More ownership rumors-Oscar De La Hoya

Almost exactly one year after AEG said (fooling no one) "The Dynamo are not for sale," KHOU is reporting that AEG is trying to sell the team for "$35-$40 million" with the price predicated on whether there is a stadium deal.

And from the I don't like the sound of this department, KHOU reports:

"Boxer Oscar De La Hoya is interested in buying the Dynamo with his company Golden Boy Productions. Representatives of the company have visited Houston, attended games and are very impressed with the way the franchise is operated along with how the team has played."

I don't think I want our team dragged into that soap opera.

Feting the Orange

It was a great turnout at City Hall last night. I managed to get there, albeit a little late due to circling downtown searching for a parking spot. Note to self: don't head into downtown without cash for parking in the future; quarters won't cut it.

I was crossing Walker Street just as the first Dynamo ("...your captain, Wade Barrett!") was being introduced by Glenn Davis. Throughout the proceedings I walked around to view the stage from different angles. It was a well done event. I thought Coach Kinnear's speech was great -- and I'm glad to hear that he's getting along with his neighbors. He thanked them for the free beer and something else, I couldn't hear what, but the bottom line is this: One of the virtues Texans have is their friendliness, and apparently Dom is fortunate to live near some friendly folk. I'm always pleased when I hear our adopted team is enjoying their adopted home.

I'm sure many fans who read the Chronicle blogs understood the inside joke when Dom thanked Bernardo Fallas and referred to him as "teacher."

The chants for a new stadium were well received by officials. It would be nice to have a permanent home for the team and for the fans, and it would be a boon economically with regards to bringing in international competition.

Great quote by Mayor White, "If you don't like Dynamo soccer, you don't like sports."

Mike Jones had a spirited rendition of his Who? Houston Dynamo! ("Houston Dynamo (Don't Play)") song. (Download here.) I left after the team departed the stage and the salsa band struck up their tunes. Salsa should be played at every practice to establish the proper playing rhythm, by the way.

I arrived at home in time to listen to Glenn's show. Stuie was his usual chipper self. (I heard him on 790AM at 8 AM as I drove into work...long day for him...I wonder if he managed to squeeze in his daily run?) Kinnear sounded absolutely wiped on Glenn's show and seemed more terse in his replies to callers and, to a degree, to Glenn as well. I can't blame him.

He and his team have been going non-stop since the end of January. That's nearly 10 months straight, and includes travel to different time zones and different countries. His players have been physically bruised and battered weekly over that time, and still keep coming back for more. Enduring punishing games and intense practices, Dom and the players have still found time to zip off to countless fan meet-and-greets, media events, and official meetings with officials and politicos. They faced praise as well as criticism from the fans and media, and have been (mostly) unfazed by either, and stuck to doing their jobs. Family priorities have been placed on the back burner while they focused on their overarching goal, winning a second MLS Cup. And, in the end, their sacrifices and pain and perseverance saw them achieve that goal.

We praise the stars of the Dynamo, and rightly so, but the whole team deserves praise. Ianni won us 3 valuable points with his goal at Kansas City this year. Wells helped us along our winning streak when Onstad was away on international duty (and Wells helped us at the international level when Onstad was injured at the beginning of the year). Ashe got three assists --every one of them needed--to give us 3 valuable points versus Real Salt Lake this season. Chabala, Hatzke, Hayden, James, and Ustruck helped our starting XI stay sharp at practice, worked behind the scenes to improve their own game, and kept the Dynamo flag flying in the local community (not only at social events, but also by rolling up their sleeves and helping their neighbors), and did so anonymously, for the most part. And Holden -- ah, heck, he's not in the background anymore; he's become one of the stars! He's an inspiration to reserves everywhere.

When Dom was on the radio show last night with Glenn, Glenn would ask callers if they had any questions for Dom. Most of the callers just had congratulations to pass along, but would squeeze out a lame question when pressed. And why were these questions lame? It's not because fans didn't care about the accomplishments, nor because fans were in a "what about next season?" mode. It was because Dom and the team have answered every single question before them. And the answers were for the most part satisfying.

Was 2006 a fluke?
Will the Dynamo have the depth to endure a long season that includes several extracurricular tournaments?
Could the Dynamo hold its own against high-quality international competition?
Could the Dynamo compete without DPs against MLS teams that have evolved?
Can the Dynamo overcome a slow start?
Would the Dynamo be able to make the personnel changes to adapt to a changing league?
Can the Dynamo hold onto its talismanic player, Dwayne DeRosario?
Would Dynamo's stars continue to perform well in the big-stake matches?
Will there be any reserves that make an impact?
Will the Dynamo have another serious contender for goal of the year?
Will the Dynamo be wrongly cheated out of several individual awards by the national media and/or fans? (Last year, it was DDR for MVP; this year it was the defense and/or GK, plus GOTY.)
Will the Dynamo Girls and Diesel be able to integrate into a soccer environment?
Will we see additional financial backing of the team?
Will the strong fan support continue, or even expand?
Can the Dynamo hold on to El Capitan?
Winning the Cup is like capturing lightning in a bottle; Can the Dynamo win it twice in a row?

The answer to the "fluke" question was, thankfully, "no." The answer to every other question was unequivocally "yes." Even the question about individual awards was positive, because I think this team feeds off an esprit de corps and rises to the occasion when it is underestimated and when the chips are down.

There were two additional questions that still linger:
Will there be a change of ownership? (No, but stay tuned?)
Will we have a decision to start construction on a new downtown home for the team and its fans? (No, but I think work has progressed in a positive direction.)

Dom, players, front office: you've answered the questions, you've passed the test, now go get some rest. Go Dynamo!

New Title = New Ownership?

How about this interesting snippet from Don Garber in an interview he gave on November 17 to the NY Times: "...we have our growth in front of us. A few years ago Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake paid $10 million to enter the league. Last year, Toronto paid $30 million. Chicago was just sold for $35 million. Houston will soon have a new owner. The asset continues to grow in value, which speaks to the investor community that believes soccer has a long-term value as a sports investment."

I took the liberty of boldfacing the comment in question. Houston will soon have a new owner?!

In sad news, USSoccerPlayers.com, a blog I just recently discovered, is stopping its regular MLS coverage due to issues surrounding access and basic media relations with the MLS. The site will treat MLS the same way it does the Premier League, focusing on the play of US National Team players.

Another Year with the Silver Ball!

Another perfect ending to the season: Dynamo Houston crowned MLS Cup Champions again. (Game recap.) Another year with the silver ball and scudetto, only this time we do it with a star over our shield.

As a Legend In My Own Mind, I correctly "predicted" it'd be a 2-1 victory with us either (1) going ahead 2-0 then conceding a late goal to halve the lead or (2) going down 1 goal then replying with 2 unanswered. Of course this was no true prediction, it was merely a wild guess, and I would gladly have been wrong as long as the Dynamo carried the day. Regardless, by following the above option #2, the Dynamo created a better storyline and further entrenched themselves as the never-say-die team of the MLS.

The first half was fairly even, I thought, with the Dynamo unable to capitalize on their opportunities. I'd say the run of play was tilted a bit in New England's favor, a fact that was highlighted by the 0-1 halftime scoreline. The second half (thanks in part to a switch to 3-5-2) saw the field tilt to favor the orange, leading to Ngwenya's "determination goal" and DeRo's excellent rocket of a header. In the final 10 minutes we resorted to withstanding the spirited barrage from the desperate New England side. The highlight here was Onstad's reaction save of Jeff Larentowicz's point blank header around the 86th minute.

Okay, time to correct the history books: it wasn't the switch to a 3-5-2 that turned the tide tonight, nor was it individual brilliance on the part of the players. No, it was me subbing out my untried lucky shirt and bringing on a veteran to seal the deal. It was about the 60th minute when I did this, and our fortunes changed immediately thereafter.

No, I'm not forsaking the rookie shirt. It'll get its chance again next season. But sometimes you need experience in a big game. The rookie shirt may get there someday.

Overall, it was a very even contest -- just looking at the stats will confirm that. This is to be expected with these two teams that are both forged on consistency and teamwork. The only real differences between the two is (1) the Dynamo, while playing a 4-4-2 (compared to the Revs' 3-5-2), are more attack minded in general, and (2) the Dynamo individually seem to step up in the big games.

As close as the game was, it was a deserved win for the Dynamo. Khano Smith should have been sent off. Zidane's head butt was fiercer, but was to the chest. Smith's was to the face -- and in front of the ref no less! He should've been sent off for being stupid if nothing else. (Or maybe incessant diving?) Also, I felt that Jaqua was indeed fouled in the box around the 15th minute. Had it been anywhere else on the field, it'd been free kick Dynamo. Perhaps the referee thought it was too early to make a game-changing decision like awarding a PK -- okay, this line of reasoning from commentators always confused me. When a call is justified, the referee isn't the one making a game-changing decision; the fouling player had made the game-changing decision with his foul.

(On the reffing topic: Alex Prus, the center ref, is not one of the four full time professional MLS referees. Why wouldn't the MLS pull from this corps for the championship game? Do they feel these aren't really the best of the crop? I guess Jair Marrufo didn't impress with his reffing of the Dynamo-Wizards playoff game.)

It's great seeing the Dynamo on the awards platform. The guys sure looked happy (and exhausted), with even the most stolid players breaking out in wide grins. And Don Garber, after missing the Western Conference Championship, was present for the award.

Was it me, or did Don Garber seem a bit unenthused to be awarding the trophy to the Dynamo? Was he sad for his buddy, Sunil Gulati, who still is the President of Kraft Soccer for the New England Revolution, while also being the president of the United States Soccer Federation? The potential conflict of interest has been noted by many, but the MLS is still a small cabal of insiders. That's one great thing about the new teams and new ownership: it's bringing new blood into what can be perceived as an inbred family.

Enough cynicism from me.

I saw the news reports on Channel 2, Channel 11, and Fox-26. All good, and all positive, and all with the Dynamo victory as the lead item. There were some flubs -- like Matt Musil reporting that Ngwenya's goal came via a feed from Ching, but he knew Ching was on the bench and even wrote as much in his blog. Still, he cared enough to attend the match on a day when the Texans were playing, and for that he gets my respect -- even if he gets free kicks confused with penalty kicks.

Anyone know why the team refers to the "voice of the Dynamo" Steve Mark as "Screech"? They did so on the 790 postgame report.

With the Cup in the books, now Coach Kinnear needs to settle on his protected lineup and hope we don't lose anyone too vital to San Jose in next week's expansion draft. Then Dom is apparently going to Britain and Spain to reconnoiter. Then we have to prepare for the CONCACAF Champions Cup in February (and onward, hopefully), and also the Pan Pacific Cup in February. We'll be exhausted by time the season starts and will, thankfully, have a while before we have to worry about the US Open Cup and the SuperLiga. Here's hoping that our League schedule is kind, given the extracurricular competitions in which we'll be expending our energy.

But that can wait. Before worrying about the future, let's celebrate this season at the Houston City Hall on Tuesday at 5:30.

How about this Hot News?...
Hot news: Fox Soccer has as one of its top news items the breaking story that Beckham says he wants to play in the World Cup in 2010. This is indeed breathtaking insight. Unreported is news as to whether any Americans want to play in the World Cup at this time; however, it has been rumored that both Tom Brady and Peyton Manning say they want to play in the Superbowl at the end of the season. The Houston Astros say they want to win the World Series next season. The Houston Dynamo haven't said, but are presumed to want to win the MLS Cup next year. Off the record, I believe that there are a few players on the Revolution, DC United, RBNY, Chivas USA, KC Wizards, FC Dallas, [insert your favorite MLS team name here]..., and FC Toronto who also want to win the MLS Cup next season. If I can confirm this, I'll be sure to let everyone know. (Well lookie there: I did have some more cynicism in me.)

Go Dynamo! Back 2 back champions!

DYNAMO WIN!

WOO-HOO!

More later...

Let's Go Dynamo!

It's almost H-Hour of D-Day. Let's seize the day and the Cup. You've had a season's worth of practice with that silver ball -- you've got more time with it than any other team does. Let's show the league that none are better than the Dynamo at crunch time.

Go Dynamo!

MLS Cup: 1 Day 2 Go

The official game guide for the MLS Cup is up. Interesting tidbit: "Dynamo have yet to defeat the Revolution when full-time has been reached since the club's arrival in south Texas. In the four league meetings all-time, the teams have played to three draws (including a pair of 1-1 draws in 2006) with one win for the Revolution, and the teams ended last year's final tied after 120 minutes before Houston claimed the Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy on penalty kicks."

Yahoo Sports mentions Dom's off-season plans. "...His mind will not switch off from soccer when the season ends. He has already scheduled a soccer development trip to Spain to visit Real Madrid and spend more time in Britain." Don't know what will come of the trip, but I like the idea that the wheels keep a-turnin'. I'm not sure what I would consider the greatest need for the team next year. I don't think we could improve much (or couldn't afford to improve much) on: GK, at least 2 of our backline, D-Mid, A-Mid, wingers (which includes 3 people now with Holden ascendance), and Ching. Perhaps another high profile striker? Not much else needing improvement or worth spending a lot of money on. Things may be clarified a bit over the off-season as we are bound to lose someone to the San Jose expansion draft, if nowhere else. What matters is that we currently we have the personnel to win the MLS Cup.

As for the Cup, USSoccerPlayers.com has its take on the coaches (Kinnear and Nicol, y'all) and the wingers (Mullan & Davis vs Smith & Thompson).

Tino Palace at MLSnet actually hopes NE will win the Cup. Maybe he just wants the Revs to win it so they'll stop going to the final. Steve Davis, the Dallas-area journalist for MLSnet, says it's too close to call.

First Greg Lalas, and now another SI writer thinks New England is going to win.

Jeff Carlisle of ESPN says it'll be Houston.

So does Goal.com.

Is there a "formula for success" for getting to the Cup? Hey, is that Twellman who's saying nice things about the Dynamo? Stop it. I don't want to like you.

For the record, DeRo's post-goal strut is called a "the shake and bake." I was one guilty of calling it the "funky chicken." "Shake and bake" sounds too much like Talladega Nights...but I guess "funky chicken" doesn't ring of elegance either. Ah, well; what's in a name? I like the funky strut and hope to see it more than once tomorrow. Heck, how about a beaver trick?!

My Take
The teams are too close to make a failsafe prediction, and not being able to foresee the future, I have to rely on the past to predict future results. Thus, Houston 2-1 in regulation. Our defense is just too good, and the only real question mark is how our finishing will be on the day. I will assume it will be better than usual because the squad knows this is it, and their experience from SuperLiga and the CONCACAF Champions Cup will carry them through the big game. Houston gets the goal it needs, forcing New England to open up, and we get another. We can't withstand the relentless pressure and do concede one goal.

I think it'd be more dramatic if we go down 0-1 then come back 2-1. If the lads want to do that, that's fine with me. Just carry the plot out to its happy resolution.

Other MLS news:
Cuauhtémoc Blanco's sweet left-footed volley from Week 20 won Goal of the Year. It was a good goal, but I think Ngwenya's was the better goal, and a better representative of what we want other leagues to think of when they think of our players' offensive prowess. Ngwenya can be consoled that his teammates Robinson and Onstad also got screwed out of deserving awards. I think at least one of the two (E-Rob or Pat-O) should have one, given our record-setting defense this season.

3 days to the MLS Cup

Pep rally at Gallery Furniture tonight, 5:00 to 6:30. No players will be there (which begs the question: who will benefit from the peppiness?) but there will be free t-shirts.

USSoccerPlayers.com is doing a series on the MLS Cup. Yesterday it was Jaqua vs Heaps. Today it's Twellman vs Robinson. More to come, I presume.

Jaime Trecker, perennial critic of the MLS, has an article focusing on New England. He slips up a few times and reveals some compliments about Dynamo-Houston. He mentions that the Dynamo deserved last year's victory, notes that Houston is one of the teams with a large following, and says the Dynamo have "one of the most explosive attacks in American soccer." That is all effusive praise coming from the curmudgeonly Trecker.

The blog, Climbing the Ladder, has a pre-MLS Cup quiz where you get to voice your opinions.

Goal.com compares Boston and Houston. Boston (the city) edges Houston (the city), BTW.

Did you know that Nate Jaqua's dad played for the Washington Redskins in RFK, the site of this year's MLS Cup? I didn't.

MLS Cup - Newsclippings

An essay on the similarities and differences of the Cup contenders, Dynamo-Houston and the New England Revolution.

Here's an article discussing the philosophies behind the two teams. It has some opinion about the benevolence of Jair Marrufo when dealing with Nate Jaqua's foul on Jewsbury.

This piece by Greg Lalas in Sports Illustrated has more on the philosophies going head-to-head in this "mouth watering" match. So, we're the artists who play with heart, and we're facing the technicians who play methodically? I can handle that. Right brain vs left brain. Dionysus vs Apollo. Brazil vs Germany. (Okay, that last one might be a stretch.) I like the concept behind the article, and I even agree with it to a good extent, although the dichotomy is probably a bit more subtle than the metaphors suggest.

Like the previous article, the SI article concludes with criticism for Jaqua not receiving a red. Greg Lalas (brother to Alexi) even beseeches the Powers That Be to suspend Jaqua from the final, kind of like they did to excess with Clark, you know? If they could successfully plunder the Dynamo's squad by getting both Jaqua and Clark out, and add to that Ching's injury, we'd have ourselves a right boring contest for the League's marquee game. But that's okay because maybe Sunil Gulati's team would win.

Not surprisingly, current Rev Jay Heaps agrees with former Rev Greg Lalas. Heaps said, "Jaqua shouldn't be playing in the final. That was not just an elbow, he followed through with it." It's one thing for columnists to lobby for a suspension, but a player? That's poor sportsmanship at best.

And as the Revs lobby for the Dynamo squad to be depleted, I've got to wonder: Shouldn't they at least pretend to want to settle it on the field? Their best versus our best?

Western Conference Champs: 2007

It certainly was enjoyable seeing the Dynamo-Houston prove their reputation this season has been warranted. They have acquitted themselves well all season -- particularly in the vaunted international competitions -- but have brought home no additional silverware yet this year. Last night, they brought home some glassware in the form of the Western Conference Championship. Now they just need to get that silver trophy.

Last night's Western Conference face-off versus KC had its ups and downs, but and Dynamo-Houston looked like they should win the game, and that's exactly what they did. Chalk up another set-piece goal (Nate Jaqua's header off a Mulrooney corner in the first half) and another master strike from DeRosario in the second half (although it's been a while since he's sealed the deal with one of those).

Despite our quality, had the referee taken a harsher view of Jaqua's elbow on Jack Jewsbury, we might have been playing a man down for much more than 45 minutes, and that would have changed the complexion of the game. And if we still managed to win, it would prove to be pretty devastating if we had to face playing the MLS Cup without Jaqua AND Ching (assuming Ching's injured calf is severe).

Despite Jimmy Conrad's pointed and acerbic post-game remark ("I think Jaqua probably played more physically in those 90 minutes than I've seen anyone play in three or four years, so that's exciting for him."), both teams were very physical. For his part, Jaqua wasn't overly-physical except for that errant elbow on Jewsbury -- but it was that elbow that will be remembered by many, including the Wizards. There was plenty going around from both sides -- Garcia, Morsink, and Marinelli weren't above knocking down a player or two either.

Oddly, one of the least physical players was E-Rob, no doubt due to the yellow card he was carrying. Nevertheless, he and Cochrane were solid in the center of our back line. I have criticized Cochrane a lot over the course of the season, but he was a difference maker last night and looked out for his yellow-tinged wingman.

(On the other end, Conrad himself managed to do well enough without being particularly rough. Then again, he almost gave us an own-goal late in the game.)

Despite the fact that we out shot KC 11-3 (6-0 on goal), KC had some really good periods of possession. That could be due to their ability or due to our strategic decision to play soft for periods in order to rest up for the next inevitable surge. Either way, there were some scary moments.

I thought the rookie Harrington did extremely well in neutralizing Mullan on the flank. However, in focusing on the flanks, it seemed that the center was softened enough for us to take advantage there. On the other side of the ball, I thought Arnaud was giving Barrett everything Barrett could handle. I didn't realize Arnaud was that fast -- outrunning Barrett more than once?! I didn't think anyone could do that repeatedly. Luckily Barrett is quite capable and still managed to keep the flank service to a minimum.

Despite all of the "if's" and "almosts," the Dynamo truly looked to be the better team and deservedly left with the 2-0 clean sheet. Better yet: none of our yellow card carriers added to their collection, so our squad should be full strength as they meet the Revs.

Okay, almost full strength. What about Ching? The way he limped off the field in the second half was extremely disconcerting. He said he felt something "snap" in his calf as he lunged toward a cross that Brad Davis fought (and fought well) to get to him. If that calf is half as bad as it looked when Ching limped away (even after the game during the award ceremony), then he won't be playing next Sunday. Drats.

There were several aspects of the game that were unequivocally good:

My wife decided to ignore fashion traditions and wear orange boxers over her leggings (in addition to the usual orange jersey and Dynamo hat). That was a fun change of pace, and I think it created the necessary orange mojo aura that kept the Dynamo on top.

I sure got a charge seeing Craig Biggio's recorded well-wishes on the Jumbotron before the game. It's great seeing a Houston sports icon pulling for the newest members of the Houston sporting fraternity.

I never get tired of seeing Oliver Luck in his Orange blazer.

Great words from Wade Barrett on the awards podium after the match. He said everything that needed to be said. I loved seeing him crane into that tall microphone stand too. He is a mighty little man. It was great seeing the elation of the players.

Hey, what was with Don Garber not making the game? He awarded the Eastern Conference Championship to New England, but we get a presentation by a play-by-play guy? Max Bretos, the voice of the Galaxy? Was there something more soccer-related going on in Garber's (and every one of his fellow East-coast suits') schedule? Does he only attend if ESPN can broadcast his visage? Does he only attend if his pal Sunil Gulati's team is involved? Does he like to insinuate preferential treatment and bias at the league's headquarters? Or was he afraid to share the stage with Ricardo Clark? I hope there is a good explanation for the oversight.

But what was NOT an oversight was the inclusion of the Caledon 3 Tenors into a second consecutive match. I guess they were well received at the FCD match last Friday, because last night they again sang the Star Spangled Banner. Maybe the front office was so pleased with the results of the FCD match that they didn't want to change anything -- just in case. Caledon even expanded their role last night, as they were on the pitch at halftime singing "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)." Outstanding fare, that!

The fallout of the Caledon halftime song was that the Dynamo Girls were doing their Michael Jackson tribute as the teams were returning to the field, forcing the D-Girls' song to be cut off early. It might have been better had the dance captain/leader/whatever worked out something with the girls so they wouldn't have to collapse into chaos when the music stopped prematurely. I was waiting for the bigger disaster to strike as the players from both teams were walking right by the pyrotechnic box. It took forever before a technician started steering the players to a safe distance.

Speaking of danger on the pitch: what was with all of the slipping players? Players were skidding right and left. I particularly remember DeRo trying to cut in the KC box, then slipping and losing the ball. E-Rob slipped as Sealy cut past him once (luckily Barrett was there to cover). This is something that the equipment manager should realize during warmups: what kind of cleats are necessary for the turf conditions. This is particularly true when it's one's home field.

Speaking of DeRo, I thought he did extremely well overall. He was the conductor for most of the game, setting up some great opportunities for others. He had an excellent through pass for Ching in the box. He had an excellent drive bearing down on the far corner that was saved by Hartman and led to the corner that resulted in Jaqua's game winner. In the second half, DeRo looked fatigued. He lost the ball a few times when he looked indecisive (or, more likely, was too tired to do what he wanted to do). I thought he showed poor judgment in the second half when he was driving to the goal with only the GK in front of him, but he chose to pass the ball off to Jaqua. The ball didn't make it to Jaqua; it was intercepted by Conrad in what nearly became an own-goal. DeRo needs to take responsibility on these occasions and take the shot -- and that's exactly what he did the next time, when he beat Hartman at the near post with a low, hard blast from the edge of the box. Fatigue can certainly be understood and excused, and he had a great game overall. Welcome back DeRo!

Perhaps the best aspect of the game was the enormity (and the zeal) of the fan support. An announced 30,972 showed up, and the Chronicle reported that some had to be turned away at the gate. Curt Onalfo, the KC Coach, said, "When we see crowds like that, it makes you realize that you've kind of arrived. The crowd was wonderful, and I thought they certainly helped their home team." His team captain, Jimmy Conrad, agreed, "Obviously, the crowd plays a big part, and if we had our crowd behind us as opposed to getting booed every time we touched the ball, that would probably make a big difference. That's our first thing, is that our goal next year is to make sure that we have home-field advantage going into the playoffs."

The significance of this connection between the city and the Dynamo was recognized even by "mainstream" sports columnists.

Perhaps this is the best legacy of the game, not only the quality on the field, not only another chance to win the championship, but the realization of how soccer is to be appreciated (as compared to other sports) and the confirmation of the integration of the team into the fabric of our international city.

I'll have some thoughts about the MLS Cup soon. Must rest.

Western Conference final

Tonight, KC battles Houston at Robertson for the right to face New England in the MLS Cup. (Game guide.) The media and all of the soccer intelligentsia are predicting a Dynamo win. Such forgone conclusions always worry me.

Nevertheless, the Dynamo should win, as long as they do two simple things:
1. Get the ball in the net profusely, as they are sometimes known to do, rather than shooting everything wide or to the goalkeeper, as they are sometimes known to do.
2. Do everything else (midfield possession, defensive lockdown, dangerous runs up the middle, dangerous crosses across the goal) just like they always do.

With item #2 being a Dynamo staple even in their losing games, item #1 is the true wildcard with this game. Can Dynamo Houston score? Can they score multiple times?

And in order for the night to be really successful, Dynamo-H must not only win, but they must do so without any red cards whatsoever and without yellow cards being issued to DeRosario, Mulrooney, Onstad, and Robinson. All of these guys would be difficult to replace in the MLS Cup.

Wouldn't it stink if the Superbowl of the MLS had the stars of the game sitting out? That would be true even if you didn't have a rooting interest. Yet, it's a very real possibility when the first round of the playoffs involves a rivalry opponent.

Perhaps these are worries for another day. For tonight, we just have to focus on doing what we do best, and on that item #1.

I'll be wearing my tacky Dynamo shirt (the freebie from last year with Fiesta Taxi and other ads on it) since it had such good mojo for our match versus Dallas. It ain't pretty, but it's proven effective.

Go Dynamo!

Killing their way to another MLS Cup

Yet again, the New England Revolution will grace the MLS Cup with their special brand of anti-soccer. Beating the Chicago Fire with an acrobatic chileno from Taylor Twellman, all the more impressive because he had two defenders pressing him hard, the Revs are in their third straight MLS Cup match.

Raise your hand if you thought "That's it: the only goal we'll see in this match" after Twellman scored. It's difficult to type with one hand in the air, but I'm a trooper.

The Revs were aided by an ineffective Wanchope who appeared able to take any half-chance and turn it into a no chance. I think Osorio was too late in inserting Carr --Wanchope looked like he would never score. I'm not a big fan of Blanco, but he has to be irritated with his quality passes being wasted by Barrett and Wanchope. Rolfe had some good shots from distance, but nothing that panned out. I think his battered body will do well with an off-season of rest.

Credit should go to the Revs ability to defend -- some would say "kill a game" -- and protect their lead. Shalrie Joseph, Michael Parkhurst, and Matt Reis are some of the best at this.

We're halfway to a rematch of last year's MLS Cup -- a match-up that most of the US soccer community is dreading. The only thing worse than a Dynamo-Rev match-up would be a Wizards-Rev match-up. Let's hope that the latter doesn't come to pass.

And given the success of Boston in football (with the Pats winning the Superbowl and undefeated so far this season) and baseball (with the Red Sox -- the new New York Yankees some would say -- sweeping the World Series), the Revs seem destined to win the MLS Cup. That would give them the domestic double, them having already won the US Open Cup.

However, if there is a pantheon of gods that governs soccer, the Revs will not be rewarded with a win, and either KC or the Dynamo will take the silver ball. I think Lark Howorth said it as well as anybody: "...the skillful cynicism Nicol brings to the playoffs, especially with the talent he has, frankly has met its just end in all his three MLS Cup finals. I'm so glad we've got a Dynamo team to support that's more interested in winning playoff games via scoring goals, rather than locking down opponents in tactical stalemates."

Word.

I haven't always been a Revs hater, by the way. In fact, I had been impressed with the quality of their individual talent over the years. But seeing them play in person at Robertson over the past two years made me realize that this is a team that hurts the sport. In both instances (2006 and this year), the Dynamo played open, possession-style soccer against a prosaic, cynical opponent that had prostituted its game. Last year's match ended 1-1 and this year's 0-1. Credit the Revs for earning 4 out of 6 points in 2006 and 2007; but they also earned my spite for squashing the creativity from either team and for confirming the haters' stereotype of soccer being boring and banal.

Since I've turned this piece into a bit of a Revs-bashing, I guess I'll continue.

How about Michael Parkhurst as the MLS Defender of the Year? He is a talented defender to be sure, and did you know that he only garnered 5 yellow cards and no red cards all year? Isn't that amazing? It must be: it's mentioned in nearly every article about the young defender.

Is it right that he beat out a player (E-Rob) on a team that conceded 20 fewer goals than his team and another player (Claudi Suarez) on a team that conceded 15 fewer? And Suarez playes for Chivas USA, which conceded fewer goals while also playing an open, attacking style of play. Parkhurst was at the core of a defense that allowed 9 more than even lowly Colorado -- and that's with a keeper as good as Reis in the nets behind him (and a defensive style of play ingrained by Coach Nichol). Maybe Parkhurst should have fouled more.

Despite the stats, Parkhurst is indeed a good defender, and I can't say that the award is an abomination. It's not like giving Eddie Johnson the Comeback Player of the Year award or anything. (What exactly did Eddie comeback from? Underachievement? And does half a good season constitute a comeback?) But I think it says a lot about the MLS when "feel good stories" win out over performance; and the Dynamo's record-setting defense -- which smashed the previous 29 goal record by conceding only 23 goals -- doesn't win a single award. Onstad in particular was slighted.

As for Parkhurst's only goal (and only shot) of his career -- his 60-yard shot versus Toronto this year -- being up for Goal of the Year: it's interesting how the MLS got this into the running despite the fact that it wasn't selected as the best goal even in the week it occurred. (Granted, that's probably due to the votes of overzealous Toronto fans voting for Dichio the same week.) The goal is certainly impressive due to its rarity (haven't seen one since Dwayne DeRosario's shot versus Chicago and Zach Thornton last year), and Lord knows the fans love goals from really, really, really far away (with bicycle kicks right up there). I can't argue that both types of goals aren't impressive, but Parkhurst's feat has the air of luck and coincidence about it. I think a better GOTY would be one that demonstrates intentional skill.

Joseph Ngwenya's doesn't have the "gee-whiz" factor that surrounds a fortuitous strike; however, it does impress due to its focused application of skill. In fact, it is the type of feat that proves that we have skillful players here in the MLS. I think that is what the MLS should emphasize and laud: skill. It seems that we should want the world to know that we are a league of talented players, rather than knowing us as a league that has some lucky blokes every now and then -- because everyone has blind luck from time to time.

When you get a chance, vote for GOTY.

The final home game of 2008

So we get our wish and face KC in the Western Conference finals. This was our wish not because KC is a pushover, but because we get to play them in Houston. This doesn't make the game any easier (we've yet to beat them at Robertson), but it makes it a game that we fans can attend -- and that's really what's important, right?

Yeah, we've never beaten KC here. The first Dynamo game I attended was versus KC, our second game for the franchise. We lost 1-2 off a late Goal of the Week bullet from Burciaga. This year, we managed to eke out a 1-1 tie (Johnson got the opening goal, then taunted the fans). Our only win versus "the Wiz" came this year in KC, with Ianni -- yes, Ianni -- getting the lone goal of the match. We haven't had much offensive production against the Midwesterners.

What does this mean? Well, nothing we don't already know. In order to move on to the MLS Cup in DC, we're going to have to work hard, control the possession at midfield, be prepared for the fast breaks by Eddie Johnson and Scott Sealy, close down Burciaga well outside the penalty box when he comes forward, and, most importantly, finish the opportunities we create. It's pretty much the same as with any opponent we face; just the names and jersey colors have changed.

As Jimmy Conrad, ESPN web-comedian/commentator and KC's captain and defensive talisman says, "They're playing at home so they're probably excited about that. We played them well during the season but it's just a one-off game. They're going to have their fans but we dealt with the Chivas fans tonight and that'll give us confidence."

With our defensive prowess, we can probably limit KC's goal-scoring, so it's really our goal-scoring ability that's going to decide this. That's not brain surgery, I know.

Here's hoping that Dynamo-Houston isn't complacent and plays with the edge it has whenever its season is on the line. Anything can happen in a single game, and let's hope that the quality of the Dynamo is the deciding factor.

Regardless, I'll be there cheering. Hopefully we have a good turnout given that this game won't have the Beckham-package tickets filling out the stands.

San Jose Watch
In other news, Frank Yallop has resigned as head coach of the LA Galaxy. This is good for Frank. This is good for San Jose. Heck, it may be good for LA if they can get a coach like Jurgen Klinsmann -- he might be able to overcome Alexi Lalas' cluelessness.

It's also good for Houston: Dom won't be leaving now. We just need to make sure they keep their hands off our players...

Showing our Quality! (Conference Semis 2nd Leg)

What an awesome evening tonight.

Sitting in Section 118 (turns out I've been sitting near the Mezzanine owners all this season), the crowd was vocal and spirited. In fact, every section was roaring...well, except for the FCD Inferno section above the south goal, which was deathly quiet after Ching scored the game winning (and series tying) goal. With more than 30,000 people -- most in orange -- Robertson was a cauldron that would will the team to victory.

As I expected, the Dynamo controlled possession and territory. We had 2-3 near goals in the first 10 minutes. (I can't believe the stadium officials didn't notice the Ref's signaling of the free kick for FCD -- not a goal for Houston -- after the near-goal in the first minute...how deflating to make everyone think we tied the aggregate right out of the gate.) It was all orange on the field. As I feared, we couldn't turn our chances into goals. I couldn't see much in the south goal (due to my viewing angles), but it looked like the ball was practically bouncing off a Plexiglas shield. We were doomed to lose to an inferior team, 1-0. And to make matters worst, 5-Star took my bags of free cookies when I entered the stadium...at least I got to keep my free orange boxers.

But that was the first half.

[Note that the most important part of the evening occurred at the beginning of halftime, when birthday wishes for my wife were broadcast on the Jumbotron. Happy XXth birthday, honey!]

The second half was much better than the first. A hearty shout-out to former Houstonian, Arturo Alvarez, for losing his head and kneeing Davis in the groin in the opening minutes of the second half. Alvarez had looked pretty creative at times in the first half, and was now leaving his team short-handed. It seems another former Houstonian, Chris Gbandi, did the same last year in FCD's series versus the Rapids. Alvarez's departure helped open up the field more, and allowed Dom to immediately sub in Holden for Waibel and switch to a 3-5-2.

More Dynamo possession ensued. Then goals. Lots of goals! A plethora of goals! A cornucopia of goals! I feel a Haiku coming on!

Always creative,
Yet tonight we finish too,
In our orange cauldron.

First, Holden gets his nifty half volley off a Ching-headed layoff. Then Ching evens the series and gets the game winner by finishing off a perfectly timed through pass from D-Ro. In the waning moments of regulation, Ching misses another sitter. Would he regret that? No! Because he gets the series winner off a pass from Ngwenya in the first half of overtime. Just to seal the deal, Brad Davis shoots a dynamite laser of a free kick into the upper 90. Dallas become frantic but ineffective in the second half of overtime, and Dynamo-Houston wins 4-1 (4-2 agg.) to face either Chivas USA or KC Wizards in the Western Conference Championship. I'm pulling for KC so we get one more home game.

This game had everything: Noise. Bad officiating. Evil doers (Ruiz). Turncoats (Serioux stomping on Holden's neck...though I'm sure that's an accident). Bad guys taking a formidable lead; good guys overcoming adversity and winning in the end. Margaritas (but at $10...yikes!).

Rico Clark came onto the field on crutches and sat in the field chairs (with John Michael Hayden) right in front of us during the second half.

At the end of the game, the team considerately walked to every end of the stadium, applauding the fans. DeRo wore Rico's jersey (backwards, so Clark's name and number 13 were highly visible) in honor of his teammate who will have to sit out this match and every other match this season because of the captain of the opponent that was vanquished tonight.

And when that talisman of disrepute, Ruiz, scored the opening goal of tonight's match, it looked like the MLS might have successfully conspired to reward the maleficent while shackling the innocent (though admittedly tarnished innocent). Ruiz should not have been on the field tonight given his role in the incident with Clark, but the MLS didn't seem to have a problem with that. But since he was on the field, so should Clark have been.

And then to have Ruiz's antics coddled by the Referee tonight? Stupefying.

I guess I'm a callous sadist, because I enjoyed Ruiz getting injured by his own teammates as he strutted his stuff after his goal, taunting the fans, then tripping over the ad boards. He grabbed his head afterwards, of course. He grabbed his cranium a lot all night, not that it bothered the refs.

But all that is merely introductory exposition to set up the real story of the night: the good can prevail with hard work, skill, esprit de corps, and tens of thousands of people behind you.

Lurking through the BigSoccer boards post-game, I found a few quotes that made me feel good about the team I support:

[Regarding Houston] : Nobody else is beating Houston if they keep playing like this.

[Regarding FCD]: If the Front Office wants to know why PHP isn't full next year, they should play the tape of this game. Three years running, three implosions. Stupid, dirty play. Overreacting to fouls. ... The worst is, I really feel sad for all of you hard-core fans. This team doesn't deserve you.

[Regarding Houston fans, a left-handed compliment]: Absolutely. They have great, albeit stupid, retarded, rabid fans. Good for them. It doesn't seem right, of course, but that's life.

All of these quotes came from FCD fans, who praise the Dynamo and Dynamo supporters, and question the nature of their own team. I do wish FCD would gain some class (which would start by ditching Ruiz), but them having no class makes it so much easier to despise them. Having said that, I was impressed with the FCD fans, who drove a long way on a weeknight, and were quite boisterous. If I were to offer an opinion, it would be that they need to learn some songs to sing when things aren't going their way. They looked despondent when the balance turned on the field; perhaps some clamorous songs would hide their own trepidation while inspiring their team to reverse the tables yet again.

Those were quotes from opposing fans. Now for some quotes from the Dynamo, go here.

I'm tired and my throat aches. Off to bed. Go Dynamo!

Showing our Quality? (Conference Semis 2nd Leg)

Tonight we finish off the second leg of the Conference Semifinals. (Game Guide.) Basically, win and we move on; lose and the season is over.

Last night's DC-Chicago game shows that the better team doesn't always move on. The MLS championship goes to the team currently in the better form.

With our defense, I don't see us conceding a goal tonight, and surely not more than one. In the middle of the field, I'm sure we'll dominate possession and territory. The only question is in the attacking third. We'll create opportunities, but can we finish them? That's been a recurring bug-a-boo all year, and the answer to that question will determine if our season continues or if we take a hiatus until next season.

And that hiatus will not even include international play in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. We have to win the MLS Cup to get there. (DCU has earned one berth based on winning the Supporters' Shield.) So, other than the standard warmup at the Carolina Challenge Cup, we'll have no soccer action until the 2008 season begins. In the meantime, we'll be weathering an uncertain off-season with an expansion draft for San Jose and other events that could change the character of the team we know so well.

But let's not consider that now. We're not in the grave, just playing in the cemetery. Score, and we move on. If we're ahead by only one goal at the end of 90 minutes, we'll get more time to score more. Score, and we move on. If we're still ahead by only one goal at the end of 120 minutes, we'll go to penalties. Score, and we move on.

The secret, methinks, lies in scoring.

Win or lose, my family and I will be in Row B of Section 118. It's been a good season. I hope it continues for a couple of more games.

Go Dynamo!

Dynamo's record-setting defense draws no respect

Brad Guzan was selected as MLS Goalkeeper of the year by votes from the "media, players, coaches and general managers." Guzan is a talented keeper who looks to have a bright future ahead of him, but you'd think the award would go to the GK who had a record setting season.

Onstad was on the team that set records for most consecutive minutes (726) without conceding a goal, for fewest goals (23) conceded in the season, and for fewest goals conceded per game (an amazing 0.766). Onstad had the best goals against average (0.83) and the second most shutouts (11, second to Guzan's 13) of the season. And to do that at 39 years old? Impressive.

Guzan will surely win this award again. Will he be able to break the records the Dynamo set this season? I doubt it; Dynamo-H completely blew out the records that had stood through the millennium. If he were to break the record, I suppose someone besides him would get the awards and accolades that season, in order to keep the precedence established this season.

Michael Parkhurst of NE is the favorite to win MLS Defender of the Year on Monday. Eddie Robinson is also contending for that prize. Parkhurst is a young, solid, talented defender who plied his trade while committing only 5 fouls and earning no cards in the regular season. I can't argue with Parkhurst's selection should he take the award, but I do find it interesting that the Dynamo's record-setting defense has no one that the MLS considers worthy of recognition.

In other news where the MLS slights the Dynamo:
Ricardo Clark's appealed his "record-setting" 9-game suspension and accompanying $10,000 fine. Late last night, the disciplinary committee (comprised of Don Garber) upheld the punishment set by the disciplinary committee (comprised of Don Garber). Don Garber may be manipulative, cabalistic, tenditious, and soccer-obtuse, but at least this businessman is consistent.

(Side note: At the beginning of this season, I liked Garber and thought him unfairly criticized for the most part. I'm not sure what, specifically, has caused me in the interim to turn a jaundiced eye towards his machinations, but the whole Clark-Ruiz iniquity did play a role.)

Ricardo is going to spend his time off under the surgeon's knife, so maybe he'll be able to come out of this suspension in better health.