While I've been following the Dynamo all season, I have kept my comments to the various blogs (particularly Benardo Fallas and Glenn Davis) and haven't spent time on mine. Worse: I've attended only one game this season. That's primarily because my weekends are spent coaching my son's Divison 2 team, and that's proven very time-consuming.
The past two months have been painful because the Dynamo drifted into a malaise, and their game looked tired and uninspired. Even so, if they had won only one more game they would have earned the Supporters' Shield. This is actually the prize I wanted the most this year. When that went to The Crew, I shifted my hopes to the MLS Cup.
I was pretty pessimistic about our chances to get past the Sounders, but the excellent result at Seattle made me hopeful, and the Dynamo ended up closing out the series in style with an awesome extra time goal by Ching.
We match up fairly well against LA, so I was more optimistic than I was about our Sounders series. Several Dynamo and non-Dynamo fans suggested that the Dynamo would have to beat LA and the refs (and Don Garber and ESPN...) in order to get through to the final. I thought these fans were either paranoid Dynamo fans, or spiteful Galaxy-haters. Turns out they were right.
The Dynamo controlled the game in the first 18 minutes, other than a couple of dangerous forays early on by LA. After the blackout in the 18', the Galaxy asserted control. The MIO worked their way into the game again, but halftime took off their edge and the Galaxy again controlled the game after the break. Thankfully with the 2nd blackout in the 55th minute, the game became the Dynamo's again. They controlled the final 30 minutes or so, and looked like the only team on the field for long stretches. Then they get the only goal of the game off a Hainault header after a LA player takes out Ching and another LA player. Houston wins 1-0.
Except that the ref decided the Dynamo shouldn't have let the LA player take out his teammate and Ching. So no goal. A few crossbars later, and we're into Extra Time. Credit to the Galaxy for playing a solid 30 minute overtime, but it shouldn't have gotten to that. It was an illegitimate act that put an unequal hurdle before both teams. Turns out, you had to have the LA crest on your chest for your goal to count. We weren't aware of that stipulation prior to the game.
The Dynamo have nothing to be ashamed of. They acquitted themselves well for the 90 minute match and proved they were the better team. Fatigue and weak bench support proved to be their undoing when they were forced to play an illegitimate extra 30 minutes.
Question doesn't the Skunk-headed one make enough money to buy some maturity? He whines like a spoiled schoolboy. Does he always whine at every official? Does he always exchange whiny words with the opposition once the competition is over? He did versus Chivas USA, and now with the Dynamo.
It seems to me that the MLS is hurting its credibility with potential American sports fans by immersing itself more and more into the atmosphere of suspicious officiating, like seen with the NBA. I long ago gave up on basketball and I get physically ill whenever I see it on TV. It's an off-season YMCA conditioning exercise that they turned professional with all of the competitive legitimacy of professional wrestling. The MLS seems to be heading in that direction too, with their bush league referees and their rule-bending for the gender-bending Becks and his LA Gals.
I still support the Dynamo. They are the best organization in the MLS and, while physical, play a style of ball that other MLS teams only sometimes toy with. Coach Kinnear is the best in the league, and the players are class acts.
But I have slowly become a reluctant follower of the MLS in general, and have become a more and more infrequent watcher of the league. Furthermore, I worry that personnel changes and aging veterans will make the one bright spot in the league -- the Houston Dynamo -- a second rate team scrapping its way through the league next season as it waits on the next generation of talent to emerge.
Showing posts with label MLS Cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MLS Cup. Show all posts
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The MLS Cup is over, but the Dynamo are still playing
It's a new era for Dynamo soccer. We're now fans of a team that is not the MLS Champion. But because the 'Mo is arguably the best team in the MLS, it's still a great time to be an Orangefan. Lark Howorth has stated in his blog that we will be tested as to "whether we support the Dynamo even harder and better next year, despite the MLS Cup sitting in a rival's display case." Supporters have to "remember that a soccer team depends on its fans as much as the fans depends on the team." So true.
A truly devoted supporter will be a vocal supporter of the team, attending every game whether or not the team is the champion and whether or not the team has a good team that can contend for titles. I suppose I am a little on the fickle side when it comes to team support. I am not one that needs my team to be the champion, but I do expect the team to be a quality team that is expected to compete for championships. As long as I don't feel the front office is skimping on the product, I'll buy. They don't need to be champions, but they need to be quality. Maybe that doesn't make me fickle; perhaps I'm just discriminating.
At any rate, we have a quality team here in Houston, and I, for one, am so glad the Dynamo have their postponed CONCACAF match tomorrow. (Preview. Preview 2.) It's going to be a long off-season, so I'm eager to get one last game in before the hiatus.
It's win and move on for the Dynamo. I like their chances, given (1) the desire to end the season on a high note, (2) having enough prep time and rest for the match, (3) we're playing at home, and (4) our reserves tied and almost won the match in San Salvador.
Unfortunately, by game time we'll already know that one of our players will be moving to Seattle. Most people assume that someone will be Nate Jaqua. If so, we'll miss him but wish him the best of luck. (And anyone taken will be available for the evening match versus Firpo.)
Here's hoping the soon-to-be-departed leaves with a final Orange victory under his belt.
Accolades for the Dynamo
Even though they had the second best record in the league and the best record in international competitions, the Dynamo saw little recognition for their quality. That's become de rigueur for the Dynamo, who have often focused on team accomplishments in lieu of individual accolades. Noble.
In 2006 I think DeRo should have gotten MVP. We had a goal of the year candidate last year (I think) that should have been recognized. This year, I think the travesty was that Geoff Cameron wasn't selected Rookie of the Year. He wasn't a regular starter, but he played on every part of the field but goalkeeper for the top ranked Dynamo, and contributed mightily to our run in international play. Instead, the award went to a defender on a team with the worst defense.
But at least the front office won some awards. (And here is another article on the matter...but nothing on the official Dynamo or MLS websites?) This is one of the best run organizations in the league: on field, on the sidelines, and in the office.
MLS Cup
Though I didn't have a personal rooting interest, I did watch the MLS Cup. (Recap.) It didn't have the feel of a championship game -- maybe it was due to the empty seats or the quality of the pre-game and halftime commentary. I dunno. It was a decent match though.
At any rate, I was pulling for the Crew as they were the more deserving team. If a league's champion is a team with a losing record in the regular season, then that league has a faulty method for choosing a champ. Luckily that didn't come to pass.
In the first half the Crew did unto the Red Bulls what the Red Bulls had done unto others: absorb pressure then score on the odd chance from the counterattack. According to Steve Davis, this was not a matter of the Crew playing poorly, but it was an intentional strategy by the Crew in order to take RBNY out of their regular game. It was a risky, but effective move that also allowed the second half to be a better balanced game. We were treated to a total of 4 goals (3 in the second half) and in the final 10 minutes we saw a beautiful goal off a linkup between Schelotto and "Hey, Duck!"
Overall it was a decent -- though not an awe-inspiring -- final match.
Changes Coming to the MLS
The Commish did his annual pre-Cup state of the league speech. There were several key items that were noted in the speech.
Some highlights:
A truly devoted supporter will be a vocal supporter of the team, attending every game whether or not the team is the champion and whether or not the team has a good team that can contend for titles. I suppose I am a little on the fickle side when it comes to team support. I am not one that needs my team to be the champion, but I do expect the team to be a quality team that is expected to compete for championships. As long as I don't feel the front office is skimping on the product, I'll buy. They don't need to be champions, but they need to be quality. Maybe that doesn't make me fickle; perhaps I'm just discriminating.
At any rate, we have a quality team here in Houston, and I, for one, am so glad the Dynamo have their postponed CONCACAF match tomorrow. (Preview. Preview 2.) It's going to be a long off-season, so I'm eager to get one last game in before the hiatus.
It's win and move on for the Dynamo. I like their chances, given (1) the desire to end the season on a high note, (2) having enough prep time and rest for the match, (3) we're playing at home, and (4) our reserves tied and almost won the match in San Salvador.
Unfortunately, by game time we'll already know that one of our players will be moving to Seattle. Most people assume that someone will be Nate Jaqua. If so, we'll miss him but wish him the best of luck. (And anyone taken will be available for the evening match versus Firpo.)
Here's hoping the soon-to-be-departed leaves with a final Orange victory under his belt.
Accolades for the Dynamo
Even though they had the second best record in the league and the best record in international competitions, the Dynamo saw little recognition for their quality. That's become de rigueur for the Dynamo, who have often focused on team accomplishments in lieu of individual accolades. Noble.
In 2006 I think DeRo should have gotten MVP. We had a goal of the year candidate last year (I think) that should have been recognized. This year, I think the travesty was that Geoff Cameron wasn't selected Rookie of the Year. He wasn't a regular starter, but he played on every part of the field but goalkeeper for the top ranked Dynamo, and contributed mightily to our run in international play. Instead, the award went to a defender on a team with the worst defense.
But at least the front office won some awards. (And here is another article on the matter...but nothing on the official Dynamo or MLS websites?) This is one of the best run organizations in the league: on field, on the sidelines, and in the office.
MLS Cup
Though I didn't have a personal rooting interest, I did watch the MLS Cup. (Recap.) It didn't have the feel of a championship game -- maybe it was due to the empty seats or the quality of the pre-game and halftime commentary. I dunno. It was a decent match though.
At any rate, I was pulling for the Crew as they were the more deserving team. If a league's champion is a team with a losing record in the regular season, then that league has a faulty method for choosing a champ. Luckily that didn't come to pass.
In the first half the Crew did unto the Red Bulls what the Red Bulls had done unto others: absorb pressure then score on the odd chance from the counterattack. According to Steve Davis, this was not a matter of the Crew playing poorly, but it was an intentional strategy by the Crew in order to take RBNY out of their regular game. It was a risky, but effective move that also allowed the second half to be a better balanced game. We were treated to a total of 4 goals (3 in the second half) and in the final 10 minutes we saw a beautiful goal off a linkup between Schelotto and "Hey, Duck!"
Overall it was a decent -- though not an awe-inspiring -- final match.
Changes Coming to the MLS
The Commish did his annual pre-Cup state of the league speech. There were several key items that were noted in the speech.
Some highlights:
- The reserve division is gone. (Houston will be the final champion.) The Senior roster will be expanded from 18 to 20. The Reserves will be reduced from 10 to 4.
- “There will be small growth in the salary cap.”
- Teams in the CONCACAF Champions League will not play in SuperLiga. Houston will play in the CCL, along with Columbus, New York, and DC. SuperLiga competitors will include Chicago, Chivas USA, Kansas City, and New England. I don't think there are any changes to the US Open Cup participation.
- Teams will play 30 games in the regular season. Teams will play every other team once away and once at home. That makes up 28 games. There will also be two additional games versus a "rival," so, presumably, Houston will have an additional home game and an additional away game versus Dallas.
- MLS will take off 2 international dates next year and will go to a reduced schedule on four other weekends.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Another first in a season of firsts
We opened the season with a 3-0 loss, and we closed the season with a 3-0 loss. What happened to the vaunted Dynamo defense?
Dynamo get a first round exit. The best team in the league (no, not the team with the best record -- only the second best record -- but the best team nonetheless) got spanked at home. RBNY never does that. Houston never allows it to be done. It was, nevertheless, done.
That game just sucked. What a horrible time for the Dynamo to reaquaint themselves with their poor finishing bugaboo. Speed killed us this year. Dane Richards has speed. He got the goal and the PK that ended the game and our season. Crapola.
I'm off to Florida in an hour to work for the week, and I'll have a long time alone to stew about this bitter and unjust end to the season.
Dynamo get a first round exit. The best team in the league (no, not the team with the best record -- only the second best record -- but the best team nonetheless) got spanked at home. RBNY never does that. Houston never allows it to be done. It was, nevertheless, done.
That game just sucked. What a horrible time for the Dynamo to reaquaint themselves with their poor finishing bugaboo. Speed killed us this year. Dane Richards has speed. He got the goal and the PK that ended the game and our season. Crapola.
I'm off to Florida in an hour to work for the week, and I'll have a long time alone to stew about this bitter and unjust end to the season.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
'Mo Salvages an Otherwise Miserable Sportsday
Thanks, Kei, for getting the dramatic equalizer in the 85th minute. (Recap. Recap 2.) We're tied up with RBNY so it's a simple matter of win and move on at Robertson next week.
Other than that, the weekend sucked. My son's team lost 3-2 to a team they had beaten 5-3 on the opponent's home field. It was their first loss of the season and was one of those frustrating matches where you dominate territory and possession, but give up a few quick counterattacks that make you pay. We were 2-2 at the half. We scored in the 3rd, they scored in the 7th, we went ahead in the 16th, and they equalized in the 30th. Both of their goals came from footraces between their forward and our defenders. Our first goal came off a header after the boys executed a corner kick sequence perfectly. (Short pass-layoff-cross-header-Goal!) Our second goal came from some combinations up the center that sprang our forward into the attacking third. The first half also saw a handball in our box, but our goalkeeper saved the successive PK. Five minutes into the second half, our opponent scored what would be the winning goal. It started from yet another fast break, but then slowed down when we kicked the ball out of bounds. A few bounces after the throw in and we lost the game. The remainder of the match was in the opponent's half ... but nothing went in the opponent's goal, unfortunately.
The worst part of the loss is that I (as the coach) think I sat a player out too long because (1) we needed our best players in to win, (2) this guy isn't one of our best players, and (3) worst of all, he half-trots around almost as if he doesn't want to play. Also, unbeknownst to me, I stopped my stopwatch sometime in the second half, so I was unaware how late we were in the game. So, either out of subconscious desire to hide our weakness or an accidental occurrence because I thought we had more time left in the game, I ended up breaking my own cardinal rule and played him less than the 40 minute minimum (half the game, spread over both halves). He had 20 minutes in the first half but only 10 minutes in the second. And I feel lousy. I've become one of those jerk-coaches who sacrifice player development in order to win.
And then to cap off the day, my Longhorns lost to Texas Tech. I don't know WHAT our problem was in the first half, but we almost made amends with our comeback in the second half. Had Gideon hung onto the interception with 8 seconds left, then I think my whole weekend would have seemed just fine. Now there is a pallor over everything. Everything.
And to cap things off, I'm traveling to Florida next Sunday for business during the week. I'll miss seeing the Dynamo game, and worst of all: I'll miss most of my daughter's 11th birthday. Next weekend isn't looking much better than this one.
Hopefully the Dynamo give me something to smile about next weekend too.
Other than that, the weekend sucked. My son's team lost 3-2 to a team they had beaten 5-3 on the opponent's home field. It was their first loss of the season and was one of those frustrating matches where you dominate territory and possession, but give up a few quick counterattacks that make you pay. We were 2-2 at the half. We scored in the 3rd, they scored in the 7th, we went ahead in the 16th, and they equalized in the 30th. Both of their goals came from footraces between their forward and our defenders. Our first goal came off a header after the boys executed a corner kick sequence perfectly. (Short pass-layoff-cross-header-Goal!) Our second goal came from some combinations up the center that sprang our forward into the attacking third. The first half also saw a handball in our box, but our goalkeeper saved the successive PK. Five minutes into the second half, our opponent scored what would be the winning goal. It started from yet another fast break, but then slowed down when we kicked the ball out of bounds. A few bounces after the throw in and we lost the game. The remainder of the match was in the opponent's half ... but nothing went in the opponent's goal, unfortunately.
The worst part of the loss is that I (as the coach) think I sat a player out too long because (1) we needed our best players in to win, (2) this guy isn't one of our best players, and (3) worst of all, he half-trots around almost as if he doesn't want to play. Also, unbeknownst to me, I stopped my stopwatch sometime in the second half, so I was unaware how late we were in the game. So, either out of subconscious desire to hide our weakness or an accidental occurrence because I thought we had more time left in the game, I ended up breaking my own cardinal rule and played him less than the 40 minute minimum (half the game, spread over both halves). He had 20 minutes in the first half but only 10 minutes in the second. And I feel lousy. I've become one of those jerk-coaches who sacrifice player development in order to win.
And then to cap off the day, my Longhorns lost to Texas Tech. I don't know WHAT our problem was in the first half, but we almost made amends with our comeback in the second half. Had Gideon hung onto the interception with 8 seconds left, then I think my whole weekend would have seemed just fine. Now there is a pallor over everything. Everything.
And to cap things off, I'm traveling to Florida next Sunday for business during the week. I'll miss seeing the Dynamo game, and worst of all: I'll miss most of my daughter's 11th birthday. Next weekend isn't looking much better than this one.
Hopefully the Dynamo give me something to smile about next weekend too.
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!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Playing catch up
The lack of blogging isn't due to my lack of attention to the world of soccer. On the contrary, so much has been going on (in the MLS, World Cup Qualifying, and my efforts to be a decent coach for my son's youth team), that I haven't made time to write.
But here I am. Since my last writing, the Dynamo have been very active.
They beat Colorado in Denver (Recap) behind 2 goals from Ching (he had a saved PK that would've given him the hat trick) and a sweet shot from afar by Rico. The win ensured the Dynamo clinched a playoff spot.
Midweek, in CONCACAF play, DeRo earned 3 points for the Orange with a brilliant game winner in the 88th minute. (Recap.) It looked like San Francisco FC of Panama was going to escape from Houston with a point. It would have been unjust, but poor finishing was killing the MIO. (We had 20 shots to Fr'isco's 6.) The night saw several young guns making their mark. Corey Ashe had perhaps his best game ever as he tore up the left flank and showed strong runs and solid crosses. Caig was a surprise starter in goal, and his poor positioning off his line (in yet another match) allowed the Panamanians to equalize early in the 2nd half with an outstanding lob. Chabala did well at right back, but could stand some practice making crosses when his legs are tired late. Wondo had a goal and nearly another (a chip that hit the post, and then the followup went wide as it was borne of frustration than of steely intent to finish). Kyle Brown was a surprising sub. But the game changed when the veteran, DeRo, came in at the 78th minute. He energized the team and seemed to make things happen.
His goal was good in and of itself, but what he did to get himself into that position is what was truly amazing. In the 88th minute, a long pass by Barrett to DeRo was intercepted and the ball ended up at Blanco's feet (no, not THE Blanco). Blanco began dribbling towards the halfway line, but DeRo came up from behind, deftly stepped between Blanco and the ball, and cleanly stole away and reversed course. Given time and space on the fringe of the attacking third, DeRo was like a kid at Christmas and unleashed a bending rocket that flat-footed the goalkeeper and iced the game. DeRo had been in the game all of 10 minutes.
Later in the week, the US Men's Team booked passage into the next round of WCQ with an easy win over an overmatched (and undermanned) Cuba. (Recap.) I feel for the Cuban players. Ching scored a goal after the match had already been decided. (His goal was a header of a Kljestan cross that Ching knocked in...but he was in a gaggle with 2 other US players so it would have been knocked in had Ching not been at the vanguard of the group). The most exciting part of the match for me was the introduction of José Francisco Torres of Pachuca into the USMNT rotation. (Quotes.) Maybe it's just pie-eyed dreams, but I hope that Torres is part of the future that builds a better technically skilled and creative USMNT culture. A guy can dream.
Ives has some observations about the game. Ives also had a good treatise on the worth Ching brings to the USMNT. The article is followed by amusing drivel -- for the most part -- chundered by the blogging community. It's amusing partly because the comments are so predictable, and partly because they are naive for the most part. As one matures, one realizes that there is not just one kind of forward, but many types that have value depending on the system and the team. Ching simply makes the players around him more productive. In other words: Ching makes the team better. That's a good thing. 'Nuff said.
Tonight, the week finished with a boring scoreless draw between a mediocre DC United team and a Dynamo team bereft of ideas. (Recap.) The result earned the Columbus Crew the Supporters' Shield.
The MIO wore all-white tonight as part of a charity effort to help raise funds as part of the reconstruction after Hurricane Ike. The team also honored first responders and their role in helping with the storm recovery.
The game was filled with half-chances. Geoff Cameron was an early 2nd half sub despite being listed as "Out" due to hamstring issues. He came in for Holden who knocked heads in the DC penalty box and got a golf-ball size lump on his forehead...yikes! Ashe was the other sub. He came on with only 10 minutes remaining, so it took him a while to get into the groove, but once he got into a rhythm, he delivered some nice crosses from the left.
It's been a long month for the Dynamo, but the traveling is over for the time being. Hopefully the MIO can re-energize themselves, recapture the (healthy) passion (not the anger-management-issue-laden passion that ERob shows before drawing needless Yellows), and do what needs to be done to get the third consecutive MLS Cup.
Go Dynamo!
But here I am. Since my last writing, the Dynamo have been very active.
They beat Colorado in Denver (Recap) behind 2 goals from Ching (he had a saved PK that would've given him the hat trick) and a sweet shot from afar by Rico. The win ensured the Dynamo clinched a playoff spot.
Midweek, in CONCACAF play, DeRo earned 3 points for the Orange with a brilliant game winner in the 88th minute. (Recap.) It looked like San Francisco FC of Panama was going to escape from Houston with a point. It would have been unjust, but poor finishing was killing the MIO. (We had 20 shots to Fr'isco's 6.) The night saw several young guns making their mark. Corey Ashe had perhaps his best game ever as he tore up the left flank and showed strong runs and solid crosses. Caig was a surprise starter in goal, and his poor positioning off his line (in yet another match) allowed the Panamanians to equalize early in the 2nd half with an outstanding lob. Chabala did well at right back, but could stand some practice making crosses when his legs are tired late. Wondo had a goal and nearly another (a chip that hit the post, and then the followup went wide as it was borne of frustration than of steely intent to finish). Kyle Brown was a surprising sub. But the game changed when the veteran, DeRo, came in at the 78th minute. He energized the team and seemed to make things happen.
His goal was good in and of itself, but what he did to get himself into that position is what was truly amazing. In the 88th minute, a long pass by Barrett to DeRo was intercepted and the ball ended up at Blanco's feet (no, not THE Blanco). Blanco began dribbling towards the halfway line, but DeRo came up from behind, deftly stepped between Blanco and the ball, and cleanly stole away and reversed course. Given time and space on the fringe of the attacking third, DeRo was like a kid at Christmas and unleashed a bending rocket that flat-footed the goalkeeper and iced the game. DeRo had been in the game all of 10 minutes.
Later in the week, the US Men's Team booked passage into the next round of WCQ with an easy win over an overmatched (and undermanned) Cuba. (Recap.) I feel for the Cuban players. Ching scored a goal after the match had already been decided. (His goal was a header of a Kljestan cross that Ching knocked in...but he was in a gaggle with 2 other US players so it would have been knocked in had Ching not been at the vanguard of the group). The most exciting part of the match for me was the introduction of José Francisco Torres of Pachuca into the USMNT rotation. (Quotes.) Maybe it's just pie-eyed dreams, but I hope that Torres is part of the future that builds a better technically skilled and creative USMNT culture. A guy can dream.
Ives has some observations about the game. Ives also had a good treatise on the worth Ching brings to the USMNT. The article is followed by amusing drivel -- for the most part -- chundered by the blogging community. It's amusing partly because the comments are so predictable, and partly because they are naive for the most part. As one matures, one realizes that there is not just one kind of forward, but many types that have value depending on the system and the team. Ching simply makes the players around him more productive. In other words: Ching makes the team better. That's a good thing. 'Nuff said.
Tonight, the week finished with a boring scoreless draw between a mediocre DC United team and a Dynamo team bereft of ideas. (Recap.) The result earned the Columbus Crew the Supporters' Shield.
The MIO wore all-white tonight as part of a charity effort to help raise funds as part of the reconstruction after Hurricane Ike. The team also honored first responders and their role in helping with the storm recovery.
The game was filled with half-chances. Geoff Cameron was an early 2nd half sub despite being listed as "Out" due to hamstring issues. He came in for Holden who knocked heads in the DC penalty box and got a golf-ball size lump on his forehead...yikes! Ashe was the other sub. He came on with only 10 minutes remaining, so it took him a while to get into the groove, but once he got into a rhythm, he delivered some nice crosses from the left.
It's been a long month for the Dynamo, but the traveling is over for the time being. Hopefully the MIO can re-energize themselves, recapture the (healthy) passion (not the anger-management-issue-laden passion that ERob shows before drawing needless Yellows), and do what needs to be done to get the third consecutive MLS Cup.
Go Dynamo!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Let's start this season, yo.
Today, finally, the MLS season begins in earnest. I've been in kind of a stupor the past few months. I guess you can tell that by the dearth of blog entries. But I'm genuinely excited that the season is finally here.
Sure, I've been following the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, even if I haven't been blogging about it. That's perhaps the best and most challenging competition the Dynamo face in the year. It's better than the SuperLiga because SuperLiga is comprised of one-match legs in relatively comfortable stadia (often our own) versus teams in their pre-season form. CONCACAF gets us into grueling environments with hostile atmospheres, and against teams that are in mid-season form. I'll also go out on a limb and state -- and do so with unequivocal certainty, even! -- that CONCACAF is better than the US Open Cup, although the Open does have a cool nostalgia factor.
Time will tell whether the new CONCACAF tourney that debuts this season will improve on the current Champions' Cup, which is in its swan song year.
Yeah, I think winning the CONCACAF Champions' Cup would be the best achievement of the Dynamo. It would far exceed the accomplishment of winning the MLS Cup, and would be further enhanced by the fact that this is the final Champions' Cup. So the winner will be the eternal champion, so to speak. That's kinda cool. Kind of like the Longhorns football team winning the final Southwest Conference Championship. They're also Men In (burnt) Orange, btw.
Yet, it always comes back to the regular season, which pits us against our fellows across North America. The season is often described as being without a sense of urgency, but it's the regular season that determines who goes to the tournaments -- the competitions that include CONCACAF, SuperLiga, the US Open Cup (although entry to it is pretty liberal), and the Pan-Pacific Championship should it continue past this year. Even the MLS Cup can be considered a separate tourney that is set up by the results of the regular season.
And when talking about the top teams of a particular season, it begins with the winners of the MLS Cup (that'd be the Dynamo the past two years, y'all) followed by the winners of the Supporters' Shield (that'd be DC United the past two years).
So, while I hope the Dynamo can expand their success into fields other than the post-season MLS Cup tourney, it's the regular season that is the basis for it all; and when it arrives you know that the stage has been set for every team to vie for all of the accolades and the rewards that come with them. In other words: everything hinges on the regular season. It's the hops in the ale. It's the apple in the apple pie. It's the walrus. Word.
My brilliant prognostication
So how do I think the D-Mo will fare this season? Polite of you to ask, seeing as I know you don't really care what I think. Nor should you. People get paid to come up with meaningless pre-season and pre-match analysis. And it turns out that what happens on the field is not affected at all by the words in print. Strange, that. Still, I'll give you my unabashed guesses. No one paid me to make them, but they're as accurate as anything else you'll read. And you can take it to Vegas; I just wouldn't recommend it, yo.
Well, the obvious conclusion of the salaried media literati (as seen repeatedly in the media links below) is that the D-Mo have a dominant defense (including Onstad between the pipes) and a skilled, veteran midfield. Thus, they already have the most important pieces set. The big question mark is the striker corps. Right now we have Ching and some unproven players, including Reserve veteran Wondolowski and the young Argentinean Franco Caraccio. Still, with a strong backline and skilled central machine, the Dynamo are expected to be one of the top-tier teams, along with DC United.
My thoughts are that the media has it right, but are a bit too simplistic in their assessments. I think that our vaunted defense looked pretty shaky in the pre-season, despite upgrading our backs with Boswell to replace Cochrane. It still needs to find its feet and tighten up where it's slack. And I think our goal-scoring options aren't as different as in past years. We've never had a particularly robust goal-scorer, yet we still manage to win. I think our forwards will manage to find the net this year, although it would help if they could get a speedy option to complement Ching's play. And! It turns out forwards aren't the only ones who score in this game. It seems that D-Ro and Holden can put a few away, and our big boys in the back (BBitB) convert their fair share on set plays. It's true.
So what am I saying? Here are my can't-fail prognostications. We don't break the defensive record we set last year. We go through at least one slump this season. We have some high scoring games and some games where we can't score on the weakest of MLS defenses who are a man down. We comfortably make the playoffs. And once we make the playoffs, anything can happen. At that point a team must win only a two-leg series then a single match in order to get to the MLS Cup. The Dynamo have proven they're among the best at this short tournament, and I think their season will be good enough that they'll be in that crapshoot of a tourney. Once they enter the post season, we'll deal with a renewed prediction; but they'll be in the playoffs, no doubt. Hopefully they do so with some other accomplishment under their belt. The Supporters' Shield? A tournament win? Something?
But it all starts tonight, versus the New England Revolution. So what's the dealio about tonight's match. Here it is: it's a rematch of the last two MLS Cup finals -- blah, blah -- Dynamo won both -- blah, blah -- something to prove -- blah and more blah. Fact is, the Revs have a better regular season record versus the D-Mo because they are effective at playing negative soccer. But! Win or lose tonight will mean nothing for either team -- and it likely ends in a draw. Both teams should be among the last standing at season's end.
Here's some media links on tonight's game
The MLS game preview.
Another MLSnet article.
You should always stop by the Chronicle. Here are its Dynamo Notes. While there, check out the new look for the Chron's Dynamo coverage. As always, the Chronicle is the best place to start for D-mo info.
Highfalutin' pre-season assessments of the Men in Orange that surpass mine:
The Chronicle's Dynamo beat writer, B-Fall, always has the best scoop and excellent insight. He's a Saprissa fan, though, so turn a jaundiced eye on his assessment of our performance in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup Semifinal these next two weeks. For the season he picks the Men.In.Orange. to place first in the Western Conference.
MLSnet's "quick hits"
Kyle McCarthy of Goal.com has his take here. "As long as you're not looking for a striker, you can probably find what you need on the Dynamo bench… Houston is built for a deep run into the playoffs with its depth and experience. ... Don’t bet against a three-peat.
One of my favorite blogs, USSoccerplayers.com, has its summary of the bandwagon team of the season. That's us, yo. "It's Houston, a club that's known nothing but glory. They had you at hello."
Shaka Hislop -- wait a minute: Shaka Hislop? -- says "Neither LA nor Dallas, however, are favourites for the 2008 title. That honour goes to Houston Dynamo, who have won the championship for the last two seasons and now have high-profile financial backing in the form of Oscar de la Hoya. Their players tell me they enjoy playing for their decorated manager, Dominic Kinnear, and that is evident in their wholehearted performances. Such chemistry makes Houston the team to beat. Having been formed as recently as 2005, the Dynamo clearly show the kind of fast and fruitful development that the MLS as a whole is seeking." Shaka must know what he's talking about. He adds U's to favor and honor. That means he knows foutball.
Only slightly related media bits:
Goal.com has this observation about games that have an interesting side-story: In the April 19 match between Los Angeles and Houston, "Houston midfielder Ricardo Clark returns from his record nine-game suspension just in time for a trip to Lalaland to face his old nemesis Carlos Ruiz."
Kelly Gray won't appear in any more of Beckham's Soccer In The USA shows. He's with Colorado now. Good luck, Kelly.
Have you been been keeping up with the "10 hottest Dynamo games"? Here's the schedule on Channel 55:
Mon, MAR 24 - Game No. 10 - 8:00 p.m.
Tues, MAR 25 - Game No. 9 - 8:00 p.m.
Wed, MAR 26 - Game No. 8 - 8:00 p.m.
Thu, MAR 27 - Game No. 7 - 8:00 p.m.
Fri, MAR 28 - Game No. 6 - 8:00 p.m.
Mon, MAR 31 - Game No. 5 - 8:00 p.m.
Tue, APR 1 - Game No. 4 - 8:00 p.m.
Wed, APR 2 - Game No. 3 - 8:00 p.m.
Thu, APR 3 - Game No. 2 - 8:00 p.m.
Fri, APR 4 - Game No. 1 - 8:00 p.m.
My DVR channel listing doesn't have these listed, so you just gotta flip to The Tube at 8 PM yourself, I guess.
Sure, I've been following the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, even if I haven't been blogging about it. That's perhaps the best and most challenging competition the Dynamo face in the year. It's better than the SuperLiga because SuperLiga is comprised of one-match legs in relatively comfortable stadia (often our own) versus teams in their pre-season form. CONCACAF gets us into grueling environments with hostile atmospheres, and against teams that are in mid-season form. I'll also go out on a limb and state -- and do so with unequivocal certainty, even! -- that CONCACAF is better than the US Open Cup, although the Open does have a cool nostalgia factor.
Time will tell whether the new CONCACAF tourney that debuts this season will improve on the current Champions' Cup, which is in its swan song year.
Yeah, I think winning the CONCACAF Champions' Cup would be the best achievement of the Dynamo. It would far exceed the accomplishment of winning the MLS Cup, and would be further enhanced by the fact that this is the final Champions' Cup. So the winner will be the eternal champion, so to speak. That's kinda cool. Kind of like the Longhorns football team winning the final Southwest Conference Championship. They're also Men In (burnt) Orange, btw.
Yet, it always comes back to the regular season, which pits us against our fellows across North America. The season is often described as being without a sense of urgency, but it's the regular season that determines who goes to the tournaments -- the competitions that include CONCACAF, SuperLiga, the US Open Cup (although entry to it is pretty liberal), and the Pan-Pacific Championship should it continue past this year. Even the MLS Cup can be considered a separate tourney that is set up by the results of the regular season.
And when talking about the top teams of a particular season, it begins with the winners of the MLS Cup (that'd be the Dynamo the past two years, y'all) followed by the winners of the Supporters' Shield (that'd be DC United the past two years).
So, while I hope the Dynamo can expand their success into fields other than the post-season MLS Cup tourney, it's the regular season that is the basis for it all; and when it arrives you know that the stage has been set for every team to vie for all of the accolades and the rewards that come with them. In other words: everything hinges on the regular season. It's the hops in the ale. It's the apple in the apple pie. It's the walrus. Word.
My brilliant prognostication
So how do I think the D-Mo will fare this season? Polite of you to ask, seeing as I know you don't really care what I think. Nor should you. People get paid to come up with meaningless pre-season and pre-match analysis. And it turns out that what happens on the field is not affected at all by the words in print. Strange, that. Still, I'll give you my unabashed guesses. No one paid me to make them, but they're as accurate as anything else you'll read. And you can take it to Vegas; I just wouldn't recommend it, yo.
Well, the obvious conclusion of the salaried media literati (as seen repeatedly in the media links below) is that the D-Mo have a dominant defense (including Onstad between the pipes) and a skilled, veteran midfield. Thus, they already have the most important pieces set. The big question mark is the striker corps. Right now we have Ching and some unproven players, including Reserve veteran Wondolowski and the young Argentinean Franco Caraccio. Still, with a strong backline and skilled central machine, the Dynamo are expected to be one of the top-tier teams, along with DC United.
My thoughts are that the media has it right, but are a bit too simplistic in their assessments. I think that our vaunted defense looked pretty shaky in the pre-season, despite upgrading our backs with Boswell to replace Cochrane. It still needs to find its feet and tighten up where it's slack. And I think our goal-scoring options aren't as different as in past years. We've never had a particularly robust goal-scorer, yet we still manage to win. I think our forwards will manage to find the net this year, although it would help if they could get a speedy option to complement Ching's play. And! It turns out forwards aren't the only ones who score in this game. It seems that D-Ro and Holden can put a few away, and our big boys in the back (BBitB) convert their fair share on set plays. It's true.
So what am I saying? Here are my can't-fail prognostications. We don't break the defensive record we set last year. We go through at least one slump this season. We have some high scoring games and some games where we can't score on the weakest of MLS defenses who are a man down. We comfortably make the playoffs. And once we make the playoffs, anything can happen. At that point a team must win only a two-leg series then a single match in order to get to the MLS Cup. The Dynamo have proven they're among the best at this short tournament, and I think their season will be good enough that they'll be in that crapshoot of a tourney. Once they enter the post season, we'll deal with a renewed prediction; but they'll be in the playoffs, no doubt. Hopefully they do so with some other accomplishment under their belt. The Supporters' Shield? A tournament win? Something?
But it all starts tonight, versus the New England Revolution. So what's the dealio about tonight's match. Here it is: it's a rematch of the last two MLS Cup finals -- blah, blah -- Dynamo won both -- blah, blah -- something to prove -- blah and more blah. Fact is, the Revs have a better regular season record versus the D-Mo because they are effective at playing negative soccer. But! Win or lose tonight will mean nothing for either team -- and it likely ends in a draw. Both teams should be among the last standing at season's end.
Here's some media links on tonight's game
The MLS game preview.
Another MLSnet article.
You should always stop by the Chronicle. Here are its Dynamo Notes. While there, check out the new look for the Chron's Dynamo coverage. As always, the Chronicle is the best place to start for D-mo info.
Highfalutin' pre-season assessments of the Men in Orange that surpass mine:
The Chronicle's Dynamo beat writer, B-Fall, always has the best scoop and excellent insight. He's a Saprissa fan, though, so turn a jaundiced eye on his assessment of our performance in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup Semifinal these next two weeks. For the season he picks the Men.In.Orange. to place first in the Western Conference.
MLSnet's "quick hits"
Kyle McCarthy of Goal.com has his take here. "As long as you're not looking for a striker, you can probably find what you need on the Dynamo bench… Houston is built for a deep run into the playoffs with its depth and experience. ... Don’t bet against a three-peat.
One of my favorite blogs, USSoccerplayers.com, has its summary of the bandwagon team of the season. That's us, yo. "It's Houston, a club that's known nothing but glory. They had you at hello."
Shaka Hislop -- wait a minute: Shaka Hislop? -- says "Neither LA nor Dallas, however, are favourites for the 2008 title. That honour goes to Houston Dynamo, who have won the championship for the last two seasons and now have high-profile financial backing in the form of Oscar de la Hoya. Their players tell me they enjoy playing for their decorated manager, Dominic Kinnear, and that is evident in their wholehearted performances. Such chemistry makes Houston the team to beat. Having been formed as recently as 2005, the Dynamo clearly show the kind of fast and fruitful development that the MLS as a whole is seeking." Shaka must know what he's talking about. He adds U's to favor and honor. That means he knows foutball.
Only slightly related media bits:
Goal.com has this observation about games that have an interesting side-story: In the April 19 match between Los Angeles and Houston, "Houston midfielder Ricardo Clark returns from his record nine-game suspension just in time for a trip to Lalaland to face his old nemesis Carlos Ruiz."
Kelly Gray won't appear in any more of Beckham's Soccer In The USA shows. He's with Colorado now. Good luck, Kelly.
Have you been been keeping up with the "10 hottest Dynamo games"? Here's the schedule on Channel 55:
Mon, MAR 24 - Game No. 10 - 8:00 p.m.
Tues, MAR 25 - Game No. 9 - 8:00 p.m.
Wed, MAR 26 - Game No. 8 - 8:00 p.m.
Thu, MAR 27 - Game No. 7 - 8:00 p.m.
Fri, MAR 28 - Game No. 6 - 8:00 p.m.
Mon, MAR 31 - Game No. 5 - 8:00 p.m.
Tue, APR 1 - Game No. 4 - 8:00 p.m.
Wed, APR 2 - Game No. 3 - 8:00 p.m.
Thu, APR 3 - Game No. 2 - 8:00 p.m.
Fri, APR 4 - Game No. 1 - 8:00 p.m.
My DVR channel listing doesn't have these listed, so you just gotta flip to The Tube at 8 PM yourself, I guess.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Feting the Orange
It was a great turnout at City Hall last night. I managed to get there, albeit a little late due to circling downtown searching for a parking spot. Note to self: don't head into downtown without cash for parking in the future; quarters won't cut it.
I was crossing Walker Street just as the first Dynamo ("...your captain, Wade Barrett!") was being introduced by Glenn Davis. Throughout the proceedings I walked around to view the stage from different angles. It was a well done event. I thought Coach Kinnear's speech was great -- and I'm glad to hear that he's getting along with his neighbors. He thanked them for the free beer and something else, I couldn't hear what, but the bottom line is this: One of the virtues Texans have is their friendliness, and apparently Dom is fortunate to live near some friendly folk. I'm always pleased when I hear our adopted team is enjoying their adopted home.
I'm sure many fans who read the Chronicle blogs understood the inside joke when Dom thanked Bernardo Fallas and referred to him as "teacher."
The chants for a new stadium were well received by officials. It would be nice to have a permanent home for the team and for the fans, and it would be a boon economically with regards to bringing in international competition.
Great quote by Mayor White, "If you don't like Dynamo soccer, you don't like sports."
Mike Jones had a spirited rendition of his Who? Houston Dynamo! ("Houston Dynamo (Don't Play)") song. (Download here.) I left after the team departed the stage and the salsa band struck up their tunes. Salsa should be played at every practice to establish the proper playing rhythm, by the way.
I arrived at home in time to listen to Glenn's show. Stuie was his usual chipper self. (I heard him on 790AM at 8 AM as I drove into work...long day for him...I wonder if he managed to squeeze in his daily run?) Kinnear sounded absolutely wiped on Glenn's show and seemed more terse in his replies to callers and, to a degree, to Glenn as well. I can't blame him.
He and his team have been going non-stop since the end of January. That's nearly 10 months straight, and includes travel to different time zones and different countries. His players have been physically bruised and battered weekly over that time, and still keep coming back for more. Enduring punishing games and intense practices, Dom and the players have still found time to zip off to countless fan meet-and-greets, media events, and official meetings with officials and politicos. They faced praise as well as criticism from the fans and media, and have been (mostly) unfazed by either, and stuck to doing their jobs. Family priorities have been placed on the back burner while they focused on their overarching goal, winning a second MLS Cup. And, in the end, their sacrifices and pain and perseverance saw them achieve that goal.
We praise the stars of the Dynamo, and rightly so, but the whole team deserves praise. Ianni won us 3 valuable points with his goal at Kansas City this year. Wells helped us along our winning streak when Onstad was away on international duty (and Wells helped us at the international level when Onstad was injured at the beginning of the year). Ashe got three assists --every one of them needed--to give us 3 valuable points versus Real Salt Lake this season. Chabala, Hatzke, Hayden, James, and Ustruck helped our starting XI stay sharp at practice, worked behind the scenes to improve their own game, and kept the Dynamo flag flying in the local community (not only at social events, but also by rolling up their sleeves and helping their neighbors), and did so anonymously, for the most part. And Holden -- ah, heck, he's not in the background anymore; he's become one of the stars! He's an inspiration to reserves everywhere.
When Dom was on the radio show last night with Glenn, Glenn would ask callers if they had any questions for Dom. Most of the callers just had congratulations to pass along, but would squeeze out a lame question when pressed. And why were these questions lame? It's not because fans didn't care about the accomplishments, nor because fans were in a "what about next season?" mode. It was because Dom and the team have answered every single question before them. And the answers were for the most part satisfying.
Was 2006 a fluke?
Will the Dynamo have the depth to endure a long season that includes several extracurricular tournaments?
Could the Dynamo hold its own against high-quality international competition?
Could the Dynamo compete without DPs against MLS teams that have evolved?
Can the Dynamo overcome a slow start?
Would the Dynamo be able to make the personnel changes to adapt to a changing league?
Can the Dynamo hold onto its talismanic player, Dwayne DeRosario?
Would Dynamo's stars continue to perform well in the big-stake matches?
Will there be any reserves that make an impact?
Will the Dynamo have another serious contender for goal of the year?
Will the Dynamo be wrongly cheated out of several individual awards by the national media and/or fans? (Last year, it was DDR for MVP; this year it was the defense and/or GK, plus GOTY.)
Will the Dynamo Girls and Diesel be able to integrate into a soccer environment?
Will we see additional financial backing of the team?
Will the strong fan support continue, or even expand?
Can the Dynamo hold on to El Capitan?
Winning the Cup is like capturing lightning in a bottle; Can the Dynamo win it twice in a row?
The answer to the "fluke" question was, thankfully, "no." The answer to every other question was unequivocally "yes." Even the question about individual awards was positive, because I think this team feeds off an esprit de corps and rises to the occasion when it is underestimated and when the chips are down.
There were two additional questions that still linger:
Will there be a change of ownership? (No, but stay tuned?)
Will we have a decision to start construction on a new downtown home for the team and its fans? (No, but I think work has progressed in a positive direction.)
Dom, players, front office: you've answered the questions, you've passed the test, now go get some rest. Go Dynamo!
I was crossing Walker Street just as the first Dynamo ("...your captain, Wade Barrett!") was being introduced by Glenn Davis. Throughout the proceedings I walked around to view the stage from different angles. It was a well done event. I thought Coach Kinnear's speech was great -- and I'm glad to hear that he's getting along with his neighbors. He thanked them for the free beer and something else, I couldn't hear what, but the bottom line is this: One of the virtues Texans have is their friendliness, and apparently Dom is fortunate to live near some friendly folk. I'm always pleased when I hear our adopted team is enjoying their adopted home.
I'm sure many fans who read the Chronicle blogs understood the inside joke when Dom thanked Bernardo Fallas and referred to him as "teacher."
The chants for a new stadium were well received by officials. It would be nice to have a permanent home for the team and for the fans, and it would be a boon economically with regards to bringing in international competition.
Great quote by Mayor White, "If you don't like Dynamo soccer, you don't like sports."
Mike Jones had a spirited rendition of his Who? Houston Dynamo! ("Houston Dynamo (Don't Play)") song. (Download here.) I left after the team departed the stage and the salsa band struck up their tunes. Salsa should be played at every practice to establish the proper playing rhythm, by the way.
I arrived at home in time to listen to Glenn's show. Stuie was his usual chipper self. (I heard him on 790AM at 8 AM as I drove into work...long day for him...I wonder if he managed to squeeze in his daily run?) Kinnear sounded absolutely wiped on Glenn's show and seemed more terse in his replies to callers and, to a degree, to Glenn as well. I can't blame him.
He and his team have been going non-stop since the end of January. That's nearly 10 months straight, and includes travel to different time zones and different countries. His players have been physically bruised and battered weekly over that time, and still keep coming back for more. Enduring punishing games and intense practices, Dom and the players have still found time to zip off to countless fan meet-and-greets, media events, and official meetings with officials and politicos. They faced praise as well as criticism from the fans and media, and have been (mostly) unfazed by either, and stuck to doing their jobs. Family priorities have been placed on the back burner while they focused on their overarching goal, winning a second MLS Cup. And, in the end, their sacrifices and pain and perseverance saw them achieve that goal.
We praise the stars of the Dynamo, and rightly so, but the whole team deserves praise. Ianni won us 3 valuable points with his goal at Kansas City this year. Wells helped us along our winning streak when Onstad was away on international duty (and Wells helped us at the international level when Onstad was injured at the beginning of the year). Ashe got three assists --every one of them needed--to give us 3 valuable points versus Real Salt Lake this season. Chabala, Hatzke, Hayden, James, and Ustruck helped our starting XI stay sharp at practice, worked behind the scenes to improve their own game, and kept the Dynamo flag flying in the local community (not only at social events, but also by rolling up their sleeves and helping their neighbors), and did so anonymously, for the most part. And Holden -- ah, heck, he's not in the background anymore; he's become one of the stars! He's an inspiration to reserves everywhere.
When Dom was on the radio show last night with Glenn, Glenn would ask callers if they had any questions for Dom. Most of the callers just had congratulations to pass along, but would squeeze out a lame question when pressed. And why were these questions lame? It's not because fans didn't care about the accomplishments, nor because fans were in a "what about next season?" mode. It was because Dom and the team have answered every single question before them. And the answers were for the most part satisfying.
Was 2006 a fluke?
Will the Dynamo have the depth to endure a long season that includes several extracurricular tournaments?
Could the Dynamo hold its own against high-quality international competition?
Could the Dynamo compete without DPs against MLS teams that have evolved?
Can the Dynamo overcome a slow start?
Would the Dynamo be able to make the personnel changes to adapt to a changing league?
Can the Dynamo hold onto its talismanic player, Dwayne DeRosario?
Would Dynamo's stars continue to perform well in the big-stake matches?
Will there be any reserves that make an impact?
Will the Dynamo have another serious contender for goal of the year?
Will the Dynamo be wrongly cheated out of several individual awards by the national media and/or fans? (Last year, it was DDR for MVP; this year it was the defense and/or GK, plus GOTY.)
Will the Dynamo Girls and Diesel be able to integrate into a soccer environment?
Will we see additional financial backing of the team?
Will the strong fan support continue, or even expand?
Can the Dynamo hold on to El Capitan?
Winning the Cup is like capturing lightning in a bottle; Can the Dynamo win it twice in a row?
The answer to the "fluke" question was, thankfully, "no." The answer to every other question was unequivocally "yes." Even the question about individual awards was positive, because I think this team feeds off an esprit de corps and rises to the occasion when it is underestimated and when the chips are down.
There were two additional questions that still linger:
Will there be a change of ownership? (No, but stay tuned?)
Will we have a decision to start construction on a new downtown home for the team and its fans? (No, but I think work has progressed in a positive direction.)
Dom, players, front office: you've answered the questions, you've passed the test, now go get some rest. Go Dynamo!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Another Year with the Silver Ball!
Another perfect ending to the season: Dynamo Houston crowned MLS Cup Champions again. (Game recap.) Another year with the silver ball and scudetto, only this time we do it with a star over our shield.As a Legend In My Own Mind, I correctly "predicted" it'd be a 2-1 victory with us either (1) going ahead 2-0 then conceding a late goal to halve the lead or (2) going down 1 goal then replying with 2 unanswered. Of course this was no true prediction, it was merely a wild guess, and I would gladly have been wrong as long as the Dynamo carried the day. Regardless, by following the above option #2, the Dynamo created a better storyline and further entrenched themselves as the never-say-die team of the MLS.
The first half was fairly even, I thought, with the Dynamo unable to capitalize on their opportunities. I'd say the run of play was tilted a bit in New England's favor, a fact that was highlighted by the 0-1 halftime scoreline. The second half (thanks in part to a switch to 3-5-2) saw the field tilt to favor the orange, leading to Ngwenya's "determination goal" and DeRo's excellent rocket of a header. In the final 10 minutes we resorted to withstanding the spirited barrage from the desperate New England side. The highlight here was Onstad's reaction save of Jeff Larentowicz's point blank header around the 86th minute.
Okay, time to correct the history books: it wasn't the switch to a 3-5-2 that turned the tide tonight, nor was it individual brilliance on the part of the players. No, it was me subbing out my untried lucky shirt and bringing on a veteran to seal the deal. It was about the 60th minute when I did this, and our fortunes changed immediately thereafter.
No, I'm not forsaking the rookie shirt. It'll get its chance again next season. But sometimes you need experience in a big game. The rookie shirt may get there someday.Overall, it was a very even contest -- just looking at the stats will confirm that. This is to be expected with these two teams that are both forged on consistency and teamwork. The only real differences between the two is (1) the Dynamo, while playing a 4-4-2 (compared to the Revs' 3-5-2), are more attack minded in general, and (2) the Dynamo individually seem to step up in the big games.
As close as the game was, it was a deserved win for the Dynamo. Khano Smith should have been sent off. Zidane's head butt was fiercer, but was to the chest. Smith's was to the face -- and in front of the ref no less! He should've been sent off for being stupid if nothing else. (Or maybe incessant diving?) Also, I felt that Jaqua was indeed fouled in the box around the 15th minute. Had it been anywhere else on the field, it'd been free kick Dynamo. Perhaps the referee thought it was too early to make a game-changing decision like awarding a PK -- okay, this line of reasoning from commentators always confused me. When a call is justified, the referee isn't the one making a game-changing decision; the fouling player had made the game-changing decision with his foul.
(On the reffing topic: Alex Prus, the center ref, is not one of the four full time professional MLS referees. Why wouldn't the MLS pull from this corps for the championship game? Do they feel these aren't really the best of the crop? I guess Jair Marrufo didn't impress with his reffing of the Dynamo-Wizards playoff game.)
It's great seeing the Dynamo on the awards platform. The guys sure looked happy (and exhausted), with even the most stolid players breaking out in wide grins. And Don Garber, after missing the Western Conference Championship, was present for the award.
Was it me, or did Don Garber seem a bit unenthused to be awarding the trophy to the Dynamo? Was he sad for his buddy, Sunil Gulati, who still is the President of Kraft Soccer for the New England Revolution, while also being the president of the United States Soccer Federation? The potential conflict of interest has been noted by many, but the MLS is still a small cabal of insiders. That's one great thing about the new teams and new ownership: it's bringing new blood into what can be perceived as an inbred family.
Enough cynicism from me.
I saw the news reports on Channel 2, Channel 11, and Fox-26. All good, and all positive, and all with the Dynamo victory as the lead item. There were some flubs -- like Matt Musil reporting that Ngwenya's goal came via a feed from Ching, but he knew Ching was on the bench and even wrote as much in his blog. Still, he cared enough to attend the match on a day when the Texans were playing, and for that he gets my respect -- even if he gets free kicks confused with penalty kicks.
Anyone know why the team refers to the "voice of the Dynamo" Steve Mark as "Screech"? They did so on the 790 postgame report.
With the Cup in the books, now Coach Kinnear needs to settle on his protected lineup and hope we don't lose anyone too vital to San Jose in next week's expansion draft. Then Dom is apparently going to Britain and Spain to reconnoiter. Then we have to prepare for the CONCACAF Champions Cup in February (and onward, hopefully), and also the Pan Pacific Cup in February. We'll be exhausted by time the season starts and will, thankfully, have a while before we have to worry about the US Open Cup and the SuperLiga. Here's hoping that our League schedule is kind, given the extracurricular competitions in which we'll be expending our energy.
But that can wait. Before worrying about the future, let's celebrate this season at the Houston City Hall on Tuesday at 5:30.
How about this Hot News?...
Hot news: Fox Soccer has as one of its top news items the breaking story that Beckham says he wants to play in the World Cup in 2010. This is indeed breathtaking insight. Unreported is news as to whether any Americans want to play in the World Cup at this time; however, it has been rumored that both Tom Brady and Peyton Manning say they want to play in the Superbowl at the end of the season. The Houston Astros say they want to win the World Series next season. The Houston Dynamo haven't said, but are presumed to want to win the MLS Cup next year. Off the record, I believe that there are a few players on the Revolution, DC United, RBNY, Chivas USA, KC Wizards, FC Dallas, [insert your favorite MLS team name here]..., and FC Toronto who also want to win the MLS Cup next season. If I can confirm this, I'll be sure to let everyone know. (Well lookie there: I did have some more cynicism in me.)
Go Dynamo! Back 2 back champions!
Let's Go Dynamo!
It's almost H-Hour of D-Day. Let's seize the day and the Cup. You've had a season's worth of practice with that silver ball -- you've got more time with it than any other team does. Let's show the league that none are better than the Dynamo at crunch time.
Go Dynamo!
Go Dynamo!
Saturday, November 17, 2007
MLS Cup: 1 Day 2 Go
The official game guide for the MLS Cup is up. Interesting tidbit: "Dynamo have yet to defeat the Revolution when full-time has been reached since the club's arrival in south Texas. In the four league meetings all-time, the teams have played to three draws (including a pair of 1-1 draws in 2006) with one win for the Revolution, and the teams ended last year's final tied after 120 minutes before Houston claimed the Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy on penalty kicks."
Yahoo Sports mentions Dom's off-season plans. "...His mind will not switch off from soccer when the season ends. He has already scheduled a soccer development trip to Spain to visit Real Madrid and spend more time in Britain." Don't know what will come of the trip, but I like the idea that the wheels keep a-turnin'. I'm not sure what I would consider the greatest need for the team next year. I don't think we could improve much (or couldn't afford to improve much) on: GK, at least 2 of our backline, D-Mid, A-Mid, wingers (which includes 3 people now with Holden ascendance), and Ching. Perhaps another high profile striker? Not much else needing improvement or worth spending a lot of money on. Things may be clarified a bit over the off-season as we are bound to lose someone to the San Jose expansion draft, if nowhere else. What matters is that we currently we have the personnel to win the MLS Cup.
As for the Cup, USSoccerPlayers.com has its take on the coaches (Kinnear and Nicol, y'all) and the wingers (Mullan & Davis vs Smith & Thompson).
Tino Palace at MLSnet actually hopes NE will win the Cup. Maybe he just wants the Revs to win it so they'll stop going to the final. Steve Davis, the Dallas-area journalist for MLSnet, says it's too close to call.
First Greg Lalas, and now another SI writer thinks New England is going to win.
Jeff Carlisle of ESPN says it'll be Houston.
So does Goal.com.
Is there a "formula for success" for getting to the Cup? Hey, is that Twellman who's saying nice things about the Dynamo? Stop it. I don't want to like you.
For the record, DeRo's post-goal strut is called a "the shake and bake." I was one guilty of calling it the "funky chicken." "Shake and bake" sounds too much like Talladega Nights...but I guess "funky chicken" doesn't ring of elegance either. Ah, well; what's in a name? I like the funky strut and hope to see it more than once tomorrow. Heck, how about a beaver trick?!
My Take
The teams are too close to make a failsafe prediction, and not being able to foresee the future, I have to rely on the past to predict future results. Thus, Houston 2-1 in regulation. Our defense is just too good, and the only real question mark is how our finishing will be on the day. I will assume it will be better than usual because the squad knows this is it, and their experience from SuperLiga and the CONCACAF Champions Cup will carry them through the big game. Houston gets the goal it needs, forcing New England to open up, and we get another. We can't withstand the relentless pressure and do concede one goal.
I think it'd be more dramatic if we go down 0-1 then come back 2-1. If the lads want to do that, that's fine with me. Just carry the plot out to its happy resolution.
Other MLS news:
Cuauhtémoc Blanco's sweet left-footed volley from Week 20 won Goal of the Year. It was a good goal, but I think Ngwenya's was the better goal, and a better representative of what we want other leagues to think of when they think of our players' offensive prowess. Ngwenya can be consoled that his teammates Robinson and Onstad also got screwed out of deserving awards. I think at least one of the two (E-Rob or Pat-O) should have one, given our record-setting defense this season.
Yahoo Sports mentions Dom's off-season plans. "...His mind will not switch off from soccer when the season ends. He has already scheduled a soccer development trip to Spain to visit Real Madrid and spend more time in Britain." Don't know what will come of the trip, but I like the idea that the wheels keep a-turnin'. I'm not sure what I would consider the greatest need for the team next year. I don't think we could improve much (or couldn't afford to improve much) on: GK, at least 2 of our backline, D-Mid, A-Mid, wingers (which includes 3 people now with Holden ascendance), and Ching. Perhaps another high profile striker? Not much else needing improvement or worth spending a lot of money on. Things may be clarified a bit over the off-season as we are bound to lose someone to the San Jose expansion draft, if nowhere else. What matters is that we currently we have the personnel to win the MLS Cup.
As for the Cup, USSoccerPlayers.com has its take on the coaches (Kinnear and Nicol, y'all) and the wingers (Mullan & Davis vs Smith & Thompson).
Tino Palace at MLSnet actually hopes NE will win the Cup. Maybe he just wants the Revs to win it so they'll stop going to the final. Steve Davis, the Dallas-area journalist for MLSnet, says it's too close to call.
First Greg Lalas, and now another SI writer thinks New England is going to win.
Jeff Carlisle of ESPN says it'll be Houston.
So does Goal.com.
Is there a "formula for success" for getting to the Cup? Hey, is that Twellman who's saying nice things about the Dynamo? Stop it. I don't want to like you.
For the record, DeRo's post-goal strut is called a "the shake and bake." I was one guilty of calling it the "funky chicken." "Shake and bake" sounds too much like Talladega Nights...but I guess "funky chicken" doesn't ring of elegance either. Ah, well; what's in a name? I like the funky strut and hope to see it more than once tomorrow. Heck, how about a beaver trick?!
My Take
The teams are too close to make a failsafe prediction, and not being able to foresee the future, I have to rely on the past to predict future results. Thus, Houston 2-1 in regulation. Our defense is just too good, and the only real question mark is how our finishing will be on the day. I will assume it will be better than usual because the squad knows this is it, and their experience from SuperLiga and the CONCACAF Champions Cup will carry them through the big game. Houston gets the goal it needs, forcing New England to open up, and we get another. We can't withstand the relentless pressure and do concede one goal.
I think it'd be more dramatic if we go down 0-1 then come back 2-1. If the lads want to do that, that's fine with me. Just carry the plot out to its happy resolution.
Other MLS news:
Cuauhtémoc Blanco's sweet left-footed volley from Week 20 won Goal of the Year. It was a good goal, but I think Ngwenya's was the better goal, and a better representative of what we want other leagues to think of when they think of our players' offensive prowess. Ngwenya can be consoled that his teammates Robinson and Onstad also got screwed out of deserving awards. I think at least one of the two (E-Rob or Pat-O) should have one, given our record-setting defense this season.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
3 days to the MLS Cup
Pep rally at Gallery Furniture tonight, 5:00 to 6:30. No players will be there (which begs the question: who will benefit from the peppiness?) but there will be free t-shirts.
USSoccerPlayers.com is doing a series on the MLS Cup. Yesterday it was Jaqua vs Heaps. Today it's Twellman vs Robinson. More to come, I presume.
Jaime Trecker, perennial critic of the MLS, has an article focusing on New England. He slips up a few times and reveals some compliments about Dynamo-Houston. He mentions that the Dynamo deserved last year's victory, notes that Houston is one of the teams with a large following, and says the Dynamo have "one of the most explosive attacks in American soccer." That is all effusive praise coming from the curmudgeonly Trecker.
The blog, Climbing the Ladder, has a pre-MLS Cup quiz where you get to voice your opinions.
Goal.com compares Boston and Houston. Boston (the city) edges Houston (the city), BTW.
Did you know that Nate Jaqua's dad played for the Washington Redskins in RFK, the site of this year's MLS Cup? I didn't.
USSoccerPlayers.com is doing a series on the MLS Cup. Yesterday it was Jaqua vs Heaps. Today it's Twellman vs Robinson. More to come, I presume.
Jaime Trecker, perennial critic of the MLS, has an article focusing on New England. He slips up a few times and reveals some compliments about Dynamo-Houston. He mentions that the Dynamo deserved last year's victory, notes that Houston is one of the teams with a large following, and says the Dynamo have "one of the most explosive attacks in American soccer." That is all effusive praise coming from the curmudgeonly Trecker.
The blog, Climbing the Ladder, has a pre-MLS Cup quiz where you get to voice your opinions.
Goal.com compares Boston and Houston. Boston (the city) edges Houston (the city), BTW.
Did you know that Nate Jaqua's dad played for the Washington Redskins in RFK, the site of this year's MLS Cup? I didn't.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
MLS Cup - Newsclippings
An essay on the similarities and differences of the Cup contenders, Dynamo-Houston and the New England Revolution.
Here's an article discussing the philosophies behind the two teams. It has some opinion about the benevolence of Jair Marrufo when dealing with Nate Jaqua's foul on Jewsbury.
This piece by Greg Lalas in Sports Illustrated has more on the philosophies going head-to-head in this "mouth watering" match. So, we're the artists who play with heart, and we're facing the technicians who play methodically? I can handle that. Right brain vs left brain. Dionysus vs Apollo. Brazil vs Germany. (Okay, that last one might be a stretch.) I like the concept behind the article, and I even agree with it to a good extent, although the dichotomy is probably a bit more subtle than the metaphors suggest.
Like the previous article, the SI article concludes with criticism for Jaqua not receiving a red. Greg Lalas (brother to Alexi) even beseeches the Powers That Be to suspend Jaqua from the final, kind of like they did to excess with Clark, you know? If they could successfully plunder the Dynamo's squad by getting both Jaqua and Clark out, and add to that Ching's injury, we'd have ourselves a right boring contest for the League's marquee game. But that's okay because maybe Sunil Gulati's team would win.
Not surprisingly, current Rev Jay Heaps agrees with former Rev Greg Lalas. Heaps said, "Jaqua shouldn't be playing in the final. That was not just an elbow, he followed through with it." It's one thing for columnists to lobby for a suspension, but a player? That's poor sportsmanship at best.
And as the Revs lobby for the Dynamo squad to be depleted, I've got to wonder: Shouldn't they at least pretend to want to settle it on the field? Their best versus our best?
Here's an article discussing the philosophies behind the two teams. It has some opinion about the benevolence of Jair Marrufo when dealing with Nate Jaqua's foul on Jewsbury.
This piece by Greg Lalas in Sports Illustrated has more on the philosophies going head-to-head in this "mouth watering" match. So, we're the artists who play with heart, and we're facing the technicians who play methodically? I can handle that. Right brain vs left brain. Dionysus vs Apollo. Brazil vs Germany. (Okay, that last one might be a stretch.) I like the concept behind the article, and I even agree with it to a good extent, although the dichotomy is probably a bit more subtle than the metaphors suggest.
Like the previous article, the SI article concludes with criticism for Jaqua not receiving a red. Greg Lalas (brother to Alexi) even beseeches the Powers That Be to suspend Jaqua from the final, kind of like they did to excess with Clark, you know? If they could successfully plunder the Dynamo's squad by getting both Jaqua and Clark out, and add to that Ching's injury, we'd have ourselves a right boring contest for the League's marquee game. But that's okay because maybe Sunil Gulati's team would win.
Not surprisingly, current Rev Jay Heaps agrees with former Rev Greg Lalas. Heaps said, "Jaqua shouldn't be playing in the final. That was not just an elbow, he followed through with it." It's one thing for columnists to lobby for a suspension, but a player? That's poor sportsmanship at best.
And as the Revs lobby for the Dynamo squad to be depleted, I've got to wonder: Shouldn't they at least pretend to want to settle it on the field? Their best versus our best?
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