Dynamo Quarterfinals schedule for CONCACAF Champions Cup

Friday the 2007 CONCACAF Champions' Cup fixtures were set.

Dynamo Houston will play Puntarenas FC in Costa Rica in the first leg of the Quarterfinals to take place sometime February 20-22. The return leg will take place somewhere in Houston sometime between February 27 and March 1.

A season of note

Dynamo-Houston have proven themselves a success this past year, and they've earned a well-deserved rest after their final MLS Cup victory. (While the players might be resting, I think the coaches and front office will be working just as hard this off-season. That's for another post.)

Winning the MLS Cup is certainly the ceremonial highlight of this season, but so many other events and achievements occurred this year. Here is some of what I remember:

* In what seems like another lifetime, I remember the announcement that the Earthquakes, my sons' favorite team and one of the most exciting teams in the MLS, was moving to Houston, our home of only a few months at the time. No new owner and no stadium deal? Then why is AEG moving the team here? And do you remember the radio buzz over the 1836 name?

* April 2: In the first match at Robinson stadium (late on a Sunday, so my family didn't go), Ching scores a Hat Trick +1 and Alejandro Moreno tacks on a bicycle kick/chileno at the end to cap off a 5-2 goalfest.

* April 8: Dynamo-H take on KC Wizards. This is the first match my family sees live. Ching starts off the scoring, but, in what looks to be a trend, the team allows a quick equalizer. DDR gets a red card and the team goes on to lose off a rocket of a strike from Jose Burciaga very late in the game.

* May 6: In another goalfest, Dynamo-H beat their in-state rival in their first formal meeting, 4-3. My oldest son and I sit behind the south goal, the locus of the first three Dynamo goals and all three of FCD's goals.

* Ching is selected to the US World Cup team. He scores in a warm-up friendly versus Venezuela on May 26, but gets no field time in Germany as the USMNT fails to get out of the group stage.

* June 3: Dynamo-Houston begins their "corporate restructuring" streak by beating the dastardly LA Galaxy. Their victory earns the Galaxy coach, Steve Sampson, a pink slip that week. Dynamo's victory vs KC on July 15 earns the Wizards coach, Bob Gansler, a pink slip the week following that match as well.

* July 22: Holden scores an equalizer versus the Revs in a match that see the visitors play boring soccer and Dynamo waste numerous changes. My oldest son catches a free t-shirt tossed into the stands. "I caught this at a Dynamo game" it reads.

* August 2: Dynamo vs Dynamo in the first US Open Cup match for Houston. Dynamo wins 4-2. The sprinklers go off too.

* August 5: Dwayne DeRosario, as the playmaker in the center of the field, scores the only goal in the MLS All-Star match versus Chelsea. DDR is rightfully chosen as the All-Star MVP.

* August 9: Dynamo-H fills Reliant Stadium and dominates the Galaxy, but new coach Frank Yallop leads his team to victory off a lone goal by recent transfer Santino Quaranta. Eddie Robinson scores an equalizer, but it's called back due to a hand ball. Barcelona follows, coming back from a 0-3 deficit to tie the game 3-3 vs Club America.

* August 12: Dynamo squeaks by FCD at home, 1-0, and wins the inaugural series versus the Toros, winning possession of "El Capitan" in their first year. My daughter gets several autographs after the game, including Craig Waibel (who scored the game winner) and Brian Ching.

* August 30: In Chicago's new stadium in Bridgeview, DDR scores a goal with the ball sitting on the halfway line. The 55 yard bomb eludes Zach Thornton and helps the team to a road 2-2 draw. Could this be DDR’s third consecutive Goal Of The Year?

* September 30: DDR doesn't get the GOTY because in this home match versus DC United, Brad Davis sends a cross into the box that is flicked on by Scotsman, Paul Dalglish, and almost 18 yards out, Ching skies into the air and drills the bicycled game winner into the net, propelling Dynamo into the playoffs. The marvelous, acrobatic kick earns Ching the GOTY. Can you see my orange family in the replays from the touchline?

* October 29: Things looking grim, down 2-1 in the aggregate Conference semifinals, Davis evens the tally early in the second half. It looks like we're headed to overtime when, 1 minute and 57 seconds into the 2 minute stoppage time, Ching knocks in the winning goal. Conference final, here we come.

* November 5: Again down by one to Colorado in the Western Conference final, the team comes back to win their first silverware 3-1, punctuated by a sliding volley by Mullan to seal the deal. Adrian Serioux throw a commemorative cap into the stands, and my oldest son catches it. Thanks, Serioux.

* November 12: Scoreless through regulation, Dynamo go down a goal (for the third time in the MLS Cup tourney) but equalize off the successive kickoff. Ching nets the final PK and Onstad stops the final attempt, and Dynamo bring the Cup to Houston, their new home.

Farewell, Serioux, and thanks for the Cup

Well, Adrian Serioux was picked by Toronto FC in the expansion draft today, so he's no longer a Dynamo.

That's a bit sad, because he has been such a contributing player to our lineup. He's a regular at Centerback and seemed to be the only sub for Ricardo Clark as D-Mid. I think this works best for Kelly Gray, who now might have more opportunities as D-Mid, or Ryan Cochrane who might get more playing time as a back.

Serioux seemed like a no-brainer pick for Toronto since he's Canadian and a proven contributor to a winning side in the MLS. Still, there is some surprise since the coach of Toronto, Mo Johnston, was the coach of the NY Red Bulls when they traded Serioux to us at the beginning of the 2006 season. The player we traded for Serioux, Danny O'Rourke, was also picked by MoJo.

I think this move brings Serioux closer to his family, which is one reason why he came to the MLS from Millwall, England, to begin with. Thus, this should be a good move for him.

Here's the list of who Toronto picked. They didn't pick anyone from Dallas or Colorado:

1. Paulo Nagamura (Los Angeles Galaxy) - Midfielder
2. Danny O'Rourke (New York Red Bulls) - Midfielder- He was with San Jose/Houston at the beginning of last season, and we traded him to the Bulls for Serioux from the Bulls.
3. Jose Cancela (New England Revolution) - Forward
4. Adrian Serioux (Houston Dynamo) - Mid/Defender - Bye, thanks for the Cup
5. Nate Jaqua (Chicago Fire) - Forward
6. Rod Dyachenko (D.C. United) - Midfielder
7. Jason Kreis (Real Salt Lake) - Forward - the MLS career leader in goals scored...for now
8. Tim Regan (Chivas USA) - Defender - He's the guy who fouled Ching (or tried to) as Ching headed the game winner with 3 seconds to spare in the 2nd leg of the Western Conference semi.
9. Ritchie Kotschau (Columbus Crew) - Defender
10. Will Hesmer (Kansas City Wizards) - GK

Follow up:
Aaargh!! Serioux has been traded to FC Dallas for Ronnie O'Brien. Serioux, my heart goes out to you. You are now only 4 hours closer to your family and you're stuck with the rival of Dynamo-Houston!

Who'd have thought that your MLS Cup win would be on your homefield for next season.

You can play with our shiny new ball when you come down and visit...

Britons on the MLS Cup

An interesting take by a Brit at the MLS Cup.

Dynamo get the silver ball

One of the results of the Dynamo's MLS Cup victory is that they'll get to play with the "+Teamgeist Winner MLS Ball" for all of their home games. This is the ball used at the 2006 MLS Cup, so only Dynamo and the Revs have any experience with the ball. Does that suggest that Dynamo will have an added advantage in their homegames since they'll be familiar with the game ball? Let's hope so. In post-game comments, Twellman mentioned that the Revs hadn't been able to practice with the ball before the match and that might have been responsible for their slow start in the MLS Cup.

Marry the unique ball with the unique narrow confines of Robertson stadium and the vocal, partisan crowd, and the home field advantage might be substantial for Dynamo Houston 2007.

Speaking of unique home advantages, how about our heat and humidity? Dynamo were supposed to be used to the heat and humidity (and no, it's not a dry heat) and that was to add to their home field advantage in 2006. Coach Kinnear and others have stated that the heat was just as hard on them as on their opponents, so no advantage there. Let's hope they adjust better in 2007, because I don't think the H&H will go away come Summer.

Hey, do you think that Dynamo-H will fare better than their northern cousins in the CONCACAF Champions Cup? There's that whole H&H adaption thing, where Dynamo will feel as at-home in the rainforests of Central America as in Robertson Stadium. There's also the fact that Dynamo has a solid core of players and an aggressive, attacking mindset. It's good to have international teams, but to have the Dynamo taking on the international teams? Now, THAT's awesome.

Here's hoping we still have that solid core of players in the new year. Hands off, Toronto! (And let's designate DeRo as our Designated Player just to keep him here.)

Drama, Destiny, and Dynamo

What a dramatic win for the newest group of Houstonians!

In yesterday's MLS Cup, Dynamo came out strong (against the wind too, from what I understand), and looked like they wouldn't be long in getting one into the net. The Revs eventually awakened from their stupor and began to control the run of play at about the 20 minute mark. That continued until the second half, when Dynamo again looked to be more dangerous, save for a scary point blank shot by Twellman that Onstad stopped. Perhaps the Dynamo's resurgence was due to the wind, perhaps it was due to the 3-5-2 formation they adopted, or maybe it was due to the Revs' fatigue.

If the later, then the Revs must've just been saving up, because they picked up their pace in overtime while Dynamo looked absolutely exhausted in the two overtime periods. With regulation ending in a 0-0 draw, and the threat of PKs against a solid Reis looming, the best bet for the Dynamo would be to finish things out in the OT period. But with their tired legs, it didn't look likely; and then with about 8 minutes left to play, Twellman slots a shot into the far netting and seems to seal the deal.

"That's the game," my son said, and I had to agree with him.

Luckily, DDR, Mullan, and Ching didn't think the game was over yet. Virtually unchallenged on the flank, Mullan sends a cross in to Ching. Though deflected, the ball is met by Ching in the air and, just a minute after the Revs' goal, we're again even 1-1.

It was an excellent response by Mullan-Ching after the Twellman goal, and with typical Dynamo drama.

Dynamo picked up their pace a bit after that, but no one really had an edge until the end.

And then we went to PKs. Everyone thought the Revs recent success with Penalties gave them the advantage. Yet, Gray and Holden looked like seasoned pros with their PKs. Davis' miss surely was in sympathy for Noonan's miss. Weren't they childhood teammates at Scott Gallagher in St. Louis?

As usual, it all came down to the last kick. DDR and Ching had made their shots (Ching's having to be driven through Reis' hands), and when Onstad stopped Heaps' shot to the left (Onstad's right), the stadium and our home erupted.

Not a perfect match, but a perfect result
It was not the prettiest of matches, but was perfect in terms of drama. A team that was solid throughout the season in its attacking team play (if not always in terms of results), and was gutsy when it needed to be, rightfully earned the first MLS Cup for which it vied. I'm glad to see the only MLSer who is older than me make the save that wins the Cup for my hometown. (And Pat's such a nice guy to boot.)

The two teams were equally matched on the field throughout the whole season. Both their league matches ended in 1-1 draws. Their MLS Cup ended in a 0-0 draw in regulation and a 1-1 draw in overtime. This was (surprisingly) the first MLS Cup to be decided on PKs. That is a testament to how equal these teams were, and is proof that the two best-matched teams met in the final this season.

Hopefully, this result leads to increase stability for the itinerant players of the Dynamo-Quakes, and entrenches them into the Houston sports culture.

One gripe: I can't believe ABC didn't broadcast the Cup presentation. Yes, the game went long...but the ceremony would have added -- what? -- an additional 15 minutes? At least send it over to ESPN2. Thank you 790AM for sticking with the coverage.

Speaking of 790...how great was it to hear Glenn and Charlie explode after Ching's goal and the Onstad save of Heaps' PK? Most soccer announcers are network announcers and exude an air of non-bias, but Glenn & Charlie's emotion was classic.

MVP
The MVP, to my mind, was either Mullan or Onstad. Mullan controlled his flank, created many opportunities, including the game-tying goal, and was indefatigable both ways, offensively and defensively. Yeah, he had that great look at goal in the first half that resulted in a shot that achieved orbit, but he was one of the best threats overall and kept us in the match when others were flagging.

Onstad is perhaps the best choice. He kept the sheet clean through regulation, including that wonderful block of Twellman's point-blank header in the first half. He directed his 3-man defense throughout the game and was instrumental in the final result with his game winning save on Heaps' PK.

Ching got the official nod for match MVP, and I can't really argue with that. He made the remarkably timely equalizer in extra time, and put away the final PK at the end. He also made a timely steal in front of our goal deep in OT, when Twellman looked to have an excellent opportunity. He also had an embarrassing whiff in the second half, which Kinnear amusingly mentioned in the post-game press conference, saying Ching should be commended for his "vision" in making that intention dummy so Wade would have a clear shot. Ching laughed at this and said "I'm a team player, what can I say." That humorous exchange (and the goal he eventually did get) erased the ills of that whiff in my mind at least.

I'm sure I'll have more in the days to come. Until then: Thank you Dynamo for a great season. I'm so glad that ONE of my orange teams won this weekend...

Orange Sunday

Today, we're going orange. The family is eating squash soup and pumpkin bread, and drinking Sunkist and Tangerine Cosmos. We're going to spend the beautiful afternoon with the windows open and the Dynamo game on. We're hoping for a victory, and I think we'll get it.

The talent is quite balanced between the teams. We have a hole with Ricardo being gone, but I think Adrian Serioux is actually better suited for a D-Mid role than his usual C-back role. Ryan Cochrane is generally solid in the back and will bring good defensive consistency to our back line. He even scored in the first matchup versus the Revolution.

With such balance between the teams, I think we have to look at the x-factor as the potential difference maker. In today's game, there are two such factors: Dalglish and fan support.

The Revs haven't faced Paul Dalglish, and brings a different dynamic to the Houston attack. He doesn't always work seamlessly with Ching, but he brings a level of unpredictability that is hard to defend. He's an excellent complement to DeRo and Davis-Ching-Mullan. Let's say Dynamo 2-1.

Regardless of the result, I think the game will conclude with a general consensus that the Dynamo should have won. Either this will be confirmed by the victorious result, or it will be another frustrating match where our domination of possession and the run of play is for naught. Either satisfied or frustrated, we'll be here in beautiful northern Houston, draped in Orange and filled with various orange comestibles. Go Dynamo!

The culmination of the season

Sunday night, at the final game for the Dynamo at home, we saw the storybook ending for this inaugural season -- a season that was an unexpected gift. A year ago at this time, the Dynamo didn't exist, soccer wasn't played at Robertson Stadium, and the Houston sports scene was far removed from the MLS universe. And now here we are: celebrating our heroes, while they applaud us as if we were lifelong supporters of their cause.

It seemed a weird experiment involving the transplanting of an entire team, the heart-breaking of a dedicated west coast fanbase, a marriage of attacking soccer with humidity, and a false start with naming the new creation. Somehow, it worked -- and successfully so.

As I sat low behind the North Goal, in Section 111, with my family and 23,000 of my closest friends, the volume of noise, the swath of orange, and the mass of waving towels were dazzling. As the teams took the field, the Rapids looked small and isolated, while the Dynamo took the field as 23 thousand and with bold clamor.

Yet, the game began inauspiciously. There was too much activity near my goal that first half. I saw Serioux's handball much too closely in those opening minutes, and was just a few yards away from Jovan Kirovski when he sank the resulting PK. (I did not, until later, recognize Kirovski without his mane.)

Paul Dalglish’s goals were salves for a worried heart, but it looked to me that he still does not work all that well with Ching, and that cost Dynamo a few more opportunities. Dalglish with his two goals was the obvious choice for man of the match, but I think Mullan earned that title in fact. His work on the wings helped break down the Rapids' defense, he assisted on the second goal, and he earned the third and final goal for the 'Mo.

Luckily, that third and most acrobatic goal was in the North End goal, and I could see it perfectly. Not quite as dramatic or as critical as Ching's bicycle versus DC United, but such power and timing...and that was the nail that broke Colorado's will. Dynamo, a team with no history, has written its exciting first chapter of what I hope will be a long narrative. Dynamo are the Western Conference Champions and are heading to the MLS Cup in Frisco to face the talented and hungry Revolution.

Quick Hits:

• As I was heading to the WC before the match began, I crossed paths with Charlie Pallilo. I said "Hello, Charlie" as he walked past. He took a few steps before he realized he heard his name, then cast a curious glance over his shoulder. I waved, but that was all.
• At the end of the match, the team sure looked excited with their hard-fought silverware (crystal-ware, actually). Their glee was great to see. Adrian Serioux stopped by the North Goal and tossed a shirt and a ball cap into the crowd. My son came up with the ball cap. He caught a t-shirt several games ago as well. How many sporting events have I been to in my life, and I have yet to catch anything...

• Dynamo's record when I'm present has climbed to 6-3-1. We went to exactly half (8) of the regular season home games, exactly half (1) of the US Open Cup home games, and exactly half (1) of the post-season home games. That's 10 of 20 games in toto, for you Aggies out there...
• If the MLS Cup were on a Saturday, we'd make the trip and pay the costs. Being that it's on a Sunday, that would make for an awfully long trip before a long school/work week. Dynamo will have to win at Frisco without me present...but I’ll be watching, beer in hand.

Confessions of a Dynamo newbie

Excellent article by Ken Hoffman in the Chronicle today. Soccer is a different experience live than on TV, and you don't have to understand every nuance to enjoy the sport.

Hope to see you, Ken, on Sunday...and hope to see Dynamo in Frisco next week!

Should I bring my bad Ju-Ju?

I am really wanting to go to the Conference final this weekend of course, but I'm worried. Am I wanted by the Dynamo?

Oh, I know they want fans in the stadium, but heed the facts: Dynamo cannot lose when I watch the game from afar; they can lose when I'm present.

They played 18 games at home (including the game at Reliant, and counting the 2 Open Cup matches). Their home record is 10-3-5 (W-L-T) in toto. When I'm in the stands, they are 5-3-1, meaning when I'm NOT in the stands, they're 5-0-4.

They can win when I'm present or when I'm absent, but they can lose only when I'm present.

Well, they'll have to overcome my Ju-Ju. My wife just informed me that she bought tickets for the whole family in Section 111, just behind the North Goal. Last time we sat on this end of the stadium was versus Chicago (let's not discuss that...), but it should provide excellent views of the goal.

Looking forward to it!