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...