Once again, there won't be an MLS team in the CONCACAF Champions final. Dynamo lose to Saprissa 3-0 last night. Saprissa's win is a fair indication of the performance on the field, but the magnitude of the result doesn't quite tell the story. I felt Saprissa played well enough to win, but I think the Dynamo acquitted themselves quite well, especially if you consider how they seemed to be forced to play under the Mark of Cain last night.
The Dynamo were hamstrung from the beginning. They were without four starters, including the vital Pat Onstand, and lost a fifth starter mere minutes into the game when Craig Waibel pulled up lame. They played with a shaky GK and no true centerbacks for the rest of the match.
Still, the Dynamo held its own for a majority of the first half, and did so in one of the most formidable stadia in Central America. They didn't threaten much, mainly due to an inability to connect passes on the slick artificial surface, but they easily absorbed pressure. They should have gone into the half tied, but for a soft goal conceded by the Dynamo near the end of the half. Even then, Carraccio could have even the score at 1 just before half, but his shot went wide and he had no support in the center or right to follow up on the open goal.
The first 15 minutes of the second half were dismal for the Orange. That was the only stretch where they looked like they were overmatched, but even then it took ball watching defense (in our penalty box, no less -- unpardonable!) with Mulrooney leaving his mark and Mullan not picking the mark up to enable Saprissa to score on a blistering shot that Caig had no chance on.
After the 60th minute, the Dynamo cranked it up a notch and played like the team that they are. Ching nearly halved the deficit with a rocket headed towards the right corner, but a brilliant save by the Saprissa keeper, who was woefully out of position mere seconds before as he tried to clear the ball, kept a clean sheet.
As the game approached the 80th minute, Saprissa scored their third and final goal off a fast break counterattack that caught Caig in no man's land. Fast break goals have proven to be a weakness of the Dynamo this season and preseason. They better find a way to overcome this weakness.
Saprissa will now face Pachuca in the final. Pachuca, you'll remember, eliminated the Dynamo from the CONCACAF Champions tourney and the SuperLiga tourney, winning the championship of both in the successive game.
Pachuca got into the final after losing to DC 2-1 last night, but winning the aggregate scoring by 3-2. DC won the moral victory. I'm tired of the MLS winning only moral victories, how about you?
About Caig. The online fan consensus is that Caig is awful. I won't say he's awful, but I will say that he doesn't seem up to a starting GK role. The blame for the loss doesn't rest on his shoulders, but I can see Onstad snagging two of the shots and keeping the game to a 1-point loss. In fact, that's the same ratio as with the FC Dallas game: 1 solid goal conceded due to poor defending, 1 weak shot going in under Caig when he should have easily snagged it, and 1 shot going in because Caig got caught in no man's land. Onstad would have easily got the weak shot and probably wouldn't have been caught in no man's land in both games. Caig had some decent stops, but he also seemed to stay on his line when he should be coming out to punch or catch crosses, and he incorrectly got caught in no man's land there at the end. His poor hands and poor positioning is a suprise, because as one online source says in its pregame assessment "This is a guy that's walked out onto the field at Tynecastle while wearing a Hibs uniform and spent most of the current season watching Gretna implode. Sorry Saprissa, but he's seen worse."
Get well soon, Onstad. We've seen that Kansas City is mortal, and we need you to back us up this weekend.
Media roundup
MLS recap of the Saprissa loss.
The Chronicle recap.
Glenn Davis' player assessment
US Soccer Players says "MLS clubs aren't built for two-leg aggregate goal midweek competitions, with all those qualifiers necessarily in place. It's a depth of squad issue more than anything else. Houston's best available option when forced to make a change early was to sub on an injured player. They join the Revs as already having to start players low on the depth chart three weeks into the season. There's an easy answer...Like any business, if MLS wants to expand opportunities, they need the personnel to cover."
ESPN has a late addition to the fray. Carlisle echoes Davis' comments about the MLS schedule belying the Commissioner's desire for the MLS to do well in international play: "The sight of the Dynamo playing the weekend before Wednesday's match -- on a Sunday afternoon no less -- borders on the ridiculous." Word. Also, the injuries from the FCD thugs and before left the Dynamo with a makeshift side where "The teamwork and cohesiveness that have long been the Dynamo's trademark vanished." Can't argue with that either.
Costa Rica's "Tico Times" weighs in as well, noting the Dynamo's disappointing performance, but also their dominance in the first leg.
And Goal.com posts an article sympathetic to the odds faced by the Dynamo.
Showing posts with label Saprissa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saprissa. Show all posts
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Into the Belly of the Beast
So let's get this straight about tonight's match:
1. The Dynamo have had troubles on defense, and the two brightest spots (ERob and Onstad) are out injured. BoBo is out due to yellow card accumulation, so we will have to start our backup centerback and a non-centerback at centerback. And they'll be in front of a new goalkeeper who may be a bit shaky.
2. The midfield has a banged up Mullan who hasn't played a full match in forever, a banged up Davis who is so banged up he can't even start, and then Holden who is so banged up he didn't even make the trip. We'll have the still green Ashe on the left and maybe the rookie Cameron on the right.
3. The forwards haven't gelled yet.
4. Saprissa is the best of Costa Rica. They've won this tourney before. They are so hungry for victory tonight that they rested their players in their league match this past weekend. So they are rested and hungry. And playing at home. And with their best midfielder who missed the first match versus the Dynamo.
5. The venue is Saprissa Stadium near San José, and is renown as an unsettling place for visitors. It has artificial turf, and is far, far removed from the comforts of Robertson...or of the USA for that matter.
No problem. We have Barrett and Waibel in the back, and Mulrooney and Ianni are nothing to sneeze at. Clark will be at his D-Mid position and help snuff out attacks. Mullan will likely start and will instill a lot of energy into the attack, and DeRo will be in his usual spot. Ashe has his speed and Ching has an aerial game that is enhanced by one of Saprissa's weakness. Caraccio is beginning to fit into the system and will feel like he's at home in Argentina when the crowd gets rowdy.
No problem. This is where the stuff of legends is made.
Media Roundup
MLS preview is here.
More MLS coverage.
Preview from The Chronicle. And some more Notes.
Glenn Davis' observations and commentary.
ESPN talks about stacked decks.
Fox Sports (Fox Soccer) is carrying the game tonight, but has no articles or coverage of any kind on their website.
Go Dynamo!
1. The Dynamo have had troubles on defense, and the two brightest spots (ERob and Onstad) are out injured. BoBo is out due to yellow card accumulation, so we will have to start our backup centerback and a non-centerback at centerback. And they'll be in front of a new goalkeeper who may be a bit shaky.
2. The midfield has a banged up Mullan who hasn't played a full match in forever, a banged up Davis who is so banged up he can't even start, and then Holden who is so banged up he didn't even make the trip. We'll have the still green Ashe on the left and maybe the rookie Cameron on the right.
3. The forwards haven't gelled yet.
4. Saprissa is the best of Costa Rica. They've won this tourney before. They are so hungry for victory tonight that they rested their players in their league match this past weekend. So they are rested and hungry. And playing at home. And with their best midfielder who missed the first match versus the Dynamo.
5. The venue is Saprissa Stadium near San José, and is renown as an unsettling place for visitors. It has artificial turf, and is far, far removed from the comforts of Robertson...or of the USA for that matter.
No problem. We have Barrett and Waibel in the back, and Mulrooney and Ianni are nothing to sneeze at. Clark will be at his D-Mid position and help snuff out attacks. Mullan will likely start and will instill a lot of energy into the attack, and DeRo will be in his usual spot. Ashe has his speed and Ching has an aerial game that is enhanced by one of Saprissa's weakness. Caraccio is beginning to fit into the system and will feel like he's at home in Argentina when the crowd gets rowdy.
No problem. This is where the stuff of legends is made.
Media Roundup
MLS preview is here.
More MLS coverage.
Preview from The Chronicle. And some more Notes.
Glenn Davis' observations and commentary.
ESPN talks about stacked decks.
Fox Sports (Fox Soccer) is carrying the game tonight, but has no articles or coverage of any kind on their website.
Go Dynamo!
Monday, April 07, 2008
Dallas Drawl
Sunday, Dallas got their first point in Houston. The 3-3 draw came as blessed relief for the Dynamo faithful, because we were looking at no points until the rookie Geoff Cameron hamered home the equalizer in the 90+ minute. Relief aside, the result is actually a poor reflection of how dominant the Dynamo were, except for some overly lax defending and an inability to handle the fast break.
Fact is, Dynamo had solid possession, controlling both the ball and real estate for a majority of the match. FCD relied on a Route 101 philosophy that hoped for some luck on the fast breaks. They got that luck in spades when they took out Onstad and forced our backup keeper, Tony Caig, into an MLS baptism by fire. In retrospect, only one of Caig's goals looked like a complete flub by the keeper, but I'd wager that Onstad would likely have also stopped at least one of the other two goals conceded to Dallas.
I'm pretty disappointed in Dallas' play because I thought with all those South Americans they'd have a strong and creative midfield. In fact, they seemed to by-pass the midfield completely and go straight from defense to blitzkrieg. Maybe it was the heat or maybe it was a desperate road strategy. If they stick with that style of play, it'll be an ugly year for the Frisco crowd.
And the ugly play turned downright criminal with the on-field mugging the Hoops players repeatedly inflicted on the Men In Orange. They took out Onstad and Robinson, who are both tough as nails, and were probably encouraged by the blind eye given by Abbey-O, who continues his tradition of poor and inconsistent officiating. If Dallas knocked Onstad and Robinson out of the Saprissa match this Wednesday, then they are as moronic as they are barbaric, hurting an MLS side's ability to carry the MLS banner internationally.
There was ugly on the Dynamo side as well. The Dynamo defense bears little resemblance to the defense of the 2007 campaign. They're not helping their GK (whoever he may be) very much. They had better find their chemistry quickly in this campaign or the forwards will require superhuman finishing if they wish to offset the GAA. Only 1/15th of the way into the season, they've let in over 1/4th the total number of goals we conceded last year.
Here's what some of the media outlets have to say:
Here's B-Fall's blog in the Chronicle. It has his player grades and links to his game article and game notes. I do disagree in his assessment of the first goal being Caig's fault. While the goal looked ludicrous, Caig was positioned to block the more likely direct shot on goal.
The league's official recap is here.
The US Soccer Players' recap is here. "Gift Houston an own-goal"? Uh, that was no gift. Ching was knocking that ball in whether Moor was there or not, and Moor wouldn't have knocked it in had Ching not struck when and where he did. How about that quote from FC coach Steve Morrow? I think it's great that he continues his blind assessment of his own team's quality: "We're very disappointed. It feels like a loss. I think we should have had the game won by then. We had two or three chances to go up 4-2. We should've finished off the game." Yes, his team managed to score three goals (but were lucky to have two of the three they did get), and yes one or two of his team's misses could have feasibly gone into goal, but those were the exceptions to the Dynamo's dominance. Dallas did not at all carry the play and were more than lucky that the Dynamo did not put away one or two more of their own. Quotes like Morrow's are good news for Dynamo fans: Morrow's continued myopia in terms of his team's failings means he'll be less able to fix the problems. And his reliance on fast breaks will ensure they remain the second best MLS team in Texas.
Having said that, they ARE in a better position to win El Capitan this year than they have been in past years. But, in addition to playing them once in Frisco (Wed, May 28), we get them one more time in Robertson (Thur, June 26). If we can tie them away and beat them in Robertson (reasserting our natural superiority, natch), we'll keep the cannon.
The neutral folks at Soccer by Ives have a less favorable review of Dallas' performance than the biased Steve Morrow does. "FCD shouldn't be in this game much less winning it. They're proving so far they can defend and score against the run of play." "Nice to see Dallas switch to the 9-0-1 formation."
Now we need to switch our gaze from the second best team in Texas to the best team in Costa Rica. It looks like we'll be without ERob (gulp!). Let's pray that we'll have a healthy Onstad, not to mention a magical DeRo and prolific Ching/Caraccio.
Fact is, Dynamo had solid possession, controlling both the ball and real estate for a majority of the match. FCD relied on a Route 101 philosophy that hoped for some luck on the fast breaks. They got that luck in spades when they took out Onstad and forced our backup keeper, Tony Caig, into an MLS baptism by fire. In retrospect, only one of Caig's goals looked like a complete flub by the keeper, but I'd wager that Onstad would likely have also stopped at least one of the other two goals conceded to Dallas.
I'm pretty disappointed in Dallas' play because I thought with all those South Americans they'd have a strong and creative midfield. In fact, they seemed to by-pass the midfield completely and go straight from defense to blitzkrieg. Maybe it was the heat or maybe it was a desperate road strategy. If they stick with that style of play, it'll be an ugly year for the Frisco crowd.
And the ugly play turned downright criminal with the on-field mugging the Hoops players repeatedly inflicted on the Men In Orange. They took out Onstad and Robinson, who are both tough as nails, and were probably encouraged by the blind eye given by Abbey-O, who continues his tradition of poor and inconsistent officiating. If Dallas knocked Onstad and Robinson out of the Saprissa match this Wednesday, then they are as moronic as they are barbaric, hurting an MLS side's ability to carry the MLS banner internationally.
There was ugly on the Dynamo side as well. The Dynamo defense bears little resemblance to the defense of the 2007 campaign. They're not helping their GK (whoever he may be) very much. They had better find their chemistry quickly in this campaign or the forwards will require superhuman finishing if they wish to offset the GAA. Only 1/15th of the way into the season, they've let in over 1/4th the total number of goals we conceded last year.
Here's what some of the media outlets have to say:
Here's B-Fall's blog in the Chronicle. It has his player grades and links to his game article and game notes. I do disagree in his assessment of the first goal being Caig's fault. While the goal looked ludicrous, Caig was positioned to block the more likely direct shot on goal.
The league's official recap is here.
The US Soccer Players' recap is here. "Gift Houston an own-goal"? Uh, that was no gift. Ching was knocking that ball in whether Moor was there or not, and Moor wouldn't have knocked it in had Ching not struck when and where he did. How about that quote from FC coach Steve Morrow? I think it's great that he continues his blind assessment of his own team's quality: "We're very disappointed. It feels like a loss. I think we should have had the game won by then. We had two or three chances to go up 4-2. We should've finished off the game." Yes, his team managed to score three goals (but were lucky to have two of the three they did get), and yes one or two of his team's misses could have feasibly gone into goal, but those were the exceptions to the Dynamo's dominance. Dallas did not at all carry the play and were more than lucky that the Dynamo did not put away one or two more of their own. Quotes like Morrow's are good news for Dynamo fans: Morrow's continued myopia in terms of his team's failings means he'll be less able to fix the problems. And his reliance on fast breaks will ensure they remain the second best MLS team in Texas.
Having said that, they ARE in a better position to win El Capitan this year than they have been in past years. But, in addition to playing them once in Frisco (Wed, May 28), we get them one more time in Robertson (Thur, June 26). If we can tie them away and beat them in Robertson (reasserting our natural superiority, natch), we'll keep the cannon.
The neutral folks at Soccer by Ives have a less favorable review of Dallas' performance than the biased Steve Morrow does. "FCD shouldn't be in this game much less winning it. They're proving so far they can defend and score against the run of play." "Nice to see Dallas switch to the 9-0-1 formation."
Now we need to switch our gaze from the second best team in Texas to the best team in Costa Rica. It looks like we'll be without ERob (gulp!). Let's pray that we'll have a healthy Onstad, not to mention a magical DeRo and prolific Ching/Caraccio.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
A Draw with the Purple Monster
Last night the Dynamo played one of their most stylish, dominating games ever. They maintained possession and did so not just around the halfway line, but in the attacking half of the field for a vast majority of the game. They revived their Dominating Defense (© Dynamo). They displayed creative back-heels and passing combinations.
What didn't they do? Well, yeah. There's that scoring thing. They didn't do that, and it's probably going to come back to haunt them.
In the CONCACAF Champions Cup, a tie at home is like a loss. Saprissa left the field very happy (did you see their faces tonight?) and have only to score a goal at home to seal the deal to the final, and they proved against Atlante FC that they can score a goal and keep their opponent from doing the same.
So now we need to win the game in Saprissa. If we play like we did last night, we can definitely win. The problem is, we need Saprissa to play like they did last night, and they won't. They'll be more aggressive, more confident, and hungrier.
One might wonder "If we can't score a single goal at home when we're dominating possession, how can we score on the road when we're essentially chasing the game and on our heels." That's a relevant question, and it begs some follow up questions like "Will we get a solid shot on frame this season?" and "Can we cross the ball to the area beyond the goal keeper's reach?" and "Can DeRo keep his shots within the troposphere?"
As irritating as the result is, we should keep in mind that the Dynamo played well. They struggled in the attacking third, sure; unfortunately, they did that for long periods last year and the year before, and we knew the new striker corps would take some time to gel this season. Like all teams, we go through slumps, and this slump just happens to be early in the season. Unfortunately, it coincides with the CONCACAF competition.
Nevertheless, the team has quality and, best of all, it has a strong work ethic. It will strive to improve and, in the meantime, will fight its way through any slump until the good ju-ju returns.
In fact, this team works better when the chips are down. If they're playing a team with 10 players and an immature defense (e.g. Toronto in 2007), they can't score. If they're up by 2 goals in the semifinals of a major tournament (e.g. at Pachuca in 2007), they can't hold on. But if they're down a goal in a win-or-go-home scenario (e.g. MLS Cup Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final circa 2006, Puntarenas FC in CONCACAF Champions Cup 2007, and MLS Cup Quarterfinals and Finals of 2007) the Men In Orange thrive and come out on top. It may be that the best result last night is the one that happened: a draw. Now they're going to be counted out and dismissed as being only 90 minutes away from being more MLS roadkill on the international soccer highway.
History proves that this is when the Dynamo shine.
And next we meet our Costa Rican friends, we just may have an even better midfield if Holden and maybe even Davis and Mullan are able to play. Maybe by then Caraccio, who showed exciting glimpses last night, will have gelled better with Ching and DeRo and be able to work better with both. Eventually, I hope the three will become greater in tandem than even the sum of their already impressive individual skills. (I also hope that Chris Wondo rises to the opportunity that has been given to him; he has talent.)
Maybe the Dynamo will play in San Jose, Costa Rica, like they used to play in San Jose, California.
And maybe they'll even get a shot on frame.
But first, let's dispatch FC Dallas that the MLS has so conveniently placed between our two draining fixtures versus Saprissa. Sayeth Pope Don Garber I, "We hope you represent us well in CONCACAF. Now here are 4 games in a week and a half to prevent you from being rested and injury free."
What didn't they do? Well, yeah. There's that scoring thing. They didn't do that, and it's probably going to come back to haunt them.
In the CONCACAF Champions Cup, a tie at home is like a loss. Saprissa left the field very happy (did you see their faces tonight?) and have only to score a goal at home to seal the deal to the final, and they proved against Atlante FC that they can score a goal and keep their opponent from doing the same.
So now we need to win the game in Saprissa. If we play like we did last night, we can definitely win. The problem is, we need Saprissa to play like they did last night, and they won't. They'll be more aggressive, more confident, and hungrier.
One might wonder "If we can't score a single goal at home when we're dominating possession, how can we score on the road when we're essentially chasing the game and on our heels." That's a relevant question, and it begs some follow up questions like "Will we get a solid shot on frame this season?" and "Can we cross the ball to the area beyond the goal keeper's reach?" and "Can DeRo keep his shots within the troposphere?"
As irritating as the result is, we should keep in mind that the Dynamo played well. They struggled in the attacking third, sure; unfortunately, they did that for long periods last year and the year before, and we knew the new striker corps would take some time to gel this season. Like all teams, we go through slumps, and this slump just happens to be early in the season. Unfortunately, it coincides with the CONCACAF competition.
Nevertheless, the team has quality and, best of all, it has a strong work ethic. It will strive to improve and, in the meantime, will fight its way through any slump until the good ju-ju returns.
In fact, this team works better when the chips are down. If they're playing a team with 10 players and an immature defense (e.g. Toronto in 2007), they can't score. If they're up by 2 goals in the semifinals of a major tournament (e.g. at Pachuca in 2007), they can't hold on. But if they're down a goal in a win-or-go-home scenario (e.g. MLS Cup Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final circa 2006, Puntarenas FC in CONCACAF Champions Cup 2007, and MLS Cup Quarterfinals and Finals of 2007) the Men In Orange thrive and come out on top. It may be that the best result last night is the one that happened: a draw. Now they're going to be counted out and dismissed as being only 90 minutes away from being more MLS roadkill on the international soccer highway.
History proves that this is when the Dynamo shine.
And next we meet our Costa Rican friends, we just may have an even better midfield if Holden and maybe even Davis and Mullan are able to play. Maybe by then Caraccio, who showed exciting glimpses last night, will have gelled better with Ching and DeRo and be able to work better with both. Eventually, I hope the three will become greater in tandem than even the sum of their already impressive individual skills. (I also hope that Chris Wondo rises to the opportunity that has been given to him; he has talent.)
Maybe the Dynamo will play in San Jose, Costa Rica, like they used to play in San Jose, California.
And maybe they'll even get a shot on frame.
But first, let's dispatch FC Dallas that the MLS has so conveniently placed between our two draining fixtures versus Saprissa. Sayeth Pope Don Garber I, "We hope you represent us well in CONCACAF. Now here are 4 games in a week and a half to prevent you from being rested and injury free."
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Hosting the Purple Monster
Tonight, Robertson hosts Deportivo Saprissa, the most storied team in Costa Rica, in the first leg of the semifinal round of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. Nothing short of a win tonight, an preferably by multiple goals, will be considered a success for the Dynamo. By all accounts, getting a win in San Jose is very difficult.
The Chronicle has its pre-match article from B-Fall. Bad news: we'll be missing three key midfielders due to injury: Brad Davis (groin), Brian Mullan (knee) and Stuart Holden (ankle). Good news: Ricardo Clark can play. I guess we'll also have Mulrooney on the right and Ashe on the left. Hopefully Waibel can play right back. Wondolowski will probably start with Ching, with Boswell next to ERob in the middle of the defense. Ching, DeRo, Clark, and Barrett will be in their usual positions, I'd wager. Dom doesn't tinker much when things are going well. (But ARE things going well is the question.)
The article mentions how the MLS really wants Dynamo-Houston (and DC, who played Pachuca last night) to succeed in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. ORLY? Says Glenn Davis. He writes in his blog that if the MLS truly is interested in seeing its teams succeed in these competitions, it wouldn't make the teams play on 3 days rest.
B-Fall has some great pre-game notes. Check out his link to DeRo's twin!
MLS has its pre-game article. And a Saprissa scouting report.
Alright, Dynamo, it's time to put the opening day malaise behind us and show the nation (and Costa Rica) that we are the class of the MLS and the region.
The Chronicle has its pre-match article from B-Fall. Bad news: we'll be missing three key midfielders due to injury: Brad Davis (groin), Brian Mullan (knee) and Stuart Holden (ankle). Good news: Ricardo Clark can play. I guess we'll also have Mulrooney on the right and Ashe on the left. Hopefully Waibel can play right back. Wondolowski will probably start with Ching, with Boswell next to ERob in the middle of the defense. Ching, DeRo, Clark, and Barrett will be in their usual positions, I'd wager. Dom doesn't tinker much when things are going well. (But ARE things going well is the question.)
The article mentions how the MLS really wants Dynamo-Houston (and DC, who played Pachuca last night) to succeed in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. ORLY? Says Glenn Davis. He writes in his blog that if the MLS truly is interested in seeing its teams succeed in these competitions, it wouldn't make the teams play on 3 days rest.
B-Fall has some great pre-game notes. Check out his link to DeRo's twin!
MLS has its pre-game article. And a Saprissa scouting report.
Alright, Dynamo, it's time to put the opening day malaise behind us and show the nation (and Costa Rica) that we are the class of the MLS and the region.
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