The Dynamo let 2 points slip through their fingers last night. Twice. As the only winless team in the MLS, our draws have kept us tied with DC United and San Jose for last place. We're behind Toronto, RSL, Colorado, and Columbus, among others. That's pretty embarrassing, but the season is young and I still don't see us being out of the top 8 teams that make it to the MLS Cup post-season tourney. That Supporters' Shield thing might be a long shot though.
The play of the game last night: Caraccio's excellent hustle in the 17th minute to win the ball from an onrushing Cronin and send a perfect slow-rolling cross across the face of an empty goal. Only, there were no other forwards or midfielders pushed up in the center where they might be, you know, dangerous. Where was Ching? Where was DeRo? As slow as that ball was rolling, the indefatigable Barrett could have sprinted the length of the field in time to tap it in. 2-0 at halftime, but it wasn't to be.
Thank you Caraccio for being the most dangerous Orangeman on the pitch last night, at least in the attacking third. Besides that beautiful play, you touched a perfect pass to Ching in the 2nd half that Ching fired straight at the keeper. You also had the game-winning and then game-tying goal with 11 minute remaining.
If we could have stuck one person, say Barrett, on Donovan and taken him completely out of the game, then played 10v10 with the rest of the two teams, we win the game. Becks is good, but if no one is at the end of his crosses no one scores, and Lan-Don is the only one who can feed Becks balls that he could score with.
Unfortunately, Donovan-Becks can beat any MLS team if given the chance, and we gave them the chance by not finishing our opportunities and not closing down one of the two dynamic duo on two occasions.
A side piece on Donovan: he's is a talent, no doubt; perhaps the best American on the pitch at the moment. But the older he gets, the whinier and more classless he gets. The foul he tried to draw by running into Ianni was comical; something he picked up from his teammate Ruiz I'm sure. The claim that he (and Becks in postgame comments) makes that the ball went over the line when Ianni headed it off the line, well that is poor gamesmanship which is understandable when it's said at the instance of occurance, but to keep the lie up after the match is pure scumbaggery. (Not a word, but it should be.)
As for the game, the first half showed how we are still the class of the league. The second half showed that we need to be quicker to adjust to our opponents' adjustments and keep the foot to their throat. When we have a makeshift defense/goal tender, we need to score often to give the defense a comfort zone as they gain their chemistry.
I don't blame the defense or Caig for this loss; all credit goes to the skill of Donovan, particularly on the first goal.
I do blame Ching for not being where he should be in the 17th minute.
Media roundup:
The Chronicle Recap
Another MLS article.
More later...
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Trip to LaLa Land
Tonight it's Houston vs Hollywood. The LA Beckhams will pit their offensive prowess against a Dynamo defense that will be playing without ERob and has yet to prove it's up to the standards it set in 2007. On the other end of the field, the Dynamo should have plenty of opportunities on goal due to a porous Galaxy defense.
The official game preview. Not-so fun factoid: "In seven games in all competitions in 2008, the Dynamo have been shutout in five. In the other two, they scored three goals in each."
An article about our goalie for the game. Caig says, "It will be nice to get more touches because unfortunately my first touch with this team was picking up the ball out of the back of the net." Onstad says, "He's helping me along. It's a good relationship, and I think it's going to help the club." I say the term "admirably" should have been left out of the headline until Caig has had more than one good showing. No better time to have a good game than tonight in LA.
The Galaxy should provide plenty of opportunity for Caraccio to have a good outing. He says "It is obviously a different game here [in the US] because we run more. It's more dynamic, but soccer is soccer and little by little I am getting more rhythm." He also admits, "I am here to score goals and win games. It hasn't happened yet, but we are working toward that." The Galaxy backs will provide the chances, will young Caraccio be able to take advantage? Will Ching or DeRo?
Goal.com says "In a two-on-two matchup of the Galaxy’s Landon Donovan and David Beckham against Houston’s Brian Ching and Dwayne De Rosario, the home side probably wins. However, nine other players will be on the field for each side and that’s where Houston has a resounding edge... L.A. will score, but not as much as Houston will. The Dynamo’s midfield was given a boost last week by the return of Ricardo Clark, one of the best two-way midfielders in the game. With De Rosario in front of Clark and those two flanked by Brian Mullan and Brad Davis, the midfield of Los Angeles will be overrun."
Here's one supporter's view of the Dynamo's struggles early in the season.
Fox Sports has a game preview. "Even struggling teams are finding a way to break out of an offensive slump against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Not many clubs have had as much trouble scoring goals than the Houston Dynamo." Ouch. I'm sensing a consensus among the journalistas.
The journalista at the LA Times notes that Lan-Don has "irked" some Dynamo fans. Of course, the irked fans were responding to an informal blog, just as the LA Times is trying to rile up the Galaxy fans by reporting this in a blog. Hey, who is the cool guy who wrote that witty-but-too-lengthy thing about "The coddled team that apparently needs more special breaks"? Whoever that was, he sure sounds intelligent. Good looking too.
The official game preview. Not-so fun factoid: "In seven games in all competitions in 2008, the Dynamo have been shutout in five. In the other two, they scored three goals in each."
An article about our goalie for the game. Caig says, "It will be nice to get more touches because unfortunately my first touch with this team was picking up the ball out of the back of the net." Onstad says, "He's helping me along. It's a good relationship, and I think it's going to help the club." I say the term "admirably" should have been left out of the headline until Caig has had more than one good showing. No better time to have a good game than tonight in LA.
The Galaxy should provide plenty of opportunity for Caraccio to have a good outing. He says "It is obviously a different game here [in the US] because we run more. It's more dynamic, but soccer is soccer and little by little I am getting more rhythm." He also admits, "I am here to score goals and win games. It hasn't happened yet, but we are working toward that." The Galaxy backs will provide the chances, will young Caraccio be able to take advantage? Will Ching or DeRo?
Goal.com says "In a two-on-two matchup of the Galaxy’s Landon Donovan and David Beckham against Houston’s Brian Ching and Dwayne De Rosario, the home side probably wins. However, nine other players will be on the field for each side and that’s where Houston has a resounding edge... L.A. will score, but not as much as Houston will. The Dynamo’s midfield was given a boost last week by the return of Ricardo Clark, one of the best two-way midfielders in the game. With De Rosario in front of Clark and those two flanked by Brian Mullan and Brad Davis, the midfield of Los Angeles will be overrun."
Here's one supporter's view of the Dynamo's struggles early in the season.
Fox Sports has a game preview. "Even struggling teams are finding a way to break out of an offensive slump against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Not many clubs have had as much trouble scoring goals than the Houston Dynamo." Ouch. I'm sensing a consensus among the journalistas.
The journalista at the LA Times notes that Lan-Don has "irked" some Dynamo fans. Of course, the irked fans were responding to an informal blog, just as the LA Times is trying to rile up the Galaxy fans by reporting this in a blog. Hey, who is the cool guy who wrote that witty-but-too-lengthy thing about "The coddled team that apparently needs more special breaks"? Whoever that was, he sure sounds intelligent. Good looking too.
Friday, April 18, 2008
More Dynamo Stadium Dreaming
All this hullabaloo about the stadium has got me to thinking: once we get a stadium, what do we want it to look like? What are the qualities of a good stadium? What do I want to see in the Home of the Dynamo?
Here's what I want.
First, I want Dynamo Stadium to be a soccer-specific stadium (SSS, or, as they're called in England and elsewhere where soccer is the primary sport, "stadium"). There aren't too many SSSs in the US nor even in the MLS. The Home Depot Center? It's a soccer-when-it's-convenient stadium (SWICS). Last summer I drove past the HDC and the field was covered with mounds of dirt and curvilinear superstructures for the X-games. The field took some time to recover from that affair. And remember during SuperLiga when the Galaxy had to limit the number of tickets it sold for its game, which was scheduled on a school night for the landlord, Cal State Dominguez Hills? And then there's the SWICS in Frisco, where a concrete stage takes up the entire space behind one goal line. (Can't they put bleachers on the stage during game day?) Dynamo Field will surely host its share of concerts and non-soccer events, but it would be nice if those would be secondary to the primary use of the facility: soccer. In fact, if the ancillary events could be limited to sporting events, there might be less wear and tear on the field. I want the pitch to look like a pristine park on every game day.
And speaking of the pristine pitch; the field is perhaps the most important component of the stadium. Soccer is much like baseball in that variations in the field composition and even dimensions can affect gameplay, hopefully to the benefit of the home team. The field must be natural grass, foremost. I also prefer a much larger pitch, like the field at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, which boasts the largest field in the MLS at 120x80 yards. This wide field actually plays to the Dynamo's strengths as a flank-attacking team (and minimizes their weakness: finding room to pry open bunkered defenses). The Dynamo's field at The Rob is one of the smallest fields at 115x70 yards -- dimensions that actually work against the Dynamo's strengths in my mind. The mile-high DSG Park also has excellent drainage. Last year Dynamo Houston played in a freezing deluge, and the field stood up very nicely. We need that with the monsoons we sometimes get here in the Bayou City.
Seating should surround the field. I've already condemned the concrete stages that take up half of some stadia. There shouldn't be any place where opposing keepers can relax and feel they're out of the spotlight. Seats should surround the field and come as close to the field as possible, much like at The Rob. I differ from many fans in that I do want actual seats to sit in, but it would be nice to have bleachers at the end lines, or at least along the end line where the Texian Army and El Batallon sit stand. The seats should be orange (for television purposes) and on tiered concrete, although having the supporters on metal bleachers would ensure their percussive stomping thunders throughout the stadium.
The stands need a roof above to shield the sun, divert the rain, and trap the noise. While a retractable would be nice (and maybe I should throw that in since this is just a wish list anyway), I'm completely fine with the partial roofs you see at the HDC and DSG Park. I would consider something like that to be a necessity.
I also like the way that the Rapids' stadium's roof has the added quality of being a design feature that reflects its environment. The DSG roof is slanted and tiered like the rising slabs of rock of the nearby Rocky Mountains. In Chicago/Bridgeview, Toyota Park has brick tied to its exterior (though I don't think it's to be found inside the stadium anywhere) which makes the stadium feel like it belongs among the brick buildings of that area. I think that's called idiomatic design. Likewise, I want the Dynamo's home to look unique and reflect the character of Houston. It shouldn't be a soulless metal structure like in Columbus or a featureless hole in the ground like in Frisco. Material should be stucco, to reflect the coastal style, or limestone and beams, to bring in a more "hill country" flair. The Rob has palm trees and hedges inside the stadium (where they are enjoyed while watching a game, not just when walking up to the ticket counter), and similar flora would add to the park-like setting established by that pristine green pitch. I'd like Dynamo Stadium to be more than a place to play soccer. It should be a visual enhancement to the downtown area, a timeless edifice that will be appreciated for years to come. It should be as appealing on the interior as the exterior, with the team adding to the atmosphere with its energy and a few championship banners fluttering around.
A highly visible niche should be created for El Capitan. We'll have it often, and we need to display it whenever the Frisco team comes to town. It should also be fired whenever we score or win versus FCD, much like what UT does with "Smokey the Cannon."
I'd like some vendors beyond the usual hotdog fare. BBQ, fajitas, and maybe even Christian's Burgers (!) should be represented, sure; but I'm more interested in getting some beer selections that extend beyond Bud and Miller. The Home Depot Center, to its credit, has a booth selling Guinness, Harps, and Smithwick's for only $2 more than the usual stadium swill. Shiner would be a good start and St. Arnold's would be a great addition to the tap line.
It looks like Downtown is the likeliest location for Dynamo Stadium, and that would be best for all concerned: fans, team, front office, the city, everyone. Centralized for easier access, near the activity of downtown, and actually in the city it's named for. Add a light rail line and it's like you're living in Europe. Almost.
Finally, and this is at the bottom of the list, but how nice would it be for the stadium to reflect the name of the Dynamo or a feature of Texas or Houston, rather than just being a bland name of a corporation that evokes no images of soccer or of the town whatsoever. (Okay, Enron Field was connected to Houston, and that just furthers my argument.) I realize that this is just pie in the sky dreaming, because naming rights are one of the ways sport franchises make money, and they don't want to cut off that revenue stream (and particularly not if "they" is "AEG") for mere sentimentality. Heck, what's in a name anyway? Nevertheless, it would be nice for the stadium to be named in way that integrates it into the city rather than making it a fancy billboard for commuters on US 59.
This has been therapeutic. Now about that St. Arnold's...
Post script: Here's an article in Forbes regarding "Super-Stadiums." It includes some beauties. On the soccer side, that Red Bulls Park looks nice.
Here's what I want.
First, I want Dynamo Stadium to be a soccer-specific stadium (SSS, or, as they're called in England and elsewhere where soccer is the primary sport, "stadium"). There aren't too many SSSs in the US nor even in the MLS. The Home Depot Center? It's a soccer-when-it's-convenient stadium (SWICS). Last summer I drove past the HDC and the field was covered with mounds of dirt and curvilinear superstructures for the X-games. The field took some time to recover from that affair. And remember during SuperLiga when the Galaxy had to limit the number of tickets it sold for its game, which was scheduled on a school night for the landlord, Cal State Dominguez Hills? And then there's the SWICS in Frisco, where a concrete stage takes up the entire space behind one goal line. (Can't they put bleachers on the stage during game day?) Dynamo Field will surely host its share of concerts and non-soccer events, but it would be nice if those would be secondary to the primary use of the facility: soccer. In fact, if the ancillary events could be limited to sporting events, there might be less wear and tear on the field. I want the pitch to look like a pristine park on every game day.
And speaking of the pristine pitch; the field is perhaps the most important component of the stadium. Soccer is much like baseball in that variations in the field composition and even dimensions can affect gameplay, hopefully to the benefit of the home team. The field must be natural grass, foremost. I also prefer a much larger pitch, like the field at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, which boasts the largest field in the MLS at 120x80 yards. This wide field actually plays to the Dynamo's strengths as a flank-attacking team (and minimizes their weakness: finding room to pry open bunkered defenses). The Dynamo's field at The Rob is one of the smallest fields at 115x70 yards -- dimensions that actually work against the Dynamo's strengths in my mind. The mile-high DSG Park also has excellent drainage. Last year Dynamo Houston played in a freezing deluge, and the field stood up very nicely. We need that with the monsoons we sometimes get here in the Bayou City.
Seating should surround the field. I've already condemned the concrete stages that take up half of some stadia. There shouldn't be any place where opposing keepers can relax and feel they're out of the spotlight. Seats should surround the field and come as close to the field as possible, much like at The Rob. I differ from many fans in that I do want actual seats to sit in, but it would be nice to have bleachers at the end lines, or at least along the end line where the Texian Army and El Batallon
The stands need a roof above to shield the sun, divert the rain, and trap the noise. While a retractable would be nice (and maybe I should throw that in since this is just a wish list anyway), I'm completely fine with the partial roofs you see at the HDC and DSG Park. I would consider something like that to be a necessity.
I also like the way that the Rapids' stadium's roof has the added quality of being a design feature that reflects its environment. The DSG roof is slanted and tiered like the rising slabs of rock of the nearby Rocky Mountains. In Chicago/Bridgeview, Toyota Park has brick tied to its exterior (though I don't think it's to be found inside the stadium anywhere) which makes the stadium feel like it belongs among the brick buildings of that area. I think that's called idiomatic design. Likewise, I want the Dynamo's home to look unique and reflect the character of Houston. It shouldn't be a soulless metal structure like in Columbus or a featureless hole in the ground like in Frisco. Material should be stucco, to reflect the coastal style, or limestone and beams, to bring in a more "hill country" flair. The Rob has palm trees and hedges inside the stadium (where they are enjoyed while watching a game, not just when walking up to the ticket counter), and similar flora would add to the park-like setting established by that pristine green pitch. I'd like Dynamo Stadium to be more than a place to play soccer. It should be a visual enhancement to the downtown area, a timeless edifice that will be appreciated for years to come. It should be as appealing on the interior as the exterior, with the team adding to the atmosphere with its energy and a few championship banners fluttering around.
A highly visible niche should be created for El Capitan. We'll have it often, and we need to display it whenever the Frisco team comes to town. It should also be fired whenever we score or win versus FCD, much like what UT does with "Smokey the Cannon."
I'd like some vendors beyond the usual hotdog fare. BBQ, fajitas, and maybe even Christian's Burgers (!) should be represented, sure; but I'm more interested in getting some beer selections that extend beyond Bud and Miller. The Home Depot Center, to its credit, has a booth selling Guinness, Harps, and Smithwick's for only $2 more than the usual stadium swill. Shiner would be a good start and St. Arnold's would be a great addition to the tap line.
It looks like Downtown is the likeliest location for Dynamo Stadium, and that would be best for all concerned: fans, team, front office, the city, everyone. Centralized for easier access, near the activity of downtown, and actually in the city it's named for. Add a light rail line and it's like you're living in Europe. Almost.
Finally, and this is at the bottom of the list, but how nice would it be for the stadium to reflect the name of the Dynamo or a feature of Texas or Houston, rather than just being a bland name of a corporation that evokes no images of soccer or of the town whatsoever. (Okay, Enron Field was connected to Houston, and that just furthers my argument.) I realize that this is just pie in the sky dreaming, because naming rights are one of the ways sport franchises make money, and they don't want to cut off that revenue stream (and particularly not if "they" is "AEG") for mere sentimentality. Heck, what's in a name anyway? Nevertheless, it would be nice for the stadium to be named in way that integrates it into the city rather than making it a fancy billboard for commuters on US 59.
This has been therapeutic. Now about that St. Arnold's...
Post script: Here's an article in Forbes regarding "Super-Stadiums." It includes some beauties. On the soccer side, that Red Bulls Park looks nice.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Stadium haggling
Within perhaps minutes of the announcement that the team-formerly-known-as-the-Earthquakes was coming to Houston, there began talk of a new permanent stadium for the eventually-to-be-named-Dynamo. As we know, "talks" continue. Occasionally we'll hear something positive from Oliver Luck, but then someone from the soulless AEG conglomerate will speak out of both sides of his mouth. First they will say that they're fronting all the money, with only utilities being funded publicly. Next, they'll say they expect 35%-40% of the cost to be publicly funded. AEG may know numbers, but they sure are ham-fisted when it comes to dealing with people. It's amazing that they've been able to complete so many publicly-financed deals already, but maybe that's due to their effective use of relocation threats if not even more unsavory tactics.
Now they've got Don Garber writing velvety threats that insult the intelligence of everyone involved. Does the Commish really think the key players don't understand the ramifications of not getting a deal done? Of course not, he's just trying to be intimidating. Unfortunately for him, the MLS isn't really a heavyweight so his threats may do more harm than good.
If they keep this up they'll drive Oliver Luck, the best GM in the league, out of the footie industry in search of a less flaky organization. It's too bad that we can't find a local owner with class that matches the class of the team.
Mayor White doesn't want to use public funds for obvious reasons. But he also may not be able to do so. Restrictions on public funding were written into the Toyota Center charter. That seems mighty presumptuous of Les Alexander and the Rockets: "Give us public funds to provide infrastructure for my private venture, and sign this agreement forbidding you to help anybody else." Sounds like the City got taken on that one.
Luck has a better feel for the local situation that AEG's Tim Leiweke does. Luck has said: "Although we have not reached an agreement with the city of Houston, we are anxious to come to closure on the terms of a public-private partnership with the city and we are willing to assume responsibility for a much higher proportion of the costs than any other team owner has had to assume in Houston."
He also had to scramble to put together a save-the-face press conference, which didn't really say much, but was intended to sooth sore feelings.
At any rate, B-Fall states there isn't much news at the moment. Stayed tuned to The Chronicle. UPDATE: B-Fall has an article with more explanation, plus a blog post with some informal thoughts. Glenn Davis agrees that Don Garber fluffed the kick on this one. (I know, I know: Garber has never kicked a soccer ball in his life, but since he's the Commish of the national soccer league, I thought I'd use a sport-relevant idiom to sound clever and give me a chance to parenthetically state that Garber has never kicked a soccer ball in his life.)
Meanwhile, it looks like AEG is continuing with the design work just in case the company's relationship-building impediment doesn't kill the deal. The project manager for the stadium, IKON, is basically a subsidiary of AEG. As integrated as AEG is into the MLS, it's no surprise that IKON is behind several of the MLS stadia: Home Depot Center, Toyota Park, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Red Bull Park, Real Salt Lake's stadium, and numerous non-MLS stadia in and out of the US. Here in Houston, IKON has apparently selected a short list of firms to design the new stadium. The article also says that the MLS "is close to working out a deal with the City of Houston which is close to finalizing the acquisition of a chunk of prime acreage near Minute Maid Park for the $80 million stadium, which could open as early as 2010." Well, we'll see about that.
The fact is, everybody is posturing right now. Soccer fans should feel lucky that Oliver Luck is the proxy mediator between the politicians and the corporate suits. If anyone can see this thing through to the finish, it's Mr. Luck.
Now they've got Don Garber writing velvety threats that insult the intelligence of everyone involved. Does the Commish really think the key players don't understand the ramifications of not getting a deal done? Of course not, he's just trying to be intimidating. Unfortunately for him, the MLS isn't really a heavyweight so his threats may do more harm than good.
If they keep this up they'll drive Oliver Luck, the best GM in the league, out of the footie industry in search of a less flaky organization. It's too bad that we can't find a local owner with class that matches the class of the team.
Mayor White doesn't want to use public funds for obvious reasons. But he also may not be able to do so. Restrictions on public funding were written into the Toyota Center charter. That seems mighty presumptuous of Les Alexander and the Rockets: "Give us public funds to provide infrastructure for my private venture, and sign this agreement forbidding you to help anybody else." Sounds like the City got taken on that one.
Luck has a better feel for the local situation that AEG's Tim Leiweke does. Luck has said: "Although we have not reached an agreement with the city of Houston, we are anxious to come to closure on the terms of a public-private partnership with the city and we are willing to assume responsibility for a much higher proportion of the costs than any other team owner has had to assume in Houston."
He also had to scramble to put together a save-the-face press conference, which didn't really say much, but was intended to sooth sore feelings.
At any rate, B-Fall states there isn't much news at the moment. Stayed tuned to The Chronicle. UPDATE: B-Fall has an article with more explanation, plus a blog post with some informal thoughts. Glenn Davis agrees that Don Garber fluffed the kick on this one. (I know, I know: Garber has never kicked a soccer ball in his life, but since he's the Commish of the national soccer league, I thought I'd use a sport-relevant idiom to sound clever and give me a chance to parenthetically state that Garber has never kicked a soccer ball in his life.)
Meanwhile, it looks like AEG is continuing with the design work just in case the company's relationship-building impediment doesn't kill the deal. The project manager for the stadium, IKON, is basically a subsidiary of AEG. As integrated as AEG is into the MLS, it's no surprise that IKON is behind several of the MLS stadia: Home Depot Center, Toyota Park, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Red Bull Park, Real Salt Lake's stadium, and numerous non-MLS stadia in and out of the US. Here in Houston, IKON has apparently selected a short list of firms to design the new stadium. The article also says that the MLS "is close to working out a deal with the City of Houston which is close to finalizing the acquisition of a chunk of prime acreage near Minute Maid Park for the $80 million stadium, which could open as early as 2010." Well, we'll see about that.
The fact is, everybody is posturing right now. Soccer fans should feel lucky that Oliver Luck is the proxy mediator between the politicians and the corporate suits. If anyone can see this thing through to the finish, it's Mr. Luck.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Caig Mans Up
I like to think of myself as an independent thinker. A guy that doesn't jump at the latest trends. A guy that isn't stuck in the childish phase of needing to have the latest toys. In other words: I don't have HDNet and couldn't watch the Dynamo last night. Some might say that makes me more of a Luddite than a man of principle, and really the truth does lie somewhere in between.
I also was unable to make the trek across town to the known viewings of the game. That's due to me being a boring family man.
But I DID get to listen to the game on the radio. Steve Mark, the "Voice of the Dynamo" (VOTD), isn't the best play by play guy. He doesn't use natural soccer terminology. He doesn't keep up with play. He leaves painful gaps in the monologue while he figures out what's going on. So listening to the game through his eyes isn't the best way to enjoy the game, but I still managed to enjoy the experience. It seems nostalgic to listen to a game on the radio, particularly with a local crew and local perspective, and I rarely do it anymore. It's how baseball used to be followed by fans before cable, and how the English followed their football teams before the EPL made televised broadcasts ubiquitous. The game took on a sentimental flair for me.
You know what else was nostalgic? The clean sheet. You remember those? You just have to look back to last season to see our calling card of clean sheets and defensive dominance. The clean sheet was particularly welcome after we've been conceding three goals per game.
Hats off to the the defense and particularly to Caig who made some solid saves, intercepted some crosses/passes, and didn't make any howlers. I wish this was the Caig who played vs FCD, but beggars can't be choosers and I'm just glad that the Caig that Dom knows made himself known to the Orange faithful.
I hope this means that the defense is beginning to get in sync. We'll need them next week at the Toolshed when we face the LA Beckhams. The LA defense, which is fundamentally pathetic, should also give our forwards plenty of opportunities. I hope our attack makes the most of the chance. They scored in spades versus FCD, but not in any other MLS match yet. Let's reverse that trend next.
Media mining:
Dynamo recap. The overall summary: "Both teams played smothering defense in what was a well-played match. Each side tried to make opportunities on goal, but it was a struggle for both throughout."
The MLS recap from the KC side.
Another Dynamo summary. "'I think overall we dominated the game,' Caig said."
Quotes from both sides. Curt Onalfo says the Dynamo are "hard to play against. They're very direct. They compete, they make you stay in every single play. I thought our guys did a good job of that. We had some good chances to score and we didn't, and they did as well. Overall I thought it was an evenly played game."
Barrett made his 200th consecutive start last night. He is the ironman.
Kansas City Star's recap. "But there are also times when you settle for hard-earned draws. You can probably count playing against the two-time defending MLS Cup champions on a windy, freezing night as one of them." Here's a factoid: "It was the first scoreless draw for the Wizards since Aug. 9, 2006, when they played New England scoreless at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass."
I also was unable to make the trek across town to the known viewings of the game. That's due to me being a boring family man.
But I DID get to listen to the game on the radio. Steve Mark, the "Voice of the Dynamo" (VOTD), isn't the best play by play guy. He doesn't use natural soccer terminology. He doesn't keep up with play. He leaves painful gaps in the monologue while he figures out what's going on. So listening to the game through his eyes isn't the best way to enjoy the game, but I still managed to enjoy the experience. It seems nostalgic to listen to a game on the radio, particularly with a local crew and local perspective, and I rarely do it anymore. It's how baseball used to be followed by fans before cable, and how the English followed their football teams before the EPL made televised broadcasts ubiquitous. The game took on a sentimental flair for me.
You know what else was nostalgic? The clean sheet. You remember those? You just have to look back to last season to see our calling card of clean sheets and defensive dominance. The clean sheet was particularly welcome after we've been conceding three goals per game.
Hats off to the the defense and particularly to Caig who made some solid saves, intercepted some crosses/passes, and didn't make any howlers. I wish this was the Caig who played vs FCD, but beggars can't be choosers and I'm just glad that the Caig that Dom knows made himself known to the Orange faithful.
I hope this means that the defense is beginning to get in sync. We'll need them next week at the Toolshed when we face the LA Beckhams. The LA defense, which is fundamentally pathetic, should also give our forwards plenty of opportunities. I hope our attack makes the most of the chance. They scored in spades versus FCD, but not in any other MLS match yet. Let's reverse that trend next.
Media mining:
Dynamo recap. The overall summary: "Both teams played smothering defense in what was a well-played match. Each side tried to make opportunities on goal, but it was a struggle for both throughout."
The MLS recap from the KC side.
Another Dynamo summary. "'I think overall we dominated the game,' Caig said."
Quotes from both sides. Curt Onalfo says the Dynamo are "hard to play against. They're very direct. They compete, they make you stay in every single play. I thought our guys did a good job of that. We had some good chances to score and we didn't, and they did as well. Overall I thought it was an evenly played game."
Barrett made his 200th consecutive start last night. He is the ironman.
Kansas City Star's recap. "But there are also times when you settle for hard-earned draws. You can probably count playing against the two-time defending MLS Cup champions on a windy, freezing night as one of them." Here's a factoid: "It was the first scoreless draw for the Wizards since Aug. 9, 2006, when they played New England scoreless at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass."
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Taking on the Wiz in Kansas
Tonight, Dynamo-Houston treks to Kansas to face the Wizards. (Game preview.) This'll be the first time we face KC in Kansas, with previous meetings being held at cavernous Arrowhead Stadium in Missouri. We play at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, a minor league baseball park that is home to the unaffiliated Kansas City T-bones. How's that for a team name?
The park should be an intimate affair with fewer than 10,000 spectators, but they will be louder than anything heard at Arrowhead. And the Wizards should be tougher than we remember, given their upgrade with some imported talent. KC historically relied on American talent (Preki being considered American, but that might be a stretch), but this season Curt Onalfo has taken a page from DC's book to create KC's roster. The team had an impressive start to the season, but stumbled in their last game. It will be interesting to see how both teams respond to mid-week disappointments, although Dynamo will be harder pressed given the amount of travel they've done this week and the fact that they're still hamstrung by injuries.
Oh yeah: Caig will be between the posts. Does that mean we're spotting KC 2 goals? Or will Caig man up and show us he's worthy of wearing Orange? I think he can be a success, but I have little proof to back me up thus far. How about starting with stopping the shots that should be stopped and intercepting some crosses?
My mission today: find a sports bar with HDNet and no hesitation to playing soccer on its screens.
The park should be an intimate affair with fewer than 10,000 spectators, but they will be louder than anything heard at Arrowhead. And the Wizards should be tougher than we remember, given their upgrade with some imported talent. KC historically relied on American talent (Preki being considered American, but that might be a stretch), but this season Curt Onalfo has taken a page from DC's book to create KC's roster. The team had an impressive start to the season, but stumbled in their last game. It will be interesting to see how both teams respond to mid-week disappointments, although Dynamo will be harder pressed given the amount of travel they've done this week and the fact that they're still hamstrung by injuries.
Oh yeah: Caig will be between the posts. Does that mean we're spotting KC 2 goals? Or will Caig man up and show us he's worthy of wearing Orange? I think he can be a success, but I have little proof to back me up thus far. How about starting with stopping the shots that should be stopped and intercepting some crosses?
My mission today: find a sports bar with HDNet and no hesitation to playing soccer on its screens.
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Rookie makes good
Young Geoff Cameron, the rookie Orangeman from the University of Rhode Island,* won the adoration of the Dynamo faithful with his stoppage time equalizer versus FC Dallas last Sunday. Turns out, he also won goal of the week honors with this same strike, his first ever MLS netting.
There were some good goals up for the award, but Cameron's was the justifiable winner for a variety of reasons.
1. It was a high quality, well-struck laser that would have beaten the world's best goalkeepers.
2. It was a difference-maker, giving his team a point and denying their rivals 2 points.
3. It was dramatic, being literally a last minute catharsis for the home crowd.
4. It was a result of solid combination play rather than fluky happenstance or the result of winning a simple footrace with poky defenders.
You know which candidate's strike didn't deserve the award? That's right: Beckham. His was a decent goal, but a pedestrian one without flair or the other surrounding qualities that make a goal meaningful. The only reason his was at the top of the voting was because it was made by Beckham. That's kind of embarrassing, because it suggests that MLS fans can't recognize quality, we just vote for the popular face as if we've never learned from our puerile selections of prom queen and cutest couple in high school.
And, no, just as I'm not one to applaud a deed simply because it was performed by Becks, so also am I not one to decry a feat simply because it was performed by Becks. I merely believe a respectable sports league should provide recognition based on merit, not on popularity. I know that differentiates me from Don Garber, but that's not always a bad thing. Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be if Beckham was talking with his mates over in England and he is forced to sheepishly say "Yeah, basically I paffed the ball into the net, and the boll went frew Cannon's legs. I'm not too proud of it, weally; but, since I won, apparently it waf better than anyfing any Americans in the League could do."
* I'm told that Rhode Island is a county in New England that has been pumped up to statehood status.
There were some good goals up for the award, but Cameron's was the justifiable winner for a variety of reasons.
1. It was a high quality, well-struck laser that would have beaten the world's best goalkeepers.
2. It was a difference-maker, giving his team a point and denying their rivals 2 points.
3. It was dramatic, being literally a last minute catharsis for the home crowd.
4. It was a result of solid combination play rather than fluky happenstance or the result of winning a simple footrace with poky defenders.
You know which candidate's strike didn't deserve the award? That's right: Beckham. His was a decent goal, but a pedestrian one without flair or the other surrounding qualities that make a goal meaningful. The only reason his was at the top of the voting was because it was made by Beckham. That's kind of embarrassing, because it suggests that MLS fans can't recognize quality, we just vote for the popular face as if we've never learned from our puerile selections of prom queen and cutest couple in high school.
And, no, just as I'm not one to applaud a deed simply because it was performed by Becks, so also am I not one to decry a feat simply because it was performed by Becks. I merely believe a respectable sports league should provide recognition based on merit, not on popularity. I know that differentiates me from Don Garber, but that's not always a bad thing. Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be if Beckham was talking with his mates over in England and he is forced to sheepishly say "Yeah, basically I paffed the ball into the net, and the boll went frew Cannon's legs. I'm not too proud of it, weally; but, since I won, apparently it waf better than anyfing any Americans in the League could do."
* I'm told that Rhode Island is a county in New England that has been pumped up to statehood status.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Emerging from the Belly of the Beast
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.
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.
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.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Fighting to keep El Capitan - 2008 campaign
Dallas visits Houston today. Dallas has lost every match it has played here in H-town, including 4 regular season matches, a US Open Cup match, and a playoff match where Dallas had a 2-0 aggregate lead. (Game preview.)
It's up the the Men In Orange to keep this streak alive. We need to do this not only to maintain dominance over our fellow Texans, and not only to keep El Capitan, but just to stay with the competition in the Western Conference, where Chivas already has 4 points, Colorado and LA have 3 points, Dallas and RSL have 1 point, and San Jose and Houston have the big ol' goose egg.
Time for a pointless question: If we have to choose between winning here versus Dallas and winning Wednesday versus Saprissa, which do you choose? Logic says Wednesday, because that's a win or go home affair, whereas we'd have other opportunities to overcome an early loss in league play -- even though it would be two losses in a row. Wednesday would be the logical response, but the emotional response would be hard pressed to accept a loss to Dallas. Good thing we don't have to choose. Let's go with winning both, deal?
Here's a preview from Fox Sports, and it's always best to start with the Chronicle.
Go DYNAMO!
It's up the the Men In Orange to keep this streak alive. We need to do this not only to maintain dominance over our fellow Texans, and not only to keep El Capitan, but just to stay with the competition in the Western Conference, where Chivas already has 4 points, Colorado and LA have 3 points, Dallas and RSL have 1 point, and San Jose and Houston have the big ol' goose egg.
Time for a pointless question: If we have to choose between winning here versus Dallas and winning Wednesday versus Saprissa, which do you choose? Logic says Wednesday, because that's a win or go home affair, whereas we'd have other opportunities to overcome an early loss in league play -- even though it would be two losses in a row. Wednesday would be the logical response, but the emotional response would be hard pressed to accept a loss to Dallas. Good thing we don't have to choose. Let's go with winning both, deal?
Here's a preview from Fox Sports, and it's always best to start with the Chronicle.
Go DYNAMO!
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.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Let's REstart this season, yo.
It's a new season and the Dynamo begin yet another "title defense" with its ceremonial Disappointing Performance. Time to shred the season tickets my friends. The season is over. No MLS Cup Championship. No tournament trophies. Our defense can't keep a Twellman-less Revs to fewer than 3 goals, or a J-League Osaka to fewer than 6. That's it man, game over man, game over! Maybe we could build a fire, sing a couple of songs, huh?
Or not.
It's hard to take any underlying truth from yesterday's game. Despite having the better, more challenging pre-season schedule, the Dynamo looked to have no chemistry for most of yesterday's match. The first half saw little rhythm, plenty of disorganized defending, and absolutely no offensive production. Great free kick by DeRo in the closing moments though.
The second half saw better play, but little in the way of solid opportunities. Much of our success might be due to switching to a 3-5-2 late in the first half. Though the half saw improved play, our defending was still shaky and we turned the ball over too often. And we had only 3 shots on goal to the Revs' 13. Sheesh.
The only thing we can definitely take away from this game is that none of this means anything except that the parity of the MLS means any team -- even so-called top-tier teams -- can and will lose. (Did you see DC United's loss today? They're still one of the most talented teams despite losing to KC 2-0. Did you see the sexy LA Beckhams lose? Broke your heart, I'm sure.) Sure, we've got to do better. And you know what? We will. Yes we need to get better rhythm in the midfield. Yes we need to get more creative up front. And, yes, we desperately need to get better organized in the back -- for the love of all that is holey (holey like your back line was yesterday), help out your GK, guys!
Besides the blithe "one loss isn't that bad," is there anything good that came out of the game?
Why, yes...
Dom is disappointed and will likely work on solutions. "We deserved to get beat tonight," he admits. E-Rob, the heart of our defense, is also not a happy soul; and he will work on the locker room solutions, no doubt.
Stuart Holden looked sharp for the most part, I thought. DeRo didn't command the game, but was dangerous. Ching didn't get hurt.
The ref was incompetent enough that we can complain about someone other than our defenders. How was Stuart's tackle, the one that resulted in Steve Ralston's departure, a foul by Stuart? I believe that call lost us the game right there. Or something.
Pat Onstad made some outstanding saves, including the two shots that rebounded to our defense. But wait! Where's our defense? It doesn't look like they're interested in getting to the rebounds? What are those blue shirts doing getting to the rebounds first? That is OUR penalty box, right? Aaaand, there's two goals right there. Game, set, match. Thanks, defenders. Oh, sorry, this is supposed to be the list of good things, which is that Pat did well and...uh...LA lost 4-0. Word.
Another good thing: Dick's Sporting Goods had an amusing commercial. Nonetheless, it'll be overplayed by next weekend, I'm sure.
There's no reason the pain should linger. The best way to move on from this loss is to win versus Saprissa at Robertson on Wednesday. We must win that one before we head to Costa Rica for the second leg. Also, and this is important: we host the vile FC Dallas in between the two CONCACAF matches, and we simply canNOT allow them to get their first ever win -- or even a draw -- in Houston. And that is the gospel truth, y'all.
Or not.
It's hard to take any underlying truth from yesterday's game. Despite having the better, more challenging pre-season schedule, the Dynamo looked to have no chemistry for most of yesterday's match. The first half saw little rhythm, plenty of disorganized defending, and absolutely no offensive production. Great free kick by DeRo in the closing moments though.
The second half saw better play, but little in the way of solid opportunities. Much of our success might be due to switching to a 3-5-2 late in the first half. Though the half saw improved play, our defending was still shaky and we turned the ball over too often. And we had only 3 shots on goal to the Revs' 13. Sheesh.
The only thing we can definitely take away from this game is that none of this means anything except that the parity of the MLS means any team -- even so-called top-tier teams -- can and will lose. (Did you see DC United's loss today? They're still one of the most talented teams despite losing to KC 2-0. Did you see the sexy LA Beckhams lose? Broke your heart, I'm sure.) Sure, we've got to do better. And you know what? We will. Yes we need to get better rhythm in the midfield. Yes we need to get more creative up front. And, yes, we desperately need to get better organized in the back -- for the love of all that is holey (holey like your back line was yesterday), help out your GK, guys!
Besides the blithe "one loss isn't that bad," is there anything good that came out of the game?
Why, yes...
Dom is disappointed and will likely work on solutions. "We deserved to get beat tonight," he admits. E-Rob, the heart of our defense, is also not a happy soul; and he will work on the locker room solutions, no doubt.
Stuart Holden looked sharp for the most part, I thought. DeRo didn't command the game, but was dangerous. Ching didn't get hurt.
The ref was incompetent enough that we can complain about someone other than our defenders. How was Stuart's tackle, the one that resulted in Steve Ralston's departure, a foul by Stuart? I believe that call lost us the game right there. Or something.
Pat Onstad made some outstanding saves, including the two shots that rebounded to our defense. But wait! Where's our defense? It doesn't look like they're interested in getting to the rebounds? What are those blue shirts doing getting to the rebounds first? That is OUR penalty box, right? Aaaand, there's two goals right there. Game, set, match. Thanks, defenders. Oh, sorry, this is supposed to be the list of good things, which is that Pat did well and...uh...LA lost 4-0. Word.
Another good thing: Dick's Sporting Goods had an amusing commercial. Nonetheless, it'll be overplayed by next weekend, I'm sure.
There's no reason the pain should linger. The best way to move on from this loss is to win versus Saprissa at Robertson on Wednesday. We must win that one before we head to Costa Rica for the second leg. Also, and this is important: we host the vile FC Dallas in between the two CONCACAF matches, and we simply canNOT allow them to get their first ever win -- or even a draw -- in Houston. And that is the gospel truth, y'all.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Let's start this season, yo.
Today, finally, the MLS season begins in earnest. I've been in kind of a stupor the past few months. I guess you can tell that by the dearth of blog entries. But I'm genuinely excited that the season is finally here.
Sure, I've been following the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, even if I haven't been blogging about it. That's perhaps the best and most challenging competition the Dynamo face in the year. It's better than the SuperLiga because SuperLiga is comprised of one-match legs in relatively comfortable stadia (often our own) versus teams in their pre-season form. CONCACAF gets us into grueling environments with hostile atmospheres, and against teams that are in mid-season form. I'll also go out on a limb and state -- and do so with unequivocal certainty, even! -- that CONCACAF is better than the US Open Cup, although the Open does have a cool nostalgia factor.
Time will tell whether the new CONCACAF tourney that debuts this season will improve on the current Champions' Cup, which is in its swan song year.
Yeah, I think winning the CONCACAF Champions' Cup would be the best achievement of the Dynamo. It would far exceed the accomplishment of winning the MLS Cup, and would be further enhanced by the fact that this is the final Champions' Cup. So the winner will be the eternal champion, so to speak. That's kinda cool. Kind of like the Longhorns football team winning the final Southwest Conference Championship. They're also Men In (burnt) Orange, btw.
Yet, it always comes back to the regular season, which pits us against our fellows across North America. The season is often described as being without a sense of urgency, but it's the regular season that determines who goes to the tournaments -- the competitions that include CONCACAF, SuperLiga, the US Open Cup (although entry to it is pretty liberal), and the Pan-Pacific Championship should it continue past this year. Even the MLS Cup can be considered a separate tourney that is set up by the results of the regular season.
And when talking about the top teams of a particular season, it begins with the winners of the MLS Cup (that'd be the Dynamo the past two years, y'all) followed by the winners of the Supporters' Shield (that'd be DC United the past two years).
So, while I hope the Dynamo can expand their success into fields other than the post-season MLS Cup tourney, it's the regular season that is the basis for it all; and when it arrives you know that the stage has been set for every team to vie for all of the accolades and the rewards that come with them. In other words: everything hinges on the regular season. It's the hops in the ale. It's the apple in the apple pie. It's the walrus. Word.
My brilliant prognostication
So how do I think the D-Mo will fare this season? Polite of you to ask, seeing as I know you don't really care what I think. Nor should you. People get paid to come up with meaningless pre-season and pre-match analysis. And it turns out that what happens on the field is not affected at all by the words in print. Strange, that. Still, I'll give you my unabashed guesses. No one paid me to make them, but they're as accurate as anything else you'll read. And you can take it to Vegas; I just wouldn't recommend it, yo.
Well, the obvious conclusion of the salaried media literati (as seen repeatedly in the media links below) is that the D-Mo have a dominant defense (including Onstad between the pipes) and a skilled, veteran midfield. Thus, they already have the most important pieces set. The big question mark is the striker corps. Right now we have Ching and some unproven players, including Reserve veteran Wondolowski and the young Argentinean Franco Caraccio. Still, with a strong backline and skilled central machine, the Dynamo are expected to be one of the top-tier teams, along with DC United.
My thoughts are that the media has it right, but are a bit too simplistic in their assessments. I think that our vaunted defense looked pretty shaky in the pre-season, despite upgrading our backs with Boswell to replace Cochrane. It still needs to find its feet and tighten up where it's slack. And I think our goal-scoring options aren't as different as in past years. We've never had a particularly robust goal-scorer, yet we still manage to win. I think our forwards will manage to find the net this year, although it would help if they could get a speedy option to complement Ching's play. And! It turns out forwards aren't the only ones who score in this game. It seems that D-Ro and Holden can put a few away, and our big boys in the back (BBitB) convert their fair share on set plays. It's true.
So what am I saying? Here are my can't-fail prognostications. We don't break the defensive record we set last year. We go through at least one slump this season. We have some high scoring games and some games where we can't score on the weakest of MLS defenses who are a man down. We comfortably make the playoffs. And once we make the playoffs, anything can happen. At that point a team must win only a two-leg series then a single match in order to get to the MLS Cup. The Dynamo have proven they're among the best at this short tournament, and I think their season will be good enough that they'll be in that crapshoot of a tourney. Once they enter the post season, we'll deal with a renewed prediction; but they'll be in the playoffs, no doubt. Hopefully they do so with some other accomplishment under their belt. The Supporters' Shield? A tournament win? Something?
But it all starts tonight, versus the New England Revolution. So what's the dealio about tonight's match. Here it is: it's a rematch of the last two MLS Cup finals -- blah, blah -- Dynamo won both -- blah, blah -- something to prove -- blah and more blah. Fact is, the Revs have a better regular season record versus the D-Mo because they are effective at playing negative soccer. But! Win or lose tonight will mean nothing for either team -- and it likely ends in a draw. Both teams should be among the last standing at season's end.
Here's some media links on tonight's game
The MLS game preview.
Another MLSnet article.
You should always stop by the Chronicle. Here are its Dynamo Notes. While there, check out the new look for the Chron's Dynamo coverage. As always, the Chronicle is the best place to start for D-mo info.
Highfalutin' pre-season assessments of the Men in Orange that surpass mine:
The Chronicle's Dynamo beat writer, B-Fall, always has the best scoop and excellent insight. He's a Saprissa fan, though, so turn a jaundiced eye on his assessment of our performance in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup Semifinal these next two weeks. For the season he picks the Men.In.Orange. to place first in the Western Conference.
MLSnet's "quick hits"
Kyle McCarthy of Goal.com has his take here. "As long as you're not looking for a striker, you can probably find what you need on the Dynamo bench… Houston is built for a deep run into the playoffs with its depth and experience. ... Don’t bet against a three-peat.
One of my favorite blogs, USSoccerplayers.com, has its summary of the bandwagon team of the season. That's us, yo. "It's Houston, a club that's known nothing but glory. They had you at hello."
Shaka Hislop -- wait a minute: Shaka Hislop? -- says "Neither LA nor Dallas, however, are favourites for the 2008 title. That honour goes to Houston Dynamo, who have won the championship for the last two seasons and now have high-profile financial backing in the form of Oscar de la Hoya. Their players tell me they enjoy playing for their decorated manager, Dominic Kinnear, and that is evident in their wholehearted performances. Such chemistry makes Houston the team to beat. Having been formed as recently as 2005, the Dynamo clearly show the kind of fast and fruitful development that the MLS as a whole is seeking." Shaka must know what he's talking about. He adds U's to favor and honor. That means he knows foutball.
Only slightly related media bits:
Goal.com has this observation about games that have an interesting side-story: In the April 19 match between Los Angeles and Houston, "Houston midfielder Ricardo Clark returns from his record nine-game suspension just in time for a trip to Lalaland to face his old nemesis Carlos Ruiz."
Kelly Gray won't appear in any more of Beckham's Soccer In The USA shows. He's with Colorado now. Good luck, Kelly.
Have you been been keeping up with the "10 hottest Dynamo games"? Here's the schedule on Channel 55:
Mon, MAR 24 - Game No. 10 - 8:00 p.m.
Tues, MAR 25 - Game No. 9 - 8:00 p.m.
Wed, MAR 26 - Game No. 8 - 8:00 p.m.
Thu, MAR 27 - Game No. 7 - 8:00 p.m.
Fri, MAR 28 - Game No. 6 - 8:00 p.m.
Mon, MAR 31 - Game No. 5 - 8:00 p.m.
Tue, APR 1 - Game No. 4 - 8:00 p.m.
Wed, APR 2 - Game No. 3 - 8:00 p.m.
Thu, APR 3 - Game No. 2 - 8:00 p.m.
Fri, APR 4 - Game No. 1 - 8:00 p.m.
My DVR channel listing doesn't have these listed, so you just gotta flip to The Tube at 8 PM yourself, I guess.
Sure, I've been following the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, even if I haven't been blogging about it. That's perhaps the best and most challenging competition the Dynamo face in the year. It's better than the SuperLiga because SuperLiga is comprised of one-match legs in relatively comfortable stadia (often our own) versus teams in their pre-season form. CONCACAF gets us into grueling environments with hostile atmospheres, and against teams that are in mid-season form. I'll also go out on a limb and state -- and do so with unequivocal certainty, even! -- that CONCACAF is better than the US Open Cup, although the Open does have a cool nostalgia factor.
Time will tell whether the new CONCACAF tourney that debuts this season will improve on the current Champions' Cup, which is in its swan song year.
Yeah, I think winning the CONCACAF Champions' Cup would be the best achievement of the Dynamo. It would far exceed the accomplishment of winning the MLS Cup, and would be further enhanced by the fact that this is the final Champions' Cup. So the winner will be the eternal champion, so to speak. That's kinda cool. Kind of like the Longhorns football team winning the final Southwest Conference Championship. They're also Men In (burnt) Orange, btw.
Yet, it always comes back to the regular season, which pits us against our fellows across North America. The season is often described as being without a sense of urgency, but it's the regular season that determines who goes to the tournaments -- the competitions that include CONCACAF, SuperLiga, the US Open Cup (although entry to it is pretty liberal), and the Pan-Pacific Championship should it continue past this year. Even the MLS Cup can be considered a separate tourney that is set up by the results of the regular season.
And when talking about the top teams of a particular season, it begins with the winners of the MLS Cup (that'd be the Dynamo the past two years, y'all) followed by the winners of the Supporters' Shield (that'd be DC United the past two years).
So, while I hope the Dynamo can expand their success into fields other than the post-season MLS Cup tourney, it's the regular season that is the basis for it all; and when it arrives you know that the stage has been set for every team to vie for all of the accolades and the rewards that come with them. In other words: everything hinges on the regular season. It's the hops in the ale. It's the apple in the apple pie. It's the walrus. Word.
My brilliant prognostication
So how do I think the D-Mo will fare this season? Polite of you to ask, seeing as I know you don't really care what I think. Nor should you. People get paid to come up with meaningless pre-season and pre-match analysis. And it turns out that what happens on the field is not affected at all by the words in print. Strange, that. Still, I'll give you my unabashed guesses. No one paid me to make them, but they're as accurate as anything else you'll read. And you can take it to Vegas; I just wouldn't recommend it, yo.
Well, the obvious conclusion of the salaried media literati (as seen repeatedly in the media links below) is that the D-Mo have a dominant defense (including Onstad between the pipes) and a skilled, veteran midfield. Thus, they already have the most important pieces set. The big question mark is the striker corps. Right now we have Ching and some unproven players, including Reserve veteran Wondolowski and the young Argentinean Franco Caraccio. Still, with a strong backline and skilled central machine, the Dynamo are expected to be one of the top-tier teams, along with DC United.
My thoughts are that the media has it right, but are a bit too simplistic in their assessments. I think that our vaunted defense looked pretty shaky in the pre-season, despite upgrading our backs with Boswell to replace Cochrane. It still needs to find its feet and tighten up where it's slack. And I think our goal-scoring options aren't as different as in past years. We've never had a particularly robust goal-scorer, yet we still manage to win. I think our forwards will manage to find the net this year, although it would help if they could get a speedy option to complement Ching's play. And! It turns out forwards aren't the only ones who score in this game. It seems that D-Ro and Holden can put a few away, and our big boys in the back (BBitB) convert their fair share on set plays. It's true.
So what am I saying? Here are my can't-fail prognostications. We don't break the defensive record we set last year. We go through at least one slump this season. We have some high scoring games and some games where we can't score on the weakest of MLS defenses who are a man down. We comfortably make the playoffs. And once we make the playoffs, anything can happen. At that point a team must win only a two-leg series then a single match in order to get to the MLS Cup. The Dynamo have proven they're among the best at this short tournament, and I think their season will be good enough that they'll be in that crapshoot of a tourney. Once they enter the post season, we'll deal with a renewed prediction; but they'll be in the playoffs, no doubt. Hopefully they do so with some other accomplishment under their belt. The Supporters' Shield? A tournament win? Something?
But it all starts tonight, versus the New England Revolution. So what's the dealio about tonight's match. Here it is: it's a rematch of the last two MLS Cup finals -- blah, blah -- Dynamo won both -- blah, blah -- something to prove -- blah and more blah. Fact is, the Revs have a better regular season record versus the D-Mo because they are effective at playing negative soccer. But! Win or lose tonight will mean nothing for either team -- and it likely ends in a draw. Both teams should be among the last standing at season's end.
Here's some media links on tonight's game
The MLS game preview.
Another MLSnet article.
You should always stop by the Chronicle. Here are its Dynamo Notes. While there, check out the new look for the Chron's Dynamo coverage. As always, the Chronicle is the best place to start for D-mo info.
Highfalutin' pre-season assessments of the Men in Orange that surpass mine:
The Chronicle's Dynamo beat writer, B-Fall, always has the best scoop and excellent insight. He's a Saprissa fan, though, so turn a jaundiced eye on his assessment of our performance in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup Semifinal these next two weeks. For the season he picks the Men.In.Orange. to place first in the Western Conference.
MLSnet's "quick hits"
Kyle McCarthy of Goal.com has his take here. "As long as you're not looking for a striker, you can probably find what you need on the Dynamo bench… Houston is built for a deep run into the playoffs with its depth and experience. ... Don’t bet against a three-peat.
One of my favorite blogs, USSoccerplayers.com, has its summary of the bandwagon team of the season. That's us, yo. "It's Houston, a club that's known nothing but glory. They had you at hello."
Shaka Hislop -- wait a minute: Shaka Hislop? -- says "Neither LA nor Dallas, however, are favourites for the 2008 title. That honour goes to Houston Dynamo, who have won the championship for the last two seasons and now have high-profile financial backing in the form of Oscar de la Hoya. Their players tell me they enjoy playing for their decorated manager, Dominic Kinnear, and that is evident in their wholehearted performances. Such chemistry makes Houston the team to beat. Having been formed as recently as 2005, the Dynamo clearly show the kind of fast and fruitful development that the MLS as a whole is seeking." Shaka must know what he's talking about. He adds U's to favor and honor. That means he knows foutball.
Only slightly related media bits:
Goal.com has this observation about games that have an interesting side-story: In the April 19 match between Los Angeles and Houston, "Houston midfielder Ricardo Clark returns from his record nine-game suspension just in time for a trip to Lalaland to face his old nemesis Carlos Ruiz."
Kelly Gray won't appear in any more of Beckham's Soccer In The USA shows. He's with Colorado now. Good luck, Kelly.
Have you been been keeping up with the "10 hottest Dynamo games"? Here's the schedule on Channel 55:
Mon, MAR 24 - Game No. 10 - 8:00 p.m.
Tues, MAR 25 - Game No. 9 - 8:00 p.m.
Wed, MAR 26 - Game No. 8 - 8:00 p.m.
Thu, MAR 27 - Game No. 7 - 8:00 p.m.
Fri, MAR 28 - Game No. 6 - 8:00 p.m.
Mon, MAR 31 - Game No. 5 - 8:00 p.m.
Tue, APR 1 - Game No. 4 - 8:00 p.m.
Wed, APR 2 - Game No. 3 - 8:00 p.m.
Thu, APR 3 - Game No. 2 - 8:00 p.m.
Fri, APR 4 - Game No. 1 - 8:00 p.m.
My DVR channel listing doesn't have these listed, so you just gotta flip to The Tube at 8 PM yourself, I guess.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Golden Boy talk coelesces
Today B-Fall states that the Dynamo ownership issue is about to have some resolution. Boxer/promoter Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions shareholder Gabriel Brener (a Mexican investor with ties to the US real estate industry) will each take on 25% ownership of the team, with AEG maintaining a 50 percent stake in the Dynamo.
Ives G. believes this means that AEG will maintain ownership until the stadium is completed, then sell off the remaining shares.
Glenn Davis had an interview with De La Hoya on Davis' radio show this evening. You can eventually hear the podcast of the show here.
Interesting times. I'd prefer local ownership, but remote ownership is not a new thing in sports. I hope that any new Dynamo stakeholders don't try to tinker with a great organization in order to make it cater to preconceived notions or marketing schemes. Only time will tell what, specifically, the ownership news means. In the meantime, I guess we'll take it as it appears at face value: a sign that people want to invest in the team -- and hope for the best. In the meantime, let's get to some games to help us forget the 6-1 shellacking.
Speaking of Quake alumni being shellacked. This past Sunday, with the 6-1 debacle still festering in my mind, Fox Soccer Channel played a recap of the March 4, 1995 pasting that Manchester United gave to Ipswich. The 9-0 result is the most lopsided game in EPL history and Andy Cole's 5-goal game has never been equaled. The right back for Ipswich? Frank Yallop. He looked gassed and completely crestfallen as he picked himself up from the pitch between United goals. He looked like that a lot last season too, come to think of it. Ryan Giggs sure looked young though.
Ives G. believes this means that AEG will maintain ownership until the stadium is completed, then sell off the remaining shares.
Glenn Davis had an interview with De La Hoya on Davis' radio show this evening. You can eventually hear the podcast of the show here.
Interesting times. I'd prefer local ownership, but remote ownership is not a new thing in sports. I hope that any new Dynamo stakeholders don't try to tinker with a great organization in order to make it cater to preconceived notions or marketing schemes. Only time will tell what, specifically, the ownership news means. In the meantime, I guess we'll take it as it appears at face value: a sign that people want to invest in the team -- and hope for the best. In the meantime, let's get to some games to help us forget the 6-1 shellacking.
Speaking of Quake alumni being shellacked. This past Sunday, with the 6-1 debacle still festering in my mind, Fox Soccer Channel played a recap of the March 4, 1995 pasting that Manchester United gave to Ipswich. The 9-0 result is the most lopsided game in EPL history and Andy Cole's 5-goal game has never been equaled. The right back for Ipswich? Frank Yallop. He looked gassed and completely crestfallen as he picked himself up from the pitch between United goals. He looked like that a lot last season too, come to think of it. Ryan Giggs sure looked young though.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The Hawaiian Debacle
Last night the Dynamo were spanked -- and spanked thoroughly -- by Bare the Brazilian and 10 other guys, collectively known as Gamba Osaka. After viewing the game, B-Fall says we "were outplayed in every aspect of the game" and Jeff Carlisle of ESPN says we were victims of a team with "superior fitness, speed, and technical ability." It's hard to argue with either assessment, given the utterly lopsided score (and the 6-1 score could have been even worse, had the woodwork not intervened and Onstad not made some stellar saves).
The loss can't be blown off as us being in rusty preseason form. (It's preseason for Osaka too.) Nor because we were missing E-Rob and D-Ro. (Osaka was missing seven quality starters.) Nope, we were just plain beaten.
Still, I didn't see Osaka as that much better of a team than the Dynamo. Maybe it was the sleepiness in my eyes. To me, Osaka was like one of those U8 youth teams that has a single kid who has developed faster than everyone else. The team relies on simple mob ball -- and the usual mistakes of other teams at this age -- to win possession. The players are trained to then give the ball to the star athlete, who proceeds to run up the score on the hapless opposition who are trying to play like big people. The other U8 teams, populated with kids who have a regular growth and development rate, are working on the skills they need to prosper in the game: tackling, dribbling, passing, shooting, and not staring at the butterflies. Yet, for all their trouble at doing things right, they are mere speed bumps as Team Prodigy runs roughshod through the age group. (Meanwhile, the coach of Team Prodigy thinks himself a genius because he's too oblivious to the fact that he is setting his players up for future failure: his star's downfall comes when others his age catch up in physical development and he has no skills to fall back on; his other players' downfall comes sooner since they weren't instructed in the fundamentals.)
This was more or less the situation last night. Osaka can be complimented for playing a compact, disciplined defensive game that totally clogged up the middle. When they won the ball back, Osaka couldn't maintain possession for long, but if they could get the ball to Bare (it didn't matter where: at the halfway line, near the touchline, in the penalty box), he'd score. That was the situation in the first half, where Osaka played truly decent soccer only during a 5-10 minute period after the Dynamo were fatigued -- and this was after the 30 minute mark when Osaka had already got their 2-1 score line for the half. In the second half, it was more of the same: channel the Dynamo to the flanks, clog up the middle, and get the ball to Bare. The Dynamo weren't outplayed in every aspect of the game, because the Dynamo were still possessing the ball and generating the threats that could lead to the eventual equalizer. Only when Bare made the goal differential insurmountable (and the Dynamo had become too despondent to fight the fatigue) did Osaka find the advanced combination play that made them look like a quality squad.
For this reason, I think there's greater upside to the Dynamo as a team than to Osaka. If a team can shut down Bare (or should Bare get injured), Osaka is in trouble. They are a one-trick pony. But what a trick that pony does!
While the Dynamo were doing the wall passes and overlapping runs, Bare-Osaka was scoring. In the end, that's all that matters in soccer: goals. So, while I'm arguing that the Dynamo weren't outclassed, they definitely were outscored -- and not by fluky goals.
Luckily, the Dynamo are a team that doesn't get too confident when things are going well, and doesn't get too bummed when they have a bad day. Also, Kinnear is no dummy and probably is relieved to see the glaring problems that need to be fixed before we face our CONCACAF opponents in the regional Champions' Cup.
LA supporters can feel better that, on the surface, their results are the same as their fellow MLSers' results: a loss to Gamba Osaka (and by only one goal!) and a win over Sydney FC. The difference is that the Dynamo dominated Sydney whereas LA backed into a victory, and the Dynamo looked dangerous (despite the story told by the goal differential) versus Osaka whereas LA looked like an amateur team playing a professional team. Where LA can feel good about themselves is that the team that played in the Pan-Pacific Championship won't be the one fielded in League Play. More of their starters played in their match versus the Dynamo reserves than in the actual tourney, which should embarrass the LAG faithful.
This year, unlike the last, we have had a good warm up before the Champions Cup. Let's hope it produces results in the CONCACAF Cup and other competitions we undertake. It'd be nice to have some trophies to accompany our MLS Cups in the trophy case.
The loss can't be blown off as us being in rusty preseason form. (It's preseason for Osaka too.) Nor because we were missing E-Rob and D-Ro. (Osaka was missing seven quality starters.) Nope, we were just plain beaten.
Still, I didn't see Osaka as that much better of a team than the Dynamo. Maybe it was the sleepiness in my eyes. To me, Osaka was like one of those U8 youth teams that has a single kid who has developed faster than everyone else. The team relies on simple mob ball -- and the usual mistakes of other teams at this age -- to win possession. The players are trained to then give the ball to the star athlete, who proceeds to run up the score on the hapless opposition who are trying to play like big people. The other U8 teams, populated with kids who have a regular growth and development rate, are working on the skills they need to prosper in the game: tackling, dribbling, passing, shooting, and not staring at the butterflies. Yet, for all their trouble at doing things right, they are mere speed bumps as Team Prodigy runs roughshod through the age group. (Meanwhile, the coach of Team Prodigy thinks himself a genius because he's too oblivious to the fact that he is setting his players up for future failure: his star's downfall comes when others his age catch up in physical development and he has no skills to fall back on; his other players' downfall comes sooner since they weren't instructed in the fundamentals.)
This was more or less the situation last night. Osaka can be complimented for playing a compact, disciplined defensive game that totally clogged up the middle. When they won the ball back, Osaka couldn't maintain possession for long, but if they could get the ball to Bare (it didn't matter where: at the halfway line, near the touchline, in the penalty box), he'd score. That was the situation in the first half, where Osaka played truly decent soccer only during a 5-10 minute period after the Dynamo were fatigued -- and this was after the 30 minute mark when Osaka had already got their 2-1 score line for the half. In the second half, it was more of the same: channel the Dynamo to the flanks, clog up the middle, and get the ball to Bare. The Dynamo weren't outplayed in every aspect of the game, because the Dynamo were still possessing the ball and generating the threats that could lead to the eventual equalizer. Only when Bare made the goal differential insurmountable (and the Dynamo had become too despondent to fight the fatigue) did Osaka find the advanced combination play that made them look like a quality squad.
For this reason, I think there's greater upside to the Dynamo as a team than to Osaka. If a team can shut down Bare (or should Bare get injured), Osaka is in trouble. They are a one-trick pony. But what a trick that pony does!
While the Dynamo were doing the wall passes and overlapping runs, Bare-Osaka was scoring. In the end, that's all that matters in soccer: goals. So, while I'm arguing that the Dynamo weren't outclassed, they definitely were outscored -- and not by fluky goals.
Luckily, the Dynamo are a team that doesn't get too confident when things are going well, and doesn't get too bummed when they have a bad day. Also, Kinnear is no dummy and probably is relieved to see the glaring problems that need to be fixed before we face our CONCACAF opponents in the regional Champions' Cup.
- The most obvious deficiency is the center defense. I did not expect this to be said of the Dynamo squad. I'm of the mind that Boswell is better than the departed Ryan Cochrane, so we should be better defensively this year than last. We have arguably improved the pieces, but apparently they aren't working in coordination...yet. At the beginning of the match, Bobby Boswell was said to be the guy to shut down Bare. He shirked this duty if that was indeed his. We knew before the match began that Bare was strong, fast, and talented. Still, our back line played him soft and didn't seem to know who had him at times. Even after halftime, when we saw firsthand the danger embodied by Bare, we didn't adjust to do better at covering him. (This failure to adjust is my biggest aggravation of the game…but maybe Bare is just. that. good.) Only his final goal, where Barrett was challenging him for the ball and Bare was force to make a tremendous volley off the pressured dribble, did Bare score DESPITE solid defending; the rest of the time he scored in the ABSENCE of solid defending. When E-Rob returns, we should be better in the center, but frankly Boswell and Ianni should have been good enough. They weren't. The defense has to do better as a unit if it's to succeed, and they better start quickly since they're going to have to give a revamped offense some cushion.
- The offense was already understood to be a concern since we've lost Ngwenya and Jaqua. Hopefully the signing of the young Argentinean forward, Franco Caraccio, helps our punch. He hopefully brings the missing pace that our attack currently lacks. If he does, then that might be all that we need to open up defenses, which would enhance and be enhanced by our threats from DeRo and Holden from distance, Davis from set pieces, and Ching on crosses from the flanks. Last night, we were generating countless threats, but few turned into genuine shots on goal due to the congestion in the middle. This is a problem we had last year too: scoring on compact defenses and bunkered defenses. Even against 10-man opposition we couldn't score if the team bunkered on us. Hopefully we do better in this aspect this year.
- The midfield didn't play particularly poorly as a unit last night. We maintained possession well in the center and on the right flank. But! The delivery to Ching and Wondo (erroneously called "Stephen Wondolowski" all night by the accented commentator) was off target most of the night. Corey Ashe still exhibited excellent athleticism but poor soccer savvy. A few shots from range (Clark and Holden, I'm looking at you) were completely off target, but they were low percentage shots to begin with. We're still at our best with D-Ro in the middle and Davis/Mullen/Holden (pick two) on the flanks and Clark as D-Mid. I think Holden is the best option for D-Ro when the Canadian has to sit out, keeping Davis wide. Frankly, the midfield is the least of our worries, but that's a good thing because I think that's the hardest element to address.
- Goalkeeper isn't an issue yet. I can't blame Pat Onstad for the scoring frenzy last night. It all goes back to the defense for leaving him out to dry. We do need a solid backup though, because Onstad's age might become an issue by increasing the likelihood of injury.
LA supporters can feel better that, on the surface, their results are the same as their fellow MLSers' results: a loss to Gamba Osaka (and by only one goal!) and a win over Sydney FC. The difference is that the Dynamo dominated Sydney whereas LA backed into a victory, and the Dynamo looked dangerous (despite the story told by the goal differential) versus Osaka whereas LA looked like an amateur team playing a professional team. Where LA can feel good about themselves is that the team that played in the Pan-Pacific Championship won't be the one fielded in League Play. More of their starters played in their match versus the Dynamo reserves than in the actual tourney, which should embarrass the LAG faithful.
This year, unlike the last, we have had a good warm up before the Champions Cup. Let's hope it produces results in the CONCACAF Cup and other competitions we undertake. It'd be nice to have some trophies to accompany our MLS Cups in the trophy case.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Dynamo 2008 schedule
The MLS schedule came out yesterday. The Dynamo's 30 game include every team once at home and once away, and an extra match versus four of the six other Western Conference teams. We play Chivas and Dallas in an extra home game, and we play Colorado and San Jose in an extra away game. I think this works out perfectly: Chivas and Dallas have trouble getting results at Robertson, so it's good to have them come here to Houston (particularly given Chivas' strong home record). Colorado can be difficult due to the altitude, but the Dynamo often uses these trips to Colorado to recuperate at Philip Anschutz's nearby ranch -- assuming AEW still owns the Dynamo in June and October (brrr!) when the Dynamo venture to Commerce City. I'm sure the Dynamo also won't mind the extra trip to their old stomping grounds in San Jose either.
The week before that October date in Colorado (brrr!), Dynamo play in Toronto on September 27. That's my birthday weekend; maybe I'll use that as an excuse to travel to Canada.
Dynamo's first match is March 29 at Foxboro, MA. The first home game is the following Sunday, April 6, versus FC Dallas. There is only one Dynamo game scheduled in July due to SuperLiga, the US Open Cup, and the MLS All-Stars all occurring that month. The final game of the season is October 25 versus Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center.
The league schedule will be strained because of the usual extracurricular tournaments (such as the aforementioned SuperLiga), and international play will also be an issue. We host Chivas USA on August 20, the day the US is likely to play Guatemala in a semifinal round World Cup qualifier. (Probably means we'll face a Guzan-less Chivas.) We host the Wizards on September 7, when the US will likely be at Cuba. We host DC United on October 12 when the US will likely host Cuba.
B-Fall has some observations on the schedule in his blog at chron.com.
TV coverage is still being fleshed out, but hopefully Channel 55 The Tube will pick up some games to fill in those dates that are currently left to Direct Kick or HDNet.
Oh yeah, and the Galaxy come to Houston once: October 19. If you're a Beckham groupie and seeing him once is not enough, you can take a road trip to Frisco to see Becks play Dallas twice: May 18 and July 27. The other celebrity, Blanco, comes to Houston with the Fire on August 31.
In other Western Conference News:
Du Nord reports that former DC United center mid, Christian Gomez, is heading to Colorado. With him as the attacking mid and Beckerman (or Mastroeni) as the defensive mid, Colorado is now a much bigger threat in the West. It seems the quality of the opposition improves each season. Hopefully the Dynamo continue their trend of adapting and improving this season.
The week before that October date in Colorado (brrr!), Dynamo play in Toronto on September 27. That's my birthday weekend; maybe I'll use that as an excuse to travel to Canada.
Dynamo's first match is March 29 at Foxboro, MA. The first home game is the following Sunday, April 6, versus FC Dallas. There is only one Dynamo game scheduled in July due to SuperLiga, the US Open Cup, and the MLS All-Stars all occurring that month. The final game of the season is October 25 versus Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center.
The league schedule will be strained because of the usual extracurricular tournaments (such as the aforementioned SuperLiga), and international play will also be an issue. We host Chivas USA on August 20, the day the US is likely to play Guatemala in a semifinal round World Cup qualifier. (Probably means we'll face a Guzan-less Chivas.) We host the Wizards on September 7, when the US will likely be at Cuba. We host DC United on October 12 when the US will likely host Cuba.
B-Fall has some observations on the schedule in his blog at chron.com.
TV coverage is still being fleshed out, but hopefully Channel 55 The Tube will pick up some games to fill in those dates that are currently left to Direct Kick or HDNet.
Oh yeah, and the Galaxy come to Houston once: October 19. If you're a Beckham groupie and seeing him once is not enough, you can take a road trip to Frisco to see Becks play Dallas twice: May 18 and July 27. The other celebrity, Blanco, comes to Houston with the Fire on August 31.
In other Western Conference News:
Du Nord reports that former DC United center mid, Christian Gomez, is heading to Colorado. With him as the attacking mid and Beckerman (or Mastroeni) as the defensive mid, Colorado is now a much bigger threat in the West. It seems the quality of the opposition improves each season. Hopefully the Dynamo continue their trend of adapting and improving this season.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
A tie with El Tri
It's always exciting to see international soccer -- particularly US international soccer, of course -- here in Houston. Last night Reliant Stadium was LOUD. The crowd was passionate but surprisingly amicable. Heck, in the final 10 minutes of the game, US and Mexico fans alike sent a few waves around the stands.
(But then this morning has reports of a shooting in a parking lot. Cue the xenophobic, bigoted rants on chron.com.)
I thought a 2-2 draw was a fair result. The US goals were quality goals (and they almost had a 3rd) and the US should not have conceded goals it did. On the other hand, Mexico could have easily had at least two in the run of play without relying on the US being uncharacteristically disorganized on set plays. Furthermore, the US was too often disorganized at the back and its flanks were weak on both sides of the ball. Thus, 2-2 was a result both teams should appreciate.
As for that 3rd US goal, it turns out Dempsey was offside when the ball was initially passed to him. It's unfortunate that the center ref waited for -- what? -- 10 minutes and an apparent goal before calling it?
On the other hand, I think Jozy Altidore's breakaway in the first half -- long before the game's first goal -- was wrongly whistled dead. Altidore won the ball off clumsy possession play by Rafael Marquez, then Marquez successfully covered his gaffe by flailing to the ground after minimal contact, and Altidore's one-on-one with Mexico's GK, Ochoa, was whistled dead before Jozy could show us what he could do.
Some rambling thoughts...
- I am surprised that Bradley never subbed out any of his defenders, given how pathetic the back line looked at times. I expected to see Parkhurst at some point, and hoped to see Robinson, but Parkhurst was the only defending option on the bench (other than Lewis, when necessary).
- Bad news: the Dynamo website states that "Brad Davis is out indefinitely after suffering a right groin strain while training with the US Men's National Team, the team announced today. Davis has been evaluated by Dynamo medical staff. Stay tuned to houstondynamo.com for further updates." That explains why he didn't play. I think he would've fared better than Bobby Convey.
- And what has happened to Bobby Convey? He used to be a "player of the future." Now he looks indecisive and clumsy. He's had a hard road recovering from his past season-ending injuries and surgeries.
- I've always been on the fence with Michael Bradley, but his recent club play converted me to a Boy Bradley supporter. But his game last night was weak. His tackles are always suspect, but his passing is usually his strength. Last night saw several errant and intercepted passes -- which is inexcusable given that he should be in mid-season form. He maintained good possession on several occasions and successfully won back a ball after he had lost it near our defensive third, but wasn't much of a factor (in my opinion) overall.
- Maybe it's because there was no true attacking mid to work with, but I thought Clark, like Boy Bradley, was limited in his effectiveness in the middle. He had a journeyman effort, but not the creative and even controlling role he can demonstrate from the middle.
- Dempsey is still playing out of position I think. He's better as a right midfielder, but that's not a position where we're lacking in options.
- I'm trying to think of who did impress me. No one with any consistency. Several had shining moments, including those who I whined about in this post. I'd have to say Oguchi Onyewu fared the best. I wondered why he was taking the one throw in, then as it flew 50 yards into the penalty box I said "Oh, that's why." Then he followed up with that quality long range header into goal. He held the center of the back line pretty well (defense had its issues, but the biggest weaknesses were the flanks and he wasn't responsible for the poor coverage on the two Mexico goals) and his yellow card was undeserved. Furthermore, without Dave O'Brien in the booth, we didn't have to hear the constant reiteration that Onyewu is built like a linebacker. Other thoughts: Altidore probably had more good than bad. Tim Howard too, although I partly blame him for the disorganization of the back line. He realized the noise made communication difficult (and nearly took his captain, Bocanegra, out of the game), but he never seemed to take the opportunity to take corrective action. He had trouble controlling the wall formation even after halftime. He was having so much trouble with that in the first half that I thought the break would see that easy fix made, but nope!
- I can blame the rustiness of Clark, Donovan, Moor, and Altidore (if he had any) due to the fact that they are in pre-season form (and Moor and Altidore are young). Feilhaber and Convey might be excused because of their lack of time on the field for their clubs (but if they're not good enough for their clubs, what does it say about us that they're part of the top 18 for their country?). As for the others: no excuses.
- Dynamo fans, take heart: both of Mexico's goals can be blamed on FC Dallas. Drew Moor of Dallas blew his positioning and his marking on both goals. On set pieces no less. To repeat: the US lost to Mexico on set pieces.
- Moor halfway made up for his error with the great service to Jozy Altidore for the 2nd US goal. But that only accounted for half of the deficit Moor put us in. Moor had good service to Altidore late in the 2nd half too, but the cross was slightly deflected which affected ALtidore's timing and made his header go wide. Moor's successes are described on the MLS recap of the game, but the MLS recap attributes Moor's gaffes to anonymous "defenders".
- Question, is Jonny Magallon, who scored the brace for Mexico, any relation to Consul General of Mexico Carlos Gonzalez Magallon? The Consul General attended a Dynamo function (a reception for FMF Secretary General Decio de María) the night before the US-Mexico match. He must have enjoyed seeing his last name on the scoring sheet for his national team, even if he's not related to Jonny.
- And finally, we got to see the new ESPN broadcasting team of John Harkes and JP Dellacamera. I like both guys in general. It sounded like they've still got some work to do on their integration and chemistry; they didn't combine well on some of their commentary. Harkes has apparently worked on eliminating some of his annoyingly overused phrases/tics. Maybe the sound wasn't too good in the broadcast booth, because JP seemed to be lost at times, particularly when play was stopped; this is where Harkes needs to step in. And Harkes, it's okay to decry a bad call when the ref deserves it! It may be that I like Harkes better as a person than as an announcer, with Wynalda as the converse.
Most surprising quote of the night, leading me to question the translation or transcription: "These are hard-fought games. As far as play, we probably deserved the win, but the result is fair because they capitalized on their style of play,which is one we have a lot of respect for." That was Hugo Sanchez who said that (with the italicized emphasis my own)!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
A quality team behind the team
Today, Oliver Luck issued an apology for a picture that appeared in the e-newsletter issued by the team this week.
Unfortunately, the picture demonstrated that some of our fans are either ignorant or uncouth. However, people come in all sorts of qualities, and when you have a group of them -- regardless of the reason for the formation of the group -- you will find at least a few individuals who harbor the lowest of characteristics.
And with that lame little post, I ensure that I didn't let a month slip by without a post. Tomorrow begins Dynamo training camp, albeit with a skeleton crew due to US and Canadian team callups. It will be interesting how this new season plays out with the new dynamic that will arise with the personnel changes on the team. This is something to discuss in a future post.
This innocuous missive is yet another reason to respect the "team behind the team" of the Dynamo organization. I didn't notice the flag in the picture when I viewed the newsletter, but I still appreciate the message behind Luck's message. He demonstrated a respect for the symbols of our nation and showed that he is willing to be held accountable for mistakes, even those that are based more on perception.Dear Fans: On behalf of the Houston Dynamo organization, I would like to apologize for the fact that a picture of an upside down American flag was used in a recent e-mail newsletter that was sent out. It is completely inappropriate that this image was chosen. A third party vendor, which runs the website for MLS, is responsible for choosing the photo. However, we as an organization share responsibility for this because we have the obligation to proofread the newsletter before it was sent out and we failed. We apologize for this oversight.
By the way, for those that may not know, the International Charter of Flag Etiquette states that a flag may be flown upside down in cases of extreme distress. If you have been following the Dynamo since 2006, you will know that there have been no cases of extreme distress!
Oliver Luck, President/General Manager
Unfortunately, the picture demonstrated that some of our fans are either ignorant or uncouth. However, people come in all sorts of qualities, and when you have a group of them -- regardless of the reason for the formation of the group -- you will find at least a few individuals who harbor the lowest of characteristics.
And with that lame little post, I ensure that I didn't let a month slip by without a post. Tomorrow begins Dynamo training camp, albeit with a skeleton crew due to US and Canadian team callups. It will be interesting how this new season plays out with the new dynamic that will arise with the personnel changes on the team. This is something to discuss in a future post.
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:
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:
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.
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.
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."
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):
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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