks by the way Arty for helping us in the playoffs!)." He's referring to this Arturo, not this one, of course.
DeRosario is also blogging, as he ventures to Mali for humanitarian purposes:

And the newest Dynamo has had a longstanding blog that was popular with DC United fans, and ladies in general. That Bos is a funny guy. Now that I've had a chance to digest the Wells-Boswell trade, I have to say that I think the Dynamo may be the biggest beneficiaries of the deal in the short term, which may be all that matters in the MLS. We lose a solid keeper who probably wouldn't see much field time due to being behind Onstad, and we gain a solid defender who probably will see a lot of field time. He had a stellar year two years ago, and I think Coach Dom has shown that he can bring the best out of a player, if the player is willing to give an effort. And Bobby Boswell seems to be that type of player. He's definitely saying and doing the right things:
  • He says, "To end up in Houston is just unbelievable, it's awesome. I've heard nothing but good things about the organization and the coaches, and I know a lot of the guys, from playing against them and playing with them on the national level. I just think overall it's a good fit for me and I think I'm a good fit for them as well."
  • He has been spending his off-season dedicated to a bulked-up strength and conditioning regimen, including "grueling" workouts with a boxing trainer as he focuses on adding weight and strengthening his legs for what promises to be another long, arduous year.
  • Perhaps best of all, he's an Austin boy (sorta). He was born there, but raised in Tampa. "It's just that Texas mentality -- even though I didn't grow up there, I still got a little bit of it, and I'm looking forward to heading down and living there," he said. "The weather, they talk about how hot it is there, and I just kind of smile, because I'm like, 'man, in Tampa it's the same way,' you know? That humidity is kind of what I grew up on," he said, adding, "'Don't mess with Texas,' I'm going to start adopting that one right away."
  • He's ready to compete for the starting XI for the team with the best defense in the MLS: "It's competition -- it makes everyone better," he said. "We had a lot of success here at D.C. with that, and I realize going into that system, that's how it's going to be. But like I've always said, all you can really do is work every day to improve and become a better player and eventually, you hopefully get an opportunity, and it's what you do with that opportunity. So I think that I'll be given a fair opportunity going in there, and I like my chances."
Of course, evaluating the trade also depends on Onstad remaining healthy, or on Dom finding a solid 2nd to Onstad. And the deal might not have a positive effect beyond this season, because we've lost a good longterm prospect in Wells, and Boswell has already said he wants to try his hand (foot?) at a European league after this next season. Still, the MLS is so fluid personnel-wise, that it's really only practical to look at the coming season; we can wait to deal with the issues of future seasons once those issues are upon us.

Wrapping up the blog theme, you should check out the satiric Beckham video posted on Glenn Davis' blog.

Grassroots recruiting:
Houston Dynamo brought a recruiter from the USMNT to the Valley, and are looking at untapped talent for themselves as well.

It's wuv, twoo wuv:
Do you remember Paul Dalglish? He sometimes wore Orange the past couple of years. Remember? Scored a couple of important playoff goals? Yeah, him. Injuries and a high salary (compared to the salary cap) implies that Paul won't be in the Orange next year, but that hasn't stopped him from setting down some roots in our fair city. It looks like Daggers found true love in a Houstonian art teacher. Congratulations to the happy couple. Rich or poor, quick or slow, may you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Final of the Dynamo Jersey Trilogy

The final strip in the short saga that was Cleats' Dynamo Jersey Trilogy.



Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Specials, Comics, and a little math work

I'm back from another business trip to California (I smelled more manure in the San Joaquin valley than I did in all my years in Texas). I didn't get to visit any soccer cathedrals this time, and I also see that I missed a Dynamo Dynasty special on the Fox Soccer Channel. From the press release:

Fox Soccer Channel will chronicle the Houston Dynamo’s incredible run to a second consecutive Major League Soccer (MLS) championship during Dynamo Dynasty, a half-hour special premiering Thursday, November 29 at 11:00 p.m. ET.

Hosted by Max Bretos, this insider’s look at the Dynamo’s road to glory will feature highlights and interviews, beginning with the team’s semifinal performance at the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup last spring and culminating with its second straight MLS Cup victory over the New England Revolution on November 18.

The Dynamo, led by head coach Dominic Kinnear and star forward Brian Ching, were featured prominently on Fox Soccer Channel in 2007, with seven MLS Saturday on FSC appearances, including their Western Conference finals victory over FC Dallas earlier this month.
If it doesn't rebroadcast (and I doubt it does), then I'll just have to console myself with the opinions of many BigSoccer posters, who opined that the show wasn't very special.

Speaking of BigSoccer, El Naranja has a nice compilation of the stats behind the Dynamo's year. His numbers include all Dynamo competitions, and it includes only the Dynamo-specific stats of the comers and goers this season. It seems DeRo did alright for himself when you look at his whole body of work, not just the league play (and he acquitted himself quite nicely even then when it mattered).

I had seen this during the playoffs, but I never commented on it. According to an EA Sports FIFA Soccer 08 simulation using the Xbox 360, Houston Dynamo were destined to win a second straight MLS Cup. Some of the details didn't come to pass (it was to be a 3-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls), but the bottom line was correct.

You can really tell win a team has arrived when it infiltrates pop culture. The LA Galaxy have benefited from this solely due to the arrival of Beckham, but Houston has also slipped into the public consciousness, and due more to merit and on-field performance. Check out these strips from December 3 & 4 (click for larger image):