Lots of good stuff going on with the Orange, so much so that I've not blogged. I've been trotting around enjoying other blogs though, leaving my opinions sprinkled about as I go. It's a good time to be a Dynamo fan ... and a US fan for that matter. The US has had its ups and downs, but the Dynamo are undefeated since my last post...maybe I shouldn't post...
To recap what's happened since my last post:
May 23 - We said "See Ya!" to Nick Garcia and his fellow Quakes. Nick was impotent and proven to be the "mental midget" as the MIO crushed the Quakes 3-1. Ching scored in the 4th, Kamara in the 12th, Waibel (!) in the 50th, and San Jose's Johnson (assist by Cam Weaver) in the 53rd.
May 27 - The Dynamo pick up Dominic Oduro from the Red Bulls. Oduro spent 2006-2008 with FC Dallas.
May 30 - DeRo comes to town for the only time this season. Davis-Kamara-Holden each score a goal from minute 20 to minute 24, and Hainault and Onstad are the only Canucks with three points after the 3-0 victory.
June 1ish - Clark leaves for the USMNT, where he plays in a WCQ 2-1 win over Honduras, then the Confederation Cup Tournament in South Africa. Ching departs as well, but comes back injured before the WCQ match.
June 5 - The MIO travel to Chicago. Holden scored in the 3rd minute, but the Dynamo are mostly outplayed and concede numerous chances, but the lone goal stands and they leave with 3 points. (Chris Wondolowski came on in the 75th minute in what turned out to be his final game as a MIO.)
June 7 - Cam Weaver sits on the bench in Dallas as San Jose leaves with a 2-2 draw. Six days later Cam would return in Orange and score a brace.
June 8 - Cam Weaver comes to Houston from San Jose, while Orange Reserve mainstay Chris Wondolowski heads home to San Jose. We wish Wondo well with the Quakes.
June 9 - San Jose say "C'ya" to Nick Garcia and ship him to The Great White North.
June 10 - Chivas USA comes to town and is completely out-classed, but we eke out only a 1-0 victory...but at least it's a victory. Holden gets the goal, with Cam Weaver getting the assist in his first game as a MIO. It was a nice flick-on from an Onstad goal kick in the final minute of the first half, and it fell in front of a streaking Holden who side-stepped the goalie and slotted the lone goal in. Cam Weaver also got a legit goal, but it was illegitimately called off for being offside (which he wasn't). Luckily we didn't need the goal, but it hurt Cam's stats.
June 13 - Pooped from the arduous Chivas match three days before, the Dynamo travel to Frisco to face an inspired Dallas. The ex-Burn played perhaps their best match, but the Dynamo, led by our new Cam Weaver's 2 goals and a blistering shot from distance by Mulrooney, go up 3-0 before conceding a late goal to leave with a 3-1 win, 3 points, and El Capitan. My wife and I were able to enjoy this at the Dynamo viewing party at the Hooters on Kirby.
June 20 - It was a weird match all in all when RSL came to town. There was an early injury to Waibel that caused him to be subbed out 7 minutes into the game, a water break for the teams around the 25th minute, an OG by Bobby Boswell 50 seconds after the restart, an OG by RSL that was called off because Hainault was offside on the freekick (but was he part of the play?), to a free kick pass-back to the RSL keeper that Rimando picked up but the ref allowed the kick to be retaken, to a halftime substitute that brought in Ching (has Dom ever made 2 subs by the 46th minute? Or even the 60th minute?) to a red card to RSL's Olave for a stupid delay of game when he had a yellow already, to a missed PK by Brad Davis, to a late brilliant play by Ching to fly through the air to score and give us 1 point. There were highlights: such as in the 13th minute when the Dynamo had six 1-touch passes among 4 people to set Kamara up with a fast break from the left side. Also in the 87th, second half sub Ching (who had been out with an injury since the Toronto match) made a long pass from the center to Mullan on the right, then sprinted up the middle for Mullan's return cross, skying in the air and driving the ball into the net to give his side the tie they so desperately earned but looked to have been denied. There were also lowlights (beside the reffing): the 16 uncontested passes by RSL after the water break, then a cross and a backheel pass that led to a poor shot on goal that Boswell knocked in with his knee.
So now the Dynamo are alone in the Supporters' Shield position, and Dom is set to coach the MLS All Star Team versus Everton.
Tomorrow, we venture to LaLa Land to face the Galaxy without Hainault (Canadian National Team), Waibel (injury), Barrett (injury), and Clark (USMNT). Hopefully our cobbled-together defense can hold off LA's weak offense...
Go Dynamo!
Showing posts with label RSL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RSL. Show all posts
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Monday, August 18, 2008
A Robertson Goalfest
As I was out of town this weekend on a final summer fling before the kids go back to school, I didn't get to watch the game live (neither in person nor on The Tube). B-Fall's blog kept me in the loop Saturday night, and I got to watch the match a few days late when I returned home to my DVR.
What an exciting match. Even an American would have to love the volume of scoring. Six goals in one half, and one being a rocket from Ricardo Clark. Other goals came from Mullan with some moves, Ching with his foot, and Jaqua with the game winner. I think the only Man In Orange unhappy with the match would be Onstad, who had to pick the ball out of his net 3 times. I would imagine he feels the same as The Dom, who said: "It was an exciting game for the fans, with some great attacking play, some loose defending, and a lot of goals. The results were the most important thing to come out of tonight. We won, we are on top of the conference, and we are happy about that."
Official recap. Another MLS article. A third party recap of the game. (There's a joke that goes something like: Houston has two seasons, summer and August. It's not a particularly good joke, but it makes the point.)
Interesting quotes...
from Beckerman: "I don't even know if you should really be allowed to play in this type of heat."
from Beckerman again: "We definitely wanted to come get three points and make a statement that we're for real. We felt like we weren't getting respect from them, from some of the statements about us, what they felt about us, so we really wanted to come down and really put it to them. But they're a good team, and they play really well in Houston in all this heat." I wonder what comments the Dynamo made that "dissed" the RSL squad. That doesn't sound like the MIO.
from Findley: "They were champions a couple of years ago, but I look at them like any other team." A few years ago? How about the previous two years, and still the reigning champion.
Things get dicey now. Wednesday has Chivas USA coming to town. Due to international call ups, we'll be without Ching (ouch), DeRo (ouch), and Onstad (OUCH). Chivas will be without Guzan (the GK has left the MLS to ply his trade with Aston Villa) and Kljestan (who is with the USMNT). They'll also be without a boatload of starters due to injury (Eskadarian, Marsch, Vaughn, Zotinca and maybe Bornstein, Razov, Galindo, and Suarez). It's always a testy match with Chivas Jr, but with Caig in the goal it could be really interesting too.
Other news: Dynamo Reserves roll to first place with a 4-1 defeat of RSL Reserves.
What an exciting match. Even an American would have to love the volume of scoring. Six goals in one half, and one being a rocket from Ricardo Clark. Other goals came from Mullan with some moves, Ching with his foot, and Jaqua with the game winner. I think the only Man In Orange unhappy with the match would be Onstad, who had to pick the ball out of his net 3 times. I would imagine he feels the same as The Dom, who said: "It was an exciting game for the fans, with some great attacking play, some loose defending, and a lot of goals. The results were the most important thing to come out of tonight. We won, we are on top of the conference, and we are happy about that."
Official recap. Another MLS article. A third party recap of the game. (There's a joke that goes something like: Houston has two seasons, summer and August. It's not a particularly good joke, but it makes the point.)
Interesting quotes...
from Beckerman: "I don't even know if you should really be allowed to play in this type of heat."
from Beckerman again: "We definitely wanted to come get three points and make a statement that we're for real. We felt like we weren't getting respect from them, from some of the statements about us, what they felt about us, so we really wanted to come down and really put it to them. But they're a good team, and they play really well in Houston in all this heat." I wonder what comments the Dynamo made that "dissed" the RSL squad. That doesn't sound like the MIO.
from Findley: "They were champions a couple of years ago, but I look at them like any other team." A few years ago? How about the previous two years, and still the reigning champion.
Things get dicey now. Wednesday has Chivas USA coming to town. Due to international call ups, we'll be without Ching (ouch), DeRo (ouch), and Onstad (OUCH). Chivas will be without Guzan (the GK has left the MLS to ply his trade with Aston Villa) and Kljestan (who is with the USMNT). They'll also be without a boatload of starters due to injury (Eskadarian, Marsch, Vaughn, Zotinca and maybe Bornstein, Razov, Galindo, and Suarez). It's always a testy match with Chivas Jr, but with Caig in the goal it could be really interesting too.
Other news: Dynamo Reserves roll to first place with a 4-1 defeat of RSL Reserves.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Another media roundup - Midseason edition
As wordy as I can be, I won't waste time on prolix introductions. Here's a summary of some interesting articles that touch on all things Orange.
"Climbing the Ladder" has the midway stats for each MLS team. Last year Houston earned 1.73 points per game by the midway point, 0.48 higher than this year's 1.06 average. The reason for that drop is because we're only scoring 1.06 goals per game (0.37 fewer than last year's midseason average of 1.43) while conceding 1.19 goals per game (compared to last year's dominant 0.77 per game). Of the 14 teams, our points per game average ties us with RSL at #10. Our goals allowed average puts our defense at a respectable third place (behind only Chicago and New England and tied with RSL). We are allowing more goals than last year, and that change from last year's GAA is the second worst drop (of the 13 teams that played last year), but it just so happens that last year's defense was so good that a drop in quality is to be expected, and a significant drop still puts us in the top three defensively. Our offensive production is 11th, ahead of only New York, Kansas City, and expansion San Jose. In case you didn't know: that's not good.
Steve Davis does his weekly MLS roundup -- this one from the midseason perspective. He spends some time on the Dynamo. Houston has tied half of its 16 games. Why so many? Just look at the latest draw, one that kicked off Round 15 of MLS matches, a scoreless tie at Real Salt Lake. Houston's defense was good enough to keep an attack-minded RSL side from ever claiming the big goal. But at the other end, Houston managed just two shots on target. The result was a 0-0 tie, which isn't bad on the road. On the other hand, Kinnear's outfit has just two goals in its last four MLS matches. Good defense. Stagnant offense. Sounds like a draw waiting to happen, no matter how good the team feels about itself.
Speaking of the RSL match, Soccer America has an article that's mosting a "calling-out" of RSL Coach Jason Kries. About the Dynamo-RSL game: Houston’s tie was its eighth in 16 games yet it just missed scoring a late winner when Brian Ching just failed to get his head on a cross. Of its 10 shots, five came in the final 10 minutes. The Dynamo kept pushing to score a winning goal, RSL got into a pushing contest. That's an interesting unpartisan outlook on how the two teams approached the endgame of the match. The article concludes with some advice for RSL that the Dynamo should heed (and, fortunately, the Dynamo already realize): In all team sports, mediocre teams are mediocre because they can’t win close games, and in soccer, chances don’t decide game. Goals do. It’s harsh, it’s unfair, and sometimes painfully cruel, but that’s how it works. Don’t moan about being the better team. Prove it.
As you know, Dynamo will spend much of July battling for the SuperLiga Cup. The Chronicle has an article on how the tourney could revive the Dynamo's lackluster season. The League website has a similarly-themed article. The LA Daily News has a brief piece on the tournament as well. Despite the generally superior players (and far higher team salaries) on the Mexican teams, the timing of the tournament has proved a great leveler that accentuates the clash of futbol cultures.
And from the most recent tournament that saw Houston fall -- the US Open Cup -- comes some news that may hearten the disheartened Houston fan. As you know, Dynamo's Reserve team couldn't beat the USL Charlestown Battery, but managed a draw and lost only on penalties. FC Dallas' regular starting 11 couldn't even manage doing as well as our Reserves. The "Hoops" got manhandled by the USL team 3-1, with the lone Dallas goal coming as a consolation goal in the 94th minute. It could be worse, guys; we could be Dallas fans.
Finally, the Bellaire Examiner has an article on the Dynamo's supporters groups. The north and south ends of Robertson Stadium are home to Houston’s most rambunctious group of supporters, The Texian Army and El Batallon. To truly understand these groups, one must understand one basic concept: a supporter is very different from a fan. Also: With live music, nonstop singing and dancing, and more confetti and streamers than they know what to do with, Dynamo supporters provide the entire stadium, fans and players alike, constant liveliness and entertainment. They may be in large part to thank for a Dynamo home record of 24 wins, 12 ties, and only 6 losses. Hey, that's perfect doubling of results in the right direction 6=>12=>24.
Stay Orange.
"Climbing the Ladder" has the midway stats for each MLS team. Last year Houston earned 1.73 points per game by the midway point, 0.48 higher than this year's 1.06 average. The reason for that drop is because we're only scoring 1.06 goals per game (0.37 fewer than last year's midseason average of 1.43) while conceding 1.19 goals per game (compared to last year's dominant 0.77 per game). Of the 14 teams, our points per game average ties us with RSL at #10. Our goals allowed average puts our defense at a respectable third place (behind only Chicago and New England and tied with RSL). We are allowing more goals than last year, and that change from last year's GAA is the second worst drop (of the 13 teams that played last year), but it just so happens that last year's defense was so good that a drop in quality is to be expected, and a significant drop still puts us in the top three defensively. Our offensive production is 11th, ahead of only New York, Kansas City, and expansion San Jose. In case you didn't know: that's not good.
Steve Davis does his weekly MLS roundup -- this one from the midseason perspective. He spends some time on the Dynamo. Houston has tied half of its 16 games. Why so many? Just look at the latest draw, one that kicked off Round 15 of MLS matches, a scoreless tie at Real Salt Lake. Houston's defense was good enough to keep an attack-minded RSL side from ever claiming the big goal. But at the other end, Houston managed just two shots on target. The result was a 0-0 tie, which isn't bad on the road. On the other hand, Kinnear's outfit has just two goals in its last four MLS matches. Good defense. Stagnant offense. Sounds like a draw waiting to happen, no matter how good the team feels about itself.
Speaking of the RSL match, Soccer America has an article that's mosting a "calling-out" of RSL Coach Jason Kries. About the Dynamo-RSL game: Houston’s tie was its eighth in 16 games yet it just missed scoring a late winner when Brian Ching just failed to get his head on a cross. Of its 10 shots, five came in the final 10 minutes. The Dynamo kept pushing to score a winning goal, RSL got into a pushing contest. That's an interesting unpartisan outlook on how the two teams approached the endgame of the match. The article concludes with some advice for RSL that the Dynamo should heed (and, fortunately, the Dynamo already realize): In all team sports, mediocre teams are mediocre because they can’t win close games, and in soccer, chances don’t decide game. Goals do. It’s harsh, it’s unfair, and sometimes painfully cruel, but that’s how it works. Don’t moan about being the better team. Prove it.
As you know, Dynamo will spend much of July battling for the SuperLiga Cup. The Chronicle has an article on how the tourney could revive the Dynamo's lackluster season. The League website has a similarly-themed article. The LA Daily News has a brief piece on the tournament as well. Despite the generally superior players (and far higher team salaries) on the Mexican teams, the timing of the tournament has proved a great leveler that accentuates the clash of futbol cultures.
And from the most recent tournament that saw Houston fall -- the US Open Cup -- comes some news that may hearten the disheartened Houston fan. As you know, Dynamo's Reserve team couldn't beat the USL Charlestown Battery, but managed a draw and lost only on penalties. FC Dallas' regular starting 11 couldn't even manage doing as well as our Reserves. The "Hoops" got manhandled by the USL team 3-1, with the lone Dallas goal coming as a consolation goal in the 94th minute. It could be worse, guys; we could be Dallas fans.
Finally, the Bellaire Examiner has an article on the Dynamo's supporters groups. The north and south ends of Robertson Stadium are home to Houston’s most rambunctious group of supporters, The Texian Army and El Batallon. To truly understand these groups, one must understand one basic concept: a supporter is very different from a fan. Also: With live music, nonstop singing and dancing, and more confetti and streamers than they know what to do with, Dynamo supporters provide the entire stadium, fans and players alike, constant liveliness and entertainment. They may be in large part to thank for a Dynamo home record of 24 wins, 12 ties, and only 6 losses. Hey, that's perfect doubling of results in the right direction 6=>12=>24.
Stay Orange.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Salt Lake - post facto
Hope all had a great Independence Day weekend. I did. Except for Thursday.
Thursday night the game started late, so I first watched a movie I had rented: "Be Kind Rewind." I didn't enjoy it much. It tried very hard, but had very little heart and passion. It was very choppy, with very little continuity from one event to the next. And the ending didn't seem to resolve anything and left me hanging. And do you want to hear my opinion of the movie, too?
Well, same description goes for the movie. It would have been better with more "sweded" movies included.
Back to the match.
Well, actually not much to say there. Here's the match recap. All in all it was one of the more dreary performances by the MIO, likely due partially to the turf. We should have had a free kick or PK early on when a cross by Mullan was knocked down by the extended arm of a defender right on the line of the penalty box, but the ref didn't see it or didn't deem it worth a free kick. Our best chances for a goal came late, particularly with a rocket of a shot by Mullan in the 84th and a sneaky header by DeRo that was heading for the corner of the goal before a goal line clearance by an RSL defender.
But Salt Lake definitely had the more dangerous chances, and the only way we ended up with a point was due to the ever-steady Onstad, some good positioning by the defenders, and some simple good fortune. Our midfield couldn't establish any sustained rhythm to maintain possession, which is highly unusual. Our forwards had a performance typical for this season, only this occasion was exacerbated by the lack of possession and service from the middies.
Salt Lake was extremely physical -- FC Dallas-style physical with the likes of Olave and Wingert taking out players when they were beaten. In the end, we resorted to the same tactics more than usual (at least, more than usual when E-Rob is not on the field) since that was the style of play RSL and the officials seem to want to play on the turf. Ugly game aesthetically and technically. I'm glad it's our last game in that stadium...unless something happens in the MLS Cup tourney that takes us back there.
After the MLS league action this weekend, our one point puts us in fourth place with more draws than any other club. (Three points would have flung us to the top.) We're one point from fifth and two points from sixth, and we don't have any League games to generate forward momentum until July 22. That's not too big of a problem, because two of the other Western Conference clubs have played as many games as us, and the other four clubs have only one game in hand. Therefore, we have as many games as the rest of the conference does to generate points.
The trip to Salt Lake ended with the Reserves losing their first match, 5-3. Don't know if that result had anything to do with our third string goalkeeper tending the nets. In the recap, it sounds like the defense didn't do the GK any favors.
Thursday night the game started late, so I first watched a movie I had rented: "Be Kind Rewind." I didn't enjoy it much. It tried very hard, but had very little heart and passion. It was very choppy, with very little continuity from one event to the next. And the ending didn't seem to resolve anything and left me hanging. And do you want to hear my opinion of the movie, too?
Well, same description goes for the movie. It would have been better with more "sweded" movies included.
Back to the match.
Well, actually not much to say there. Here's the match recap. All in all it was one of the more dreary performances by the MIO, likely due partially to the turf. We should have had a free kick or PK early on when a cross by Mullan was knocked down by the extended arm of a defender right on the line of the penalty box, but the ref didn't see it or didn't deem it worth a free kick. Our best chances for a goal came late, particularly with a rocket of a shot by Mullan in the 84th and a sneaky header by DeRo that was heading for the corner of the goal before a goal line clearance by an RSL defender.
But Salt Lake definitely had the more dangerous chances, and the only way we ended up with a point was due to the ever-steady Onstad, some good positioning by the defenders, and some simple good fortune. Our midfield couldn't establish any sustained rhythm to maintain possession, which is highly unusual. Our forwards had a performance typical for this season, only this occasion was exacerbated by the lack of possession and service from the middies.
Salt Lake was extremely physical -- FC Dallas-style physical with the likes of Olave and Wingert taking out players when they were beaten. In the end, we resorted to the same tactics more than usual (at least, more than usual when E-Rob is not on the field) since that was the style of play RSL and the officials seem to want to play on the turf. Ugly game aesthetically and technically. I'm glad it's our last game in that stadium...unless something happens in the MLS Cup tourney that takes us back there.
After the MLS league action this weekend, our one point puts us in fourth place with more draws than any other club. (Three points would have flung us to the top.) We're one point from fifth and two points from sixth, and we don't have any League games to generate forward momentum until July 22. That's not too big of a problem, because two of the other Western Conference clubs have played as many games as us, and the other four clubs have only one game in hand. Therefore, we have as many games as the rest of the conference does to generate points.
The trip to Salt Lake ended with the Reserves losing their first match, 5-3. Don't know if that result had anything to do with our third string goalkeeper tending the nets. In the recap, it sounds like the defense didn't do the GK any favors.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Astroturf, Jaqua, Dalglish, and unimpressed journalistas
Tonight the Dynamo play RSL for the last time on the astroturf of the University of Utah. That's a good thing. One pundit predicts Houston winning 2-1. B-Fall talks about how tonight's game is just the beginning of the more difficult 2nd half of the season. (Yah mean we only got 4 wins on the EASY half?) He also has some soccer notes that discuss the likelihood of Nate Jaqua being added to the roster for the remainder of this season then going to Seattle for next season. I think most people realize Jaqua's limitations, but are willing to try anything to turn the malaise around. Plus Jaqua is a good sub for Ching when (if) Ching is away with the USMNT or, should misfortune strike, due to injury.
Speaking of ex-Dynamos, B-Fall has a cool article about Dalglish who has definitely settled in the area. I think this is so cool because it is the first discussion of the lasting effects of having a professional team in the area: permanent colonization by professional players from afar. This will only grow the exposure as the new residents, and the relationships they still maintain nationally and internationally, bring an influx of talent and mentoring to the area. It expands Houston's footprint in the soccer universe. It also kind of makes one proud to live in an area where scions of the English soccer aristocracy say they "like it here" and are starting soccer camps (Braveheart Soccer Camps) "to give a little bit back to the community that was so good to me when I was here." Daggers, who is taking on several local youth coaching roles including with the Dynamo Academy, also talks about "beautiful Texas girls" who apprently "don't like to leave Texas." So it's good that Houston has some things that can overcome the heat, humidity, and mosquitos.
Ever wonder how the Dynamo's Season of Mediocrity is viewed in the national press, outside the sphere of Houston? How's is this for an assessment of the Dynamo's latest run of form: Football is my life and I could get excited about watching a U-8 AYSO game, but even I couldn't put a positive spin on the performances of Houston over the past few weeks of the season. This Dynamo team has been performing so flat that it makes it difficult to watch their games without finding myself nodding off. Fans of Houston will always tell you that their team will turn it on in the playoffs when it really counts, but on the evidence of their last few performances, I just don't see it happening this year. Ouch! That comes from Keith Costigan's "Power Rankings" on Fox Sports. He currently has Houston at #10. (That's a "power ranking" of recent form, not an overall assessment of the season.) He started the season with the Dynamo at #2 and has had them as low as #14. Yeah, there are only 14 teams in the league.
ESPN ranks the teams weekly as well. Let's see how the Dynamo have fared according to that Website:
Pre-Season: #1
Week 1: #5
Week 2 #9
Week 3: #11
Week 4: #10
Week 5: #12
Week 6: #12
Week 7: #9
Week 8: #7
Week 9: #8
Week 10:#7
Week 11: #4
Week 12: #6
Week 13: #6
Week 14: #6
During the break (at least in league games), I'll have to compare the halfway point of this year to past years. Of course the stats mean nothing; we all know this season has been less fullfilling.
Speaking of ex-Dynamos, B-Fall has a cool article about Dalglish who has definitely settled in the area. I think this is so cool because it is the first discussion of the lasting effects of having a professional team in the area: permanent colonization by professional players from afar. This will only grow the exposure as the new residents, and the relationships they still maintain nationally and internationally, bring an influx of talent and mentoring to the area. It expands Houston's footprint in the soccer universe. It also kind of makes one proud to live in an area where scions of the English soccer aristocracy say they "like it here" and are starting soccer camps (Braveheart Soccer Camps) "to give a little bit back to the community that was so good to me when I was here." Daggers, who is taking on several local youth coaching roles including with the Dynamo Academy, also talks about "beautiful Texas girls" who apprently "don't like to leave Texas." So it's good that Houston has some things that can overcome the heat, humidity, and mosquitos.
Ever wonder how the Dynamo's Season of Mediocrity is viewed in the national press, outside the sphere of Houston? How's is this for an assessment of the Dynamo's latest run of form: Football is my life and I could get excited about watching a U-8 AYSO game, but even I couldn't put a positive spin on the performances of Houston over the past few weeks of the season. This Dynamo team has been performing so flat that it makes it difficult to watch their games without finding myself nodding off. Fans of Houston will always tell you that their team will turn it on in the playoffs when it really counts, but on the evidence of their last few performances, I just don't see it happening this year. Ouch! That comes from Keith Costigan's "Power Rankings" on Fox Sports. He currently has Houston at #10. (That's a "power ranking" of recent form, not an overall assessment of the season.) He started the season with the Dynamo at #2 and has had them as low as #14. Yeah, there are only 14 teams in the league.
ESPN ranks the teams weekly as well. Let's see how the Dynamo have fared according to that Website:
Pre-Season: #1
Week 1: #5
Week 2 #9
Week 3: #11
Week 4: #10
Week 5: #12
Week 6: #12
Week 7: #9
Week 8: #7
Week 9: #8
Week 10:#7
Week 11: #4
Week 12: #6
Week 13: #6
Week 14: #6
During the break (at least in league games), I'll have to compare the halfway point of this year to past years. Of course the stats mean nothing; we all know this season has been less fullfilling.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Dynamo battered by Battery
Well, we see that MLS Reserves can compete versus a top-tier USL team, but they cannot beat a top-tier USL team. Dynamo-R were the second best team in the first half. They managed to improve their play in the second half and, 15 minutes after the Battery went down to 10 men, Dynamo-R managed to find an equalizer. After the Battery went down to 9 men, Dynamo-R were out of creative ideas and the 11 only managed to give about as much as they got from the 9. That's nothing to be proud about.
Yes, this was the Dynamo-R, not the Dynamo. I'm completely fine with that choice of personnel. A reserve squad losing to a good USL team in PKs is completely understandable. Losing to a 9-man team (who still looked like they could score with those 9 men)? That's a sign that our Reserves have a lot of maturing to do. I also can't help but wonder why The Dom didn't make the moves in extra time that could have taken advantage of the 2-man advantage and prevent going to PKs. I believe the US Open Cup allows a lot more than the traditional 3 substitutes.
Once the PKs start, the result becomes a crapshoot. And, unfortunately, the USL players were the ones who looked confident and composed when taking their kicks. The Dynamo-R did not. That is completely unacceptable for an MLS club.
How did New England Revolution (who schooled us in our two meetings this year) fare with their reserve squad? They beat the Richmond Kickers 3-0. Taylor Twellman (just off injured reserve) and (maybe) Kenny Mansally are the only names you'd probably recognize on that reserve squad, yet they managed to take care of business.
All in all, a very disappointing indictment of the status of the Dynamo Club and the Club's development system. Let's hope a good result comes on Thursday to wash the bitter taste of this result out of our mouth. Without the possibility of winning the US Open Cup (and we're not even sniffing distance from the Supporters' Shield), we'll need to win the MLS Cup or come in second in the MLS Cup if we wish to compete in next year's CONCACAF Champions League. Slowly but surely, we're trimming our options by losing key matches. Being destroyed in the Pan-Pacific final, losing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, embarrassed in the league opener, held winless through the month of April and being the last team to record its first win, losing El Capitan, losing to a 9-man squad in the US Open Cup...it's time for the MIO to man up and succeed at something this season. And quickly.
Hmm. I guess I'm bitter.
Addendum, the morning after...
First of all, I'm less bitter, but still bitter.
Here is the official recap of the game and an anecdotal recap of the game. Charleston used four subs, the Dynamo used a paltry two. "Paltry" because you are allowed more than the typical three in the US Open Cup, and the MIO-R had played 120 minutes.
The Chronicle has its own post-game article. The Battery again had more juice than the Dynamo.
Another ESPN match for the Dynamo tomorrow, so Soccernet has a preview of the game vs RSL. Houston hasn't been horrible in the season's first three months. In fact, the team is tied for the fewest losses in MLS. But the Dynamo have found it difficult to beat teams, and their league-high seven draws have meant that the defending champs have gone sideways for much of the season.
Go Dynamo!
Yes, this was the Dynamo-R, not the Dynamo. I'm completely fine with that choice of personnel. A reserve squad losing to a good USL team in PKs is completely understandable. Losing to a 9-man team (who still looked like they could score with those 9 men)? That's a sign that our Reserves have a lot of maturing to do. I also can't help but wonder why The Dom didn't make the moves in extra time that could have taken advantage of the 2-man advantage and prevent going to PKs. I believe the US Open Cup allows a lot more than the traditional 3 substitutes.
Once the PKs start, the result becomes a crapshoot. And, unfortunately, the USL players were the ones who looked confident and composed when taking their kicks. The Dynamo-R did not. That is completely unacceptable for an MLS club.
How did New England Revolution (who schooled us in our two meetings this year) fare with their reserve squad? They beat the Richmond Kickers 3-0. Taylor Twellman (just off injured reserve) and (maybe) Kenny Mansally are the only names you'd probably recognize on that reserve squad, yet they managed to take care of business.
All in all, a very disappointing indictment of the status of the Dynamo Club and the Club's development system. Let's hope a good result comes on Thursday to wash the bitter taste of this result out of our mouth. Without the possibility of winning the US Open Cup (and we're not even sniffing distance from the Supporters' Shield), we'll need to win the MLS Cup or come in second in the MLS Cup if we wish to compete in next year's CONCACAF Champions League. Slowly but surely, we're trimming our options by losing key matches. Being destroyed in the Pan-Pacific final, losing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, embarrassed in the league opener, held winless through the month of April and being the last team to record its first win, losing El Capitan, losing to a 9-man squad in the US Open Cup...it's time for the MIO to man up and succeed at something this season. And quickly.
Hmm. I guess I'm bitter.
Addendum, the morning after...
First of all, I'm less bitter, but still bitter.
Here is the official recap of the game and an anecdotal recap of the game. Charleston used four subs, the Dynamo used a paltry two. "Paltry" because you are allowed more than the typical three in the US Open Cup, and the MIO-R had played 120 minutes.
The Chronicle has its own post-game article. The Battery again had more juice than the Dynamo.
Another ESPN match for the Dynamo tomorrow, so Soccernet has a preview of the game vs RSL. Houston hasn't been horrible in the season's first three months. In fact, the team is tied for the fewest losses in MLS. But the Dynamo have found it difficult to beat teams, and their league-high seven draws have meant that the defending champs have gone sideways for much of the season.
Go Dynamo!
Battery is Included
Tonight the Dynamo begin their quest for the US Open Cup, the oldest cup competition in the United States. It was born in 1914, during Woodrow Wilson's term as president.
Here is the game preview. The team blog is here. (Looks like the blogger had interned with the Dallas Burn prior to working with the Dynamo, but that's just my guess). You can watch the match online at USLLive.com.
The Chronicle has a pre-game article as well. Wondo says: "This is a big game; it means something. We certainly take the reserve games very seriously, but this is a step up." Chabala says: "These are games for us to take advantage of. Dom gives us the privilege to take that game because we've worked hard and done well. It's time for us to pull our weight and get a win. It's a tournament we've never won as a club, and it's one we want to put on our trophy case."
Last year a mostly Reserve-unit of the Dynamo lost to the Battery in OT. This year, with a league match in Salt Lake just two days away, we'll probably field a mostly Reserve team again. I have no problem with that.
Go Dynamo!
Here is the game preview. The team blog is here. (Looks like the blogger had interned with the Dallas Burn prior to working with the Dynamo, but that's just my guess). You can watch the match online at USLLive.com.
The Chronicle has a pre-game article as well. Wondo says: "This is a big game; it means something. We certainly take the reserve games very seriously, but this is a step up." Chabala says: "These are games for us to take advantage of. Dom gives us the privilege to take that game because we've worked hard and done well. It's time for us to pull our weight and get a win. It's a tournament we've never won as a club, and it's one we want to put on our trophy case."
Last year a mostly Reserve-unit of the Dynamo lost to the Battery in OT. This year, with a league match in Salt Lake just two days away, we'll probably field a mostly Reserve team again. I have no problem with that.
- It gives the Reserves a chance to compete for something meaningful.
- The Reserves of an MLS team should be capable of competing with a USL team.
- Our starters need time to recuperate. And they had better take advantage of the time off by getting a result on Thursday.
Go Dynamo!
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Rapids, Stadium, Ngwenya, and the cost of criticism
To whet your appetite for the Dynamo's first victory this weekend (Yeah, you heard me: victory. That means: scoring.), here is an MLS article about the similarities between the MIO's start last year and this year. As long as that equates to a third MLS Cup, deja vu is fine with me. Here's the official game preview. In three meetings at Robertson, we've won twice and tied once.
And here's an article about Ianni. "Ultimately, Ianni wants to be a preacher." Who knew?
B-Fall's Thursday blog covers a range of topics as we approach the Rapids match. The Dynamo are working on finishing, particularly Ching and Mullan. (Yay!) Sideline reporter Jeanette Fernandez is gone. Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis was fined by the league.
This is the article where Kreis airs his grievances. (Here are some commentary and the MLS press release.) I can't say I blame him. If this is a professional league, we expect the officiating to be professional. In many ways, the officiating will define not only a game, but a league. Consistently calling most contact as a foul will help attackers, increase scoring, and force defenders to improve their positioning rather than rashly tackle. Consistently allowing physical play will help defenders, discourage diving, and establish a more physical style of play. Inconsistent policies and calls will not establish any style of play and will just frustrate players and fans, and eventually owners too when the fans stop paying to watch a sport with the integrity of the WWF (or whatever it's called these days).
Despite my confident forecast of victory, are you still worried about our offense? B-Fall has the latest on Ngwenya. "Ngwenya added a dimension to the Dynamo attack, bringing pace into the arsenal. His presence near the opponents' box kept defenders on edge and gave teammates Ching and Dwayne De Rosario more room to operate." Glenn Davis has an interview with Joe on his blog. "My pride has been hurt by not being able to play for a bottom placed team and I really want to prove people wrong here in Europe ...if I did come back to MLS it would definitely be Houston though!"
I don't know that Ngwenya is the answer, but speed could definitely help open things up for everyone else. It helped last year...
More on the stadium saga
The Chronicle has articles about the potential entry of TSU as a partner for Dynamo stadium. This article talks about how the stadium would be a facility shared equally by the Dynamo and TSU, while this article has B-Fall stating that the joint venture would work to the benefit of the Dynamo.
I think it would work to the benefit of AEG, but I'm doubtful it would be better for fans, except that the toilets might be cleaner. Yippee.
LOST is about to start. Must go...
And here's an article about Ianni. "Ultimately, Ianni wants to be a preacher." Who knew?
B-Fall's Thursday blog covers a range of topics as we approach the Rapids match. The Dynamo are working on finishing, particularly Ching and Mullan. (Yay!) Sideline reporter Jeanette Fernandez is gone. Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis was fined by the league.
This is the article where Kreis airs his grievances. (Here are some commentary and the MLS press release.) I can't say I blame him. If this is a professional league, we expect the officiating to be professional. In many ways, the officiating will define not only a game, but a league. Consistently calling most contact as a foul will help attackers, increase scoring, and force defenders to improve their positioning rather than rashly tackle. Consistently allowing physical play will help defenders, discourage diving, and establish a more physical style of play. Inconsistent policies and calls will not establish any style of play and will just frustrate players and fans, and eventually owners too when the fans stop paying to watch a sport with the integrity of the WWF (or whatever it's called these days).
Despite my confident forecast of victory, are you still worried about our offense? B-Fall has the latest on Ngwenya. "Ngwenya added a dimension to the Dynamo attack, bringing pace into the arsenal. His presence near the opponents' box kept defenders on edge and gave teammates Ching and Dwayne De Rosario more room to operate." Glenn Davis has an interview with Joe on his blog. "My pride has been hurt by not being able to play for a bottom placed team and I really want to prove people wrong here in Europe ...if I did come back to MLS it would definitely be Houston though!"
I don't know that Ngwenya is the answer, but speed could definitely help open things up for everyone else. It helped last year...
More on the stadium saga
The Chronicle has articles about the potential entry of TSU as a partner for Dynamo stadium. This article talks about how the stadium would be a facility shared equally by the Dynamo and TSU, while this article has B-Fall stating that the joint venture would work to the benefit of the Dynamo.
I think it would work to the benefit of AEG, but I'm doubtful it would be better for fans, except that the toilets might be cleaner. Yippee.
LOST is about to start. Must go...
Friday, October 19, 2007
Breaking the Salt Lake jinx
On Monday I had to sit in the "business center" of the Hilton Garden Inn-Rancho Bernardo, watching the match feed for the Dynamo-RSL game (game guide) and reading the BigSoccer play-by-play on the hotel computer. Despite playing on fake turf and missing Ching, D-Ro, and of course Clark, we managed to eke out our first victory in Salt Lake. (Game recap.) I watched the taped match when I returned to Houston on Friday. It was indeed ugly in terms of play and in terms of aesthetics, both sins chiefly attributed to the playing surface. Lark had some great observations in his blog.
I had heard how Holden's goal was a blown cross deflected into the goal by a stubby Nick Rimando, but in watching the goal it look much more impressive than it sounded. I'm thinking that a young Stuart Holden will be one of the players we protect in the San Jose expansion in the off-season.
The worst part of the game was the fact that we've lost Cochrane (yellow card accumulation) AND Eddie Robinson (bogus red card) for the final regular season game versus Chivas. The winner takes the top spot for the Western Conference and maintains home field advantage throughout the playoffs. A tie gives Chivas the top spot. Can we beat Chivas on its home field, where it has lost only once this year? And do we want to beat them? We dominate at home, for sure; but we also seem to prosper when the cards are stacked against us. Regardless, wins are always good. Let's win the next 5 games: the Season finale, both Conference semis, the Conference final, and the MLS Cup...that'll do it.
I had heard how Holden's goal was a blown cross deflected into the goal by a stubby Nick Rimando, but in watching the goal it look much more impressive than it sounded. I'm thinking that a young Stuart Holden will be one of the players we protect in the San Jose expansion in the off-season.
The worst part of the game was the fact that we've lost Cochrane (yellow card accumulation) AND Eddie Robinson (bogus red card) for the final regular season game versus Chivas. The winner takes the top spot for the Western Conference and maintains home field advantage throughout the playoffs. A tie gives Chivas the top spot. Can we beat Chivas on its home field, where it has lost only once this year? And do we want to beat them? We dominate at home, for sure; but we also seem to prosper when the cards are stacked against us. Regardless, wins are always good. Let's win the next 5 games: the Season finale, both Conference semis, the Conference final, and the MLS Cup...that'll do it.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Salt Lakers - the trap game
Chivas surprisingly fell to a 10-man Colorado team today. I think this is the 2nd game in a row that Colorado played (and won) short-handed. Last week they played with 9 men for a stretch.
What does this mean? It means that if we win at Salt Lake tomorrow, the winner of the Chivas-Houston game next Saturday will be first in the Western Conference and will maintain home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. That'd be a nice place to be for the Dynamo, since they do so well at home; but ... do we want all home games? That would give the Dynamo an apparent edge, and that might be a problem. You see, the team seems to perform better under adversity. Should they have what looks to be an easy path (though it never is), the irony is that the Dynamo would probably stumble. Maybe we should hope they don't get home field advantage. They'd then play with a chip on their shoulder and may progress farther.
For instance, tomorrow they should easily beat RSL. The Salt Lakers are struggling and are experimenting with next year's lineup. Yet, Dynamo-Houston is notorious in its struggles versus bottom feeders. Give us the creme de la creme and we'll hold our own, but goodness, not the dregs! Lark Howorth has a similar take on this strange facet of the team.
Besides home field advantage, coming first in the Conference means nothing. It's not like finishing first in the Western Conference makes a team the Conference Champion. That only comes from winning the Conference Championship, which is the match just prior to the MLS Cup. One match determines the Conference champion, just like one match determines the MLS Champion. Ridiculous...particularly because a team like LA with a losing record can still win it.
Speaking of the vile Galaxy: I'm in the LA area this week for business, so I'm planning on watching the Red Bulls take on the Galaxy at the Home Depot Center this Thursday. That'd be my first trip to the Tool Box (or at least my first trip beyond the road that runs around the parking lot), so I'm looking forward to it. I'll be pulling for the RBNY to end the Gals "dream run."
Here's hoping that the Dynamo can put away the Salt Lakers tomorrow night. Dynamo should easily triumph; therefore, they will struggle. I can't explain it, but that's the way the team seems to roll. Go Dynamo (and RBNY?)!
What does this mean? It means that if we win at Salt Lake tomorrow, the winner of the Chivas-Houston game next Saturday will be first in the Western Conference and will maintain home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. That'd be a nice place to be for the Dynamo, since they do so well at home; but ... do we want all home games? That would give the Dynamo an apparent edge, and that might be a problem. You see, the team seems to perform better under adversity. Should they have what looks to be an easy path (though it never is), the irony is that the Dynamo would probably stumble. Maybe we should hope they don't get home field advantage. They'd then play with a chip on their shoulder and may progress farther.
For instance, tomorrow they should easily beat RSL. The Salt Lakers are struggling and are experimenting with next year's lineup. Yet, Dynamo-Houston is notorious in its struggles versus bottom feeders. Give us the creme de la creme and we'll hold our own, but goodness, not the dregs! Lark Howorth has a similar take on this strange facet of the team.
Besides home field advantage, coming first in the Conference means nothing. It's not like finishing first in the Western Conference makes a team the Conference Champion. That only comes from winning the Conference Championship, which is the match just prior to the MLS Cup. One match determines the Conference champion, just like one match determines the MLS Champion. Ridiculous...particularly because a team like LA with a losing record can still win it.
Speaking of the vile Galaxy: I'm in the LA area this week for business, so I'm planning on watching the Red Bulls take on the Galaxy at the Home Depot Center this Thursday. That'd be my first trip to the Tool Box (or at least my first trip beyond the road that runs around the parking lot), so I'm looking forward to it. I'll be pulling for the RBNY to end the Gals "dream run."
Here's hoping that the Dynamo can put away the Salt Lakers tomorrow night. Dynamo should easily triumph; therefore, they will struggle. I can't explain it, but that's the way the team seems to roll. Go Dynamo (and RBNY?)!
Sunday, September 09, 2007
ReAL, if Scattered, Thoughts from a Dynamo Fan...
Let's spend a few hours in the mind of one Dynamo supporter:
My '95 Saturn didn't pass the emissions test? I can't renew the inspection sticker yet? I'm at 185,000 miles; I wonder if I can I push it to 200K? Probably not. What a rotten day. It's 3 hours until game time; let's start packing things up.
Hey where's the orange ruckack with everything in it? Probably in the same place as the missing TV remote. At least we have the tickets...we DO have the tickets, right?
It's an hour and a half until kickoff; let's load up the van! Its inspection sticker is okay, isn't it? Good.
It's cool that I can listen to the Texas Longhorns pre-game while we drive in. The way they played last week against Arkansas State, TCU could easily hand us our first loss. Wouldn't it be cool if I could listen to a Dynamo pre-game while driving in?
Hey, is that a spot on the street? Goldmine! We just saved ourselves $10!
Mmmm...Sam Adams Light is the best light beer. And it helps keep me sexy & svelte -- all 190 pounds of me.
No time for a second beer, we gotta get inside the stadium in time to get a free t-shirt. Let's go guys!
Hey is that the real MLS Cup? Cool! Hey, it feels kind of light. I wonder if it's hollow.
Free inflatable noise sticks for all three of my kids? Great.
There goes Dalglish on a golf cart into the parking lot. I wonder where he's going.
Hey, this shirt isn't so bad! No cheesy sponsors on it; just the actual Dynamo jersey sponsor. It's a good t-shirt replica of a jersey, actually. They even put the star above the shield, cool!
Section 118...Section 118...here we are.
That's a great "fan appreciation" video on the Jumbotron. That Waibel is a card. I wonder if we'll be able to find a copy of the video on Youtube later.
Dynamo Girls...Dynamo Diesel (how did they get Stuart Holden to be party to THAT?)...finally: the Braveheart Intro! Here comes the Orange!
Who is that announcer? I like the excitement he bellows when announcing the Dynamo lineup! He's better than the one they had at the Columbus Crew game. I hope they keep him.
Good a cappella rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Did the announcer just say something about a moment of silence to remember the fallen on 9/11? Hard to hear over the Texian Army and El Batallon. Did he just thank us for our silence? Hard to hear over the Texian Army and El Batallon.
Now let's get some noise going. Looks like a light crowd. Will we hit even 10,000 tonight? [Addendum: MLS states we had 16,104 present.]
Dynamo are looking good already. Lots of possession on the far half of the field (which is the attacking half from our seats).
Gooooooooaaaaaal, Dynamo! Ashe from the left to Jaqua! Was that Ashe's first assist? [Nope; his second.]
More possession. Man, we're looking sharp! Do we have twelve men on the field? We're sure to get a second goal here.
Dude, that MLS newbie just pushed our defender down in our own box. Looks like we'll be getting a free ki--what? That's not going to count is it? You're kidding me! Could you really not see that he fouled us to get that shot off? Section 118 is lined up perfectly, and I saw it. How could you not see it, AR? Let's check the replay...just as I thought! Boooooo! Booooo! It looks like Salt Lake is the one with a twelfth man, and he's wearing black!
If we don't get 3 points from this game, I'm calling Glenn Davis' radio show this week to complain about the quality of refs in this league. Last week Ngwenya nearly got his leg broken in Kansas City's penalty box, and there was no call. We should've won that game on the PK.
That Texian Army and El Batallon are keeping the crowd into it tonight.
Honey, do you want those peanuts? If not then--what happened? We scored? Eddie Robinson? Woo-hoo! And he's on my fantasy team, Balder Dash! Big points for me, and we're in the lead!
Eh, Bud Light is cold, but it's no Sam Adams Light...
Halftime, and we're up 2-1. That should be enough with our defense, but another goal would be nice. Let's see: if we keep their goal count to 1, then we can allow 2 goals per game the rest of the year and still set a new record for fewest goals conceded in a season. Let's do it, Dynamo.
Longhorns are down 10-0 at halftime? That figures.
Okay, the teams are back on the field...more Dynamo possession; good, they didn't lose their edge during the break.
Woo-hoo! Ashe to Jaqua AGAIN! And D-Ro started that off from the middle to Ashe. Now it's 3-1 and that should just about do it!
There goes Pope, being subbed off. That'll be the last time I see him play live. The best defender (thus far) the US has produced. I wish you a great retirement.
Holy cow, it's...yes! Ashe to Jaqua AGAIN! We're tearing it up on the left side tonight! With the 4 goals, it's game, set, match, Dynamo!
Ma'am, you dropped a $20 bill. My daughter saw it. Yeah, she's very considerate. She used to be a Brownie.
Ah, yes. Four to one. It's nice being able to relax and just watch the soccer game. No worries about the result. Nice heel flick, D-Ro. We're really comfortable out there now. Ooo, terrible shot, D-Ro; was that a cross or a shot? No matter, it's good that we're still attacking. Wow, great rip that time from distance, D-Ro; unlucky that the keeper was there. I wonder if Kinnear will put in one of the never used subs later? Hoo-boy, Ngwenya turned his man cold and made a great run; too bad Rimando got a bead on that one. We're keeping the pressure on and looking good. I wonder if we can get 5 tonight?
Ah, great! The supporters group is finally doing the "yo si le voy le voy al naranja" chant. I dig that one.
Oh look, my Longhorns have taken a lead. This is a good night.
It's almost to the 70-minute mark. Salt Lake must be desperate; they're cranking up the pressure. Corner kick. No worries, we're solid on these, so we -- did he just--? Yep. Goal.
Not liking this, but that's okay; we've still got the 2 goal cushion. It's not unusual for us to allow teams to get 1 goal, and that's exactly what has happened tonight: Houston-4, Salt Lake-1, Referee-1.
We're looking tired out there, especially Jaqua. Nice shot D-Ro. I hope you don't end this season with 4 measly goals; that is not a reflection of what you bring to this team.
Ten minutes to go...we should be good, but Salt Lake is pressing, and we look tired. Who could Kinnear send in to spell the tired ones? Wondo for Jaqua would be good. Ianni for Cochrane would always be okay...although I haven't notice any of the goals being due to Cochrane tonight. After Wondo and Ianni, that’s about it for tested subs at this point.
Confusion in the box! Get it out of there! Rats. Goal. It's 4-3. What happened to our solid defense? This is looking like a crummy night.
I hate exciting sports stories when they're about other teams and my team serves only as the antagonist. I hope this weekend's story isn't about the hapless Salt Lake franchise turning the corner under their rookie coach, winning two straight and then coming back from a 3-goal deficit to get a result on the road against the MLS Cup Champions.
The supporters' section is spurring the team on. They are willing the Orange to victory. I hope they help the team get a second wind.
We're tired out there, but look at D-Ro hustle all the way back to our goal line to chase down that forward! He wants the points. I like that heart! Can we get another goal?
Three minutes stoppage time? Yikes.
Why, oh why, can't the folks at The Rob keep the clock running past the 90-minute mark? How hard can it be? How much time is left?
Good job Mullan, getting the ball down into the corner. Work that clock, Ngwenya! Ashe and Jaqua, playing smart on the left side.
Blessed relief! We got all three points! We'll have to clamp down on defense if we want to get that season record in the next 5 games, but those three points are what matters tonight! (Yet the ref nearly blew this one.)
Either there were fewer people at the game, or we dawdled in our seats for longer than usual. The traffic home seems slightly lighter than usual.
Hey, look! The Longhorns are pulling it out. Let's listen...they did it! Both my orange teams won, and we all got nice t-shirts. It's a good night after all.
My '95 Saturn didn't pass the emissions test? I can't renew the inspection sticker yet? I'm at 185,000 miles; I wonder if I can I push it to 200K? Probably not. What a rotten day. It's 3 hours until game time; let's start packing things up.
Hey where's the orange ruckack with everything in it? Probably in the same place as the missing TV remote. At least we have the tickets...we DO have the tickets, right?
It's an hour and a half until kickoff; let's load up the van! Its inspection sticker is okay, isn't it? Good.
It's cool that I can listen to the Texas Longhorns pre-game while we drive in. The way they played last week against Arkansas State, TCU could easily hand us our first loss. Wouldn't it be cool if I could listen to a Dynamo pre-game while driving in?
Hey, is that a spot on the street? Goldmine! We just saved ourselves $10!
Mmmm...Sam Adams Light is the best light beer. And it helps keep me sexy & svelte -- all 190 pounds of me.
No time for a second beer, we gotta get inside the stadium in time to get a free t-shirt. Let's go guys!
Hey is that the real MLS Cup? Cool! Hey, it feels kind of light. I wonder if it's hollow.
Free inflatable noise sticks for all three of my kids? Great.
There goes Dalglish on a golf cart into the parking lot. I wonder where he's going.
Hey, this shirt isn't so bad! No cheesy sponsors on it; just the actual Dynamo jersey sponsor. It's a good t-shirt replica of a jersey, actually. They even put the star above the shield, cool!
Section 118...Section 118...here we are.
That's a great "fan appreciation" video on the Jumbotron. That Waibel is a card. I wonder if we'll be able to find a copy of the video on Youtube later.
Dynamo Girls...Dynamo Diesel (how did they get Stuart Holden to be party to THAT?)...finally: the Braveheart Intro! Here comes the Orange!
Who is that announcer? I like the excitement he bellows when announcing the Dynamo lineup! He's better than the one they had at the Columbus Crew game. I hope they keep him.
Good a cappella rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Did the announcer just say something about a moment of silence to remember the fallen on 9/11? Hard to hear over the Texian Army and El Batallon. Did he just thank us for our silence? Hard to hear over the Texian Army and El Batallon.
Now let's get some noise going. Looks like a light crowd. Will we hit even 10,000 tonight? [Addendum: MLS states we had 16,104 present.]
Dynamo are looking good already. Lots of possession on the far half of the field (which is the attacking half from our seats).
Gooooooooaaaaaal, Dynamo! Ashe from the left to Jaqua! Was that Ashe's first assist? [Nope; his second.]
More possession. Man, we're looking sharp! Do we have twelve men on the field? We're sure to get a second goal here.
Dude, that MLS newbie just pushed our defender down in our own box. Looks like we'll be getting a free ki--what? That's not going to count is it? You're kidding me! Could you really not see that he fouled us to get that shot off? Section 118 is lined up perfectly, and I saw it. How could you not see it, AR? Let's check the replay...just as I thought! Boooooo! Booooo! It looks like Salt Lake is the one with a twelfth man, and he's wearing black!
If we don't get 3 points from this game, I'm calling Glenn Davis' radio show this week to complain about the quality of refs in this league. Last week Ngwenya nearly got his leg broken in Kansas City's penalty box, and there was no call. We should've won that game on the PK.
That Texian Army and El Batallon are keeping the crowd into it tonight.
Honey, do you want those peanuts? If not then--what happened? We scored? Eddie Robinson? Woo-hoo! And he's on my fantasy team, Balder Dash! Big points for me, and we're in the lead!
Eh, Bud Light is cold, but it's no Sam Adams Light...
Halftime, and we're up 2-1. That should be enough with our defense, but another goal would be nice. Let's see: if we keep their goal count to 1, then we can allow 2 goals per game the rest of the year and still set a new record for fewest goals conceded in a season. Let's do it, Dynamo.
Longhorns are down 10-0 at halftime? That figures.
Okay, the teams are back on the field...more Dynamo possession; good, they didn't lose their edge during the break.
Woo-hoo! Ashe to Jaqua AGAIN! And D-Ro started that off from the middle to Ashe. Now it's 3-1 and that should just about do it!
There goes Pope, being subbed off. That'll be the last time I see him play live. The best defender (thus far) the US has produced. I wish you a great retirement.
Holy cow, it's...yes! Ashe to Jaqua AGAIN! We're tearing it up on the left side tonight! With the 4 goals, it's game, set, match, Dynamo!
Ma'am, you dropped a $20 bill. My daughter saw it. Yeah, she's very considerate. She used to be a Brownie.
Ah, yes. Four to one. It's nice being able to relax and just watch the soccer game. No worries about the result. Nice heel flick, D-Ro. We're really comfortable out there now. Ooo, terrible shot, D-Ro; was that a cross or a shot? No matter, it's good that we're still attacking. Wow, great rip that time from distance, D-Ro; unlucky that the keeper was there. I wonder if Kinnear will put in one of the never used subs later? Hoo-boy, Ngwenya turned his man cold and made a great run; too bad Rimando got a bead on that one. We're keeping the pressure on and looking good. I wonder if we can get 5 tonight?
Ah, great! The supporters group is finally doing the "yo si le voy le voy al naranja" chant. I dig that one.
Oh look, my Longhorns have taken a lead. This is a good night.
It's almost to the 70-minute mark. Salt Lake must be desperate; they're cranking up the pressure. Corner kick. No worries, we're solid on these, so we -- did he just--? Yep. Goal.
Not liking this, but that's okay; we've still got the 2 goal cushion. It's not unusual for us to allow teams to get 1 goal, and that's exactly what has happened tonight: Houston-4, Salt Lake-1, Referee-1.
We're looking tired out there, especially Jaqua. Nice shot D-Ro. I hope you don't end this season with 4 measly goals; that is not a reflection of what you bring to this team.
Ten minutes to go...we should be good, but Salt Lake is pressing, and we look tired. Who could Kinnear send in to spell the tired ones? Wondo for Jaqua would be good. Ianni for Cochrane would always be okay...although I haven't notice any of the goals being due to Cochrane tonight. After Wondo and Ianni, that’s about it for tested subs at this point.
Confusion in the box! Get it out of there! Rats. Goal. It's 4-3. What happened to our solid defense? This is looking like a crummy night.
I hate exciting sports stories when they're about other teams and my team serves only as the antagonist. I hope this weekend's story isn't about the hapless Salt Lake franchise turning the corner under their rookie coach, winning two straight and then coming back from a 3-goal deficit to get a result on the road against the MLS Cup Champions.
The supporters' section is spurring the team on. They are willing the Orange to victory. I hope they help the team get a second wind.
We're tired out there, but look at D-Ro hustle all the way back to our goal line to chase down that forward! He wants the points. I like that heart! Can we get another goal?
Three minutes stoppage time? Yikes.
Why, oh why, can't the folks at The Rob keep the clock running past the 90-minute mark? How hard can it be? How much time is left?
Good job Mullan, getting the ball down into the corner. Work that clock, Ngwenya! Ashe and Jaqua, playing smart on the left side.
Blessed relief! We got all three points! We'll have to clamp down on defense if we want to get that season record in the next 5 games, but those three points are what matters tonight! (Yet the ref nearly blew this one.)
Either there were fewer people at the game, or we dawdled in our seats for longer than usual. The traffic home seems slightly lighter than usual.
Hey, look! The Longhorns are pulling it out. Let's listen...they did it! Both my orange teams won, and we all got nice t-shirts. It's a good night after all.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
A ReAL Opportunity
Saturday night, the Dynamo begin a stretch that will determine how realistic the term "top tier MLS team" will be when applied to the team -- and perhaps whether such superlatives should even be used when describing this team.
Yes, we all know the Dynamo are a top tier team. They've proven it against quality opponents, from domestic and international quarters alike. They routinely compete for the top honors, including the MLS Cup, Goal of the Year, and MVP (for D-Ro, who came in second) last year, and this year we have proven our abilities with three 4-goal games, a record setting shutout streak, and nearly a season record for fewest goals conceded.
If Dynamo-H has a weakness, it's in its inability to finish when controlling a match, and in its inability to get results against controllable opponents. Saturday night, when RSL comes to town (game guide), we face just such an opponent.
ReAL Salt Lake isn't the complete creampuff it once was. It has already beaten us once, and they are coming off a 2-game winning streak. They have also added some creative Argentines. Nevertheless, they are not Dynamo-caliber and we should be able to take a full 3 points versus them...particularly when playing in Houston.
Moreover, we NEED those three points. We don't have much of a shot at the Supporters' Shield anymore, but we still can nearly equal the prestige. The Supporters' Shield winner earns a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and in SuperLiga. The Dynamo can get into both of these prestigious competitions without winning the Shield if they (1) rank in the top four teams (which earns them a SuperLiga berth) AND (2) win the MLS Cup (which earns them a CCC berth, as well as accolades -- including a star on their crest -- for being the MLS Champion). The league is getting very crowded. We are competing not only with FCD and Chivas in our Conference, but also with DCU, New England, and RBNY. To accomplish our goals, we NEED every point that comes our way, and only 18 are left for us. Getting those points propels us towards the top 4 and towards home field advantage through the MLS Cup tourney.
We need those points, but can we get them? We have had trouble finishing lately. Injuries have sidelined some of our best players, and D-Ro (while not playing poorly) hasn't had the dominant season that he can have. We need to string together another run, and RSL is the perfect place to start.
I say that tonight we win and capture the 3 points, passing up our 11 win mark from last season and giving us 42 points. That won't be enough, but it's a start. Then it's off to LA and Dallas, before returning to face LA again at home for our final regular season home game. Greatness can begin tonight!
Yes, we all know the Dynamo are a top tier team. They've proven it against quality opponents, from domestic and international quarters alike. They routinely compete for the top honors, including the MLS Cup, Goal of the Year, and MVP (for D-Ro, who came in second) last year, and this year we have proven our abilities with three 4-goal games, a record setting shutout streak, and nearly a season record for fewest goals conceded.
If Dynamo-H has a weakness, it's in its inability to finish when controlling a match, and in its inability to get results against controllable opponents. Saturday night, when RSL comes to town (game guide), we face just such an opponent.
ReAL Salt Lake isn't the complete creampuff it once was. It has already beaten us once, and they are coming off a 2-game winning streak. They have also added some creative Argentines. Nevertheless, they are not Dynamo-caliber and we should be able to take a full 3 points versus them...particularly when playing in Houston.
Moreover, we NEED those three points. We don't have much of a shot at the Supporters' Shield anymore, but we still can nearly equal the prestige. The Supporters' Shield winner earns a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and in SuperLiga. The Dynamo can get into both of these prestigious competitions without winning the Shield if they (1) rank in the top four teams (which earns them a SuperLiga berth) AND (2) win the MLS Cup (which earns them a CCC berth, as well as accolades -- including a star on their crest -- for being the MLS Champion). The league is getting very crowded. We are competing not only with FCD and Chivas in our Conference, but also with DCU, New England, and RBNY. To accomplish our goals, we NEED every point that comes our way, and only 18 are left for us. Getting those points propels us towards the top 4 and towards home field advantage through the MLS Cup tourney.
We need those points, but can we get them? We have had trouble finishing lately. Injuries have sidelined some of our best players, and D-Ro (while not playing poorly) hasn't had the dominant season that he can have. We need to string together another run, and RSL is the perfect place to start.
I say that tonight we win and capture the 3 points, passing up our 11 win mark from last season and giving us 42 points. That won't be enough, but it's a start. Then it's off to LA and Dallas, before returning to face LA again at home for our final regular season home game. Greatness can begin tonight!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Coaching a Great Club
I've been thinking back to our loss to the last place team last Saturday. There's an old sports adage that says that players are responsible for victories while coaches are responsible for losses. Thus, as with any loss, some lay the blame of the RSL loss at the feet of Dom. To his credit, Dom, himself, took complete responsibility for the loss in his post-match interview.
For my part, I'm pretty pleased with the coaching philosophy displayed by Dom on Saturday. Tired though the team was, and playing away at semi-altitude, he still adopted an offensive game. Even in the second half, when a draw looked likely, he made attack-oriented substitutions with Jaqua and Ashe. This attitude is a credit to Dom and to the team. It shows that we are not like the Revolution and other MLS teams that sit back hoping for a counter and pleased with a tie. Too many MLS teams rely on that negative strategy, which may generate results, but it repulses fans; It's not the beautiful game, it's parasitic poaching.
(Read some excellent thoughts along the same vein by an RSL supporter here. "Playing for the win was the act of a true Champion. While it failed to pay off last night...in the long run this attitude is what separates the great clubs from all the rest.")
Yes, the lads were tired (and rightfully so) on Saturday. They've had a front-loaded campaign that began earlier (and with more intensity) than their MLS counterparts due to the CONCACAF Champions Cup, and recent SuperLiga matches have drained the legs further. Everyone (media, coach, and players) have observed the fatigue factor, while also stating that they don't want to use it as an excuse. (But still they mention it.) For this reason, I think that if Dom made a mistake, it wasn't that he kept his usual attacking strategy; that is the mark of a coach for a "great club." If he made a mistake, it was that he didn't go outside his "First XI" on Saturday.
One of the questions about the Dynamo -- the team's depth -- has become one the strengths of the Dynamo, as witnessed by the great run that started with the absence of DeRo, Ching, Clark, and Onstad. Given this fact, Dom could have rested a lot of his starters and relied on the support crew on Saturday. This would give his First 11 the rest that they need, and would provide valuable experience to the backups. If necessary, some of the first teamers could have come in as subs when they'd be able to face tired opponents.
By playing his starting 11, Dom showed his intent to treat every MLS game as meaningful, but he may have missed an opportunity to give his reserves some valuable experience, and may have jeopardized our readiness for Pachuca next week as Dynamo-H continues its quest for a million bucks.
All this is easy to say after the fact, of course. Had Dom played a B-team on Saturday, and had we lost, there'd be questions about his choice to jeopardize our MLS standings. There's also the question of how deep in the Reserves should Dom have gone to give his Starting 11 a rest. The whole team was tired. It's not unusual to see our forwards or middies exhausted by the end of a match, but when our indefatigable defenders are flagging, you know the fatigue is chronic. Do we have enough Reserves to fill all three levels on the field? And how deep should Dom have gone? Should he have given our greenest guys (e.g. Chabala, Hayden, and Ustruck) a shot? We have some good choices for the front line (Dalglish and Wondo) who weren't used, but injuries and DeRo's absence have diminished our options at Midfield. In the back line, the argument could have been made that Ianni should have played more to spell one of the other defenders, but Ianni is actually just as likely to start one of the next few matches as, say, Cochrane, so resting Ianni wouldn't hurt us.
And there's also the fact that we had a Reserve game the next day versus RSL, so anyone who was rested on Saturday would probably have had to play on Sunday anyway. Given this, Dom elected to play his A-team in the match that mattered. At least he rested DeRo for the whole weekend (RSL played Andy Williams for the entirety of the Reserve match).
I guess the only sure thing to say is that Dom showed that he operates with the coaching philosophy of a top-tier manager. While it sure would have been nice if we could have magically rested our players, it seems only the forwards had obvious substitutes waiting in the wings.
And coming up: a match at altitude versus Colorado. This match will have a bigger impact on our readiness for Pachuca. With the SuperLiga semifinals a few days away, how will Dom approach Colorado? Will our desire to avenge the CONCACAF series with Pachuca make Colorado yet another weak team (alongside Chicago, Toronto, and RSL) to get a result against the Orange? These are great questions that we can only see, unfortunately, on HDNet this weekend. I guess I've got to find a sportsbar with HDNet...
Go 'Mo!
For my part, I'm pretty pleased with the coaching philosophy displayed by Dom on Saturday. Tired though the team was, and playing away at semi-altitude, he still adopted an offensive game. Even in the second half, when a draw looked likely, he made attack-oriented substitutions with Jaqua and Ashe. This attitude is a credit to Dom and to the team. It shows that we are not like the Revolution and other MLS teams that sit back hoping for a counter and pleased with a tie. Too many MLS teams rely on that negative strategy, which may generate results, but it repulses fans; It's not the beautiful game, it's parasitic poaching.
(Read some excellent thoughts along the same vein by an RSL supporter here. "Playing for the win was the act of a true Champion. While it failed to pay off last night...in the long run this attitude is what separates the great clubs from all the rest.")
Yes, the lads were tired (and rightfully so) on Saturday. They've had a front-loaded campaign that began earlier (and with more intensity) than their MLS counterparts due to the CONCACAF Champions Cup, and recent SuperLiga matches have drained the legs further. Everyone (media, coach, and players) have observed the fatigue factor, while also stating that they don't want to use it as an excuse. (But still they mention it.) For this reason, I think that if Dom made a mistake, it wasn't that he kept his usual attacking strategy; that is the mark of a coach for a "great club." If he made a mistake, it was that he didn't go outside his "First XI" on Saturday.
One of the questions about the Dynamo -- the team's depth -- has become one the strengths of the Dynamo, as witnessed by the great run that started with the absence of DeRo, Ching, Clark, and Onstad. Given this fact, Dom could have rested a lot of his starters and relied on the support crew on Saturday. This would give his First 11 the rest that they need, and would provide valuable experience to the backups. If necessary, some of the first teamers could have come in as subs when they'd be able to face tired opponents.
By playing his starting 11, Dom showed his intent to treat every MLS game as meaningful, but he may have missed an opportunity to give his reserves some valuable experience, and may have jeopardized our readiness for Pachuca next week as Dynamo-H continues its quest for a million bucks.
All this is easy to say after the fact, of course. Had Dom played a B-team on Saturday, and had we lost, there'd be questions about his choice to jeopardize our MLS standings. There's also the question of how deep in the Reserves should Dom have gone to give his Starting 11 a rest. The whole team was tired. It's not unusual to see our forwards or middies exhausted by the end of a match, but when our indefatigable defenders are flagging, you know the fatigue is chronic. Do we have enough Reserves to fill all three levels on the field? And how deep should Dom have gone? Should he have given our greenest guys (e.g. Chabala, Hayden, and Ustruck) a shot? We have some good choices for the front line (Dalglish and Wondo) who weren't used, but injuries and DeRo's absence have diminished our options at Midfield. In the back line, the argument could have been made that Ianni should have played more to spell one of the other defenders, but Ianni is actually just as likely to start one of the next few matches as, say, Cochrane, so resting Ianni wouldn't hurt us.
And there's also the fact that we had a Reserve game the next day versus RSL, so anyone who was rested on Saturday would probably have had to play on Sunday anyway. Given this, Dom elected to play his A-team in the match that mattered. At least he rested DeRo for the whole weekend (RSL played Andy Williams for the entirety of the Reserve match).
I guess the only sure thing to say is that Dom showed that he operates with the coaching philosophy of a top-tier manager. While it sure would have been nice if we could have magically rested our players, it seems only the forwards had obvious substitutes waiting in the wings.
And coming up: a match at altitude versus Colorado. This match will have a bigger impact on our readiness for Pachuca. With the SuperLiga semifinals a few days away, how will Dom approach Colorado? Will our desire to avenge the CONCACAF series with Pachuca make Colorado yet another weak team (alongside Chicago, Toronto, and RSL) to get a result against the Orange? These are great questions that we can only see, unfortunately, on HDNet this weekend. I guess I've got to find a sportsbar with HDNet...
Go 'Mo!
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Licked by Salt Lake
Despite extreme jet-lag, I managed to stay awake for the entire Dynamo game. Question is: should I have?
I have to say I was extremely worried before the match. Then, during the pre-game, I cringed every time Charlie Pallilo would say "RSL is just plain bad" or "Coach, I suppose you don't expect to be tested much by this" or the dozens of times he mentioned that it was the "Best playing the worst." To me, comments like that just beg the Lords of Karma to amass their armies.
Not long after we heard for the sixth or so time that the Dynamo haven't allowed a goal in the final 15 minutes, while RSL had allowed about 2 dozen over the same period, Barrett mis-touched a ball around E-Ro. Birthday Boy Robbie Findley pounced on the ball and drove into the box. With Cochrane indecisive until too late, Findley was able to slot the ball under Onstad for the game winner. That left us with only 6 minutes of regulation to find the equalizer, and we didn't have the legs, touch, or inspiration to do that.
The goal was flukey, and I thought a bit soft. (Onstad can get those usually.) But it was, unfortunately, a pretty good reflection of how the game went. RSL, which has the worst offense in the league, moved the ball around confidently and maintained possession throughout the game easily. In the back, our defenders seem to have trouble with the "third man running" routine, and RSL seemed to be able to free up a man in our defensive third at will.
Going against one of the worst defenses in the league, Dynamo were able to generate a few threats, but couldn't get into the net. Our flanks were shut down pretty effectively, and our crossing was completely random. When we got into the box, we seemed stumped. Ching and Mulrooney each had opportunities that were completely fluffed (their shots looked more like passes to the keeper). Although I call RSL's goal soft, they could have put the game away much earlier had they not had atrocious finishing themselves. It was truly a sad game to watch from both sides.
But I give the boys credit: they worked hard, just not well. Dom kept trying to generate offense by putting in attacking options for his subs. With our defense gassed, Dom probably should've put Ianni in earlier, perhaps for Cochrane.
So we allowed RSL to double their wins, and we allowed the rest of the Western Conference to stay within reach of us.
I hope to chalk up this loss to being a mere hiccup in the season (and perhaps revenge by the Lords of Karma for our hubris). We need to turn things around with a victory at altitude over Colorado next weekend. This is our chance to show that we aren't suffering another post-international malaise. We've had troubles when facing inferior teams (Toronto, Chicago, and now Salt Lake), but we've got to reverse that trend and snare the full 3 points. Anything less and we keep the rest of the Western Conference too close -- and we might even be overtaken by FCD.
I have to say I was extremely worried before the match. Then, during the pre-game, I cringed every time Charlie Pallilo would say "RSL is just plain bad" or "Coach, I suppose you don't expect to be tested much by this" or the dozens of times he mentioned that it was the "Best playing the worst." To me, comments like that just beg the Lords of Karma to amass their armies.
Not long after we heard for the sixth or so time that the Dynamo haven't allowed a goal in the final 15 minutes, while RSL had allowed about 2 dozen over the same period, Barrett mis-touched a ball around E-Ro. Birthday Boy Robbie Findley pounced on the ball and drove into the box. With Cochrane indecisive until too late, Findley was able to slot the ball under Onstad for the game winner. That left us with only 6 minutes of regulation to find the equalizer, and we didn't have the legs, touch, or inspiration to do that.
The goal was flukey, and I thought a bit soft. (Onstad can get those usually.) But it was, unfortunately, a pretty good reflection of how the game went. RSL, which has the worst offense in the league, moved the ball around confidently and maintained possession throughout the game easily. In the back, our defenders seem to have trouble with the "third man running" routine, and RSL seemed to be able to free up a man in our defensive third at will.
Going against one of the worst defenses in the league, Dynamo were able to generate a few threats, but couldn't get into the net. Our flanks were shut down pretty effectively, and our crossing was completely random. When we got into the box, we seemed stumped. Ching and Mulrooney each had opportunities that were completely fluffed (their shots looked more like passes to the keeper). Although I call RSL's goal soft, they could have put the game away much earlier had they not had atrocious finishing themselves. It was truly a sad game to watch from both sides.
But I give the boys credit: they worked hard, just not well. Dom kept trying to generate offense by putting in attacking options for his subs. With our defense gassed, Dom probably should've put Ianni in earlier, perhaps for Cochrane.
So we allowed RSL to double their wins, and we allowed the rest of the Western Conference to stay within reach of us.
I hope to chalk up this loss to being a mere hiccup in the season (and perhaps revenge by the Lords of Karma for our hubris). We need to turn things around with a victory at altitude over Colorado next weekend. This is our chance to show that we aren't suffering another post-international malaise. We've had troubles when facing inferior teams (Toronto, Chicago, and now Salt Lake), but we've got to reverse that trend and snare the full 3 points. Anything less and we keep the rest of the Western Conference too close -- and we might even be overtaken by FCD.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Catching up on the hometeam
After a whirlwind trip through So-Cal (Houston-Ontario-Temecula-Escondido-San Clemente-Mission Viejo-Santa Ana-Houston), it seems H-Mo has been busy with SuperLiga. On my travels, I was equipped with only a Blackberry and hotel televisions, so I wasn't able to view the games, only the results.
It seems the pattern was thus:
H-Mo vs Club América: Dynamo were very attack-minded, and only the Net Virus that occasionally strikes our favorite team kept the score from being much more one-sided than the 1-0 score, with Jaqua netting the lone goal.
H-Mo vs Morelia: Dynamo (Ngwenya) scores in the first 10 seconds and the team plays a solid first half, then takes the second half off until miscommunication in the back gives Morelia the equalizer, igniting the tired Dynamo again...but the winning goal was not to be found. Stuart Holden plays like a man possessed.
H-Mo vs DC United: In a sluggish performance, Dynamo squeak past their MLS foes to advance to the Semi-Finals. Ching scores the Dynamo's requisite 1 goal for the game.
As I said, I haven't seen any of the games (though I have the first two recorded), so I can't comment on the veracity of the above summaries. I guess I'll have to lurk about bigsoccer.com to see what the general attitude is amongst the fans.
So, undefeated with a 2-0-1 record, Dynamo faces Pachuca in the Semis with an opportunity to avenge their CONCACAF Champions Cup loss. Playing at Robertson and in mid-season form, this is an excellent opportunity for the Orange to advance to the finals and the million dollar prize...assuming that fatigue doesn't get the best of them.
But first things first. Tonight we're in Salt Lake facing ReAL Salt Lake. RSL is at the bottom, and we're at the top, which leads us to the logical conclusion of an inevitable Dynamo victory. But, as we all know, soccer isn't always logical. RSL is hungry and we're tired, so bad things could happen.
At least I get to settle down in my recliner, turn on The Tube, and watch my Orange battle it out after my week-long abstinence from fandom. I'll certainly fight to keep my eyes open (I flew in on the red-eye this morning from California), and hope to be rewarded with another Dynamo victory, which would bring our wins for the season equal to the total for last season: 11.
Go Orange! Keep me awake!
It seems the pattern was thus:
H-Mo vs Club América: Dynamo were very attack-minded, and only the Net Virus that occasionally strikes our favorite team kept the score from being much more one-sided than the 1-0 score, with Jaqua netting the lone goal.
H-Mo vs Morelia: Dynamo (Ngwenya) scores in the first 10 seconds and the team plays a solid first half, then takes the second half off until miscommunication in the back gives Morelia the equalizer, igniting the tired Dynamo again...but the winning goal was not to be found. Stuart Holden plays like a man possessed.
H-Mo vs DC United: In a sluggish performance, Dynamo squeak past their MLS foes to advance to the Semi-Finals. Ching scores the Dynamo's requisite 1 goal for the game.
As I said, I haven't seen any of the games (though I have the first two recorded), so I can't comment on the veracity of the above summaries. I guess I'll have to lurk about bigsoccer.com to see what the general attitude is amongst the fans.
So, undefeated with a 2-0-1 record, Dynamo faces Pachuca in the Semis with an opportunity to avenge their CONCACAF Champions Cup loss. Playing at Robertson and in mid-season form, this is an excellent opportunity for the Orange to advance to the finals and the million dollar prize...assuming that fatigue doesn't get the best of them.
But first things first. Tonight we're in Salt Lake facing ReAL Salt Lake. RSL is at the bottom, and we're at the top, which leads us to the logical conclusion of an inevitable Dynamo victory. But, as we all know, soccer isn't always logical. RSL is hungry and we're tired, so bad things could happen.
At least I get to settle down in my recliner, turn on The Tube, and watch my Orange battle it out after my week-long abstinence from fandom. I'll certainly fight to keep my eyes open (I flew in on the red-eye this morning from California), and hope to be rewarded with another Dynamo victory, which would bring our wins for the season equal to the total for last season: 11.
Go Orange! Keep me awake!
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