Astroturf, Jaqua, Dalglish, and unimpressed journalistas

Tonight the Dynamo play RSL for the last time on the astroturf of the University of Utah. That's a good thing. One pundit predicts Houston winning 2-1. B-Fall talks about how tonight's game is just the beginning of the more difficult 2nd half of the season. (Yah mean we only got 4 wins on the EASY half?) He also has some soccer notes that discuss the likelihood of Nate Jaqua being added to the roster for the remainder of this season then going to Seattle for next season. I think most people realize Jaqua's limitations, but are willing to try anything to turn the malaise around. Plus Jaqua is a good sub for Ching when (if) Ching is away with the USMNT or, should misfortune strike, due to injury.

Speaking of ex-Dynamos, B-Fall has a cool article about Dalglish who has definitely settled in the area. I think this is so cool because it is the first discussion of the lasting effects of having a professional team in the area: permanent colonization by professional players from afar. This will only grow the exposure as the new residents, and the relationships they still maintain nationally and internationally, bring an influx of talent and mentoring to the area. It expands Houston's footprint in the soccer universe. It also kind of makes one proud to live in an area where scions of the English soccer aristocracy say they "like it here" and are starting soccer camps (Braveheart Soccer Camps) "to give a little bit back to the community that was so good to me when I was here." Daggers, who is taking on several local youth coaching roles including with the Dynamo Academy, also talks about "beautiful Texas girls" who apprently "don't like to leave Texas." So it's good that Houston has some things that can overcome the heat, humidity, and mosquitos.

Ever wonder how the Dynamo's Season of Mediocrity is viewed in the national press, outside the sphere of Houston? How's is this for an assessment of the Dynamo's latest run of form: Football is my life and I could get excited about watching a U-8 AYSO game, but even I couldn't put a positive spin on the performances of Houston over the past few weeks of the season. This Dynamo team has been performing so flat that it makes it difficult to watch their games without finding myself nodding off. Fans of Houston will always tell you that their team will turn it on in the playoffs when it really counts, but on the evidence of their last few performances, I just don't see it happening this year. Ouch! That comes from Keith Costigan's "Power Rankings" on Fox Sports. He currently has Houston at #10. (That's a "power ranking" of recent form, not an overall assessment of the season.) He started the season with the Dynamo at #2 and has had them as low as #14. Yeah, there are only 14 teams in the league.

ESPN ranks the teams weekly as well. Let's see how the Dynamo have fared according to that Website:
Pre-Season: #1
Week 1: #5
Week 2 #9
Week 3: #11
Week 4: #10
Week 5: #12
Week 6: #12
Week 7: #9
Week 8: #7
Week 9: #8
Week 10:#7
Week 11: #4
Week 12: #6
Week 13: #6
Week 14: #6

During the break (at least in league games), I'll have to compare the halfway point of this year to past years. Of course the stats mean nothing; we all know this season has been less fullfilling.

Daggers in the house

So, as Mackeysgirl posited: what IS up with Daggers being back in Houston? Though he visited teammates, he's not here at the Dynamo's behest. B-Fall reports that when the Scot finished his 3-month stint with Kilmarnock in Scotland, his wife, Brandi, wanted to return to Texas. The dutiful husband complied and is "entertaining certain business propositions" in the Lone Star State. He also says he is not retiring just yet.

Dalglish's willingness to move back to Houston as summer approaches...well, that's a sign that he sure loves his new bride. Brandi better appreciate him.

As for the soccer side, he was clutch here for the Dynamo as the 2006 season came to a close, but he didn't do much in 2007: during the season, in our US Open match versus a USL team, and with our Reserves. Part of the problem might have been injury, but that doesn't explain the slump in its entirety.

So the Dynamo need a forward with pace who can (and will, dangitall!) shoot the ball. Dalglish is in town looking for a way to pay his bills. And he must still feel comfortable with the team since he took the time to visit his former teammates. Is this kismet? Or just a strange coincidence?

The idea of him returning has a certain appeal to me, but I don't know if the Dynamo want a guy who couldn't score versus MLS Reserves or a USL team. I wonder if Daggers isn't too old for the rigors of the MLS. But, could he serve as a mentor to some of the young strikers on the team? I don't know; but it would be cool if he could return and contribute to the club. We've never lost an MLS Cup while he was on the roster.

Finally, I hope he doesn't resent his wife for dragging him back to Texas. I'd hate to see a Las Vegas wedding end in divorce. Has that ever happened? Looking at the wedding photo, she's a little cutie. Looks like Paige Davis from Trading Spaces. Am I wrong? Yeah, I don't think he could resent her.

But can he score for the Dynamo? And would the Dynamo give him another chance? (The answer to the second question is probably "no." Not because of any hard feelings, but because that ship has sailed.)

Blogs, Boswell, and Buh-Bye to Bachelorhood

Scattered blogs 'bout the 'Mo:
Stuart Holden and Pat Ianni have been writing a great blog from their tour with the U-23 MNT in China. There are some nice bits to the blog:

• Holden calls Ianni a "Meatball"
• Ianni calls Holden "Mr. Teen Houston"
• Ianni notes that in the game vs the Chinese Olympic team, "I'm sure Stu will tell you, but he had quite a few shots and a couple of really good ones."
• And the best line of all comes from Stu: "So now we are just relaxing at the hotel in Guangzhou about to watch a movie with our good friend Arturo (thanks by the way Arty for helping us in the playoffs!)." He's referring to this Arturo, not this one, of course.
  

DeRosario is also blogging, as he ventures to Mali for humanitarian purposes:

And the newest Dynamo has had a longstanding blog that was popular with DC United fans, and ladies in general. That Bos is a funny guy. Now that I've had a chance to digest the Wells-Boswell trade, I have to say that I think the Dynamo may be the biggest beneficiaries of the deal in the short term, which may be all that matters in the MLS. We lose a solid keeper who probably wouldn't see much field time due to being behind Onstad, and we gain a solid defender who probably will see a lot of field time. He had a stellar year two years ago, and I think Coach Dom has shown that he can bring the best out of a player, if the player is willing to give an effort. And Bobby Boswell seems to be that type of player. He's definitely saying and doing the right things:

• He says, "To end up in Houston is just unbelievable, it's awesome. I've heard nothing but good things about the organization and the coaches, and I know a lot of the guys, from playing against them and playing with them on the national level. I just think overall it's a good fit for me and I think I'm a good fit for them as well."
• He has been spending his off-season dedicated to a bulked-up strength and conditioning regimen, including "grueling" workouts with a boxing trainer as he focuses on adding weight and strengthening his legs for what promises to be another long, arduous year.
• Perhaps best of all, he's an Austin boy (sorta). He was born there, but raised in Tampa. "It's just that Texas mentality -- even though I didn't grow up there, I still got a little bit of it, and I'm looking forward to heading down and living there," he said. "The weather, they talk about how hot it is there, and I just kind of smile, because I'm like, 'man, in Tampa it's the same way,' you know? That humidity is kind of what I grew up on," he said, adding, "'Don't mess with Texas,' I'm going to start adopting that one right away."
• He's ready to compete for the starting XI for the team with the best defense in the MLS: "It's competition -- it makes everyone better," he said. "We had a lot of success here at D.C. with that, and I realize going into that system, that's how it's going to be. But like I've always said, all you can really do is work every day to improve and become a better player and eventually, you hopefully get an opportunity, and it's what you do with that opportunity. So I think that I'll be given a fair opportunity going in there, and I like my chances."

Of course, evaluating the trade also depends on Onstad remaining healthy, or on Dom finding a solid 2nd to Onstad. And the deal might not have a positive effect beyond this season, because we've lost a good longterm prospect in Wells, and Boswell has already said he wants to try his hand (foot?) at a European league after this next season. Still, the MLS is so fluid personnel-wise, that it's really only practical to look at the coming season; we can wait to deal with the issues of future seasons once those issues are upon us.

Wrapping up the blog theme, you should check out the satiric Beckham video posted on Glenn Davis' blog.

Grassroots recruiting:
Houston Dynamo brought a recruiter from the USMNT to the Valley, and are looking at untapped talent for themselves as well.

It's wuv, twoo wuv:
Do you remember Paul Dalglish? He sometimes wore Orange the past couple of years. Remember? Scored a couple of important playoff goals? Yeah, him. Injuries and a high salary (compared to the salary cap) implies that Paul won't be in the Orange next year, but that hasn't stopped him from setting down some roots in our fair city. It looks like Daggers found true love in a Houstonian art teacher. Congratulations to the happy couple. Rich or poor, quick or slow, may you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.

Paraguay Cheese & Daggers

Okay, I'm getting cheesed by the USMNT. Tonight we played a Paraguay team that, as good as it is, is several notches below Argentina. That played a major role in the fact that the US looked much more solid than in its first game. Not only did we have good possession, we had a half dozen (or more) solid chances on goal. Great goal by Dynamo-Clark to end the first half, and he almost ended the second half with an even better strike.

And for all the grief I give Twellman, his assist was complete quality and showed amazing vision.

But good gravy! The game should've ended 1-1, except for a horrible back pass by Bornstein to Keller that left the GK out to dry. Perhaps Conrad could've gotten to it, but he was caught flat-footed by the lazy pass as well. (I hinted at this before, but now I'm loudly proclaiming that Bornstein has talent, but those talents do not involve defense. Put the bloke in as left mid.) And that final Paraguayan goal was well placed, but (1) what a horrible and unnecessary foul by Califf that should never have happened, and (2) I can't help but believe that Keller could've gotten to it had he been better positioned from the onset.

The first goal was well played right down our middle and we were completely disorganized as a result. An organized and disciplined (as in, "non-ball-watching") defense could have stopped that run, but I'll give a pass on that one since it was executed so quickly. Yet those last two goals were, I think, completely preventable.

This result cheeses me more than the Argentina result. On the positives, I've got to say that Clark had a good game and I'm glad he bounced back. Moor did better than I thought he would, shame about the missed open header at the end. In the "beating a dead horse" category: can we please, PLEASE find some forwards in this nation of 302 million people? Our defense has usually been strong and our midfield is becoming more and more talented, but our corps of forwards is very weak, with even the talented ones seemingly hesitant to go to goal or put away good opportunities. I think this might haunt us for some time, but hopefully we figure it out before 2010.

***
Speaking of lame forwards...

Here's some other news that cheeses me. Dynamo are losing Gray and gaining Nate Jaqua. Gray had his faults, but he was a good utility player to fill holes due to call-ups or injury. He is also young and cheap. Jaqua is a forward (don't we have a bunch of those already?) and not a very good one. And he's expensive. So we're obliging AEG's favorite team, the Gals, by taking their expensive cast-offs. Great.

I think this means that Dalglish is no longer a Dynamo. Daggers, we hardly knew ye. I guess that'll put an end for good to the Braveheart game intro.

It's just a day to be cheesed.