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):


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