KC withers and Dynamo soar

What a hot, miserable time to play a soccer game. The players and coaches will say that everyone has to play under the same conditions, but the fact is, it feels a lot hotter when you're behind than when you're ahead.

And, as B-Fall put it: Sunday's 3-1 home victory ... was as good as they come.

Pre-game guide.
Post-game recap.

Says one article: Entering Sunday's match against the Kansas City Wizards, Kamara, an MLS veteran of 54 matches, had never recorded a single assist in his career. Before the match he told a few friends of his that he wanted to get rid of that donut that, to some, makes him look like a selfish player.

The post-game quotes include this one from ERob: "We knew that mentally, if this beautiful weather today wouldn't get to them, just being down might." I'm sure that "beautiful weather" was said with sarcasm, not praise for the 12th man (or 13th man, if you count the fanbase as the 12th).

I remember The Dom complaining about a 3 o'clock game in summer of the 2006 season. That one was scheduled due to TV commitments; but surely this game wasn't played at this godforsaken hour because of Telefutura!?

My two favorite events of this game:

• In the first half: Brad Davis' one-touch rocket into the net from a Kei Kamara layoff.
  
• In the second half: Stuart Holden's unselfish and prescient touch off to Nate Jaqua to get the goal that effectively won the game. Stuie had a good look on goal with that ball, but his pass was pure class. And the goal, coupled with the heat, crushed all of KC's motivation.

I didn't even mind the consolation goal that Davy Arnaud (from nearby Nederland) earned in the 87th minute.

I do think Brad Davis may be practicing his attacking headers this week. Minutes after his first goal, he missed what should have been an easy header on goal from the back post. It was nearly identical to one he muffed in the previous game versus Chicago. My wife said he shouldn't be doing headers anyway, because his ears probably unbalance him. (She is actually a big fan of "Keebler".) Luckily, in both games Davis made up for his muffs with a dynamite assist in one game and a dynamite goal in the other.

So now we're solidly in the Western Conference lead, 7 points ahead of #2 RSL. Overall, we're behind only Columbus (which has 43 points) and tied with New England and Chicago. The Supporters' Shield is a longshot, but still a possibility. Taking the Western Conference and having homefield advantage through the MLS Cup tourney is something that is not only feasible, but had better be realized. I'm still holding out for the Supporters' Shield, even though our upcoming schedule congestion will make that a difficult feat.

In his weekly MLS recap, Steve Davis has this to say about Brian Mullan:

Because Brian Mullan is usually surrounded by more dynamic players (De Rosario, for instance), several internationals (Pat Onstad, Clark) and younger, emerging forces (Stuart Holden), it's easy to forget what a guy like that means to Houston. Manager Dominic Kinnear knows exactly what he'll get from Mullan every time on the pitch.

When opponents are in possession, Mullan tucks inside reliably when the ball is on the other side. When it's on his side, he's always in the right spot, helping the right fullback. On offense, Mullan consistently, effectively links with the man playing behind him and can be counted on to supply two or three good crosses a half.

Brad Davis, on the left, does some of the same. But where he's more of a goal-scoring threat with a tendency to drift inside often, Mullan is more of a classic flank attacker, always providing the width that stretches defenses.

You need guys like De Rosario and Clark to win championships. But you'll never get there without the dependable workadays such as Mullan.

USMNT
Solid showing by the USMNT in Cuba, I thought. Ching did well in his role holding up the ball, and got the assist on the goal, laying off the pass that Dempsely put away. I agree with Doug McIntyre that Ching was the field player that probably did his respective job the best. (Tim Howard being the best and most valuable player overall.) People clamoring for new faces up front will rip him for missing that sitter near the end, but the big Hawaiian played his role as a target forward to perfection. He was able to effectively body up with his back to goal from start to finish and set up the winning strike doing just that.

McIntyre also has an article that laments the lack of offensive umph from the USMNT. Although the U.S. team deserves full credit for winning two difficult road matches to begin this potentially treacherous round of qualifying, it has done so by using a combination of grit, good fortune and Howard. The Americans didn't create many quality chances against either Guatemala or Cuba, and with all due respect to Brian Ching, who next to Howard was the best player on the field Saturday, their forwards still simply cannot score.

Other Soccer Coaching News
After a 3 year hiatus, I've been pulled back into the soccer coaching ranks to coach my son's U16 team. The kids are older and more sarcastic since I last coached, so I'll have that obstacle to overcome.

I have a new philosophy that I'm instituting now that I'm running the zoo. My focus is to ensure every player has the individual dribbling skills to hold their own regardless of the team (whether club or school) they play for next year. I've always worked on passing exercises and taught positional play in past terms as coach, but now I want every person -- regardless of position -- to be an excellent First Attacker (or "guy with ball") and excellent First Defender (or "guy on the guy with the ball"). To work towards this, the first 30 minutes of each practice is on footwork and 1v1. In this first half hour I'm also working on receiving skills, since players with good footskills must be able to pluck the ball out of the air and get it to their feet for their footskills to work.

After the first 30 minutes, I am working on some tactics, mostly in 4v4 mini-matches. But the emphasis is individual development.

The most likely result is that we won't win a lot of games since I'm not focusing on masking weaknesses through teamwork. Hopefully another result is that the players do become more adept at individual play...but it remains to be seen if the kids will do their part to make this happen. It takes practice and discipline and patience, and I don't know if this group of teenagers has that. We'll see.

Caig Mans Up

I like to think of myself as an independent thinker. A guy that doesn't jump at the latest trends. A guy that isn't stuck in the childish phase of needing to have the latest toys. In other words: I don't have HDNet and couldn't watch the Dynamo last night. Some might say that makes me more of a Luddite than a man of principle, and really the truth does lie somewhere in between.

I also was unable to make the trek across town to the known viewings of the game. That's due to me being a boring family man.

But I DID get to listen to the game on the radio. Steve Mark, the "Voice of the Dynamo" (VOTD), isn't the best play by play guy. He doesn't use natural soccer terminology. He doesn't keep up with play. He leaves painful gaps in the monologue while he figures out what's going on. So listening to the game through his eyes isn't the best way to enjoy the game, but I still managed to enjoy the experience. It seems nostalgic to listen to a game on the radio, particularly with a local crew and local perspective, and I rarely do it anymore. It's how baseball used to be followed by fans before cable, and how the English followed their football teams before the EPL made televised broadcasts ubiquitous. The game took on a sentimental flair for me.

You know what else was nostalgic? The clean sheet. You remember those? You just have to look back to last season to see our calling card of clean sheets and defensive dominance. The clean sheet was particularly welcome after we've been conceding three goals per game.

Hats off to the the defense and particularly to Caig who made some solid saves, intercepted some crosses/passes, and didn't make any howlers. I wish this was the Caig who played vs FCD, but beggars can't be choosers and I'm just glad that the Caig that Dom knows made himself known to the Orange faithful.

I hope this means that the defense is beginning to get in sync. We'll need them next week at the Toolshed when we face the LA Beckhams. The LA defense, which is fundamentally pathetic, should also give our forwards plenty of opportunities. I hope our attack makes the most of the chance. They scored in spades versus FCD, but not in any other MLS match yet. Let's reverse that trend next.

Media mining:
Dynamo recap. The overall summary: "Both teams played smothering defense in what was a well-played match. Each side tried to make opportunities on goal, but it was a struggle for both throughout."

The MLS recap from the KC side.

Another Dynamo summary. "'I think overall we dominated the game,' Caig said."

Quotes from both sides. Curt Onalfo says the Dynamo are "hard to play against. They're very direct. They compete, they make you stay in every single play. I thought our guys did a good job of that. We had some good chances to score and we didn't, and they did as well. Overall I thought it was an evenly played game."

Barrett made his 200th consecutive start last night. He is the ironman.

Kansas City Star's recap. "But there are also times when you settle for hard-earned draws. You can probably count playing against the two-time defending MLS Cup champions on a windy, freezing night as one of them." Here's a factoid: "It was the first scoreless draw for the Wizards since Aug. 9, 2006, when they played New England scoreless at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass."

Taking on the Wiz in Kansas

Tonight, Dynamo-Houston treks to Kansas to face the Wizards. (Game preview.) This'll be the first time we face KC in Kansas, with previous meetings being held at cavernous Arrowhead Stadium in Missouri. We play at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, a minor league baseball park that is home to the unaffiliated Kansas City T-bones. How's that for a team name?

The park should be an intimate affair with fewer than 10,000 spectators, but they will be louder than anything heard at Arrowhead. And the Wizards should be tougher than we remember, given their upgrade with some imported talent. KC historically relied on American talent (Preki being considered American, but that might be a stretch), but this season Curt Onalfo has taken a page from DC's book to create KC's roster. The team had an impressive start to the season, but stumbled in their last game. It will be interesting to see how both teams respond to mid-week disappointments, although Dynamo will be harder pressed given the amount of travel they've done this week and the fact that they're still hamstrung by injuries.

Oh yeah: Caig will be between the posts. Does that mean we're spotting KC 2 goals? Or will Caig man up and show us he's worthy of wearing Orange? I think he can be a success, but I have little proof to back me up thus far. How about starting with stopping the shots that should be stopped and intercepting some crosses?

My mission today: find a sports bar with HDNet and no hesitation to playing soccer on its screens.

Western Conference Champs: 2007

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Western Conference final

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go Dynamo!

The final home game of 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ngwenya salvages 1 of 3 points

Saturday's game vs KC began a bit rough. Onstad's foot saved us an early deficit.

From 15 minutes on, we took control of the match and it looked like we'd generate enough opportunities to get a goal. Indeed, Ngwenya would have probably gotten the first goal had he not been mauled from behind by Nick Garcia. When I was playing soccer as a youth, I had a team mate who got his leg broken by an overzealous scissor tackle inside the box, much like the one Ngwenya suffered. Ngwenya didn't get off the shot, Dynamo didn't get the penalty, and Ngwenya (luckily) didn't seem to be injured. The only thing we got out of the ordeal is a Yellow for Ngwenya (dissent after the fact) and a general idea as to how the the ref (Ramon Hernandez) would call the match.

This was the first time the ref had officiated a Dynamo match. Let's hope he improves before the second time.

As is the norm, despite carrying the play and generating the threats from 15 minutes on, we couldn't get the ball into the net. The Wizards could. A few seconds past the 45-minute mark, a Harrington-Sealy-Johnson passing thread got them their goal against the run of play. We were way too loose on Sealy, the lynch pin on this play. Cochrane came forward to pressure Harrington, and Mullan let Sealy slip through for the through pass. Ianni slid over, but Sealy got the ball to Johnson who one-touched it into goal. Just like last week, Barrett was there, sliding only moments too late.

The second half continued the Orange-tilting game. DDR, playing more as a forward, was having one of his better games this season. He was moving the ball, finding his mates, taking the shots. Just before the 70th minute, E-Rob intercepts a pass in our defensive third. He slides a forward pass to D-Ro, who then dribbles through the middle third while the KC defenders retreat. Ngwenya runs to the left, then cuts back to the right. D-Ro splits two defenders with his pass and Ngwenya, pressured by his marker, one-times the ball into the net.

This was an outstanding play, and very well timed. I just wish all of our finishing could have been this crisp. In the first half Mullan has a direct shot sent wide left, and D-Ro has a shot from about 8 yards out go into low earth orbit. We'd get a lot more goals for ourselves if we'd just put our shots on frame. I know that ain't easy sometimes, but sheesh!

Taking away the first 15 minutes (which didn't hurt us) and the 2-3 isolated threats on our net (only one of which hurt us), it was the Dynamo's game to win. Skill, heart, and teamwork were in our favor, but finishing was not. For the second week in a row we take only 1 of the available 3 points. That one point may prove big later...but the lost 2 points could also prove big in a bad way.

Here's a simple listing of the current top 7 teams, the points they have, the number of games they've played, and the number of points still available to them (3 x remaining games)

Team / Pts / GP / PA
D.C. United / 42 / 22/ 24
New England / 42 / 23 / 21
Houston / 39 / 24 / 18
New York / 36 / 23 / 21
Chivas USA / 36 / 20 / 30 - 1 game left vs Dynamo
FC Dallas / 36 / 22 / 24 - 1 game left vs Dynamo
Kansas City / 33 / 24 / 18

The most disturbing fact is that we have only 18 points available to us, while Chivas USA (a mere 3 points behind us) has 30 points available to them. Furthermore, the teams ahead of us also have more than 18 points available to them.

Bottom line: we need just about every one of those 18 points to ensure we distance ourselves from the other contenders for the Supporters' Shield. If we fail to get the Shield, we need to (1) be one of the top 4 teams so we can be invited to SuperLiga (this will also require us to get a majority of those 18 points) and (2) win the MLS Cup so we get the recognition of being the MLS champions and so we get the invite to the CONCACAF Champions Cup (with only a few more points we can probably secure our position in the playoffs, and then it's just a matter of winning our way through the MLS Cup tourney).

To get those points we're going to have to score more goals. Hopefully our guys get healthy over the next week so we can field a rested and recuperated lineup to face RSL next Saturday. We also need DDR to continue improving his form; tonight was a good indication of what he can do, but we need more.

Wizards & Waibel

The inconsistent Wizards come to town. (Game guide.) After a dynamite start and world class performances from Eddie Johnson, the team hasn't been getting the results and EJ has disappeared. Our own D-Ro hasn't been very visible either, but D-Ro has been doing the little things in the middle that keep our team in the game and keep the opponents on their toes.

Tonight, we need D-Ro to be more visible, and we need to be able to neutralize EJ's only real weapon: a speedy fast break.

If KC is tired, they might play a lot of men behind the ball, and we know how poorly we deal with that. Hopefully KC goes back to the bread and butter of their early season success, which is open, attacking soccer. If so, we should have the space necessary to get the goals we need. And we do need goals. The race is too tight, particularly with an upswinging Chivas USA having so many games in hand. We would have to completely choke to not get into the post-season, so that's a near lock; but I want the Supporters' Shield, and we have a lot of work to do before we can claim that or even challenge for it.

It won't be easy tonight or the rest of the season. Injuries have cut us to the quick, particularly at left midfield and forward. Tonight we'll be without Davis and Holden, as has been the trend, but we'll also be without Ching (which hopefully doesn't last long). Jaqua will be out due to yellow card accumulation. We're going to have trouble on the left flank and in the attacking third with this line up. That means we'll need some magic from D-Ro.

But as I've said many times: D-Ro, don't force it. Feel the game, be a part of it, then let your talent and creativity mold the game naturally. That's how you roll. When you try to impose your will and dominant the game, that's when your gifted instinct is set aside and your play suffers. Don't make me break out my Yoda graphic again...

Dynamo 2, Wizards 1.

The press:
Craig Waibel has a great interview at Goal.com. He's quite candid about the teams aspirations and shortfalls. Interesting to hear him speak so highly of New England. I suppose they are a team that gets results, but I hate their style of play for the most part.

LA GK coach, Tim Hanley, quietly left the Galaxy organization this week. I don't know if this is the beginning of a housecleaning effort by the Gals, or if Tim decided he didn't want to have anything else to do with the organization. I know he likes working with Frank Yallop and Joe Cannon, so I doubt it was a personality conflict with them. Tim is a genuinely nice guy. He left the Dynamo last season to be close to his family. In the warmups before his last Dynamo game, he actually came over and talked to my kids as we sat in Section 117. He was also the first to console Onstad after we lost to the Gals in Reliant Stadium and during the US Open Cup. Whatever the story, I wish the best for him and his family. He can surely find a job at the college level ... Stanford maybe?

SuperLiga finale

Pachuca faced LA in a half-packed Home Depot Center last night in a contest to determine the SuperLiga Champion. I watched much of the first half. At that point Pachuca controlled the possession, tempo, and real estate. But, much like the Dynamo too often, Pachuca couldn't leverage this control into goals.

For most of the second half, my face was pointed at the TV but my eyelids interfered with my view. I missed Klein's bicycle kick (quite impressive due to the timing and his age) until watching the highlight reel this morning. Likewise, I didn't see Donovan's missed PK that would have given LA the game. His kick wasn't particularly poorly taken (unlike many of his successful kicks down the middle during the Gold Cup), but the keeper guessed correctly and Donovan wasn't able to put the ball far enough into the corner. Unlucky.

I suppose the biggest news out of the game was that Beckham sprained his knee. It looks like he will be out for a while – longer than he was for his ankle. The injury occurred when Becks and Pachuca midfielder Fernando Salazar simultaneously tackled a loose ball just outside the Pachuca penalty box. Becks went in with his right foot, and the whole leg twisted with the counterforce applied by Salazar's foot. Beck's left ankle was the injured ankle, otherwise I'd think that it was his weak ankle that contributed to the painful torque on the knee. As it was, perhaps it was just misfortune. Salazar had to leave the match with a knee sprain as well.

This just in: in depth news analysis reports that when Beckham returned in overtime to watch the match, he was "dressed in a gray suit, white shirt and black tie."

In all seriousness, accolades go to the Galaxy for keeping themselves in the game, making a brilliant equalizer, and then having an opportunity to win the game with a single PK. Shame on Pachuca for controlling the game, but being unable to get the ball into the net versus a poor Galaxy side.(LA scored all of the goals in this one: one into the Galaxy net and one into the Tuzos' net.) Thing is, Dynamo fan that I am, I can completely sympathize with Pachuca's dominance coexisting with scoring anemia.

And shame on the so-called "Cathedral" of the MLS, the Home Depot Center. Only 12,500 tickets could be sold for the SuperLiga final in this supposed soccer-specific stadium because of parking concerns at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Apparently a lot of people want to park on campus at 8 PM on a Wednesday evening. This is a constraint we're going to have to make sure is NOT an issue with the Dynamo's eventual stadium. So many things to consider...

More Galaxy news...

Yahoo had this article about Alexi Lalas, the Galaxy GM, whining about how his master plan for the "Superclub" of the MLS has been undermined by a sudden appearance of games on the team's schedule. Surprisingly, his infectious whining has stricken a usually sane Andrea Canales, as well.

To this I say: balderdash. Is Lalas suddenly an unwilling victim of the scheduling? He sure spoke like he was integral to the scheduling process at the beginning of the season. And if the schedule is to blame, then why wasn’t the team racking up points in the early season when it had a mostly open schedule and plenty of chance to rest and recuperate players? And how is it that a lowly team like the Dynamo from a podunk village like Houston was able to zoom to the top of the standings when it was fighting through a schedule that included 3 games a week, some against high-caliber Mexican clubs? It seems that Lalas (and Canales) is trying to deflect blame when the finger should be pointed at poor management and poor players.

Now that the Galaxy have lost their only chance for a trophy and, with Salt Lake's victory over KC last night, have dropped to last place in the standings, AEG will probably begin taking measures to set up a better 2008 season. How do they right this ship?

Well, one of the biggest problems with the Galaxy is its random mish-mash of players who don’t comprise a coherent team. A couple of talented individuals can’t carry a team very far. Injuries have been a problem, sure; but even without the injuries there is an unhealthy randomness to the team roster. Perhaps less time should have been spent on developing a pretty new uniform, and more time spent on conscientious team building. This being the core problem of the team means that whoever is responsible for this mess should bear the consequences. Is Lalas or Yallop to blame? Based on past experience, I have to believe that Alexi is the culprit.

The track records of both Yallop and Lalas suggest who is to blame for the train wreck that is the Galaxy. Yallop has two MLS Cups after building the San Jose franchise from its bottom-of-the-barrel standing prior to his arrival, and he set the seeds for the club's success in 2005 and later as the Dynamo. Lalas has served as GM for 2 previous clubs, leaving each one in a state of, if not disarray, then definitely with no coherent strategy or defined identity. His handling of the Donovan loss was reviled by the SJ fans, and his inconsistency with the Metrostars left that club struggling for stability and required the new Red Bull ownership to throw a lot of cash at reversing the problem.

That suggests the Galaxy should fire Lalas to bring in a GM that has more intelligence and perception, even if it means fewer newsworthy sound bites. However, Yallop will probably get a pink slip too. If so, Yallop would benefit more than the Galaxy; the coach would easily be able to find employment in a less dysfunctional organization. Truth be told, if the Galaxy could bring in Jurgen Klinsmann, perhaps the Galaxy would benefit too. It would be interesting to see how Klins would do in the MLS, and his name has a certain cachet that the Galaxy — image conscious as they are — would love.

Yallop didn't help his own cause after he played an injured Becks all 90 minutes of a losing match versus Chivas after Becks had played all 90 of a match in England the day before. Perhaps Yallop was forced into that decision, but he's still accountable for it. And if it gets him out of the Galaxy organization, then he's the better for it.

And speaking of RSL...
Their new Argentineans proved their worth already in leading the team to a 3-1 victory over visiting KC. Wow, have the Lakers turned their ship around? We'll see. It'd be good to have a decent Salt Lake to contend in the Western Conference, but I'm not too pleased with how my fantasy team took a hit from last night's resurgence.

Here's hoping that the game took a lot out of KC's tank since we face them this weekend. On the other hand, that may NOT be a good thing; if they're tired and bunker in, our past experience with such tactics suggests we may not be able to crack the defensive shell. We've got to get a goal early, otherwise bad things could happen. We've got to defend our home turf too: on KC's last visit to Robertson (at the beginning of last year), they managed to win 2-1 off a late Burciaga laser.

One win gets us into the 40-point range, helps our cause for the Supporters' Shield, and surpasses our 11-win total from last season. Let's do it.

Soccer in the midwest

What an excellent Gold Cup final today. This was the most exciting CONCACAF match I've ever seen.

Mexico started strong and definitely had the better possession and looks on goal in the first half. Their goal was a deserved one, with Guarado completely unmarked. Spector, who should've had Guarado, was forced to cover the center striker, while the right mid (Dempsey, but maybe Donovan at that point--they switched partly through the half) didn't make the adjustment for the open man.

I must say that even within the first few seconds of the game, I thought Spector looked shaky. He's got talent for sure, and wasn't directly responsible for the goal, but he looked positionally confused several times, and Guarado ate him up. Nery Castillo, for his part, ate everyone else up. He downright embarrassed defenders with his dribbling footwork.

The second half was much more balanced. Oswaldo Sanchez's individual heroics kept the States out of the net on one sequence. I thought Ching, who was unable to do much more than holding up the ball in the first half, was much more effective in the second. The PK he earned I thought was legitimate. I think Sanchez knew Donovan's tendency to shoot down the middle, because the GK hardly moved on the subsequent PK. Credit Donovan for not only changing his pattern, but also for making a quality kick. Of course, Feilhaber's volleyed goal was faultless. An outstanding finish from distance, and well timed.

Ching earned himself another goal, but was unlucky with the woodwork. Donovan later had a breakaway that should have led to a goal when he passed the ball to a wide open Beasley, but DMB hit the crossbar in a pathetic display of technique. It was an absolutely abysmal, but luckily unimportant error. I had heard one person opine a few months ago that Beasley should play left back rather than mid. I thought that ridiculous, but he does have good defensive skills, is a good crosser, and his speed would be an asset. And that non-finish tonight is fittingly for a defender. Maybe he SHOULD drop back...

And while I'm grumbling, I have to note that Dempsey, as talented and creative as he is, is running the risk of being labeled all flash and no substance. He can execute the tricks, but he has trouble leveraging those tricks into functional moves that benefit the team. Hopefully time will cure that ill.

At any rate, the game was exciting and Mexico played their best game of the tournament. Had they played like this earlier, then their quality wouldn't be questioned like it had been. In this game, they finally played with a passion that led me to think their one goal would stand (or would lead to others). The US had troubles at first, but soon showed they could compete with a quality opponent. (The turnaround started with Rico Clark's introduction; was he part of that solution?) The match ended as I hoped it would; but more importantly, the US was able to beat a spirited and quality Mexican squad. The teams just need to learn how to shake hands afterward.

Dynamo take their fifth win in a row
The excitement of the Gold Cup final was matched by the boredom of the Dynamo-KC game, I'm afraid. In front of a crowd of dozens at Arrowhead Stadium, the two battled hard against each other and the heat. (And they complain about OUR heat.)

I only saw most of the first half in passing as I packed for a business trip this week. (So-Cal, here I come!) I felt that defensively we were stout, but our passing was choppy and our forwards were dropping too far back into the midfield. Was it just me, or did our forwards also have an aversion to taking the responibility of shooting at goal? Mullan and Ngwenya both had chances where they should have pulled the trigger but paused or passed and gave the defense time to organize. Here's a telling stat: we had 6 shots; KC had 14.

Appropriately, a defender scored our goal. Outstanding header from young Ianni, and all props to him.

You know, it's been an outstanding month. We've gotten 15 points this month, winning every match since our loss to DC in May. We have 22 points and are only 3 points behind Conference leader, FCD -- and we have 2 games in hand. Our goal differential is now +5, which is the best in the Western Conference (tied for 3rd overall). Next week we face FCD in Frisco. It'd be nice to close out the month with a sixth win.

Today it was nice to have the Canadians back. They had an outstanding Gold Cup run and I know they'd prefer to have been playing in the Cup final, but it was good having the solid Onstad in the back and the passionate DeRo doing his thing (albeit for only a bit) up front. Next week we'll still be without Clark, but Ching returns. Today reinforced for me that the more I see Ching play, the more value I realize he brings to Dynamo as well as the national team. Overall, the offense is more potent with him on the field and he does something that so few forwards do nowadays: he makes his teammates better. It's unfortunate that so few people seem to realize his value.

As I'm driving around the Mojave Desert this week, I hope everyone stays cool here in H-town and that we (Dynamo included, natch) ready ourselves for a solid showing versus our neighbors to the north. Here's hoping that the hotel has Telefutura so I can watch the US-Argentina match on Thursday. (Or do I want to witness that?)

I still believe

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

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

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

So what's the solution?

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

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

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

Two observations from the midwest:

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