I still believe

As I was traveling through America's heartland, I was unable to see the Dynamo-DC United match this past weekend. I did read the various synopses of the game, as well as Glenn's take, but I can't comment on the match with any specificity.

It does look like Dynamo acquitted themselves quite well, particularly in the second half, but still are having trouble getting the goals they need. DeRo misses a PK (argh!), but creates a goal to end the D-H scoring drought, but not our winless streak. (Here's a link to all Week 8 goals, including DDR's.)

Glenn Davis reiterates his claim that our troubles stem from conceding the first goal, then being unable to pry open the bunker teams fall into when protecting their lead. I agree with Glenn that chasing the game is always difficult (the only time we've succeeded this season was on Colorado's big pitch), but that's not the whole story of course. I wish I could say what the "whole story" is, but I think it's really just a combination of individuals being off their game (DDR at first, Ching later, the wingers intermittently), difficulty with the newbies (Ngwenya, who could have introduced himself to his new city and turned around our fortunes by taking advantage of some of his 1-v-GK opportunities), poor set-pieces, and bad luck. After the early collection of poor showings, the team has played solidly as a unit, so despite some individual blunders, there seems to be no systematic problem.

So what's the solution?

Some denizens of the Internet state that Dynamo need to spend money on a Designated Player because we need a bigtime striker that can finish what the team hath wrought in the first two-thirds of the field. Others say that Dynamo has stayed the same while the league has improved.

I don't buy either observation. Dynamo are not being played off the field -- in fact, we've looked to be the better team in every match since the RBNY match. Defensively we're solid. Offensively, we're possessing the ball well and creating chances. We have top quality in every position; we don't need new blood (the only exception being perhaps the #2 striker). The team only needs to work on bolstering their confidence, improving their free kicks, and becoming a little hungrier (even reckless) in the penalty box. Practicing set-pieces, in-box finishing, and long-distance strikes would help, but this is no secret -- Dom is already taking these necessary steps -- nor is there anything magical in the recipe. The team needs to continue working on these areas to refine their skills and (perhaps more importantly) improve their confidence so they don't waste time second-guessing themselves come game time. They have the skills, they just need to get their heads into the "zone" when under game pressure. (More of that Zen stuff I keep mentioning.) After the successes come, the confidence will return and we'll be back to our old winning ways.

Thankfully, our slump coincides with a lack of results throughout the Western Conference, so we're still in the fight even in the midst of our doldrums. Furthermore, 4 of our next 6 matches are against Western Conference opponents, giving us ample opportunity to gain ground. Hopefully the tide turns this weekend against our rivals of the I-45 corridor. I can't think of a better time to do it.

Two observations from the midwest:

• I saw no sign of the Wizards while I was in KC. The team was in New England this past weekend, and there was no other visible proof that the city had a professional soccer team. My in-town relatives were only casually aware that there was a team in town.
• As I was driving in Southern Oklahoma, I was passed by a 90s-era jalopy that had an FC Dallas sticker on its rear window. It seems FCD has some presence at least.
  
  

It's a Sophomore Slump

The slump continues. I'm disappointed with the results, but I really have little to quibble about regarding the quality of the team's play. Versus Chicago and TFC we played well enough to win, but lost; tonight we played even better than in those games, and we lost.

Our losses:
RBNY: 1-0
Chicago: 1-0
Toronto: 1-0
New England: 1-0

The key stat in all those instances: 0 goals for the good guys. And of these games, the RBNY game was the only one where we looked outclassed, and that was against a 10-man team.

Still, tonight's loss to the Revs is even more disappointing. Everyone talks about how we dominated possession, and we did, but that's not always a telling stat and can be deceptive based on the type of game being played by the opposition. Tonight, in addition to possession, we saw bucketloads of other things that hearken to a great team:

• Creative passing, takeovers, and combination play
  
• Changing the pattern of play & tempo
• Going through the midfield and working the short passes and also by-passing the midfield with the long ball
• Great free kicks by Davis
• Vertical and diagonal runs with and without the ball
• Ching headers in the box
  
• Contributions from the bench (particularly Ashe)
• Keeping the other team out of the penalty box
• Solid work rate from the team with a sense of urgency
  

Tonight I believe the loss is truly a factor of bad luck, bad juju, or the wrath of the gods. Perhaps it's just a test of our resolve as fans and our team's endurance. Whatever it was, the loss was not a factor of bad soccer.

The lack of finishing still buzzed around us, but we created the threats and had the shots -- some poor, yes, but others of complete quality. Ching had some good headers, and Clark had an excellent chip of the GK after a nice passing combo with Ching (and flick by Ngwenya) in the 67th and made a shot from distance in the 79th that barely went astray, Davis had a precise bending free kick that couldn't beat Reis, Ashe had 3 great crosses (two on the carpet, one in the air) in his short tenure, and Mullan has a dangerous cutback pass in the 93rd that caroms wildly in front of the goal before landing at the feet of a Rev defender (natch).

Ngwenya continues to be a threat, but can he score? He worked better with the mids tonight, but still seems out of synch with Ching.

I thought subbing in Ashe and Holden was a great move. Ashe did outstanding on the attack, less so defending, but that wasn't a worry since the Revs had gone to 11-man defending since before Ashe walked on the field. Holden provided some good service and might've tallied a goal in the 90th had his first touch been better when the rock fell to him at the top of the box. I question Dom taking out Ngwenya if only because we didn't insert any true forwards in replacement at a time when we were jonesing for some goals. Subbing Gray for DDR was out of necessity, I believe, due to DeRo's hamstring; but it further hampered our attack at a time when we needed creative attacking the most. Luckily, Ashe's energy on the left seemed to fill the void DDR's absence created in the middle -- but not enough to change the result.

The team is getting frustrated. Indeed, Ching and DeRo both received needless Yellows because of their emotional outbursts born of frustration. Frustration is understandable and may be a good thing if it turns into determination; but if it leads to exasperation, then the team could start playing tight and disjointed, which won't make goals come any faster.

So, how can Dynamo Houston break this curse? They could seek guidance from the infallible Internet, where you can find all sorts of wisdom. Or they can continue doing what they're doing for two-thirds of the field, while concentrating on improving their play and expanding their tactical repertoire in the final third. They also need to continue getting Ngwenya (or the healed Dalglish) incorporated into the coordinated attack better, or Nqwenya/Daggers need to do better on their own when the chances fall to them.

Final thoughts:

• The new grass looked horribly patchy, and sand flew up all over the field. I hope the pitch improves before the next home game.
• I like the all-orange kit. I'm surprised the team hasn't worn it before, since they have both pieces (the home jersey and the away shorts) already in their gearbox.
• Kudos to the 18,000+ who showed up to root for the home team. The supporters sounded great. I think that we need to stop booing (like the crowd did at the end of the first half), because it sounds like we're booing our team. I would guess that everyone was booing the officiating at the end of the half, but I'm not sure. Also, I think we need to learn a chant or cheer or song to ring out in support of the good guys whenever the opposition scores. We can't boo when the other team scores because booing, again, sounds like we're condemning our team's performance, but silence is exactly what the other team wants to make us do. We instead need to voice something that rejects the visitor's smugness and inspires Dynamo Houston. Just a thought.
• Both Coach Nichol and Matt Reis acknowledged that Dynamo Houston played the better soccer, and they both acknowledged they were lucky to have the 3 points. That's no consolation of course. I noticed in his interview that Reis was drinking from a Red Bull water bottle. I think the Rev supporters should pitch in and buy him a bottle that doesn't promote one of their Eastern Conference rivals. Or maybe they could buy him a bottle with a DC United emblem on it.

Don't worry Dynamo fans: this, too, shall pass.

Revs in town; Time to turn this ship around.

Taylor Twellman and the Revs come to H-town to avenge their loss to Dynamo Houston in last year's MLS Cup. They look poised to do so, with a productive attack that has scored a league high 14 goals in 7 games and two scorers in the league top 10: Twellman who leads the league with 6 goals and Andy Dorman who is sixth in the league with 3 goals. On top of that, they have Steve Ralston, who has a goal himself and an assist on the other 6 goals for the team. Playing with three backs, the team has a goals-against average of just a goal a game.

Houston on the other hand has a struggling attack, with the entire team racking up a total of 4 goals, tied with Columbus and Toronto for last place. We've been shut out in 4 of our 6 games, and have only two goal scorers. On the plus side, our defense has allowed only 4 goals, for a .67 average per game.

Despite the stats and the standings, both teams are well coached, stocked with talent, and very capable. If the Revs play a true 3-5-2, we should have less trouble in the attacking third (our usual region of weakness), but we might have more difficulty with the build up in the middle (one of our stronger areas). If the Revs score first, I'll wager we lose the game and are probably shut out a 5th time for the season as the visitors bunker in and rely on only the counter. If we manage to score first, I bet the goals come in bunches -- perhaps for both sides -- and we win in the end.

Ngwenya finds his finishing touch tonight hopefully. His last game was disappointingly reminiscent of Ale Moreno's finishing, but his pace did give us a new aspect on the attack. Hopefully he settles in and gels with the rest of our attack, while finishing off the opportunities he creates on his own. I also hope that DDR relaxes, only then will he regain the form that is powered by mojo, Wu Wei, the Force, or whatever term you prefer.

To be candid, I'm no Twellman fan. He has talent, no doubt, but strikes me as the Dan Marino of the MLS: talented, arrogant, whiny when things don't go his way, and (so far) unsuccessful winning championships. I hope Twellman is shut out tonight by Onstad & Crew.

For the second home game in a row, I won't make it to the Rob. I'll be attending my son's guitar performance, so I'll have to watch the taped match with the echoes of "Smoke on the Water" and "Louie, Louie" still echoing in my head. I hope the crowd looks spirited and shows the TFC fans that we're still tops in the league, while the Dynamo does the same on the field. Go Orange.

Dynamo looking DynaLESS

Maybe I've been a Houston sports fan for too long, because I'm not at all comfortable with the Dynamo's current run of form. A fan from some other town might chalk this up to a rough patch and comfort himself with knowing that his team is good so good things will happen. Well, I'm Mr. Glass Half Empty after tonight's match.

It was a poor performance all around. Giving up the goal didn't bother me that much. On a wet field with a good dead ball specialist behind the ball, such things might happen. We're still at the top of the league in terms of goals conceded.

Let's get on to what does bother me:

• A continuing inability to score. We have scored in 2 of 6 games. That means we've been shut out -- shut out, I say -- by 4 teams. We have 2 goal scorers. We now have a speedy forward, Ngwenya, who can run to the goal faster than Moreno, which enables him to fluff the shot quicker than Moreno would. On the 1v1 with the keeper, Ngwenya looked exactly like Moreno at the end of the first leg of the Pachuca match. If you're earning a paycheck as a forward, you've got to get those in. Here's hoping that Ngwenya does better with his chances in the future. We weren't patient with Moreno doing the same...but at least we're paying less for the same results. Ching had very little service from the wings and his best work was working the middle or the flanks with his feet. When THAT is happening, the game plan has broke down. We had a few shots from distance, but little that threatened. And this is versus a keeper one year removed from the USL. And versus an expansion team. And a team coached by Mo Johnston.
  

• Disappearing DeRo. The problem with DeRo isn't that he doesn't care or that he's going through a work slowdown and pouting until his contract issues are resolved; no, the problem is that he cares too much and is working too hard. Whenever he wants to show the world his quality, whenever his heart is aching for everyone to realize that he truly is among the elite -- so he will get the raise he deserves, so the foreign managers will see him as a worthy adversary, so his hometown will see the boy grown up -- he struggles. Why? Because his skill, as masterful as it is, is instinctual and visceral. He cannot command his flair into submission. He is a player who must feel the play and just flow into the action. Don't condemn him for not trying; his problem is that he's trying too hard. Yoda could teach him a few things, but basically DeRo needs to come to terms with Wu Wei and return to being the Taoist Soccer Master that he is.

• Conceding a goal on the road isn't a cause for concern, but there was no excuse for how open Welsh was on the free kick. Lapses of concentration on defense hurt us last year at times, and is all the more dangerous because of our impotent offense.

• Cochrane has been shaky all season. I don't remember being nervous with him on the field last year, but this year he seems to get out of position, lose the ball, and concede fouls too often for a starting defender on a top flight team. Did he commit the foul that led to the goal? I'm not for sure, but it's not a far-fetched guess given how much he fouls. Waibel was a bit shaky at the altitude of Pachuca, but other than that he looked as good as Cochrane if not better. I don't understand why Waibel is being benched; I worry less with Waibel on the ball than I do when Cochrane is there.
  

• Apathetic coaching. I'm not one to clamor for massive replacement of starters, and I'm perfectly at ease with Kinnear's preference to let the Starting XI solve the problems thrown at them by the opposition, but when the starters aren't cutting mustard, you sub them out to (1) offer someone else a chance to excel and (2) let the starters know that they are going to have to work for their positions. Using only one sub, Kinnear failed to allow anyone else the chance to help the cause, prevented the possible development of bench players, and told his starters that mediocrity is acceptable. I thought Stuart Holden was a fine sub, and I thought that pulling Ngwenya was not unwarranted given the newbie's misfirings, but a middie for a forward is not a particularly aggressive sub. It does not say "we need a goal, guys." Ngwenya at least was penetrating the opposition (and THEN blowing it, yes), while Mullan, who moved up when Holden took the wing, did little more than get called offside about a dozen times when time was precious. I think Dom should have done more to light a fire under our guys.
  

• But mainly it's that thing about a lack of goal scoring that really ticks me off. If you're going to lose, at least score a bit so opponents have to open up the game to outscore you. I've called out Cochrane in this rant, but he has nothing to do with this, the greatest problem facing the 'Mo. The problem lies with the service from our middies to Ching, and with the on-ball abilities of DeRo and the non-Ching forward. Until the five players in this aspect of the game become consistent, we will struggle mightily.
  

Since I'm crabby, let me gripe about other things, none as important as my gripes about the Dynamo's offensive impotence, but here it is:

• I haven't been very impressed with the refs this year. They missed another handball in the penalty box tonight. Worse than that was their lack of accuracy on the offside calls. I, for one, think the call should be like the "tie goes to the runner" call in baseball. If it's close, err on the side of attacking soccer and let the play unfold. If it results in more goals for all teams, then whoopee. I don't think that's a sin. I also hope the league's director of refereeing, Esse Baharmast, does a little refresher on the "advantage" too. As an aside, one of the four professional refs, Terry Vaughn, was the official tonight. Seems like some professional training is in order.
  
• I listened to Steve Mark, the voice of the Dynamo, on 790 for the first 10 minutes of the game. He has a good voice and is good on the pre-game, halftime, and post-game activity, but needs to listen to soccer on the radio and practice on how to describe the play to as it happens. I had very little idea as to who was doing what on the field for those 10 minutes. Steve Clarkson seemed to be a good color guy though.
• Toronto is a Canadian team, no? This Johnston clown fields only two Canadian starters, Sutton and Brennan. Is that really the best an entire nation can produce for its team? At least all three subs were Canuckistanis.
• I like the Glenn Davis-Charlie Pallilo team in the booth. Pallilo calls a good game and Glenn is solid in the analysis. Yes, they're biased for the home team; but that's because they're H-Town announcers. They're supposed to be calling from the local team's perspective. It's not a breach of etiquette like when the FSC crew led by Max Bretos pleads on camera for Toronto to win, like they did in the TFC-Fire game last weekend.
• I hate divers. On a related note: Eskandarian should not be allowed to wear #10. No one on Dynamo-Houston wears #10, and only DeRo would warrant it. No one else has the hubris for such garish self-aggrandizement.
• Right now we're tied for 8th in the 13 team league. Mid-season slumps are much easier to stomach than beginning of season slumps. This slump better end soon.

On a brighter note: That Onstad is a rock. And how about that Dynamo Stadium news?

Dynamo Downtown

In the time since I posted the aerial of regional sites being considered for the future Dynamo Stadium, it seems Downtown Houston has become a more realistic possibility. Channel 13 had a story about the possibility, and Glenn Davis' recent radio show (May 7) had much discussion about this with Dynamo CEO Chris Canetti, who was a guest on the show -- and Glenn's latest TV broadcast had Glenn sitting in the parking lot in question.

In short, the downtown opportunity resides on a large empty parking lot owned by the Astros organization, just across US59 from Minute Maid Park. Here's an eye-in-the-sky view, with the lot bordered in orange. I'm assuming the narrow lot along the highway is included with the larger square lot.

So how does this compare with The Rob? Overlaying the stadium on top of the aerial, you can see that the stadium fits diagonally along the area just fine, with only some of the surrounding grassy area clipped off. This orientation will require a road closure. It will eliminate the traditional north-south alignment of the field, and parking will have to be offsite, but both are surmountable obstacles.

And with a little tweaking, it looks like the field CAN fit in this space in the orthodox N-S alignment. That would be good for TV purposes (with the sun behind the cameras) and to keep the players from having to play opponents that have the sun behind them. As you can see, the field fits, but the surrounding stadium would have to be a bit asymmetrical to accommodate the geometric constraints. (I clipped off parts of The Rob to show the size differential.) But I think there'd still be seating all around the field even in this configuration; some just might not have concession stands behind them.
It does look like any practice fields (and definitely any youth soccer complex) would have to be located elsewhere. That's a bit unfortunate, but not overly problematic.

In short, the space fits, the location is great, and the news is exciting. Here's hoping it will come to pass.

Now I'll have to start solidifying my "Stadium Feature Wish List."

Musings on this week's media

The RSL-Rapids game on Thursday was pretty uninspiring. I fell asleep in my recliner early in the second half and was pleased that I didn’t miss any more own goals.

Attendance looked pretty good at The Dick for a Thursday evening. It was better than during the freezing deluge last weekend when Dynamo Houston was in town. The stadium looks nice in the sunshine, although I'm not a big fan of the one goal line that has what looks to be a few rows of temporary bleachers rather than the wrap-around permanent seating seen behind the other goal line. That's still better than the barren concrete stage on one end of the Frisco Deep Dish, which is an abomination. The Frisco club should at least put up temporary bleachers there, or maybe put a party patio out there, kind of like at Crew Stadium. Empty sidelines and endlines are something the Dynamo Stadium should avoid.

My gripe with The Dick is pretty minor in comparison. That Colorado pitch looks pristine, even when torrents of rain are falling. A pitch of that quality can make up for a lot. We need a field like that in Dynamo Stadium. Someday; someday.

The ESPN crew had more of the same: endless prattling by Wynalda, pointless People-magazine trivia by DOB about the players, and more of the same from the sidelines by Allen Hopkins. Tommy Smyth was talked over most of the time because he would, you know, take a breath occasionally.

Frothing rant: DOB, for the love of all that is beautiful, please just call the game! Try it just one time, and if you don’t like it, you can go back to Soccer Brought To You By Entertainment Tonight. And do we really need three in the booth? Seems awfully crowded and encourages more idle talk.

How about Herculez Gomez (the diving El Pescadito-lite) having the goal called back around the 13th minute? Here's how it plays out: Colorado's Nicholas Hernandez shoots the ball at the goal while Gomez is onside. Gomez then runs past the final defender as the GK makes the save, knocking the ball back into the field of play. Gomez, past the last defender, is now in an offside position after the ball whizzes past him going the other way. The ball then deflects off a defender and goes to Gomez, who finishes the shot. The refs call the goal back due to offside. Wynalda says the goal should count because Gomez wasn't offside at the time of Hernandez's initial shot, and as the LOTG state, a player in an offside position is only penalised if, at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team, he is, in the opinion of the referee, involved in active play by: (1) interfering with play or (2) interfering with an opponent or (3) gaining an advantage by being in that position. Well, when the ball was played by his teammate, he was onside; and when he was offside and collected the rebound off the defender, the ball wasn't played by "one of his team." Quod Erat Demonstrandum. Score one for Wynalda.

Ah, but Tommy Smyth was correct. FIFA's Decision 2 of Law 11 clarifies item #3, above: ... "gaining an advantage by being in that position" means playing a ball that rebounds to him off a post or the crossbar having been in an offside position or playing a ball that rebounds to him off an opponent having been in an offside position.

When the ball bounced off the defender, Gomez was offside, so the call was correct. Whew! Another game not blown by the officials! (Don't worry, it'll happen. And probably to us.)

Must agree with Wynalda's opinion about De Rosario during one of the many conversations in the ESPN booth. Tommy Smyth brought up a discussion he had with Jeff Cunningham, where Cunningham mentioned he's the most underrated (or overlooked, don't remember which) player in the league, but Wynalda respectfully disagreed saying that DDR holds that claim. True.

Later, during halftime, Wynalda mentioned DDR's explosive game versus Colorado and commended DeRo on kicking it into gear and how DDR is now getting that contract bump he wanted. Huh? Does Wynalda know something we don't? I haven't heard anything about the contract negotiations being settled. Maybe Wynalda just meant that DDR's play had made the case for a good contract a no-brainer. Can't argue with that.

I think DeRo should be among the top paid domestic players in the league, but I don't know that he warrants DP money. His play is equivalent to a DP, but it's an unfortunate truth that there is more to being a DP than on-field performance -- for starters, a DP needs to have drawing power. Dynamo Houston aren't much of a team without DDR, and DDR is one of the most dynamic players in the MLS, but Dynamo can't afford to use DP-dough on him unfortunately. Luckily for him, the cost of living is cheap down here, eh? (The Census has the Houston area with a COLI of 88.9 and San Jose at 158.1. The national average is 100.)

Finally, cheers to Glenn Davis for his Dynamo Soccer Report, which has come so far in so short a time. How do you like him stirring things up by being in the parking lot across US59 from Minute Maid Park? Someday, hopefully. Someday.

Playing with Style

As a fan of MLS, I'm use to reading denigrating comments about the quality of the league. As an American, I'm use to reading and hearing slurs on our national style of play. In fact, such invectives are not limited to the MLS or to the USA, even though it may seem that way to me because of my perspective.

No, it's not unusual for one nation to criticize another's style of play. Even those at the top sometimes take it on the chin. Take the EPL. Many people consider the EPL to be the best soccer league in the world (and few would argue that it's not in the top five at least). Yet even with the quality of that league, the quality of play comes into question.

ESPN has an interview with Argentinean and Real Madrid legend, Jorge Valdano, where he criticizes two of the most effective EPL coaches, Jose Mourinho and Rafael Benitez.

"Chelsea and Liverpool are the clearest, most exaggerated example of the way football is going: very intense, very collective, very tactical, very physical, and very direct.

"But, a short pass? No. A feint? No. A change of pace? No. A one-two? A nutmeg? A backheel? Don't be ridiculous. None of that. The extreme control and seriousness with which both teams played the semi-final neutralized any creative license, any moments of exquisite skill."

These are some of the same qualities that American soccer has been condemned for: direct, physical soccer that relies on collective teamwork rather than creative passing combinations and changing the pace of the game. The US has strong physical training regimens and nutritional science that has made this limitation into a strength. In fact, physical, athletic soccer based on disciplined defense and direct offense can almost be claimed to be our national style of play, and we might be the nation that gets the best results using this style of play.

But in the global world of soccer, everyone can find something to fault in one's neighbor. Valdano claims the EPL is no more creative than the MLS. The same criticism has been levied against the English Nation Team by some over the past year -- particularly since the World Cup. The EPL and the English team are still considered better than the MLS and USMNT, but I presume it's not due to an improved style of play, but because the island league and national team is composed of players with more (and better) soccer experience that in the States.

Should that be heartening to us? Are we truly not much different in soccer tactics than the creators of the world game? Would we be equals if only we improve our technique?

Perhaps. At any rate, we DO need to improve the technique of our players. Furthermore, I think that now that we have converted the English to our style of play, we should abandon that style and, the great Melting Pot that we are, adopt the flair seen in the play of our neighbors to the south. Perhaps we can create a new "American Style" based on the solid, organized defending drawn from our European roots, coupled with the creative attacking flair of our Central and South American roots. Instead of Brazilian Salsa, we'd be more like Southern Rock in the back and Jazz up front, maybe.

Getting back to Valdano’s comments, I do differ with his further editorializing when he says, "Those who did not have the talent to make it as players do not believe in the talent of players, they do not believe in the ability to improvise in order to win football matches. In short, Benitez and Mourinho are exactly the kind of coaches that Benitez and Mourinho would have needed to have made it as players."

This makes for an interesting insult, hitting the successful where they can't protect themselves: in the past. But this sounds more like schoolgirl cat-fighting based on jealousy than on logical conclusions or historical precedent.

I will concede that a good coach has to have soccer experience; but I do not think a coach's lack of talent as an athlete means he is incapable of being a remarkable coach, any more than a player's remarkable athleticism prepares him to be a coaching genius. There are many examples of coaching legends (within soccer and without) who have had only moderate success in the sport where they later proved their leadership and tactical acumen. Can you name one?

Dynamo Style of Play
I've got to link this to the Dynamo at some point, so let me make a comment about the Dynamo style of play. In the back, we play the typical physical, organized defense. That's as American as apple pie. Our flanks and Ching also fall into the American style, with direct play and dogged athleticism pushing forward and running back on support. Where our play may differ is with regards to our Canadian middle. Yes, DDR has that flair and creativeness that seems to be lacking in general here and even across the pond.

Let's use Valdano’s comments as a list:
A short pass? Yes.
A feint? Yes.
A change of pace? Oh, yes.
A one-two? You bet.
A nutmeg? On occasion.
A backheel? Sure!

DeRo has that creative license and those moments of exquisite skill. Even when he's not a direct part of the play, he can show that flair. For instance, how about that dummy he did during the buildup before Ching's goal last Saturday in Colorado? When he's on, it's magic.

Texans in the EPL
I’ll sign this post off with a quick bravo to Clint Dempsey, who scored his first EPL goal, a game winner versus Liverpool on May 5. Receiving the ball after a quick give and go, Dempsey saves Fulham from relegation. Here’s a link to the goal.

The Revolving Door

The trades continue. Glenn Davis reports that Moreno is being traded to the Crew for midfielder/striker Joseph Ngwenya. This is a bit of a surprise to me. Ngwenya doesn't seem to fill any gaps on our team. He has speed, but is spotty in his effectiveness, so I'm not sure what we're getting. He can pair with Ching, providing penetrating speed to complement the box presence of Ching, or can stand in for Mullan if Mullan gets called up to the USMNT this summer. Sounds like he'll be battling Dalglish for a spot since they're somewhat similar in the type of threat they provide, but he can spell tired middies in a pinch.

Moreno (who appeared on Glenn's TV show this past Friday) is a great locker room asset, but hasn't brought much to the field this year or last in terms of direct scoring. He's been a solid complement to Ching and DeRo, holding up the ball (and getting fouled as likely as not) as he buys time for them and for the flankers as well. He's a great guy who will be missed, though I don't think his absence will affect our on-field performance.

Thing is: I'm not sure Ngwenya's arrival will affect our on-field performance much either. It's a good move for him (he gets to play for Dynamo Houston after all), but is it a good move for Dynamo? We'll see.

Glenn also reports that Dyron Daal is on trial with the Dynamo. He's a ginormous 6' 4" striker from the Scottish Premier League. (Was he drawn here by Dalglish?) He sounds like he would be a sub for Ching, rather than a complement for him. Maybe he's to play in the summer (not a Scottish heat, that) when Ching is expected to be abroad playing with the USMNT.

Perhaps all of this is Dom's way to build up depth. At any rate, he's keeping to players who are flying under the radar (no DPs), but who he feels he can fit into the Kinnear System.

Best Forwards Coming to Houston - Dec 22

"The Funkie Junkie," posted on BigSoccer.com some great news about a contest called Free Kick Masters. Simply put, it sounds like a terrific Christmas present for Houston soccer fans.

From the Free Kick Masters website:
The Free Kick Masters is a skills-based international soccer competition featuring some of the world’s top rated free kickers competing against some of the world’s top rated goalkeepers in a free kick shootout to declare the world’s “Free Kick Master” and “Golden Goalkeeper”. The last Free Kick Masters event held in 2004 in Marbella, Spain was sold out and broadcast to over 30 countries and an estimated 110 million viewers.

The Free Kick Masters 2007 will be held in Houston, Texas. The player crowned “Free Kick Master” will receive $1 million in prize money, and the “Golden Goalkeeper” title winner will receive $0.5 million in prize money.

From the FC Barcelona website:
Ronaldinho will be one of the main stars taking part in the Free Kick Masters 2007 to be held on December 22 in Houston and is a competition to find the greatest free kick taker in the world.

The complete set of entrants has yet to be confirmed, but Ronaldinho knows he will be up against some tough opposition. “There are some very good free kick takers, all those taking part will be good at it” he said. “I like Beckham, Thierry Henry, Roberto Carlos, Márquez, Deco... All of those players can shoot really well.”

Life for Houstonian soccer fans just gets better and better.

The Slump is Broken!

So the wide field is good for our game after all. It makes for prettier soccer too.

The game in summary:
- 20 people in the stands. Why so few on a Saturday night?
- Eddie Robinson does a sweet backheel to Colorado's Brown to set up the first goal.
- Dynamo down 1-0 by the 5th minute.
- Dynamo working together and taking dangerous shots, looking like the more dangerous team.
- Rain pouring down; I see why there are only 20 people in the stands. Weather like that fun for players, horrible for spectators. Amazing design of stadium allows people to watch higher up and remain totally dry. Everyone looks cold though.
- Dynamo looking sharp in two-thirds of the field (except for Cochrane's hacking defense...he didn't use to do that, did he?), but we're STILL hesitant and unimaginative in the penalty box. That is making me grouchy, and then
- Ching doubles our season's goal count with a sliding deflection reminiscent of his goal in the first game versus the Rapids last year. Tie game. I'm content.
- Welcome back, DDR. Sweet run up the middle, turn your marker, and strike a golazo from distance through three defenders. We see a brief "funky chicken" walk from DDR, but not enough. He might be saving it for the home fans. Dynamo up 2-1. I'm happy.
- Excellent cross by Ching (who looked to be offside, but no protests so maybe not) that Dalglish gets to. Ball rolls in slow motion towards goal. Mastroeni gets his forehead on the ball as it rolls past his supine form, then DeRo picks up the trash for his second goal of the night. I'm ecstatic.
- Colorado attacks, Dynamo defends, Dynamo wins 3-1. Colorado handed first loss at Dick Field.
- Beautiful stadium. I want one.

Season count: Ching=2 goals; DeRo=2 goals. Team's goal per game average now up from 0.25 to 0.8. Goals allowed is at 0.6 per game. We're in an early 3-way tie (with FCD and Colorado) for first place in the West, and those 7 points would put us in 5th place in the East, behind KC, NY, Chicago, and NE.

Dynamo looking like the best team without a highly marketed player (defined as a DP or a star bought by bending past budgetary rules -- LAG has one from each category). Now, for some R&R for the team, then off to Canada, where DDR and Onstad should feel at home.

Mile High Club

Okay, so we know the issues facing Dynamo-Houston:

- One goal in four games
- Uninspired play in 3 of 4 league games
- Inability to break down bunkered teams
- Not much production from our forwards (particularly our non-Ching ones), our wingers, and our DeRo
- Cornrows gone

But don't forget: our defensive play is pretty solid (only 2 goals conceded in four games) and our play in the most recent game saw everything positive except the net (well, we did have a goal that should've counted -- but even that would've been a Chicago own goal). DeRo looked involved, and the 49th minute saw a zinger from Brad Davis bounce off the woodwork.

The C-Rapids have attempted to build a tough home field advantage by creating the largest field in the MLS (120x80 yards, as compared to The Rob's 115x70 yards) which is designed to wear out opponents who are not used to the altitude. Well, Dynamo have acquitted themselves fairly well at higher altitudes, while their flank-based play and their bunker penetration would both be enhanced by the spaciousness of a wide field. In fact, though Dynamo-Houston prefers the narrow field (going back to their days as the Earthquakes), their style of play works better with the bigger field. Strange, huh? Ever notice how many square passes go out of bounds at the Rob, even when Dynamo aren't under pressure? Here's hoping that their ultimate stadium home has a bigger field, whether the team wants it or not.

And here's hoping that the team shows their quality on the biggest field of them all tonight. Says here that they do. The scoring drought ends and a new streak begins, my friends.

Then the team can relax at Uncle Anschutz's ranch for a couple of days, where they can watch Anschutz's The Chronicles of Narnia. Then, it's off to the Great White North.

Green ain't just on the Pitch

There's been much scuttlebutt today about MLS salaries now that the Major League Soccer Players Union has made the information public. Basically, the data says what we already knew: young reserve players have to scrimp by, and there are some well paid athletes who would be on the bottom of the scale in other countries or other sports.

The Union has revealed the players' base salary and their guaranteed compensation. The base salary is self-explanatory. The guaranteed compensation is explained this way:

The annual average guaranteed compensation number includes a player's base salary and all signing and guaranteed bonuses annualized over the term of the player's contract, including option years. For example, if a player has a base salary of $50,000, has a two-year contract with two one-year options and received a $10,000 bonus when he signed, his average annual guaranteed compensation would be $52,500 (base salary plus signing bonus ($10,000), with the signing bonus divided by the number of years covered by the contract (4)). The average annual guaranteed compensation number also includes any annual marketing bonus to be received in the current year and any agent's fees annualized over the term of the contract. The average annual guaranteed compensation figure does not include performance bonuses because there is no guarantee that the player will hit those bonuses.

Figures include income only from a player's MLS contract, and not from any deals he may have with his team or its affiliates.

There are 356 players in the league. The average guaranteed salary is $115,478 and the median -- the point at which an equal amount make above and below -- is $52,965. Nearly three-quarters of the players have base salaries of $100,000 or less. Thirty-two players earn the league minimum of $30,000, and developmental players get even less: 35 make $17,700 and 56 get $12,900.

Here are the top 10 paid MLSers this year. Claudio Reyna is the highest paid American, and exactly half of the top 10 is imported talent.


How do the Dynamo fare? Mulrooney and Ching are the highest paid players. DeRosario, still negotiating his raise, is fifth on the list. The average guaranteed salary is $83,724 and the median is $85,000. Wondo and new recruit John-Michael Hayden earn the minimum $30K (Holden makes only $1,500 more than the minimum) and we have two at $17,700 and six at $12,900. So, approximately 30% of the team makes less than $20K.


We have nine players (Ianni, who is a Generation Adidas player, and the sub-$20K group) who are Developmental players and don't count towards the salary cap. That means the 18 rostered players put the team at $2,001,549 in base salary. (Which is just over the $2MM cap, but some say the cap is $2.4MM. Hmm.)

Players' salaries have been a topic that's been beaten to death, but I'll join in on the horse-beating nonetheless. I understand the league's desire to remain solvent by limiting expenses, but I wholeheartedly agree with the argument that the salary minimum should be bumped up so players can make a living and so the sport can become a more attractive option for athletes.

The salaries for Developmental players are going to kids who are college age or just out of college. Starting salaries in the job market (outside of sports, where one has to work instead of play) wouldn't be very lucrative usually, particularly for the poor Liberal Arts major. In fact, the Developmental salaries are comparable to those of Minor League baseball. Still, increasing their pay to $26,000 would allow them to survive while they learn to play the professional game, and shouldn't put the MLS in dire financial straits. This would be approximately a doubling of the salary of 91 players (just over double for 56, just under double for 35). In lieu of increasing the salary of Developmental players, they could be offered assistance for living and travel expenses. The assistance wouldn't have to be monetary -- it could be a team-paid apartment reserved for the Developmental roster to share. Perhaps these players already receive something like this. The salary list includes only salary, not bonuses or any deals players may have with their team or its affiliates.

For rostered players, I think the salary should be bumped up to $50,000. That won't make the players rich, but would put them in the range of middle management salaries (but they get to play a game rather than deal with corporate shenanigans). The pay would provide a solid motivator to improve one's skills to move out of the Developmental level.

To truly help the quality of the league, the stars need to be justly compensated. I like the idea of salary caps as a way to instill parity into the league, but I look forward to the day when the cap is increased to allow the stars to get paid more (while giving the young and developing players a livable wage). MLS has been increasing the cap gradually over the years, and this should continue as revenues increase. To do otherwise is to sacrifice quality to protect parity.

ABC on the Stadium

An interesting article appeared on the news feed. It seems the activity continues regarding establishing a permanent home for the Dynamo.

Charting Our Orange Dreams

I've always been a cartophile – I love maps. Today, on a whim, I decided to dabble in cartography a bit so as to provide a spatial view of the sites we've been told are on the table for a future Dynamo stadium.

I pulled together the newspaper articles I could find (http://www.chron.com/ and elsewhere that I Googled), and narrowed the list down to the following 5 sites being considered:

Downtown Houston: Either just north of Minute Maid Park, or just across US 59 from Minute Maid Park, depending on the news article.

Delmar Stadium: This is the HISD stadium just west of the intersection of US 290 and Loop 610. (This was an early contender, but hasn't been mentioned much since.)

Pearland: Near the intersection of SH 288 and BW 8. I'm not sure where it is supposed to be exactly, so I placed it on the SWC of the intersection, which has vacant land and is in the Pearland city limits.

Sugar Land: This is just east of US 59, between the Brazos River and University of Houston – Sugar Land campus.

Webster: No definitive site was announced, but apparently there are "several sites" that are possible.

How do these lay out spatially on the regional map? Check it out:


The 10 mile ring is centered on the current stadium, Robertson. Below is an aerial photo overlay to show land use:


Hopefully these JPGs will expand to a reasonable size when you click on them. (I fixed the earlier discoloration of the Pearland symbol.)

If I had to rank the sites in order of my personal preference, I'd rank them thusly:
1. Downtown – Convenient for all, but practice fields would have to be located elsewhere. Extra bonus: the Toyota Center has a non-compete clause that could make the Dynamo stadium unable to host concerts, so the pitch would stay pristine.

2. Pearland – Opposite side of town from me, but BW 8 makes it convenient, and there'd be room for a huge Dynamo complex.

3. Delmar Stadium – More convenient to me than Pearland, but it would be (1) primarily a school district facility with Dynamo as little more than a tenant (2) a football stadium mix use with those ugly gridiron lines and (3) no room for a Dynamo complex of fields.

4. Sugar Land – This is way too far southwest of town. It would provide for a nice soccer complex for the team and organization though.

5. Webster – No.

And here's an idea from out of the blue: Greenspoint. The area of BW8 and IH-45 (North Fwy) has Greenspoint Mall and good proximity to the airport. The area has been desperate to reinvigorate itself and is undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation. I'd bet that the local management district would love to have a stadium (and associated ball fields) to generate more interest and activity in the area. Space could be found...or made. It's not as central as a downtown location, but is still within Houston city limits and is on good highway arterials (including the nearby Hardy Tollroad). Just a random thought.

Location is critical to the success of the stadium. Obviously, a location as central as possible would be best, but there are other restrictions and considerations Corporate Dynamo will face besides transportational convenience. Hopefully, we can get a great location and a magnificent facility. I'll post my definition of "magnificent" at a later date. (My wish list will exclude all gridiron markings to be sure.)