It begins

Tomorrow, Houston 1836 -- er DYNAMO HOUSTON -- starts its first campaign. This season will be a test of more than just the team; it'll test the ability of professional soccer to thrive in Houston.

The MLS has come a long way. It's still scoffed by many foreigners and by domestic sports pundits, but it has been a major catalyst in reshaping the sport in the US. It is partially responsible for the depth in overall talent in the US, and is helping to nurture the future of American soccer. The 2006 World Cup may not be our moment; but the MLS contributed to the overall sense that a World Cup is feasible in the not too distant future. Even this World Cup -- with the “Group of Death” moniker bestowed upon Group E which houses Italy, the Czech Republic, Ghana, and the US -- sees the US ranked as high as fifth in the (mythical) world rankings. The US will be hard pressed to progress out of the group stage; but it is also viewed as highly capable of doing so.

But, how will Dynamo Houston fare as the newest team in this maturing league? Many in the soccer-focused pressed view the major powers to be Houston, Los Angeles and New England. But be wary: Kansas City Wizards have amped up their offense with Eddie Johnson joining Josh Wolff; Chivas has abandoned last year's experiment and have overhauled their roster (including rumors of bringing in John O'Brien); FC Dallas can't be forgotten (despite its suspect defense) because of the prolific nature of Carlos Ruiz; the Chicago Fire and DC United have several unknowns that might pan out in their favor.

Regardless: Houston looks poised to fare well and get into the playoffs. How will they adjust to their new environment and the off-field distractions associated with their ownership and the relocation to hot, humid Houston? We'll start discovering the answers tomorrow.

I think it'll be a strong year myself.

By the way: I will choose to refer to the team as Dynamo Houston rather than Houston Dynamo. The former sounds more like a vibrant, cohesive name, while the latter seems to be standard, prosaic sports fare -- city name followed by contrived mascot name.

Many years ago, there was a professional team known as the Houston Dynamos -- an ancestor (albeit a distant, nearly unrelated one) to today's team. There are many other teams that have borne a similar nomenclature:

• Dinamo Bucharest
• Dynamo Dresden
• Dynamo Kiev
• Dinamo Minsk
• Dynamo Moscow
• Dinamo Tbilisi
• Dinamo Zagreb
• Dynamos FC (one in South Africa and one in Zimbabwe)

Yet, while there is precedent out there, Dynamo Houston is founded on different ideas than many of these namesakes; and it will see a future that only the team itself -- along with its fans -- can define. Hopefully that includes success on the pitch as well as in the furthering of the sport for tomorrow's American players.