Lots of good stuff going on with the Orange, so much so that I've not blogged. I've been trotting around enjoying other blogs though, leaving my opinions sprinkled about as I go. It's a good time to be a Dynamo fan ... and a US fan for that matter. The US has had its ups and downs, but the Dynamo are undefeated since my last post...maybe I shouldn't post...
To recap what's happened since my last post:
May 23 - We said "See Ya!" to Nick Garcia and his fellow Quakes. Nick was impotent and proven to be the "mental midget" as the MIO crushed the Quakes 3-1. Ching scored in the 4th, Kamara in the 12th, Waibel (!) in the 50th, and San Jose's Johnson (assist by Cam Weaver) in the 53rd.
May 27 - The Dynamo pick up Dominic Oduro from the Red Bulls. Oduro spent 2006-2008 with FC Dallas.
May 30 - DeRo comes to town for the only time this season. Davis-Kamara-Holden each score a goal from minute 20 to minute 24, and Hainault and Onstad are the only Canucks with three points after the 3-0 victory.
June 1ish - Clark leaves for the USMNT, where he plays in a WCQ 2-1 win over Honduras, then the Confederation Cup Tournament in South Africa. Ching departs as well, but comes back injured before the WCQ match.
June 5 - The MIO travel to Chicago. Holden scored in the 3rd minute, but the Dynamo are mostly outplayed and concede numerous chances, but the lone goal stands and they leave with 3 points. (Chris Wondolowski came on in the 75th minute in what turned out to be his final game as a MIO.)
June 7 - Cam Weaver sits on the bench in Dallas as San Jose leaves with a 2-2 draw. Six days later Cam would return in Orange and score a brace.
June 8 - Cam Weaver comes to Houston from San Jose, while Orange Reserve mainstay Chris Wondolowski heads home to San Jose. We wish Wondo well with the Quakes.
June 9 - San Jose say "C'ya" to Nick Garcia and ship him to The Great White North.
June 10 - Chivas USA comes to town and is completely out-classed, but we eke out only a 1-0 victory...but at least it's a victory. Holden gets the goal, with Cam Weaver getting the assist in his first game as a MIO. It was a nice flick-on from an Onstad goal kick in the final minute of the first half, and it fell in front of a streaking Holden who side-stepped the goalie and slotted the lone goal in. Cam Weaver also got a legit goal, but it was illegitimately called off for being offside (which he wasn't). Luckily we didn't need the goal, but it hurt Cam's stats.
June 13 - Pooped from the arduous Chivas match three days before, the Dynamo travel to Frisco to face an inspired Dallas. The ex-Burn played perhaps their best match, but the Dynamo, led by our new Cam Weaver's 2 goals and a blistering shot from distance by Mulrooney, go up 3-0 before conceding a late goal to leave with a 3-1 win, 3 points, and El Capitan. My wife and I were able to enjoy this at the Dynamo viewing party at the Hooters on Kirby.
June 20 - It was a weird match all in all when RSL came to town. There was an early injury to Waibel that caused him to be subbed out 7 minutes into the game, a water break for the teams around the 25th minute, an OG by Bobby Boswell 50 seconds after the restart, an OG by RSL that was called off because Hainault was offside on the freekick (but was he part of the play?), to a free kick pass-back to the RSL keeper that Rimando picked up but the ref allowed the kick to be retaken, to a halftime substitute that brought in Ching (has Dom ever made 2 subs by the 46th minute? Or even the 60th minute?) to a red card to RSL's Olave for a stupid delay of game when he had a yellow already, to a missed PK by Brad Davis, to a late brilliant play by Ching to fly through the air to score and give us 1 point. There were highlights: such as in the 13th minute when the Dynamo had six 1-touch passes among 4 people to set Kamara up with a fast break from the left side. Also in the 87th, second half sub Ching (who had been out with an injury since the Toronto match) made a long pass from the center to Mullan on the right, then sprinted up the middle for Mullan's return cross, skying in the air and driving the ball into the net to give his side the tie they so desperately earned but looked to have been denied. There were also lowlights (beside the reffing): the 16 uncontested passes by RSL after the water break, then a cross and a backheel pass that led to a poor shot on goal that Boswell knocked in with his knee.
So now the Dynamo are alone in the Supporters' Shield position, and Dom is set to coach the MLS All Star Team versus Everton.
Tomorrow, we venture to LaLa Land to face the Galaxy without Hainault (Canadian National Team), Waibel (injury), Barrett (injury), and Clark (USMNT). Hopefully our cobbled-together defense can hold off LA's weak offense...
Go Dynamo!
Showing posts with label Chivas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chivas. Show all posts
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Monday, October 27, 2008
Farewell, Regular Season 2008
The Dynamo wrapped up the season with a nice win, an ugly loss, and a disappointing draw.
A week ago, on a Saturday, the team racked up three quick goals in the first half to defeat the hapless Galaxy and lock up the Western Conference regular season "title". (Note: The Dynamo won't be called the Western Conference Champions unless they win the MLS Cup Semifinals in the post-season.) The past two years we came in second in the Conference, so it is a nice accomplishment to be first in the Conference and second overall for the first time. In addition to it being "nice," it also assures the Dynamo have home field advantage throughout the playoffs, a benefit that hasn't proven beneficial for the past two Western Conference leaders (FC Dallas in 2006 and Chivas USA in 2007), both of whom washed out in the first round. Hopefully we fare better with the advantage. We usually do.
On Wednesday, the Dynamo veterans and reserves met the UNAM Pumas veterans and reserves. We managed to tie them in Mexico City, so hopes were high here at home, particularly given the run we've had. It was not to be, as we fell to Pumas 1-3. It was our first loss since August 24, when we lost 0-3 to RBNY. (More on that later.) Pumas scored on a PK after a poorly positioned Ianni knocked down an onrushing attacker in the penalty box. Then Pumas scored on a quick counter that was essentially a 3v1 (Barrett was the "1", with Ashe coming in from behind). With the MIO pushed up on a free kick, the Dynamo lost possession and the midfield failed to contain or delay the Pumas middle, leaving the Dynamo backline exposed when undermanned. Before the half ended, the exciting rookie, Geoff Cameron, intercepted a goal kick, raced down the right flank, and sent a cross in for Nate Jaqua that a defender kindly knocked in. Pumas got the only goal of the second half, with a nice heel flick/volley off a corner kick where an offside Pumas player shielded Onstad from the shot. After the game, Coach Dom correctly pointed out that the goal should have not counted. But it did. We had plenty of chances to score in the first and second halves. But we didn't. And we were probably fortunate that Stuart Holden wasn't sent off with a second yellow card after repeated poorly-timed and executed slide tackles. Our first loss of the CONCACAF Champions League, and enough to knock us into third place and needing a win and a tie to get through to the next round.
The week ended with a miserable match versus Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center. It shouldn't have been a miserable match because (1) it was a meaningless match and (2) it would probably see our starters rested. BUT, it became meaningful when The Dom decided to play a full strength squad for some reason (you're not going to rest them for the match in El Salvador? For the playoffs?), and that veteran squad proved unable to score a goal against a 10-man team. We had plenty of opportunities, but poor finishing plagued the team as it seems to do at the most inopportune times, and almost always when playing against a short-sided team. We did get a PK in the second half, but nothing else. To add salt to the wound, our veterans also conceded a goal to the 10-man side after a freaky series of caroms in the final minute of the match. The first carom was when ERob nearly scored an own-goal, forcing Onstad to make a diving save, and Little Curtin was able to punch in the bouncing ball from a foot out.
It was not a good day for ERob, who also nearly gifted Anton Razov a goal when he lost control of the ball and coughed it up to Razov who was eventually denied in a 1-on-1 with Pat On-Stud.
In the end, the tie didn't do anything but tick fans off and deny the Dynamo the chance to better their point total from last year. (They had 52 points last year; 51 this year.)
So now what?
Well, Tuesday we face CD Luis Angel Firpo in El Salvador for CONCACAF Champions League. We need a draw to stay alive.
Saturday we take on RBNY in the first leg of the first round of the playoffs. The good news: RBNY sucks. The bad news: RBNY plays on turf. We don't do well on the fake stuff, having not won on it one time this year. In fact, it seems that in our history, we've only won one game on the fake stuff. Well, we need to get at least a tie this weekend then seal the deal here in Houston the following week. Losing out to RBNY in the first round is unacceptable.
Finally, congrats to the Dynamo Reserves, who won the Reserve Division title this past weekend. It was a brilliant campaign by John Spencer and the lads. I wonder what they will do with the $20,000 they won.
The victory in the Reserve Division is another success in the history of the club. Now let's get on with setting MLS history by getting the three-peat. Go Dynamo!
A week ago, on a Saturday, the team racked up three quick goals in the first half to defeat the hapless Galaxy and lock up the Western Conference regular season "title". (Note: The Dynamo won't be called the Western Conference Champions unless they win the MLS Cup Semifinals in the post-season.) The past two years we came in second in the Conference, so it is a nice accomplishment to be first in the Conference and second overall for the first time. In addition to it being "nice," it also assures the Dynamo have home field advantage throughout the playoffs, a benefit that hasn't proven beneficial for the past two Western Conference leaders (FC Dallas in 2006 and Chivas USA in 2007), both of whom washed out in the first round. Hopefully we fare better with the advantage. We usually do.
On Wednesday, the Dynamo veterans and reserves met the UNAM Pumas veterans and reserves. We managed to tie them in Mexico City, so hopes were high here at home, particularly given the run we've had. It was not to be, as we fell to Pumas 1-3. It was our first loss since August 24, when we lost 0-3 to RBNY. (More on that later.) Pumas scored on a PK after a poorly positioned Ianni knocked down an onrushing attacker in the penalty box. Then Pumas scored on a quick counter that was essentially a 3v1 (Barrett was the "1", with Ashe coming in from behind). With the MIO pushed up on a free kick, the Dynamo lost possession and the midfield failed to contain or delay the Pumas middle, leaving the Dynamo backline exposed when undermanned. Before the half ended, the exciting rookie, Geoff Cameron, intercepted a goal kick, raced down the right flank, and sent a cross in for Nate Jaqua that a defender kindly knocked in. Pumas got the only goal of the second half, with a nice heel flick/volley off a corner kick where an offside Pumas player shielded Onstad from the shot. After the game, Coach Dom correctly pointed out that the goal should have not counted. But it did. We had plenty of chances to score in the first and second halves. But we didn't. And we were probably fortunate that Stuart Holden wasn't sent off with a second yellow card after repeated poorly-timed and executed slide tackles. Our first loss of the CONCACAF Champions League, and enough to knock us into third place and needing a win and a tie to get through to the next round.
The week ended with a miserable match versus Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center. It shouldn't have been a miserable match because (1) it was a meaningless match and (2) it would probably see our starters rested. BUT, it became meaningful when The Dom decided to play a full strength squad for some reason (you're not going to rest them for the match in El Salvador? For the playoffs?), and that veteran squad proved unable to score a goal against a 10-man team. We had plenty of opportunities, but poor finishing plagued the team as it seems to do at the most inopportune times, and almost always when playing against a short-sided team. We did get a PK in the second half, but nothing else. To add salt to the wound, our veterans also conceded a goal to the 10-man side after a freaky series of caroms in the final minute of the match. The first carom was when ERob nearly scored an own-goal, forcing Onstad to make a diving save, and Little Curtin was able to punch in the bouncing ball from a foot out.
It was not a good day for ERob, who also nearly gifted Anton Razov a goal when he lost control of the ball and coughed it up to Razov who was eventually denied in a 1-on-1 with Pat On-Stud.
In the end, the tie didn't do anything but tick fans off and deny the Dynamo the chance to better their point total from last year. (They had 52 points last year; 51 this year.)
So now what?
Well, Tuesday we face CD Luis Angel Firpo in El Salvador for CONCACAF Champions League. We need a draw to stay alive.
Saturday we take on RBNY in the first leg of the first round of the playoffs. The good news: RBNY sucks. The bad news: RBNY plays on turf. We don't do well on the fake stuff, having not won on it one time this year. In fact, it seems that in our history, we've only won one game on the fake stuff. Well, we need to get at least a tie this weekend then seal the deal here in Houston the following week. Losing out to RBNY in the first round is unacceptable.
Finally, congrats to the Dynamo Reserves, who won the Reserve Division title this past weekend. It was a brilliant campaign by John Spencer and the lads. I wonder what they will do with the $20,000 they won.
The victory in the Reserve Division is another success in the history of the club. Now let's get on with setting MLS history by getting the three-peat. Go Dynamo!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
"The better team won"
Well, that was easy.
With most of Chivas USA back home nursing injuries, there was no surprise that the Dynamo got 3 points last night. We knew there'd be goals scored even without Ching and DeRo, but there was the worry that Chivas would get one or two past Caig as well. The surprise was that by halftime we had amassed a 4-nil scoreline (and we could have scored more). The second half saw a more conservative Dynamo come out, but even then we had some great opportunities and Kei Kamara was terribly unlucky to not get his hat trick. It was a great night for the Sierra Leone native (Sierra Leonean?). Could Caraccio have had the same night?
Nate Jaqua also had a big night. I don't know what he did in Austria, but he is twice the player he used to be in the buildup.
Stuart Holden is looking more and more like the franchise player he could be. After a solid Olympic showing, he had a great run and a confident game-winning goal to start things off. He also does so well in the midfield. The Dom has got to find a way to keep Stuie on the field with DeRo, Mullan, and Davis. But where?
And Caig got a shutout, doing well on the three or so dangerous opportunities generated by Chivas, and also not turning otherwise tame Chivas opportunities into dangerous opportunities.
In all, I think the only complaint I have is that The Dom didn't substitute earlier. With a game on Sunday in New Jersey, he could have given some of his tender starters some rest.
As of last Friday, the Dynamo had never scored four goals in one half. As of Wednesday night, the Dynamo have accomplished that feat twice.
And we're only 4 points from the once-distant Supporters' Shield. We have 32 points (as does Chicago), the Crew have 34 points, and the Revs are at the top with 36 points. Can we catch them? That would be a first for the club and would gain us entry into all of the international tournaments of 2009.
Game recap
Another article: Four goals in the first half hasn't happened in the MLS since the Galaxy did it 10 years ago in 1998. Kamara said. "I am playing with -- every game now -- the best players in the league. This is my third year now and I have been around a lot of good players, but now, being around these guys, they are making me better every time I step on the field."
Article focusing on Chivas. Preki, "The better team won, they were sharp from the first minute, and that's the end of that."
Other Quotes.
USMNT
I saw only the last half of the USMNT match in Guatemala. (Game recap.) From what I saw, the US couldn't match Guatemala's passion and zeal. The US couldn't maintain possession for long on the attack and looked flustered on defense. They were lucky to get all three points, which is a fantastic result for the US in a hostile stadium in Central America. The fact that we got a goal off a free kick isn't all that surprising, but the way Guatemala was torching our defense, it was surprising they didn't get a goal (or three) of their own. Tim Howard, MOTM.
Ives has a good recounting of the post-match sentiments. Tim Howard had a few choice words about El Pescadito (or "Peccadillo" as I deem more appropriate).
USSoccerplayers.com has a good summary of the obstacles the USMNT faced off field and how it affected the on field performance. Sometimes the challenge is more than just matching the skill of the opposition.
With most of Chivas USA back home nursing injuries, there was no surprise that the Dynamo got 3 points last night. We knew there'd be goals scored even without Ching and DeRo, but there was the worry that Chivas would get one or two past Caig as well. The surprise was that by halftime we had amassed a 4-nil scoreline (and we could have scored more). The second half saw a more conservative Dynamo come out, but even then we had some great opportunities and Kei Kamara was terribly unlucky to not get his hat trick. It was a great night for the Sierra Leone native (Sierra Leonean?). Could Caraccio have had the same night?
Nate Jaqua also had a big night. I don't know what he did in Austria, but he is twice the player he used to be in the buildup.
Stuart Holden is looking more and more like the franchise player he could be. After a solid Olympic showing, he had a great run and a confident game-winning goal to start things off. He also does so well in the midfield. The Dom has got to find a way to keep Stuie on the field with DeRo, Mullan, and Davis. But where?
And Caig got a shutout, doing well on the three or so dangerous opportunities generated by Chivas, and also not turning otherwise tame Chivas opportunities into dangerous opportunities.
In all, I think the only complaint I have is that The Dom didn't substitute earlier. With a game on Sunday in New Jersey, he could have given some of his tender starters some rest.
As of last Friday, the Dynamo had never scored four goals in one half. As of Wednesday night, the Dynamo have accomplished that feat twice.
And we're only 4 points from the once-distant Supporters' Shield. We have 32 points (as does Chicago), the Crew have 34 points, and the Revs are at the top with 36 points. Can we catch them? That would be a first for the club and would gain us entry into all of the international tournaments of 2009.
Game recap
Another article: Four goals in the first half hasn't happened in the MLS since the Galaxy did it 10 years ago in 1998. Kamara said. "I am playing with -- every game now -- the best players in the league. This is my third year now and I have been around a lot of good players, but now, being around these guys, they are making me better every time I step on the field."
Article focusing on Chivas. Preki, "The better team won, they were sharp from the first minute, and that's the end of that."
Other Quotes.
USMNT
I saw only the last half of the USMNT match in Guatemala. (Game recap.) From what I saw, the US couldn't match Guatemala's passion and zeal. The US couldn't maintain possession for long on the attack and looked flustered on defense. They were lucky to get all three points, which is a fantastic result for the US in a hostile stadium in Central America. The fact that we got a goal off a free kick isn't all that surprising, but the way Guatemala was torching our defense, it was surprising they didn't get a goal (or three) of their own. Tim Howard, MOTM.
Ives has a good recounting of the post-match sentiments. Tim Howard had a few choice words about El Pescadito (or "Peccadillo" as I deem more appropriate).
USSoccerplayers.com has a good summary of the obstacles the USMNT faced off field and how it affected the on field performance. Sometimes the challenge is more than just matching the skill of the opposition.
Monday, August 18, 2008
A Robertson Goalfest
As I was out of town this weekend on a final summer fling before the kids go back to school, I didn't get to watch the game live (neither in person nor on The Tube). B-Fall's blog kept me in the loop Saturday night, and I got to watch the match a few days late when I returned home to my DVR.
What an exciting match. Even an American would have to love the volume of scoring. Six goals in one half, and one being a rocket from Ricardo Clark. Other goals came from Mullan with some moves, Ching with his foot, and Jaqua with the game winner. I think the only Man In Orange unhappy with the match would be Onstad, who had to pick the ball out of his net 3 times. I would imagine he feels the same as The Dom, who said: "It was an exciting game for the fans, with some great attacking play, some loose defending, and a lot of goals. The results were the most important thing to come out of tonight. We won, we are on top of the conference, and we are happy about that."
Official recap. Another MLS article. A third party recap of the game. (There's a joke that goes something like: Houston has two seasons, summer and August. It's not a particularly good joke, but it makes the point.)
Interesting quotes...
from Beckerman: "I don't even know if you should really be allowed to play in this type of heat."
from Beckerman again: "We definitely wanted to come get three points and make a statement that we're for real. We felt like we weren't getting respect from them, from some of the statements about us, what they felt about us, so we really wanted to come down and really put it to them. But they're a good team, and they play really well in Houston in all this heat." I wonder what comments the Dynamo made that "dissed" the RSL squad. That doesn't sound like the MIO.
from Findley: "They were champions a couple of years ago, but I look at them like any other team." A few years ago? How about the previous two years, and still the reigning champion.
Things get dicey now. Wednesday has Chivas USA coming to town. Due to international call ups, we'll be without Ching (ouch), DeRo (ouch), and Onstad (OUCH). Chivas will be without Guzan (the GK has left the MLS to ply his trade with Aston Villa) and Kljestan (who is with the USMNT). They'll also be without a boatload of starters due to injury (Eskadarian, Marsch, Vaughn, Zotinca and maybe Bornstein, Razov, Galindo, and Suarez). It's always a testy match with Chivas Jr, but with Caig in the goal it could be really interesting too.
Other news: Dynamo Reserves roll to first place with a 4-1 defeat of RSL Reserves.
What an exciting match. Even an American would have to love the volume of scoring. Six goals in one half, and one being a rocket from Ricardo Clark. Other goals came from Mullan with some moves, Ching with his foot, and Jaqua with the game winner. I think the only Man In Orange unhappy with the match would be Onstad, who had to pick the ball out of his net 3 times. I would imagine he feels the same as The Dom, who said: "It was an exciting game for the fans, with some great attacking play, some loose defending, and a lot of goals. The results were the most important thing to come out of tonight. We won, we are on top of the conference, and we are happy about that."
Official recap. Another MLS article. A third party recap of the game. (There's a joke that goes something like: Houston has two seasons, summer and August. It's not a particularly good joke, but it makes the point.)
Interesting quotes...
from Beckerman: "I don't even know if you should really be allowed to play in this type of heat."
from Beckerman again: "We definitely wanted to come get three points and make a statement that we're for real. We felt like we weren't getting respect from them, from some of the statements about us, what they felt about us, so we really wanted to come down and really put it to them. But they're a good team, and they play really well in Houston in all this heat." I wonder what comments the Dynamo made that "dissed" the RSL squad. That doesn't sound like the MIO.
from Findley: "They were champions a couple of years ago, but I look at them like any other team." A few years ago? How about the previous two years, and still the reigning champion.
Things get dicey now. Wednesday has Chivas USA coming to town. Due to international call ups, we'll be without Ching (ouch), DeRo (ouch), and Onstad (OUCH). Chivas will be without Guzan (the GK has left the MLS to ply his trade with Aston Villa) and Kljestan (who is with the USMNT). They'll also be without a boatload of starters due to injury (Eskadarian, Marsch, Vaughn, Zotinca and maybe Bornstein, Razov, Galindo, and Suarez). It's always a testy match with Chivas Jr, but with Caig in the goal it could be really interesting too.
Other news: Dynamo Reserves roll to first place with a 4-1 defeat of RSL Reserves.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Raise your hand if you're tired of being winless
Have I got a quote for you. It's a doozy that I just happened to stumble upon. I can't believe I haven't seen it before, because it is a completely new perspective that perfectly sums up Dynamo games. The first sentence in the second paragraph of the MLS game recap has this unique description of last night's draw with Chivas: "The defending champions controlled the tempo yet again, had most of the game's scoring chances, but could not get the one goal they needed."
What's that? You've heard that one before? Many times? Even last season? Well, whadaya know.
So, is anyone else tired of not winning? Of being unlucky? Of not scoring? We've been held scoreless in 4 of 6 games. That 66.7% for you number crunchers out there. And we're the first team that couldn't score on Chivas-Lite.
I suppose I could break out my soccer-genius cap and, in the hopes of demonstrating my analytical prowess, say that we need to do better -- much better -- in the attacking third. In the box. Near the net. But something tells me that the sentiment isn't a unique one. I think most would agree that things won't turn around with this team if we don't start scoring with more regularity. I think I typed something similar last year, but when the problem occurs at the beginning of the season (and with such concentration: held scoreless in 7 out of 10 matches if you include CONCACAF competition...oh, and that's 70.0% of the matches), then it becomes worrisome, because there is no other trend to counterbalance the existing (and only) data.
If you don't watch the team play and you know only the results (in other words: a journalist outside of Houston), then you assume the team is the crappiest one in the league, except for maybe that one-win, one-tie expansion-ish team in San Jose. If you were to watch Dynamo matches and break down the play, on the other hand, you'd be hard pressed to think of the Dynamo as being anything other than one of the highest caliber teams in the MLS. But the fact is that until we get better results, we are no better than last place in the second best conference of a two-conference league. And some would say that this is the definition of crappy.
But the good thing is that, just like in 2006, we have so many blasted draws that we're still in the race in the Western Conference. Currently we're tied for last place (in the league as well as the Conference), but one win kicks us into 3rd place and only a point away from 2nd place. Two wins puts us in first place. A few wins, particularly versus Western Conference foes, catapults us to a dominant lead, though we'd still be a bottom feeder if we were in the Eastern Conference. So we're still very much alive in the West. This may be a small consolation, perhaps, when you're following a team that can't score or win, but it's still a sign that the Men In Orange haven't dug their own grave yet. And that is going to have to keep us going until next week, when we (hopefully) get our first victory when Colorado comes to town.
Media roundup:
Quotes from the game.
The Dynamo Reserves did about the same as the first team: a (1-1) draw.
The Chronicle's recap. Mullan says that all the team needs is "A goal. Getting ahead. Something." Also, here's The Chronicle's post-game notes, B-Fall's player grades, and thoughts on the game from a non-soccer dude.
Here are Glenn Davis' impressions. No, he doesn't do impressions; these are his thoughts on the game. Such as "As much as the Dynamo had the territorial advantage due to Chivas tactics, simple things let them down. Numerous attacks broke down due to poor control and a poor first touch. Franco Caraccio had two great shooting opportunities go to the wayside because his touch narrowed his shooting angle."
You know, what is perhaps most disappointing about this game is that I am not at all surprised at the result.
What's that? You've heard that one before? Many times? Even last season? Well, whadaya know.
So, is anyone else tired of not winning? Of being unlucky? Of not scoring? We've been held scoreless in 4 of 6 games. That 66.7% for you number crunchers out there. And we're the first team that couldn't score on Chivas-Lite.
I suppose I could break out my soccer-genius cap and, in the hopes of demonstrating my analytical prowess, say that we need to do better -- much better -- in the attacking third. In the box. Near the net. But something tells me that the sentiment isn't a unique one. I think most would agree that things won't turn around with this team if we don't start scoring with more regularity. I think I typed something similar last year, but when the problem occurs at the beginning of the season (and with such concentration: held scoreless in 7 out of 10 matches if you include CONCACAF competition...oh, and that's 70.0% of the matches), then it becomes worrisome, because there is no other trend to counterbalance the existing (and only) data.
If you don't watch the team play and you know only the results (in other words: a journalist outside of Houston), then you assume the team is the crappiest one in the league, except for maybe that one-win, one-tie expansion-ish team in San Jose. If you were to watch Dynamo matches and break down the play, on the other hand, you'd be hard pressed to think of the Dynamo as being anything other than one of the highest caliber teams in the MLS. But the fact is that until we get better results, we are no better than last place in the second best conference of a two-conference league. And some would say that this is the definition of crappy.
But the good thing is that, just like in 2006, we have so many blasted draws that we're still in the race in the Western Conference. Currently we're tied for last place (in the league as well as the Conference), but one win kicks us into 3rd place and only a point away from 2nd place. Two wins puts us in first place. A few wins, particularly versus Western Conference foes, catapults us to a dominant lead, though we'd still be a bottom feeder if we were in the Eastern Conference. So we're still very much alive in the West. This may be a small consolation, perhaps, when you're following a team that can't score or win, but it's still a sign that the Men In Orange haven't dug their own grave yet. And that is going to have to keep us going until next week, when we (hopefully) get our first victory when Colorado comes to town.
Media roundup:
Quotes from the game.
The Dynamo Reserves did about the same as the first team: a (1-1) draw.
The Chronicle's recap. Mullan says that all the team needs is "A goal. Getting ahead. Something." Also, here's The Chronicle's post-game notes, B-Fall's player grades, and thoughts on the game from a non-soccer dude.
Here are Glenn Davis' impressions. No, he doesn't do impressions; these are his thoughts on the game. Such as "As much as the Dynamo had the territorial advantage due to Chivas tactics, simple things let them down. Numerous attacks broke down due to poor control and a poor first touch. Franco Caraccio had two great shooting opportunities go to the wayside because his touch narrowed his shooting angle."
You know, what is perhaps most disappointing about this game is that I am not at all surprised at the result.
Chivas, on the rocks
Chivas is coming to town, having about as much trouble in the young season as the Dynamo are. Thing is, Guzan is a good keeper who can shut us down, Kljestan is a proven goal scorer as is the Razov/Galindo combination. And that Galindo? He's fast. Our back line? Not so much.
Last year we managed to keep a clean sheet versus Chivas in all three of our matches, while we scored 1, 4, and 0 goals in the matches. This year Chivas has won only one game (to our none) and lost three (to our two). They've beaten RSL, drawn with Dallas, and lost to Dallas, LA, and Columbus. Versus similar opponents here are the goals for and the goals against:
v Dallas:
Houston GF: 3, GA: 3
Chivas GF: 1, GA: 3 (over 2 games)
v LA:
Houston GF: 2, GA: 2
Chivas GF: 2, GA: 5
v Columbus:
Houston GF: 0, GA: 1
Chivas GF: 3, GA: 4
A slight advantage goes to Chivas for goals scored (6 versus our 5) while a more significant nod for goals conceded goes to Houston (6 allowed versus 12 allowed by Chivas).
The only solid conclusion about tonight: either team can win. Let's make it the Dynamo, since they'll be at home and they don't want to start May like they left April: winless.
My guess: Dynamo 2, Chivas 1.
Media roundup:
MLS game preview.
MLS game article. Witty Waibel quote: "Winless? Who is? We are? I didn't even realize that we were winless."
The Chronicle's pre-game article. The Championship rings that will be passed out today are "nothing more than a memento of triumphs past in a present in which that winning feeling has been tough to duplicate." Here's hoping that the Lords of Irony don't follow the ceremony with an unceremonious loss. The Dynamo "seem to have graduated from frustration to optimism throughout the week as they digested last Saturday's 1-0 loss at Columbus, which kept them winless to start the season."
Here are Game Notes from The Chronicle. Stuart Holden will play for the (re-)injured Brad "Keebler" Davis.
Here's an article on Stuart Holden. "Holden, who was born in Scotland yet calls Houston his hometown, is one of the team's better passers and has a rocket for a shot that is highly accurate."
Glenn Davis' blog covers the key matchups.
B-Fall talks about Joe Ngwenya. "With league play over, Ngwenya appeared in just one game for a team that finished second to last in the standings. If you're thinking Ngwenya is not happy, you are correct."
Random soccer stadium talk:
US Soccer Players talk about the Toronto stadium, and the qualities that make it one of the better stadiums. "Toronto has the appropriate stage, a working critique of the earlier rounds of soccer-specificity that wanted micro sized Euro stadiums as a partial grab at authenticity. Well, they got it...." And "One of the working critiques of the building currently under construction in Salt Lake is that it's too close to the Bridgeview model. Toyota Park shouldn't be the template after seeing it in practice. The same is true for the rest of the League's multi-use venues. None of them are bad necessarily, but they're not the Camden Yards style revolution in stadium construction. Shifting the focus towards staging events rather than soccer takes away from the environment. Even Carson doesn't quite get it right." I italicized the sentence that really summed it up for me.
Ives Galarcep talks about his experience at the BMO here ("The benefit of having a stadium filled with season-ticket holders is that all these people know each other, so when one section can finish the chant another section starts it's pretty damn impressive.") and here ("A typical Toronto FC match day begins with the club's largest supporters' groups, the Red Patch Boys and U-Sector, converging on a pair of local pubs hours before kickoff.")
Last year we managed to keep a clean sheet versus Chivas in all three of our matches, while we scored 1, 4, and 0 goals in the matches. This year Chivas has won only one game (to our none) and lost three (to our two). They've beaten RSL, drawn with Dallas, and lost to Dallas, LA, and Columbus. Versus similar opponents here are the goals for and the goals against:
v Dallas:
Houston GF: 3, GA: 3
Chivas GF: 1, GA: 3 (over 2 games)
v LA:
Houston GF: 2, GA: 2
Chivas GF: 2, GA: 5
v Columbus:
Houston GF: 0, GA: 1
Chivas GF: 3, GA: 4
A slight advantage goes to Chivas for goals scored (6 versus our 5) while a more significant nod for goals conceded goes to Houston (6 allowed versus 12 allowed by Chivas).
The only solid conclusion about tonight: either team can win. Let's make it the Dynamo, since they'll be at home and they don't want to start May like they left April: winless.
My guess: Dynamo 2, Chivas 1.
Media roundup:
MLS game preview.
MLS game article. Witty Waibel quote: "Winless? Who is? We are? I didn't even realize that we were winless."
The Chronicle's pre-game article. The Championship rings that will be passed out today are "nothing more than a memento of triumphs past in a present in which that winning feeling has been tough to duplicate." Here's hoping that the Lords of Irony don't follow the ceremony with an unceremonious loss. The Dynamo "seem to have graduated from frustration to optimism throughout the week as they digested last Saturday's 1-0 loss at Columbus, which kept them winless to start the season."
Here are Game Notes from The Chronicle. Stuart Holden will play for the (re-)injured Brad "Keebler" Davis.
Here's an article on Stuart Holden. "Holden, who was born in Scotland yet calls Houston his hometown, is one of the team's better passers and has a rocket for a shot that is highly accurate."
Glenn Davis' blog covers the key matchups.
B-Fall talks about Joe Ngwenya. "With league play over, Ngwenya appeared in just one game for a team that finished second to last in the standings. If you're thinking Ngwenya is not happy, you are correct."
Random soccer stadium talk:
US Soccer Players talk about the Toronto stadium, and the qualities that make it one of the better stadiums. "Toronto has the appropriate stage, a working critique of the earlier rounds of soccer-specificity that wanted micro sized Euro stadiums as a partial grab at authenticity. Well, they got it...." And "One of the working critiques of the building currently under construction in Salt Lake is that it's too close to the Bridgeview model. Toyota Park shouldn't be the template after seeing it in practice. The same is true for the rest of the League's multi-use venues. None of them are bad necessarily, but they're not the Camden Yards style revolution in stadium construction. Shifting the focus towards staging events rather than soccer takes away from the environment. Even Carson doesn't quite get it right." I italicized the sentence that really summed it up for me.
Ives Galarcep talks about his experience at the BMO here ("The benefit of having a stadium filled with season-ticket holders is that all these people know each other, so when one section can finish the chant another section starts it's pretty damn impressive.") and here ("A typical Toronto FC match day begins with the club's largest supporters' groups, the Red Patch Boys and U-Sector, converging on a pair of local pubs hours before kickoff.")
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Another freakin' Moral Victory
One of the irritating things about soccer is that class and quality don't always translate into 3 points. Sometimes not even to 1 point. Last night, from the opening kickoff, Dynamo-Houston played like the home team. They were confident. They were creative. They played like professionals, particularly in the midfield. They controlled possession and territory. While Columbus was hesitant and forced to react to the play around them, and were left hoping for a break on a set play.
Well, you got that break, Columbus. Congrats on your 100th win, Sigi!
You think I'm a homer who is trying to paint the best picture of his team after a bitter loss? Well, you're right. But here's a quote from the opposing coach who apparently also realizes that the Dynamo are a class above his team: "We might have set a league record for blocked shots by a team tonight...They're a good team and when you look at it from a soccer aspect, maybe they had a little more of the game." At least Sigi's post-game soccer analysis isn't as myopic as Steve Morrow's is after FC Dallas games.
Here are some examples of the class of the Dynamo:
In the 22nd minute, the Crew take advantage of the only corner kick they get in the first half. BoBo makes a booboo and kind of hangs out in no-mans land. As Clark and DeRo run by him with their respective marks, BoBo sees -- too late! -- that Marshall is free and keying in on the incoming ball. BoBo gets there -- too late! -- and the ball is headed in bouncy-fashion towards the goal. Ianni is there, deflects it, then tries to heel flick it out of danger before Moreno manages to pick up the trash and knock the ball past Onstad and Barrett. BoBo didn't really have that bad of a game, but he is responsible for this goal. And, ironically, if Ianni hadn't done what a defender is supposed to do (that is: block the shot), Onstad would have easily gotten the ball as he was perfectly positioned for it. Fate worked against us, though, and the blocked shot set Moreno up for a typically scrappy Moreno goal. One corner = one goal for the home team playing like a visiting team.
The Yellow Ones would have more chances -- In the 2nd minute the Dynamo handed the Crew a free freekick when Onstad picked up a back pass from Mulrooney (it came to naught); Padula had a rocket that just missed the mark in the 35th; a Houston defensive breakdown gave Onstad a chance to show his awesomeness with a flying save in the 47th; in the 55th minute Robbie Rogers dribbles down and gets off a shot that is easily corralled by Onstad (if that had been Moreno dribbling, he would have flown through the air as Mullan engaged him in the hopes of conning the ref for a free kick); in the 74th Moreno jumps around Ianni to head a corner kick on frame and forcing a goal line clearance by Barrett -- but they were mostly the result of individual talent or nicely executed set plays. Those are certainly components of good soccer, but not the definition of good soccer.
Of course, being shut out isn't anywhere in the definition of good soccer. Nevertheless, the Dynamo played inspiring soccer in every aspect but the scoring aspect. I'm sure many fans are tired of this. It's a moral victory, but an actual loss.
Let's switch to some off-the-field observations.
The MLS game review, and article.
The Chronicle article. And player ratings.
Well, you got that break, Columbus. Congrats on your 100th win, Sigi!
You think I'm a homer who is trying to paint the best picture of his team after a bitter loss? Well, you're right. But here's a quote from the opposing coach who apparently also realizes that the Dynamo are a class above his team: "We might have set a league record for blocked shots by a team tonight...They're a good team and when you look at it from a soccer aspect, maybe they had a little more of the game." At least Sigi's post-game soccer analysis isn't as myopic as Steve Morrow's is after FC Dallas games.
Here are some examples of the class of the Dynamo:
- Right on the 6:00 mark there's an excellent combination: DeRo on the right drops the ball to Mulrooney, who touches it square to Clark and falls back to create a good angle. Clark drops it to Mulrooney who passes it to DeRo who dummies the ball then breaks down the line. Mullan gets the ball and pushes it forward to DeRo down the line who is facing a very disorganized Crew defense, but a desperate sliding tackle from Moffat pushes the ball into touch for a Dynamo throw in.
- 10th minute: DeRo just left of center pushes the ball through to Davis on the left. A one touch pass to Barrett, then a Barrett-Davis-Barrett pass exchange opens up the defense a bit, then Barrett threads a pass to DeRo who makes a one-touch flick to an onrushing Barrett, who gets fouled right on the left boundary of the penalty box.
- A minute after the second half restart, an excellent 3-person passing combination freezes the Crew defense giving Clark an opportunity saved by Hesmer.
- In the 89th minute, a aerial cross to Ching is headed down to Holden, who lays it off again to set up a dynamite sliding shot by Barrett that was heading to the upper 90, only for Hesmer to make an outstanding jumping dive to catch the rocket.
- 2nd minute: Caraccio nods a free kick on frame, straight at the GK.
- 12th minute: An apparent Davis goal gets waived off due to an offside DeRo.
- 34th minute: Davis chips a ball in to Carracio. The ball is mishandled by Hesmer, and Caraccio tries to pick up the trash before a general scrum forms on the goal line. Hesmer is able to get his hands around the ball in the middle of the writhing orgy to stop the play. I've got a question on this: with O'Rourke and Carroll (and, admittedly, Caraccio) trying to play the ball while on the ground, how is a free kick not awarded to somebody?
- In the 63rd minute, Mulrooney picks up the pieces from a broken Dynamo free kick in the attacking third, gets an aerial to Ching who chests it and...well...how did he not do something better with that one?
- In the next minute, Mullan drives a ball to the far post that a sliding Caraccio is inches away from touching into the net.
- In the 69th minute, a DeRo rocket is bobbled by Hesmer, but the lack of follow up ensures nothing comes of it. DeRo has another dangerous shot in the 74th.
- In the 83rd, Ashe has an uncharacteristically awesome shot heading to the far lower net, which is saved by Hesmer. This makes perhaps the first game that both Barrett and Ashe (who are known for their other attributes) have some of the most impressive and challenging shots on goal.
In the 22nd minute, the Crew take advantage of the only corner kick they get in the first half. BoBo makes a booboo and kind of hangs out in no-mans land. As Clark and DeRo run by him with their respective marks, BoBo sees -- too late! -- that Marshall is free and keying in on the incoming ball. BoBo gets there -- too late! -- and the ball is headed in bouncy-fashion towards the goal. Ianni is there, deflects it, then tries to heel flick it out of danger before Moreno manages to pick up the trash and knock the ball past Onstad and Barrett. BoBo didn't really have that bad of a game, but he is responsible for this goal. And, ironically, if Ianni hadn't done what a defender is supposed to do (that is: block the shot), Onstad would have easily gotten the ball as he was perfectly positioned for it. Fate worked against us, though, and the blocked shot set Moreno up for a typically scrappy Moreno goal. One corner = one goal for the home team playing like a visiting team.
The Yellow Ones would have more chances -- In the 2nd minute the Dynamo handed the Crew a free freekick when Onstad picked up a back pass from Mulrooney (it came to naught); Padula had a rocket that just missed the mark in the 35th; a Houston defensive breakdown gave Onstad a chance to show his awesomeness with a flying save in the 47th; in the 55th minute Robbie Rogers dribbles down and gets off a shot that is easily corralled by Onstad (if that had been Moreno dribbling, he would have flown through the air as Mullan engaged him in the hopes of conning the ref for a free kick); in the 74th Moreno jumps around Ianni to head a corner kick on frame and forcing a goal line clearance by Barrett -- but they were mostly the result of individual talent or nicely executed set plays. Those are certainly components of good soccer, but not the definition of good soccer.
Of course, being shut out isn't anywhere in the definition of good soccer. Nevertheless, the Dynamo played inspiring soccer in every aspect but the scoring aspect. I'm sure many fans are tired of this. It's a moral victory, but an actual loss.
Let's switch to some off-the-field observations.
- When did the Columbus crew take out stands behind the north (?) goal to put in a stage. I guess that's the standard for Hunt SWICS (remember?: Soccer-When-It's-Convenient_Stadiums): kill some of the passion by placing a barren concrete platform that permanently reserves a quarter of the stands for non-soccer activities. Both Pizza Hunt Park and Crew Stadium sport this abomination. It looks like this happened between last season and this one. The Columbus Dispatch says: "The Crew appears to have lost few of its most ardent supporters, some who were supplanted from their home in the stadium's north end by the new permanent stage."
- Props to the remaining Crew faithful who made Davis' job difficult on those corner kicks in front of the supporters. Kudos to Davis for not succumbing to the pressure.
- Janette Fernandez is simply awful in sport interviews. Please, somebody, give her some prepared and intelligent questions for halftime and after the game.
- Chivas got skunked by LA last night. Maybe we'll be able to score against Chivas next week at The Rob. Last year's goalkeeper of the year (Brad Guzan) isn't doing much better than last year's defensive squad of the year (that is us, y'all).
- The League's bottom dwellers at this writing are today's San Jose and yesteryear's San Jose. Is that some sort of poetic statement?
The MLS game review, and article.
The Chronicle article. And player ratings.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Well, the good news is...
Games like last night's Dynamo-Chivas match are exercises in frustration. (Recap.) We're up a man (a gift from the referee if you ask me) and we muster loads of possession, but not a single goal. When a good team has a man advantage, that should mean at least a goal, right? Not with the Dynamo, as proven this year versus RBNY, Colorado, Toronto, and Columbus (the last two being in Houston). In fact, when the red card was issued I said aloud, "This one's ending in a scoreless tie."
Last night the finishing touch was off, but often so was the touch to set up the finishing touch. With Jesse Marsch out, I thought D-Ro would have a field day. Instead, he was marked tightly the whole night and never had room to do anything, and his rhythm was taken from him. After going a man up, he had better play, but even so, the real problem wasn't what happened at center midfield, it was what happened (or didn't happen) along the flanks and in the attacking third. It's a frustratingly frequent occurrence with the Dynamo: they come up impotent in the final third. As Lark Howorth bluntly put it,"the Dynamo played with a passionate incompetence."
Although the big problem was in the attacking end, we were pushing forward so hard that our back line was sometimes unorganized and gave Chivas some extremely dangerous opportunities. In fact, the best save of the night wasn't on the 10-man side, it was Onstad stopping a point blank blast from Klejstan on a counter in stoppage time. Still, I thought Mullan did extremely well as the right back shutting down Maykel Galindo. On the other side of the field, it's a bit unnerving to see Wade Barrett being subbed out. An injury to him would make things harder in the playoffs.
Let's not dwell on the loss, because there were some good things to come from the match:
1) Not having home field advantage isn't that big of a problem. Why do I say that? Because this team excels when its back is up against the wall. Give the team an advantage (like going a man up), and it struggles. Give them obstacles to overcome, and the players meet the challenge.
2) We now play FC Dallas in the first round. Despite having had Dallas' number since the founding of the Dynamo, and particularly this season, FCD will not be a pushover. In fact, they might be gunning for us particularly hard. The Rico incident and the loss of El Capitan can be avenged in their minds if they end our season. Still, you've got to like the match up between the two sides, particularly since we play the second match in Robertson on Friday, November 2. The Dynamo should have no trouble getting up for this match. How will the paroled criminal, Carlos Ruiz, be greeted?
3) After the FCD match...If Chivas gets by KC, we'll face an overconfident Chivas at the HDC. We haven't won there, so we're due. If Chivas falls to KC, we face KC in Robertson. Our home record in vital games like these is stellar. We're 0-1-1 versus the Wizards in Houston; again, we're due.
4) Winning 5 games in a row is very difficult (RSL, Chivas, then the two-leg semis assumed to be 1 game, then the Conference finals, then the MLS Cup). Now we have to win only 3 games in a row. Much easier statistically.
5) With the shutout, we have officially set the record for fewest goals conceded in a season (23 beats the 29 goal record held by LA, KC, and San Jose). We have also set a record for fewest goals conceded per game (0.766 gpg, versus 0.906 gpg held by LA and KC). As far as our performance compared to other teams just this season: our goal differential is +20, second only to DC United's +22 goal differential this season. We've also had 13 clean sheets this season (11 for Onstad, 2 for Wells). Onstad's shutout record is behind only Guzan's 13 shutouts for Chivas USA this season.
6) Ianni didn't get sent off. His tackle on Galindo in the 68th minute or so was nearly identical to the one that got Chivas' Vaughn sent off. It was an unnecessary and foolish tackle at that point, yet the young and inexperienced Ianni was lucky to not have made his team suffer any consequences, which would have been particularly difficult given Robinson and Cochrane were already out. This protects our depth in central defense for the next match.
7) Dom Kinnear managed to soothe Preki's feelings before leaving LA. Dom had a beef with Preki's assistant coach, who was lobbying the referee hard to have a Dynamo player kicked out of the game. After the game, Dom shook Preki's hand, but wanted nothing to do with the assistant coach. Preki stuck up for his assistant, and he and Dom got into a heated argument before being separated. In a post-game interviews, Dom said he went over and talked to Preki afterwards to smooth over the incident, and Preki mentioned that it was a minor incident and he has the utmost respect for Dom. This is good for two reasons: it demonstrates yet again how we are blessed with a mature, respectable coach; and it doesn't give Preki any "locker room fodder" to get his troops more motivated than they will normally be should we meet them in the conference championship.
First things first: the FCD series starts this week. We don't have to beat them in both legs, but we should really focus on leaving Frisco with nothing less than a tie, then finishing them off here in Houston. Then again...maybe we need to lose to them in Frisco in order to get the job done here in Houston. You know, part of that "obstacles to overcome" strategy. Go Dynamo!
Last night the finishing touch was off, but often so was the touch to set up the finishing touch. With Jesse Marsch out, I thought D-Ro would have a field day. Instead, he was marked tightly the whole night and never had room to do anything, and his rhythm was taken from him. After going a man up, he had better play, but even so, the real problem wasn't what happened at center midfield, it was what happened (or didn't happen) along the flanks and in the attacking third. It's a frustratingly frequent occurrence with the Dynamo: they come up impotent in the final third. As Lark Howorth bluntly put it,"the Dynamo played with a passionate incompetence."
Although the big problem was in the attacking end, we were pushing forward so hard that our back line was sometimes unorganized and gave Chivas some extremely dangerous opportunities. In fact, the best save of the night wasn't on the 10-man side, it was Onstad stopping a point blank blast from Klejstan on a counter in stoppage time. Still, I thought Mullan did extremely well as the right back shutting down Maykel Galindo. On the other side of the field, it's a bit unnerving to see Wade Barrett being subbed out. An injury to him would make things harder in the playoffs.
Let's not dwell on the loss, because there were some good things to come from the match:
1) Not having home field advantage isn't that big of a problem. Why do I say that? Because this team excels when its back is up against the wall. Give the team an advantage (like going a man up), and it struggles. Give them obstacles to overcome, and the players meet the challenge.
2) We now play FC Dallas in the first round. Despite having had Dallas' number since the founding of the Dynamo, and particularly this season, FCD will not be a pushover. In fact, they might be gunning for us particularly hard. The Rico incident and the loss of El Capitan can be avenged in their minds if they end our season. Still, you've got to like the match up between the two sides, particularly since we play the second match in Robertson on Friday, November 2. The Dynamo should have no trouble getting up for this match. How will the paroled criminal, Carlos Ruiz, be greeted?
3) After the FCD match...If Chivas gets by KC, we'll face an overconfident Chivas at the HDC. We haven't won there, so we're due. If Chivas falls to KC, we face KC in Robertson. Our home record in vital games like these is stellar. We're 0-1-1 versus the Wizards in Houston; again, we're due.
4) Winning 5 games in a row is very difficult (RSL, Chivas, then the two-leg semis assumed to be 1 game, then the Conference finals, then the MLS Cup). Now we have to win only 3 games in a row. Much easier statistically.
5) With the shutout, we have officially set the record for fewest goals conceded in a season (23 beats the 29 goal record held by LA, KC, and San Jose). We have also set a record for fewest goals conceded per game (0.766 gpg, versus 0.906 gpg held by LA and KC). As far as our performance compared to other teams just this season: our goal differential is +20, second only to DC United's +22 goal differential this season. We've also had 13 clean sheets this season (11 for Onstad, 2 for Wells). Onstad's shutout record is behind only Guzan's 13 shutouts for Chivas USA this season.
6) Ianni didn't get sent off. His tackle on Galindo in the 68th minute or so was nearly identical to the one that got Chivas' Vaughn sent off. It was an unnecessary and foolish tackle at that point, yet the young and inexperienced Ianni was lucky to not have made his team suffer any consequences, which would have been particularly difficult given Robinson and Cochrane were already out. This protects our depth in central defense for the next match.
7) Dom Kinnear managed to soothe Preki's feelings before leaving LA. Dom had a beef with Preki's assistant coach, who was lobbying the referee hard to have a Dynamo player kicked out of the game. After the game, Dom shook Preki's hand, but wanted nothing to do with the assistant coach. Preki stuck up for his assistant, and he and Dom got into a heated argument before being separated. In a post-game interviews, Dom said he went over and talked to Preki afterwards to smooth over the incident, and Preki mentioned that it was a minor incident and he has the utmost respect for Dom. This is good for two reasons: it demonstrates yet again how we are blessed with a mature, respectable coach; and it doesn't give Preki any "locker room fodder" to get his troops more motivated than they will normally be should we meet them in the conference championship.
First things first: the FCD series starts this week. We don't have to beat them in both legs, but we should really focus on leaving Frisco with nothing less than a tie, then finishing them off here in Houston. Then again...maybe we need to lose to them in Frisco in order to get the job done here in Houston. You know, part of that "obstacles to overcome" strategy. Go Dynamo!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
All the marbles
Tonight we face Chivas in a match that will decide the Western Conference. (Game guide.) Winner takes the conference and home field advantage, with a tie being the same as a win for Chivas. Dynamo will be without key defensive core players with Robinson (red card), Cochrane (yellow accumulation), and Clark (suspension) all out. Bernardo Fallas reports that Dominic Kinnear will use Ianni in the center (natch), move Waibel alongside him, push Mullan to right back (interesting...), with Holden as right midfielder and D-Ro and Mulrooney as the AM and DM, respectively.
Something else to watch: should the Dynamo hold Chivas to 4 or fewer goals tonight, then we set a record for fewest goals conceded in a season (current record: 29) and fewest goals per game conceded in a season (current record: 0.906 goals per game). We currently have conceded 23 goals. Should we allow no more than 27, then we'll have a 0.9 gpg ratio.
Back to the results: While I'm of the opinion that the Dynamo might do better if they don't have the cushy road to the MLS Cup, I'm also of the opinion that winning is always good. Win or lose tonight, though, we can't lose after tonight if we want to reach the MLS Cup. (Technically we could lose one leg of the conference semis and make up the difference in the other leg, but let's not go that route.)
So, if we win tonight, we will play either the Rapids, Fire, Wizards, or Galaxy in the first round of the playoffs next week. If we lose, we face a vengeful FC Dallas in the first round playoff series. I wonder how much Carlo Ruiz would be booed in our home leg of that series.
Go Dynamo!
Something else to watch: should the Dynamo hold Chivas to 4 or fewer goals tonight, then we set a record for fewest goals conceded in a season (current record: 29) and fewest goals per game conceded in a season (current record: 0.906 goals per game). We currently have conceded 23 goals. Should we allow no more than 27, then we'll have a 0.9 gpg ratio.
Back to the results: While I'm of the opinion that the Dynamo might do better if they don't have the cushy road to the MLS Cup, I'm also of the opinion that winning is always good. Win or lose tonight, though, we can't lose after tonight if we want to reach the MLS Cup. (Technically we could lose one leg of the conference semis and make up the difference in the other leg, but let's not go that route.)
So, if we win tonight, we will play either the Rapids, Fire, Wizards, or Galaxy in the first round of the playoffs next week. If we lose, we face a vengeful FC Dallas in the first round playoff series. I wonder how much Carlo Ruiz would be booed in our home leg of that series.
Go Dynamo!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Breaking the Salt Lake jinx
On Monday I had to sit in the "business center" of the Hilton Garden Inn-Rancho Bernardo, watching the match feed for the Dynamo-RSL game (game guide) and reading the BigSoccer play-by-play on the hotel computer. Despite playing on fake turf and missing Ching, D-Ro, and of course Clark, we managed to eke out our first victory in Salt Lake. (Game recap.) I watched the taped match when I returned to Houston on Friday. It was indeed ugly in terms of play and in terms of aesthetics, both sins chiefly attributed to the playing surface. Lark had some great observations in his blog.
I had heard how Holden's goal was a blown cross deflected into the goal by a stubby Nick Rimando, but in watching the goal it look much more impressive than it sounded. I'm thinking that a young Stuart Holden will be one of the players we protect in the San Jose expansion in the off-season.
The worst part of the game was the fact that we've lost Cochrane (yellow card accumulation) AND Eddie Robinson (bogus red card) for the final regular season game versus Chivas. The winner takes the top spot for the Western Conference and maintains home field advantage throughout the playoffs. A tie gives Chivas the top spot. Can we beat Chivas on its home field, where it has lost only once this year? And do we want to beat them? We dominate at home, for sure; but we also seem to prosper when the cards are stacked against us. Regardless, wins are always good. Let's win the next 5 games: the Season finale, both Conference semis, the Conference final, and the MLS Cup...that'll do it.
I had heard how Holden's goal was a blown cross deflected into the goal by a stubby Nick Rimando, but in watching the goal it look much more impressive than it sounded. I'm thinking that a young Stuart Holden will be one of the players we protect in the San Jose expansion in the off-season.
The worst part of the game was the fact that we've lost Cochrane (yellow card accumulation) AND Eddie Robinson (bogus red card) for the final regular season game versus Chivas. The winner takes the top spot for the Western Conference and maintains home field advantage throughout the playoffs. A tie gives Chivas the top spot. Can we beat Chivas on its home field, where it has lost only once this year? And do we want to beat them? We dominate at home, for sure; but we also seem to prosper when the cards are stacked against us. Regardless, wins are always good. Let's win the next 5 games: the Season finale, both Conference semis, the Conference final, and the MLS Cup...that'll do it.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
DeRo and Onstad are coming home
The US eked by Canada today. Overall, the US seemed to have the better cohesion and tactical acumen in terms of passing, as well as better physical conditioning (which is usually the case), and all this helped us control the vital midfield. Canada seemed to have the better touch and technique and better individual creativity, and all this kept them in the game until the second half when our cohesion fell apart.
Hejduk has got to be proud of his one-touch strike of the Donovan layoff. It had just enough spin and bend to deflect the right way off the post. Not much Onstad could do about that one.
Onstad could've stopped the second goal though, had he listened to me as I talked to the TV. I told my wife that Donovan goes down the middle with his kicks, and the kicks are usually soft. I said that Onstad should just stand there and let the ball come to him. Didn't I, wife?
Wife: "Yes."
See?
Had Onstad stood there, he'd have stopped the kick and embarrassed his former Earthquake teammate.
I thought it cool that the two were talking right before the PK. You don't see adversaries talking much before one is going to shoot at the other. (BTW, I don't know that the PK should've been awarded. It looked to me that Beasley had lost the ball and dragged his foot to catch Onstad...like a Tomcat dropping its landing hook as it lands on the flight deck.)
I'm disappointed that Clark only got garbage time and Ching got no time. Was Ching even on the bench? If not, it's a travesty. If so, then he should've been put in. Johnson did not contribute anything on the field today. It seems he either has a hat trick or is a no-show when he plays. Either way, he doesn't make his teammates better. Today, he was a no-show. Ching is the better choice over him and Twellman. Travesty.
As for Clark, he is one of the best D-Mids for the US, but he doesn't start over Coach Bob's son, Michael. Unlike the forward situation, though, I can't argue that Clark is that much better than his replacement. Boy Bradley has good touch and passing; that he doesn't offer much in terms of shooting is immaterial with his position. I think both Clark and Bradley do well with Mastroeni…although Bradley's inability to play a physical game might mean he is a better complement to the physical Mastroeni, whereas Clark might be somewhat duplicative with Pablo.
All that was moot when Boy Bradley got the red card. Clark goes in then. I thought Dad Bradley should've left Mastroeni in with Clark to protect the lead.
As for Boy Bradley, I guess you should leave the physical play to the experts.
And how about that lead that we were protecting? Only through an iffy offside call at the end was the 10-man US able to get through to the next round. A recap: Canada plays the ball forward (no one is offside at this point), the ball goes to Onyewu and off his head (Hutchinson is offside at this point) and lands at Hutchinson's feet, who shoots the ball into the net. The Canadian coach says "Their player headed the ball down into the box and our player kicked it in. If one of their players played the ball back, it's a back pass and it cannot be offsides. That's how I saw it." Others agree.
I guess this is where my armchair refereeing fails me. I don't see anywhere in the Laws of the Game that benefiting from being offside is ever okay, back pass or no. However, the Laws do say that a player in an offside position is only penalized if he is gaining an advantage by being offside at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team. Well, if that's the case, then Hutchinson was onside when the ball was played by one of his team and the Canadian goal should stand. However, the Laws also say that "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." In which case, the goal was rightfully waived off.
Comments?
Onstad shows himself a wise veteran with his take: "We did things to put ourselves in that position, whether it was a bad call or not. We dug ourselves a hole."
At any rate, the US dodged a bullet, and their play in the second half was sub-par for the most part. We controlled the midfield in the first half, but not the second. The second half also saw the embarrassing whiff by Donovan in front of the goal (one of the few chances we had in the second half), and Dad Bradley followed his poor decision on attacking starters (Johnson and the creative Dempsey, who I think is better as a midfielder that pushes forward) with a poor decision on an attacking sub (Twellman), and it nearly cost us the game. We couldn't even protect the ball in the corner after a free kick with 30 seconds remaining. Sigh.
Now for the OTHER soccer game and happier times... Dynamo shellacks Chivas USA 4-0 tonight. Brad Davis gets a hat trick. Once more: Brad Davis gets a hat trick. I think that's our first hat trick since Ching's in the first Dynamo game ever -- versus Colorado last season. All 3 of tonight's goals from the run of play (1 from Mullan and 2 from Davis) were beauts.
I love it when we blow out the competition. (We had 17 shots to their 8? Really?) It was good to see the reserves get some more time, and Holden get the start. Stewart also had a good shot on goal in the opening minutes and created the third goal in the second half by working the ball down and feeding it to Ngwenya who fed it to Davis. Were there faces on the bench that you didn't recognize? There were for me. Wouldn't it have been cool for a John Michael Hayden to get his first minutes?
Okay, it's confession time: At the beginning of the game I lamented, "Oh no, Dom has Mullan as a forward."
Wife: "So?"
Armchair Coach: "He started his career as a forward, but he's a better midfielder. He can't even stay onside as a forward."
Wife: "Oh."
(Six minutes later) Armchair Coach: "Great strategy Dom! Awesome insight! Dale Dale Dale Dynamo..."
Wife: "But, you said..."
The best part about being an armchair coach is that there's no accountability when you're wrong.
[Addendum on the offside: Dynamo benefitted from a similar call when a Herculez Gomez goal was called offside at Colorado.]
Hejduk has got to be proud of his one-touch strike of the Donovan layoff. It had just enough spin and bend to deflect the right way off the post. Not much Onstad could do about that one.
Onstad could've stopped the second goal though, had he listened to me as I talked to the TV. I told my wife that Donovan goes down the middle with his kicks, and the kicks are usually soft. I said that Onstad should just stand there and let the ball come to him. Didn't I, wife?
Wife: "Yes."
See?
Had Onstad stood there, he'd have stopped the kick and embarrassed his former Earthquake teammate.
I thought it cool that the two were talking right before the PK. You don't see adversaries talking much before one is going to shoot at the other. (BTW, I don't know that the PK should've been awarded. It looked to me that Beasley had lost the ball and dragged his foot to catch Onstad...like a Tomcat dropping its landing hook as it lands on the flight deck.)
I'm disappointed that Clark only got garbage time and Ching got no time. Was Ching even on the bench? If not, it's a travesty. If so, then he should've been put in. Johnson did not contribute anything on the field today. It seems he either has a hat trick or is a no-show when he plays. Either way, he doesn't make his teammates better. Today, he was a no-show. Ching is the better choice over him and Twellman. Travesty.
As for Clark, he is one of the best D-Mids for the US, but he doesn't start over Coach Bob's son, Michael. Unlike the forward situation, though, I can't argue that Clark is that much better than his replacement. Boy Bradley has good touch and passing; that he doesn't offer much in terms of shooting is immaterial with his position. I think both Clark and Bradley do well with Mastroeni…although Bradley's inability to play a physical game might mean he is a better complement to the physical Mastroeni, whereas Clark might be somewhat duplicative with Pablo.
All that was moot when Boy Bradley got the red card. Clark goes in then. I thought Dad Bradley should've left Mastroeni in with Clark to protect the lead.
As for Boy Bradley, I guess you should leave the physical play to the experts.
And how about that lead that we were protecting? Only through an iffy offside call at the end was the 10-man US able to get through to the next round. A recap: Canada plays the ball forward (no one is offside at this point), the ball goes to Onyewu and off his head (Hutchinson is offside at this point) and lands at Hutchinson's feet, who shoots the ball into the net. The Canadian coach says "Their player headed the ball down into the box and our player kicked it in. If one of their players played the ball back, it's a back pass and it cannot be offsides. That's how I saw it." Others agree.
I guess this is where my armchair refereeing fails me. I don't see anywhere in the Laws of the Game that benefiting from being offside is ever okay, back pass or no. However, the Laws do say that a player in an offside position is only penalized if he is gaining an advantage by being offside at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team. Well, if that's the case, then Hutchinson was onside when the ball was played by one of his team and the Canadian goal should stand. However, the Laws also say that "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." In which case, the goal was rightfully waived off.
Comments?
Onstad shows himself a wise veteran with his take: "We did things to put ourselves in that position, whether it was a bad call or not. We dug ourselves a hole."
At any rate, the US dodged a bullet, and their play in the second half was sub-par for the most part. We controlled the midfield in the first half, but not the second. The second half also saw the embarrassing whiff by Donovan in front of the goal (one of the few chances we had in the second half), and Dad Bradley followed his poor decision on attacking starters (Johnson and the creative Dempsey, who I think is better as a midfielder that pushes forward) with a poor decision on an attacking sub (Twellman), and it nearly cost us the game. We couldn't even protect the ball in the corner after a free kick with 30 seconds remaining. Sigh.
Now for the OTHER soccer game and happier times... Dynamo shellacks Chivas USA 4-0 tonight. Brad Davis gets a hat trick. Once more: Brad Davis gets a hat trick. I think that's our first hat trick since Ching's in the first Dynamo game ever -- versus Colorado last season. All 3 of tonight's goals from the run of play (1 from Mullan and 2 from Davis) were beauts.
I love it when we blow out the competition. (We had 17 shots to their 8? Really?) It was good to see the reserves get some more time, and Holden get the start. Stewart also had a good shot on goal in the opening minutes and created the third goal in the second half by working the ball down and feeding it to Ngwenya who fed it to Davis. Were there faces on the bench that you didn't recognize? There were for me. Wouldn't it have been cool for a John Michael Hayden to get his first minutes?
Okay, it's confession time: At the beginning of the game I lamented, "Oh no, Dom has Mullan as a forward."
Wife: "So?"
Armchair Coach: "He started his career as a forward, but he's a better midfielder. He can't even stay onside as a forward."
Wife: "Oh."
(Six minutes later) Armchair Coach: "Great strategy Dom! Awesome insight! Dale Dale Dale Dynamo..."
Wife: "But, you said..."
The best part about being an armchair coach is that there's no accountability when you're wrong.
[Addendum on the offside: Dynamo benefitted from a similar call when a Herculez Gomez goal was called offside at Colorado.]
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Well, THAT was cold
The game was a cold, blustery one. My son and I didn't dress as warmly as we should've, so we huddled next to a wall in Section 208, a new vantage point for me directly west of the northern goal.
The game was a pretty open affair and could've gone either way. Our "disciplined" defending that I noted earlier wasn't so disciplined. Or maybe it was too disciplined and not heated enough. We seemed tentative in closing down the opposition, giving them space (and, thus, time) to turn the ball -- even IN the box -- or make runs. Fortunately, we had luck and Onstad on our side.
On the other end of the field, in the attacking third, we seemed indecisive when we had time in front of the goal. Dalglish, DeRo, and Ching were shut down when going 1v1 with the GK (the young Guzan). When we didn't have time and had to rely on raw, viceral reflexes, we did better. Davis, Mullan, and Gray had at least an excellent chance apiece, and Ching scored the only goal of the game on his calling card header from a Davis freekick. We (my son and I) were walking down the steps between Section 210 and 211 during the kick and had the perfect vantage point for the goal and subsequent celebration.
All in all, Dynamo kept up the trend of soft first halves and solid second halves. We got the 3 points, and that's what matters, but we won't get many of them if we refuse to play 90 minutes of soccer -- 45 minutes just won't cut it.
Odds and ends...
It was good to see the Dynamo youth team recognized at the beginning of the match. They've done well in a short time, and here's hoping that the system becomes a credit to the community and the Dynamo organization.
Hey, what was Guzan complaining to the ref about in the second half? Looked like he didn't like something the Texian Army was doing. Maybe he didn't like the fluttering streamers.
Speaking of windswept: the flag looked good! A full-sized Dynamo flag (2-sided) flew above a similarly sized (if not same size) Championship flag. Very nice -- should've had these up the first day (or skipped the flag ceremony).
And with all the wind and cold, I felt sorry for the skimpily dressed and newly introduced Dynamo Girls. Hopefully their welcome warmed them enough. They were pleasantly posing for pictures with happy guys at the end of the match. My son (who's 10) felt compelled to avert his eyes as we walked past them. (Here's a raw vid of their Friday intro.)
I saw Craig Roberts watching the game just to the right of Section 109 towards the end of the match. Semper Fi.
The game was a pretty open affair and could've gone either way. Our "disciplined" defending that I noted earlier wasn't so disciplined. Or maybe it was too disciplined and not heated enough. We seemed tentative in closing down the opposition, giving them space (and, thus, time) to turn the ball -- even IN the box -- or make runs. Fortunately, we had luck and Onstad on our side.
On the other end of the field, in the attacking third, we seemed indecisive when we had time in front of the goal. Dalglish, DeRo, and Ching were shut down when going 1v1 with the GK (the young Guzan). When we didn't have time and had to rely on raw, viceral reflexes, we did better. Davis, Mullan, and Gray had at least an excellent chance apiece, and Ching scored the only goal of the game on his calling card header from a Davis freekick. We (my son and I) were walking down the steps between Section 210 and 211 during the kick and had the perfect vantage point for the goal and subsequent celebration.
All in all, Dynamo kept up the trend of soft first halves and solid second halves. We got the 3 points, and that's what matters, but we won't get many of them if we refuse to play 90 minutes of soccer -- 45 minutes just won't cut it.
Odds and ends...
It was good to see the Dynamo youth team recognized at the beginning of the match. They've done well in a short time, and here's hoping that the system becomes a credit to the community and the Dynamo organization.
Hey, what was Guzan complaining to the ref about in the second half? Looked like he didn't like something the Texian Army was doing. Maybe he didn't like the fluttering streamers.
Speaking of windswept: the flag looked good! A full-sized Dynamo flag (2-sided) flew above a similarly sized (if not same size) Championship flag. Very nice -- should've had these up the first day (or skipped the flag ceremony).
And with all the wind and cold, I felt sorry for the skimpily dressed and newly introduced Dynamo Girls. Hopefully their welcome warmed them enough. They were pleasantly posing for pictures with happy guys at the end of the match. My son (who's 10) felt compelled to avert his eyes as we walked past them. (Here's a raw vid of their Friday intro.)
I saw Craig Roberts watching the game just to the right of Section 109 towards the end of the match. Semper Fi.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
North American Goats
Today, Dynamo Houston plays Chivas-Lite. In the brief history of the team, quite a little rivalry has developed between them and their caprine counterparts from the west -- a rivalry fed by highly physical play, short tempers, and exacerbated by Dynamo's emotional come-from-behind win of the playoff series last year.
Chivas USA has a passionate fan base, as does Dynamo. Chivas also brings a solid midfield with Amado Guevara, Jesse Marsch and Sacha Kljestan (who had a brilliant strike last week vs the team of Mo Johnston, hater of Serioux). Match them against DeRo, Rico Clark, and Mullan/Davis, and we should see some fun action in the middle of the field. There's also the background storyline that Ante Razov's next goal will get him to the century mark.
The US Goats have undergone substantial changes in their leadership (Preki is a rookie coach replacing veteran Bob Bradley) and their team (buh-bye Juan Pablo Garcia and Juan Francisco Palencia). At this point, their style of play seems to be the most Latin style in the MLS, with creative, open attacks, but equally open defense. I think Dynamo's attack will be able to exploit the defensive lapses, and Dynamo's disciplined defense will shore us up enough to carry the day for the Orange. Dynamo 2-0. If Chivas scores, it'll be from a set-piece...I say that even though I just said that their open, flowing attack is their strength. Oh well.
Lessee, my other predictions...
RSL over the Crew
DC over KC
New England over the Cannucks
FCD over NYRB
Colorado over Chicago
It seems I'm thinking the home teams are going to carry the day, except for NYRB.
Other thoughts...
I like the idea of an "MLS Anthem" to define the beginning of a 90 minute respite from the humdrum daily routine. Being that it is for an American league, it seems fitting that American musicians would be used; but the PTB ("powers that be") decided Prague was the way to go. Poor choice, if only for symbolic reasons. I like that the fact that Dynamo still incorporate their "Braveheart" intro into the proceedings, playing it after the anthem and after the opposition takes the field. I don't know how long the league PTB will allow it though, since they're trying to standardize the pre-game with both teams walking out together behind the officials.
Are we going to have a full-size, adult Championship flag flying today?
It seems at least one journalist likes the Dynamo Girls. Not much of a surprise, given that the commentator is Tino Palace.
Chivas USA has a passionate fan base, as does Dynamo. Chivas also brings a solid midfield with Amado Guevara, Jesse Marsch and Sacha Kljestan (who had a brilliant strike last week vs the team of Mo Johnston, hater of Serioux). Match them against DeRo, Rico Clark, and Mullan/Davis, and we should see some fun action in the middle of the field. There's also the background storyline that Ante Razov's next goal will get him to the century mark.
The US Goats have undergone substantial changes in their leadership (Preki is a rookie coach replacing veteran Bob Bradley) and their team (buh-bye Juan Pablo Garcia and Juan Francisco Palencia). At this point, their style of play seems to be the most Latin style in the MLS, with creative, open attacks, but equally open defense. I think Dynamo's attack will be able to exploit the defensive lapses, and Dynamo's disciplined defense will shore us up enough to carry the day for the Orange. Dynamo 2-0. If Chivas scores, it'll be from a set-piece...I say that even though I just said that their open, flowing attack is their strength. Oh well.
Lessee, my other predictions...
RSL over the Crew
DC over KC
New England over the Cannucks
FCD over NYRB
Colorado over Chicago
It seems I'm thinking the home teams are going to carry the day, except for NYRB.
Other thoughts...
I like the idea of an "MLS Anthem" to define the beginning of a 90 minute respite from the humdrum daily routine. Being that it is for an American league, it seems fitting that American musicians would be used; but the PTB ("powers that be") decided Prague was the way to go. Poor choice, if only for symbolic reasons. I like that the fact that Dynamo still incorporate their "Braveheart" intro into the proceedings, playing it after the anthem and after the opposition takes the field. I don't know how long the league PTB will allow it though, since they're trying to standardize the pre-game with both teams walking out together behind the officials.
Are we going to have a full-size, adult Championship flag flying today?
It seems at least one journalist likes the Dynamo Girls. Not much of a surprise, given that the commentator is Tino Palace.
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