Road trip to Dallas

Yesterday, the family took a trip to Pizza Hut Park for the first time. It was good to see live soccer again for the first time since last year, although both teams looked rusty. There was very little rhythm, very little creativity, and few passing combinations. The massive gusts of wind probably had a lot to do with that, and it also messed up the freestyle team from Toronto that performed at halftime. We sat in the NW corner, row 9, section 102, directly across from the Texian Army.

FCD probably had the more dangerous opportunities, while the Dynamo probably had a bit of an edge in the possession dept. Neither team worked through the midfield much. It was a game determined by individual spurts of genius and physical play.

Having said that, Chabala's first professional goal was one of the examples of good teamwork, starting with Davis passing through to Oduro who laid it off for Chabala who did a sliding strike on goal. Two minutes later, Hainault left his mark, Atiba Harris, who then proceeded to make a run, got the ball on the left flank about 25 yards from goal, did a quick cut in to wrong-foot Boswell, then made a sweet curving strike past Onstad.

Oduro proved again that he's got speed but no touch or form. Waibel looked scary even walking around the sidelines. ERob went down with an injury in the first half. That forced us to burn a sub (Cochrane) and also stinks because ERob is now sidelined like he was all last season.

As for the stadium, I liked it from a soccer standpoint, but not from a design standpoint. Here's what I thought:
The bad:

• From the outside, the stadium had all the appeal and uniqueness of a strip center. It was, frankly ugly. Dynamo stadium needs more appeal from the outside. It needs to sell the team to the outside community and needs to tie into the architectural vernacular of the region.
• On the inside, the stage provided a huge, lifeless zone, not that there are enough FCD fans to fill up stands if they had stands there.
• Pavilion roofing would be nice to hold in the acoustics and shield from the sun, which has to be oppressive in the summer.
• Needs viewscreens on the south side of the stadium for folks to view the replays down there.

The good:

• The field is absolutely gorgeous.
• The surrounding practice fields and youth tournament fields are also gorgeous.
• It was cool having a pub, Firehouse subs, and other restaurants within walking distance of the stadium.
• The whole area might have been sterile, but it was also clean.
• The seats were comfortable and had cup holders. We weren't worried about knocking over drinks, although the lady in front of us nearly put her elbow in my daughter's cup.
• The south-goal seating were bleachers, which is perfect for a supporter's group wanting to make noise, but seats ruled the sidelines, where the "mainstream" fan sits.
• The luxury seating is probably a good revenue generator, which is good for the club, but didn't adversely affect the affordable seating.
• Nice viewscreens on the north side. We were right by the screen on the NW side and could see every replay with ease.
• Two words: free parking!

I can't believe FCD has their own stadium with free parking, and they get only 8,000 people to their home-opener versus their in-state rival. The club is just sad, and their supporters are passionless. The stadium erupted when FCD scored, but other than that, the Texian Army was louder than the FCD group, which just stood there, frozen, watching the game; not even waving their flags. The only chant I heard was after the game, when some adolescent flag-waver on his way out of the stadium passed my family and shouted out to no one in particular "Go back to Houston! Get out of here!" Pathetic, really.

At least the host fans were very well-mannered. But there has to be a middle ground between passionless and volatile.

The first trademarked Dynamo win of 2009

The Dynamo have their first winning streak of the season after finally beating the New England Revolution at Foxboro. Holden scored from distance in the first half (via an uncharacteristic howler from Matt Reis letting the ball squirt under him and through his legs) then a patented Ching Snap-Header(TM) from a Davis corner kick in the second half sealed the deal. Add another Dynamo Clean Sheet(R) and you've got the first typical Dynamo win of the season.

Some among you would argue that last week's win versus Colorado was the first vintage Dynamo win because it involved (1) only one goal, (2) which was a [freakin' awesome] header by Ching, (3) from a cross by Davis, (4) coupled with a clean sheet, (5) in a home game, (6) on natural grass. I can't really argue with that list, but that game felt a like it involved a little luck (the cynics among you saying, "That's reason #7!") what with Onstad making several superhuman saves, none more important than the PK and successive point-blank shot.

What I liked about today's game was that we looked more like the aggressor even though we were the visiting team. Sure we were helped by the Revs missing several starters (been there), but even with their starters, Coach Nicol tends to play an ugly anti-soccer anyway. The gaffe by Reis to open up the scoring should have changed the complexion of the game. Usually the visitor bunkers in (New England, I'm looking at you!) and the home team becoms the aggressor. Instead, the Revs didn't get their first shot on goal until two-thirds of the game had passed.

It's good to get successive 3-points. That puts us only 11 points from the conference leaders, Chivas USA. Uh, 11 points back six games in? Oh. Well, at least we're gaining some ground.

Other highlight from the Revs game: seeing Andrew Hainault mesh with the back line to get the clean sheet, and seeing Ade Akinbiyi get some time with the team. Hainault saw more than a half of action and did very well. We didn't see much from Ade, given that he played only 5 minutes; but it was good to see him on the field. He looks strong.

Stadium News
The Chronicle has an article on the latest stadium developments.

This sounds good:

They envision an all-round two-level, all-seater venue with 34 suites, 86 concession point-of-sales, a 3,000 square-foot club level and a party deck on the southeast corner.

Plans also call for at least one canopy (west stands).... The field would be 13 feet below street level. The first seating level would be set on concrete, with aluminum for the upper level.

This doesn't:

A slick, intimate, futuristic-looking building with orange accents.

Plans also call for ... a stage (permanent or removable) on the south end.

I suppose stadium-beggars can't be choosers but I would rather have something architecturally similar to the nearby Minute Maid Park. It would be something timeless that would look contemporary, but with classical, vernacular elements that say "this is part of Houston's roots." Something slick and futuristic soon looks dated and cheap, like the Astrodome or Disney's Tomorrowland. It also looks like a flash-in-the-pan.

As for the stage, it had better be removable. I want the stadium to look like a stadium and nothing else. It should have wrap-around seating so that there is no place for the opponent to find peace away from the partisan Orange fans. The worst stadium development to happen in the past few years is when the Columbus Crew removed seats to install an ugly, permanent, dead zone so they could bring in a few concerts a year. This is not a soccer-specific stadium; it's a soccer-when-it's-convenient stadium. And it's not what we need or want for Houston.

I speak for all of Houston, by the way.

Happy Thanksgiving

It was good to start off the weekend with a final Dynamo home game. It ended as I thought it would with a Dynamo win, but I was disappointed that the Dynamo didn't handle Firpo better. (Recap. Recap 2.) They should have had a second goal in the first half, and should have done a better job of creating opportunities that could lead to a second goal in the second half. In the end, they made the match a lot harder on themselves and a lot more anxious for their fans by playing down to the competition.

I know that's soccer at times; but it happens a little too frequently for my tastes with this team. Of course a lot of the problem was the gamesmanship used by FIRPO to compensate for their incompetence, and the inconsistent officiating didn't help either. I think a substitute was called for earlier in the second half, but many of our off-the-bench talent was already on the field, and with Holden, Davis, and Cameron out, we didn't have a good option to help out in midfield, where we were struggling. Kei Kamara was a good sub when he came on.

Kei was an example of the best of the Dynamo that night. I loved how Kei twice waved his arms at the crowd to energize the stands. That was his way of saying "We're in a tight one down here, we need your help, guys." After the game, he and his teammates took to the center circle and applauded all four sides of the stadium. That was much needed, and much appreciated by the supporters. Soon after, my sons and I were walking behind the north goal on our way out of the stadium, when we saw Kamara walking down from the El Batallon section. I don't know what he was doing there, but I figure he had been showing his appreciation for the season-long fervent support.

(In addition to Kamara, Frankie Hejduk also knows how to get the supporters energized.)

While intermingling with the supporters groups is above and beyond the call of duty, the applauding of the fans is the sort of fan-feedback that a team should provide on a regular basis. It acknowledges the fans and is recognition that should be demonstrated by any player who expects fans to be cheering for him. I did notice that all three players subbed out (Jaqua, DeRo, and Ching) applauded the fans as they came off the field. The cheers for Jaqua, and his response, were a little more ardent due to the fact that we all knew that was his last appearance in Orange. He'll be wearing Seattle Emerald next year.

The game had a weird vibe to it. Maybe it's been too long since I attended a CONCACAF match. They didn't do the Star Spangled Banner after the line ups. The players didn't stand facing the crowd while the line ups were announced (they had moved to the shaking of hands, flipping of coins, and posing for pictures). And I didn't spot the Dynamo Girls even in the stands. I don't remember a confetti canon when Ching scored either. It was a no-frills game, I guess.

My sons and I were sitting in Section 203 for the game. We took the seats from a co-worker of mine who had season tickets but was heading out of town for the holiday. It turns out, the seats are right next to those of a former co-worker of mine. I worked with him from 1995-2000 and hadn't seen him since. It was good to catch up with him, but he did tell me a story about the Dynamo players that disturbed me. One day he came to a Dynamo Reserves match, and he saw Holden, DeRo, and another player (I can't recall who he said) watching the game from the goal line seats. He decided to go sit not too far from them. He didn't bother them -- he didn't even speak to them -- he just wanted to take in the game and watch some Dynamo first teamers root as fans too. Well, they called security on him and forced him to move. (He said he thought it was Holden, of all people, who called security.) I thought that was a pretty crappy thing for players to do at a game. It wasn't like they were out on the town; they were at a Dynamo game. If they wanted privacy, they should go to one of the boxes. It wasn't like he was bothering them anyway. I hope that my old friend just misunderstood the situation and it was security -- and security alone -- who saw him and decided to relocate him.

At any rate, the Dynamo players did show their fan appreciation on Wednesday, and they were definitely the classier of the two teams on the field. Overall, they gave us a season of quality and came close to bringing home some silverware in the Pan-Pacific Cup and SuperLiga. They had also positioned themselves well for completing the nearly impossible three-peat. However, this year, for the first time, they brought home no awards -- not even El Capitan for the first time ever. Still, they're better positioned than most teams for a solid 2009 campaign, and they're the only MLS team heading to the quarterfinals of the Champions League Cup.

A few moves off-season should ensure a good 2009 -- and hopefully a better start than 2008. We also need to get that stadium situation settled (and find a way to do so WITHOUT allowing football lines on the damn grass). If $10 million really is the difference between a downtown stadium or none, you'd think that Anschutz would pony it up since they'd easily make that back with a stadium located in the Central Business District.

Maybe such gifts are better discussed around Christmas time. Right now we're enjoying Thanksgiving and we should be thankful for what we have.

Thanks for a great season, Dynamo and Dynamofans. Here's hoping for an even better one next year.

More on El Capitan ... and more

Here's the gameday preview from The Chron (Ching: "At times we are (playing like a champion); we have glimpses of that." Kinnear: "It's been kind of a mixed bag.") and the associated notes.

I'm not a big fan of NY City as a place to live, but there certainly are a lot of benefits. How about a "pick-up" game in the park with Steven Nash and Thierry Henry? Here's a blog that covers the individual performances, and here's Ives' live (and brief) commentary and Ives discussing the question as to why Reyna can play here, but not for the team that signs his paycheck.

As for the pick-up game: Yeah, I'm jealous. At least we get the Free Kick Masters (which isn't free).

Stadium-ish news
How about this late-breaking news about a new practice facility for the Dynamo. This has been in the works for some time.

Mayor Bill White unveiled plans for a regional amateur sports complex to be
built on Houston’s south side Thursday. White joined community partners to
discuss the future facility and to announce plans for a private fundraising
campaign to support development.

The planned 100-acre, 18-field complex,
bounded by Highway 288 and Kirby Drive on the east and west sides and Sims Bayou
on the south, will provide a world-class soccer facility for Houston area youth
and adult league play. It will immediately become a soccer destination for
regional and major tournaments.

The first phase of the project provides
for street and infrastructure improvements and construction of eight soccer
fields at a cost of $10 million and is to be completed by December of 2009.
Within the next 90 days, public works officials will present to city council
plans for infrastructure to support the facility and a contract ready to be
awarded for the extension of Kirby Drive.

Plans are being developed to
make the complex the training home for the two- time MLS Cup Champion Houston
Dynamo and its youth programs.

I'm sure the Chronicle will have more information later today.

The Earthquakes on the Hero's Journey

Tomorrow, the Dynamo meet Dallas in Frisco in the quest for El Capitan. But before we look to the future, let's wallow around in the past for one more post.

The San Jose Mercury News has a post-match analysis of the Earthquake victory over the Dynamo.

There's nothing particularly insightful regarding the match itself, but there's some neat stuff nonetheless.

For instance, "It was not only a win, but a win against the old Earthquakes," said forward Kei Kamara.

This quote suggests a mentality some have about sport. For these folks, sporting events are more than just a fun time or an impressive spectacle of athleticism; for them, sport can be a metaphor for life. Often it's a simple metaphor, like an underdog defeating a superior opponent; but sometimes the message is quite complex, like the one here where the new Earthquakes defeat the old Earthquakes. Here, we're treading on mythological ground in the mold of Joseph Campbell. Sometimes a hero cannot assume his rightful place in life until he has defeated (usually killed) the one who currently is in that position. "Killing the one who is before" sometimes takes the narrative form of a hero defeating a king to ascend to the throne, a son killing a corrupt father to assume the leadership position, or a Jedi-apprentice having to kill his father, Darth Vader. In reality, the message is hearkening to more psychological notions, such as by suggesting one cannot find oneself until one has killed one's own ego. If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha, if you will.

So, in other words, the Earthquakes defeat of the Dynamo was more than an expansion team beating a league champion. It was a timeless tale with mythological undertones that suggested to the insightful that the Earthquakes have defeated their predecessor -- have killed the Buddha -- and can now continue as a soccer club on equal footing with all others, rather than living as a lesser club.

Of course, we all know that the real reason for the loss isn't because of any archetypal construct, but because the Dynamo weren't focused on the task at hand until too late.

Besides suggesting mythological archetypes, the Mercury News also discusses the MLS as a "theater of the absurd" by summarizing the stadium situations for San Jose and Houston. "Apparently, AEG's ineptness (unlike the championship banners) stays with the franchise, no matter where it goes."

Another post-mortem article, this one from B-Fall and the Chronicle, has a great quote by E-Rob. "Our movement off the ball was pretty pathetic; our decision-making was bad; possession was awful. We were complacent. I really hope the guys look at how they played and are a bit embarrassed about it."

On the road to San Jose

Ah, lovely San Jose. Much will be made of the first official face-off between the ex-Quakes and the neo-Quakes. Certainly there will be background interest, with the fan support likely being a little more vociferous. That might spur the neo-Quakes a little more, but the neo-Quake players (save Ryan Cochrane and maybe Ramiro Corrales and, to a lesser degree, Joe Cannon) have no vested interest in the historical significance. They just want to win. The ex-Quakes might be slightly distracted by nostalgia; and don't forget, it's also mentor (Frank Yallop) versus pupil (The Dom). Still they (The Dom and his players) are professionals so the effect of distraction should be only minimal.

On paper, and given the recent run of form, it should be an easy victory for the Dynamo. Which is why I see a draw; probably at 1-1.

Why would I say this? Not because of any ex-Quake vs neo-Quake bubbling of emotions. I think a draw is the likeliest outcome because the (neo-)Quakes are a mediocre team and the Dynamo tend to get mediocre results against such teams. The 2006 season saw us get two ties versus the average Columbus Crew and a 3-1 loss to pathetic RSL, as well as a failure to score versus 10-man teams on more than one occasion. In 2007 we had a loss and a tie to bottom-feeder Toronto (and the 0-0 tie was after Toronto played with 10 men for more than half the game). We also lost to pathetic RSL and Colorado consecutively, and to the Beckham-less Galaxy in our final regular season home game.

The MIO do well versus talented teams, which is absolutely fantastic because it would be difficult to correct this flaw otherwise. An easier flaw to correct is the failure to get full points versus struggling teams, and the Dynamo need to be better in this regard. Winnning against top-tier teams is how you win high-stakes championship games (which is what the Dynamo do); but winning against the bottom-feeders is what builds up your point total so you can earn the "body of work" accolades, like the Supporters' Shield.

Hopefully the Dynamo step out of character and earn the full three from San Jose.

Here's is Jeff Carlisle's preview of the game. "De Rosario remains the player most teams try to stop, with two defenders often being thrown at the Canadian the moment he collects the ball. As a result, De Rosario has struggled to put up the numbers that made him an MVP candidate back in 2006. But Kinnear feels that by simplifying his game, De Rosario can get back to his swashbuckling ways."

Here's a piece from USA Today. Mulrooney on the San Jose fans, "They remember what we did for them in terms of winning a couple of championships, and we remember what they did for us in terms of giving us unbelievable atmosphere and memories we'll never forget. But living in the past is sometimes dangerous."

And here's an article from The Californian. Ryan Cochrane on the Dynamo, "They're going to come after us and get crosses in, because that is their strength. They're very similar to a lot of teams in that there are not a lot of holes and they are solid all the way through." And on the "Old vs New" story that will no doubt be reiterated endlessly by ESPN on Thursday, "We played them in the preseason and got that whole 'Old Earthquakes-New Earthquakes' thing out of the way from a player's standpoint. Now it's just another team."

Some final Chicago Fire observations
In an article with the cool headline "Rain, Wind, Fire Can't Slow Dynamo," The Dom says the Toyota Park field was perfect even with the rain. That surprises me. I saw several players slip, even when all alone with the ball and no pressure being applied. That made me think that the field must not be at the standards set by, say, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, which has an impressively immaculate field even when wet. If the problem doesn't lie with the field, maybe it lies with the Dynamo equipment manager who didn't have the players wearing cleats with long enough studs.

Also, here are the game summaries of two supporters. The Chicago supporter opines thusly "It’s clear to me that anyone in the East who wants to wrest [the] MLS Cup from Houston’s grasp is going to have to do it themselves at the Home Depot Center on November 23rd." I hope that holds true.

Outrageous Observation of the Week (OOW)-inaugural edition
You've heard by now that Dallas has fired its underachieving coach, Steve Morrow. He wasn't the best of managers, so I'm not surprised that he was let go; but the timing this early in the season is a surprise. Maybe it's because they have their eye on someone already. But who? It would have to be someone notable.

I've had an epiphany. My outrageous suggestion: Hugo Sanchez.

Yeah, I know: silly. But hear me out.

Sanchez is an ex-Dallas player. He played for the Dallas Burn in the first year of the MLS. So he has ties (albeit weak ties) with the club. This connection also gives him familiarity with the MLS environment. The familiarity is a bit dated, true; but it's better than the familiarity held by any other coach with recent experience managing a national team.

Dallas would want "Hugol" because of the celebrity. They have a history of bringing in Latinos with name recognition (Denilson last year, Davino this year). Most importantly, they are hungry for success on the field (which Sanchez might bring) and are especially eager to fill seats (which Sanchez would do).

Sanchez, for his part, would want the job because it would be a good start as he seeks to rebuild his credibility as a coach after a lackluster stint at his dream job: coaching the Mexican national team. Dallas would get him back into the industry, and has the added benefit of being outside of the intense scrutiny he'd face with a Mexican club. Yet he's still close enough to Mexico to snipe from close range, as he is wont to do.

Chalk it up as my wild prediction of the week.

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...

De La Hoya and the politics of the MLS

Did you see this article about the most famous of our owners, Oscar De La Hoya? "I can't wait, once I hang up those gloves, to be at every single soccer game, cheering on the Houston Dynamo." The article talks about how OdlH may or may not mesh with the political arena of stadium negotiations.

And here's an article about the fight itself. How about that slick shield on them shorts?

Source: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

The Commish and more inept and amateurish comments about the stadium
From San Jose, the Commish speaks again about the Houston stadium situation. The article says "There's no way that [the Dynamo relocate] with De La Hoya involved, and a record of two titles in two seasons, and raucous crowds most nights at Robertson Stadium, and [De La Hoya's business partner Gabriel] Brener having a sister and brother living in Houston."

Regarding the letter Garber sent to the Dynamo's owners in an attempt to sound like a cultured thug, Garber said, "I didn't think that [the mayor releasing the letter] was playing fair. But this is a tough business we're in and the mayor is not somebody we've had a close relationship with. That wasn't a public document." Sounds to me that he should blame his friends at AEG for giving the letter to the mayor. Originally Garber said that it was an internal letter to AEG and the mayor wasn't the intended recipient, but these words sound as if the mayor was the assumed recipient after all.

In the past I have considered Garber a good commissioner. He has done a lot of good things for the sport in general and the MLS specifically. He's taken measures to try to improve the quality of play on the field, including by trying to improve the officiating and the general atmosphere (for example, by instituting the pre-game MLS Anthem [recorded in Prague for an American league, but I digress....]). He's been open to new ideas and has been a champion for the league. But recently he has seemed arrogant, abrasive, and without any tact whatsoever. I will be happy (1) when the stadium issue is resolved, and (2) when the final ownership structure stabilizes. Then we can go back to focusing on the GM, coach, and players who have proven themselves to be the class of the league, and Garber can go back to hawking the LA Galaxy as the jewel for the casual soccer fan.

Speaking of The Jeeze, you know their DP, Becks, will have to be selected as player of the week even though he led his team to only a draw with RSL. Generally, the player of the week is a simple addition formula: add up the goals everyone has made that week, and the one with the highest number must be the player of the week. You don't have to be able to appreciate the subtleties of the sport if you can boil the process down to simple math. And if you add His Royal Beckness to the equation, you've got a lock for player of the week. (And he's so dreamy, to boot!)

Still, sarcasm aside, that first goal of his versus RSL was a beauty. (But even so, I think he is the first player to have two GOTW nominations in one week. The hint of special treatment continues.)

Chivas, on the rocks

Chivas is coming to town, having about as much trouble in the young season as the Dynamo are. Thing is, Guzan is a good keeper who can shut us down, Kljestan is a proven goal scorer as is the Razov/Galindo combination. And that Galindo? He's fast. Our back line? Not so much.

Last year we managed to keep a clean sheet versus Chivas in all three of our matches, while we scored 1, 4, and 0 goals in the matches. This year Chivas has won only one game (to our none) and lost three (to our two). They've beaten RSL, drawn with Dallas, and lost to Dallas, LA, and Columbus. Versus similar opponents here are the goals for and the goals against:

v Dallas:
Houston GF: 3, GA: 3
Chivas GF: 1, GA: 3 (over 2 games)
v LA:
Houston GF: 2, GA: 2
Chivas GF: 2, GA: 5
v Columbus:
Houston GF: 0, GA: 1
Chivas GF: 3, GA: 4

A slight advantage goes to Chivas for goals scored (6 versus our 5) while a more significant nod for goals conceded goes to Houston (6 allowed versus 12 allowed by Chivas).

The only solid conclusion about tonight: either team can win. Let's make it the Dynamo, since they'll be at home and they don't want to start May like they left April: winless.

My guess: Dynamo 2, Chivas 1.

Media roundup:
MLS game preview.

MLS game article. Witty Waibel quote: "Winless? Who is? We are? I didn't even realize that we were winless."

The Chronicle's pre-game article. The Championship rings that will be passed out today are "nothing more than a memento of triumphs past in a present in which that winning feeling has been tough to duplicate." Here's hoping that the Lords of Irony don't follow the ceremony with an unceremonious loss. The Dynamo "seem to have graduated from frustration to optimism throughout the week as they digested last Saturday's 1-0 loss at Columbus, which kept them winless to start the season."

Here are Game Notes from The Chronicle. Stuart Holden will play for the (re-)injured Brad "Keebler" Davis.

Here's an article on Stuart Holden. "Holden, who was born in Scotland yet calls Houston his hometown, is one of the team's better passers and has a rocket for a shot that is highly accurate."

Glenn Davis' blog covers the key matchups.

B-Fall talks about Joe Ngwenya. "With league play over, Ngwenya appeared in just one game for a team that finished second to last in the standings. If you're thinking Ngwenya is not happy, you are correct."

Random soccer stadium talk:
US Soccer Players talk about the Toronto stadium, and the qualities that make it one of the better stadiums. "Toronto has the appropriate stage, a working critique of the earlier rounds of soccer-specificity that wanted micro sized Euro stadiums as a partial grab at authenticity. Well, they got it...." And "One of the working critiques of the building currently under construction in Salt Lake is that it's too close to the Bridgeview model. Toyota Park shouldn't be the template after seeing it in practice. The same is true for the rest of the League's multi-use venues. None of them are bad necessarily, but they're not the Camden Yards style revolution in stadium construction. Shifting the focus towards staging events rather than soccer takes away from the environment. Even Carson doesn't quite get it right." I italicized the sentence that really summed it up for me.

Ives Galarcep talks about his experience at the BMO here ("The benefit of having a stadium filled with season-ticket holders is that all these people know each other, so when one section can finish the chant another section starts it's pretty damn impressive.") and here ("A typical Toronto FC match day begins with the club's largest supporters' groups, the Red Patch Boys and U-Sector, converging on a pair of local pubs hours before kickoff.")

Another brief aside on the Stadium

The US Soccer Players blog has a take on the Houston Stadium situation from an outsider's viewpoint. "This hasn’t gone down well with anyone. From the Mayor who said he doesn’t respond well to threats, to the fans who have supported their club at Robertson Stadium, and even the far removed from Houston neutrals like this Grown Man. The prestige of the league would suffer a blow if its second dynasty franchise was moved for the same reason twice."

And Fox News talks about a possible "new ally" for a Downtown Dynamo stadium: TSU. (Not TSU, TSU.) "'TSU athletics and its football program would be excited to be able to participate and partner with all entities involved in the project to ensure Texas Southern has a state of the art football facility,' said Charles McClelland, the schools' new athletics director."

More Dynamo Stadium Dreaming

All this hullabaloo about the stadium has got me to thinking: once we get a stadium, what do we want it to look like? What are the qualities of a good stadium? What do I want to see in the Home of the Dynamo?

Here's what I want.

First, I want Dynamo Stadium to be a soccer-specific stadium (SSS, or, as they're called in England and elsewhere where soccer is the primary sport, "stadium"). There aren't too many SSSs in the US nor even in the MLS. The Home Depot Center? It's a soccer-when-it's-convenient stadium (SWICS). Last summer I drove past the HDC and the field was covered with mounds of dirt and curvilinear superstructures for the X-games. The field took some time to recover from that affair. And remember during SuperLiga when the Galaxy had to limit the number of tickets it sold for its game, which was scheduled on a school night for the landlord, Cal State Dominguez Hills? And then there's the SWICS in Frisco, where a concrete stage takes up the entire space behind one goal line. (Can't they put bleachers on the stage during game day?) Dynamo Field will surely host its share of concerts and non-soccer events, but it would be nice if those would be secondary to the primary use of the facility: soccer. In fact, if the ancillary events could be limited to sporting events, there might be less wear and tear on the field. I want the pitch to look like a pristine park on every game day.

And speaking of the pristine pitch; the field is perhaps the most important component of the stadium. Soccer is much like baseball in that variations in the field composition and even dimensions can affect gameplay, hopefully to the benefit of the home team. The field must be natural grass, foremost. I also prefer a much larger pitch, like the field at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, which boasts the largest field in the MLS at 120x80 yards. This wide field actually plays to the Dynamo's strengths as a flank-attacking team (and minimizes their weakness: finding room to pry open bunkered defenses). The Dynamo's field at The Rob is one of the smallest fields at 115x70 yards -- dimensions that actually work against the Dynamo's strengths in my mind. The mile-high DSG Park also has excellent drainage. Last year Dynamo Houston played in a freezing deluge, and the field stood up very nicely. We need that with the monsoons we sometimes get here in the Bayou City.

Seating should surround the field. I've already condemned the concrete stages that take up half of some stadia. There shouldn't be any place where opposing keepers can relax and feel they're out of the spotlight. Seats should surround the field and come as close to the field as possible, much like at The Rob. I differ from many fans in that I do want actual seats to sit in, but it would be nice to have bleachers at the end lines, or at least along the end line where the Texian Army and El Batallon sit stand. The seats should be orange (for television purposes) and on tiered concrete, although having the supporters on metal bleachers would ensure their percussive stomping thunders throughout the stadium.

The stands need a roof above to shield the sun, divert the rain, and trap the noise. While a retractable would be nice (and maybe I should throw that in since this is just a wish list anyway), I'm completely fine with the partial roofs you see at the HDC and DSG Park. I would consider something like that to be a necessity.

I also like the way that the Rapids' stadium's roof has the added quality of being a design feature that reflects its environment. The DSG roof is slanted and tiered like the rising slabs of rock of the nearby Rocky Mountains. In Chicago/Bridgeview, Toyota Park has brick tied to its exterior (though I don't think it's to be found inside the stadium anywhere) which makes the stadium feel like it belongs among the brick buildings of that area. I think that's called idiomatic design. Likewise, I want the Dynamo's home to look unique and reflect the character of Houston. It shouldn't be a soulless metal structure like in Columbus or a featureless hole in the ground like in Frisco. Material should be stucco, to reflect the coastal style, or limestone and beams, to bring in a more "hill country" flair. The Rob has palm trees and hedges inside the stadium (where they are enjoyed while watching a game, not just when walking up to the ticket counter), and similar flora would add to the park-like setting established by that pristine green pitch. I'd like Dynamo Stadium to be more than a place to play soccer. It should be a visual enhancement to the downtown area, a timeless edifice that will be appreciated for years to come. It should be as appealing on the interior as the exterior, with the team adding to the atmosphere with its energy and a few championship banners fluttering around.

A highly visible niche should be created for El Capitan. We'll have it often, and we need to display it whenever the Frisco team comes to town. It should also be fired whenever we score or win versus FCD, much like what UT does with "Smokey the Cannon."

I'd like some vendors beyond the usual hotdog fare. BBQ, fajitas, and maybe even Christian's Burgers (!) should be represented, sure; but I'm more interested in getting some beer selections that extend beyond Bud and Miller. The Home Depot Center, to its credit, has a booth selling Guinness, Harps, and Smithwick's for only $2 more than the usual stadium swill. Shiner would be a good start and St. Arnold's would be a great addition to the tap line.

It looks like Downtown is the likeliest location for Dynamo Stadium, and that would be best for all concerned: fans, team, front office, the city, everyone. Centralized for easier access, near the activity of downtown, and actually in the city it's named for. Add a light rail line and it's like you're living in Europe. Almost.

Finally, and this is at the bottom of the list, but how nice would it be for the stadium to reflect the name of the Dynamo or a feature of Texas or Houston, rather than just being a bland name of a corporation that evokes no images of soccer or of the town whatsoever. (Okay, Enron Field was connected to Houston, and that just furthers my argument.) I realize that this is just pie in the sky dreaming, because naming rights are one of the ways sport franchises make money, and they don't want to cut off that revenue stream (and particularly not if "they" is "AEG") for mere sentimentality. Heck, what's in a name anyway? Nevertheless, it would be nice for the stadium to be named in way that integrates it into the city rather than making it a fancy billboard for commuters on US 59.

This has been therapeutic. Now about that St. Arnold's...

Post script: Here's an article in Forbes regarding "Super-Stadiums." It includes some beauties. On the soccer side, that Red Bulls Park looks nice.

Stadium haggling

Within perhaps minutes of the announcement that the team-formerly-known-as-the-Earthquakes was coming to Houston, there began talk of a new permanent stadium for the eventually-to-be-named-Dynamo. As we know, "talks" continue. Occasionally we'll hear something positive from Oliver Luck, but then someone from the soulless AEG conglomerate will speak out of both sides of his mouth. First they will say that they're fronting all the money, with only utilities being funded publicly. Next, they'll say they expect 35%-40% of the cost to be publicly funded. AEG may know numbers, but they sure are ham-fisted when it comes to dealing with people. It's amazing that they've been able to complete so many publicly-financed deals already, but maybe that's due to their effective use of relocation threats if not even more unsavory tactics.

Now they've got Don Garber writing velvety threats that insult the intelligence of everyone involved. Does the Commish really think the key players don't understand the ramifications of not getting a deal done? Of course not, he's just trying to be intimidating. Unfortunately for him, the MLS isn't really a heavyweight so his threats may do more harm than good.





If they keep this up they'll drive Oliver Luck, the best GM in the league, out of the footie industry in search of a less flaky organization. It's too bad that we can't find a local owner with class that matches the class of the team.

Mayor White doesn't want to use public funds for obvious reasons. But he also may not be able to do so. Restrictions on public funding were written into the Toyota Center charter. That seems mighty presumptuous of Les Alexander and the Rockets: "Give us public funds to provide infrastructure for my private venture, and sign this agreement forbidding you to help anybody else." Sounds like the City got taken on that one.

Luck has a better feel for the local situation that AEG's Tim Leiweke does. Luck has said: "Although we have not reached an agreement with the city of Houston, we are anxious to come to closure on the terms of a public-private partnership with the city and we are willing to assume responsibility for a much higher proportion of the costs than any other team owner has had to assume in Houston."

He also had to scramble to put together a save-the-face press conference, which didn't really say much, but was intended to sooth sore feelings.

At any rate, B-Fall states there isn't much news at the moment. Stayed tuned to The Chronicle. UPDATE: B-Fall has an article with more explanation, plus a blog post with some informal thoughts. Glenn Davis agrees that Don Garber fluffed the kick on this one. (I know, I know: Garber has never kicked a soccer ball in his life, but since he's the Commish of the national soccer league, I thought I'd use a sport-relevant idiom to sound clever and give me a chance to parenthetically state that Garber has never kicked a soccer ball in his life.)

Meanwhile, it looks like AEG is continuing with the design work just in case the company's relationship-building impediment doesn't kill the deal. The project manager for the stadium, IKON, is basically a subsidiary of AEG. As integrated as AEG is into the MLS, it's no surprise that IKON is behind several of the MLS stadia: Home Depot Center, Toyota Park, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Red Bull Park, Real Salt Lake's stadium, and numerous non-MLS stadia in and out of the US. Here in Houston, IKON has apparently selected a short list of firms to design the new stadium. The article also says that the MLS "is close to working out a deal with the City of Houston which is close to finalizing the acquisition of a chunk of prime acreage near Minute Maid Park for the $80 million stadium, which could open as early as 2010." Well, we'll see about that.

The fact is, everybody is posturing right now. Soccer fans should feel lucky that Oliver Luck is the proxy mediator between the politicians and the corporate suits. If anyone can see this thing through to the finish, it's Mr. Luck.

More ownership rumors-Oscar De La Hoya

Almost exactly one year after AEG said (fooling no one) "The Dynamo are not for sale," KHOU is reporting that AEG is trying to sell the team for "$35-$40 million" with the price predicated on whether there is a stadium deal.

And from the I don't like the sound of this department, KHOU reports:

"Boxer Oscar De La Hoya is interested in buying the Dynamo with his company Golden Boy Productions. Representatives of the company have visited Houston, attended games and are very impressed with the way the franchise is operated along with how the team has played."

I don't think I want our team dragged into that soap opera.

Feting the Orange

It was a great turnout at City Hall last night. I managed to get there, albeit a little late due to circling downtown searching for a parking spot. Note to self: don't head into downtown without cash for parking in the future; quarters won't cut it.

I was crossing Walker Street just as the first Dynamo ("...your captain, Wade Barrett!") was being introduced by Glenn Davis. Throughout the proceedings I walked around to view the stage from different angles. It was a well done event. I thought Coach Kinnear's speech was great -- and I'm glad to hear that he's getting along with his neighbors. He thanked them for the free beer and something else, I couldn't hear what, but the bottom line is this: One of the virtues Texans have is their friendliness, and apparently Dom is fortunate to live near some friendly folk. I'm always pleased when I hear our adopted team is enjoying their adopted home.

I'm sure many fans who read the Chronicle blogs understood the inside joke when Dom thanked Bernardo Fallas and referred to him as "teacher."

The chants for a new stadium were well received by officials. It would be nice to have a permanent home for the team and for the fans, and it would be a boon economically with regards to bringing in international competition.

Great quote by Mayor White, "If you don't like Dynamo soccer, you don't like sports."

Mike Jones had a spirited rendition of his Who? Houston Dynamo! ("Houston Dynamo (Don't Play)") song. (Download here.) I left after the team departed the stage and the salsa band struck up their tunes. Salsa should be played at every practice to establish the proper playing rhythm, by the way.

I arrived at home in time to listen to Glenn's show. Stuie was his usual chipper self. (I heard him on 790AM at 8 AM as I drove into work...long day for him...I wonder if he managed to squeeze in his daily run?) Kinnear sounded absolutely wiped on Glenn's show and seemed more terse in his replies to callers and, to a degree, to Glenn as well. I can't blame him.

He and his team have been going non-stop since the end of January. That's nearly 10 months straight, and includes travel to different time zones and different countries. His players have been physically bruised and battered weekly over that time, and still keep coming back for more. Enduring punishing games and intense practices, Dom and the players have still found time to zip off to countless fan meet-and-greets, media events, and official meetings with officials and politicos. They faced praise as well as criticism from the fans and media, and have been (mostly) unfazed by either, and stuck to doing their jobs. Family priorities have been placed on the back burner while they focused on their overarching goal, winning a second MLS Cup. And, in the end, their sacrifices and pain and perseverance saw them achieve that goal.

We praise the stars of the Dynamo, and rightly so, but the whole team deserves praise. Ianni won us 3 valuable points with his goal at Kansas City this year. Wells helped us along our winning streak when Onstad was away on international duty (and Wells helped us at the international level when Onstad was injured at the beginning of the year). Ashe got three assists --every one of them needed--to give us 3 valuable points versus Real Salt Lake this season. Chabala, Hatzke, Hayden, James, and Ustruck helped our starting XI stay sharp at practice, worked behind the scenes to improve their own game, and kept the Dynamo flag flying in the local community (not only at social events, but also by rolling up their sleeves and helping their neighbors), and did so anonymously, for the most part. And Holden -- ah, heck, he's not in the background anymore; he's become one of the stars! He's an inspiration to reserves everywhere.

When Dom was on the radio show last night with Glenn, Glenn would ask callers if they had any questions for Dom. Most of the callers just had congratulations to pass along, but would squeeze out a lame question when pressed. And why were these questions lame? It's not because fans didn't care about the accomplishments, nor because fans were in a "what about next season?" mode. It was because Dom and the team have answered every single question before them. And the answers were for the most part satisfying.

Was 2006 a fluke?
Will the Dynamo have the depth to endure a long season that includes several extracurricular tournaments?
Could the Dynamo hold its own against high-quality international competition?
Could the Dynamo compete without DPs against MLS teams that have evolved?
Can the Dynamo overcome a slow start?
Would the Dynamo be able to make the personnel changes to adapt to a changing league?
Can the Dynamo hold onto its talismanic player, Dwayne DeRosario?
Would Dynamo's stars continue to perform well in the big-stake matches?
Will there be any reserves that make an impact?
Will the Dynamo have another serious contender for goal of the year?
Will the Dynamo be wrongly cheated out of several individual awards by the national media and/or fans? (Last year, it was DDR for MVP; this year it was the defense and/or GK, plus GOTY.)
Will the Dynamo Girls and Diesel be able to integrate into a soccer environment?
Will we see additional financial backing of the team?
Will the strong fan support continue, or even expand?
Can the Dynamo hold on to El Capitan?
Winning the Cup is like capturing lightning in a bottle; Can the Dynamo win it twice in a row?

The answer to the "fluke" question was, thankfully, "no." The answer to every other question was unequivocally "yes." Even the question about individual awards was positive, because I think this team feeds off an esprit de corps and rises to the occasion when it is underestimated and when the chips are down.

There were two additional questions that still linger:
Will there be a change of ownership? (No, but stay tuned?)
Will we have a decision to start construction on a new downtown home for the team and its fans? (No, but I think work has progressed in a positive direction.)

Dom, players, front office: you've answered the questions, you've passed the test, now go get some rest. Go Dynamo!

Western Conference Champs: 2007

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Showing our Quality! (Conference Semis 2nd Leg)

What an awesome evening tonight.

Sitting in Section 118 (turns out I've been sitting near the Mezzanine owners all this season), the crowd was vocal and spirited. In fact, every section was roaring...well, except for the FCD Inferno section above the south goal, which was deathly quiet after Ching scored the game winning (and series tying) goal. With more than 30,000 people -- most in orange -- Robertson was a cauldron that would will the team to victory.

As I expected, the Dynamo controlled possession and territory. We had 2-3 near goals in the first 10 minutes. (I can't believe the stadium officials didn't notice the Ref's signaling of the free kick for FCD -- not a goal for Houston -- after the near-goal in the first minute...how deflating to make everyone think we tied the aggregate right out of the gate.) It was all orange on the field. As I feared, we couldn't turn our chances into goals. I couldn't see much in the south goal (due to my viewing angles), but it looked like the ball was practically bouncing off a Plexiglas shield. We were doomed to lose to an inferior team, 1-0. And to make matters worst, 5-Star took my bags of free cookies when I entered the stadium...at least I got to keep my free orange boxers.

But that was the first half.

[Note that the most important part of the evening occurred at the beginning of halftime, when birthday wishes for my wife were broadcast on the Jumbotron. Happy XXth birthday, honey!]

The second half was much better than the first. A hearty shout-out to former Houstonian, Arturo Alvarez, for losing his head and kneeing Davis in the groin in the opening minutes of the second half. Alvarez had looked pretty creative at times in the first half, and was now leaving his team short-handed. It seems another former Houstonian, Chris Gbandi, did the same last year in FCD's series versus the Rapids. Alvarez's departure helped open up the field more, and allowed Dom to immediately sub in Holden for Waibel and switch to a 3-5-2.

More Dynamo possession ensued. Then goals. Lots of goals! A plethora of goals! A cornucopia of goals! I feel a Haiku coming on!

Always creative,
Yet tonight we finish too,
In our orange cauldron.

First, Holden gets his nifty half volley off a Ching-headed layoff. Then Ching evens the series and gets the game winner by finishing off a perfectly timed through pass from D-Ro. In the waning moments of regulation, Ching misses another sitter. Would he regret that? No! Because he gets the series winner off a pass from Ngwenya in the first half of overtime. Just to seal the deal, Brad Davis shoots a dynamite laser of a free kick into the upper 90. Dallas become frantic but ineffective in the second half of overtime, and Dynamo-Houston wins 4-1 (4-2 agg.) to face either Chivas USA or KC Wizards in the Western Conference Championship. I'm pulling for KC so we get one more home game.

This game had everything: Noise. Bad officiating. Evil doers (Ruiz). Turncoats (Serioux stomping on Holden's neck...though I'm sure that's an accident). Bad guys taking a formidable lead; good guys overcoming adversity and winning in the end. Margaritas (but at $10...yikes!).

Rico Clark came onto the field on crutches and sat in the field chairs (with John Michael Hayden) right in front of us during the second half.

At the end of the game, the team considerately walked to every end of the stadium, applauding the fans. DeRo wore Rico's jersey (backwards, so Clark's name and number 13 were highly visible) in honor of his teammate who will have to sit out this match and every other match this season because of the captain of the opponent that was vanquished tonight.

And when that talisman of disrepute, Ruiz, scored the opening goal of tonight's match, it looked like the MLS might have successfully conspired to reward the maleficent while shackling the innocent (though admittedly tarnished innocent). Ruiz should not have been on the field tonight given his role in the incident with Clark, but the MLS didn't seem to have a problem with that. But since he was on the field, so should Clark have been.

And then to have Ruiz's antics coddled by the Referee tonight? Stupefying.

I guess I'm a callous sadist, because I enjoyed Ruiz getting injured by his own teammates as he strutted his stuff after his goal, taunting the fans, then tripping over the ad boards. He grabbed his head afterwards, of course. He grabbed his cranium a lot all night, not that it bothered the refs.

But all that is merely introductory exposition to set up the real story of the night: the good can prevail with hard work, skill, esprit de corps, and tens of thousands of people behind you.

Lurking through the BigSoccer boards post-game, I found a few quotes that made me feel good about the team I support:

[Regarding Houston] : Nobody else is beating Houston if they keep playing like this.

[Regarding FCD]: If the Front Office wants to know why PHP isn't full next year, they should play the tape of this game. Three years running, three implosions. Stupid, dirty play. Overreacting to fouls. ... The worst is, I really feel sad for all of you hard-core fans. This team doesn't deserve you.

[Regarding Houston fans, a left-handed compliment]: Absolutely. They have great, albeit stupid, retarded, rabid fans. Good for them. It doesn't seem right, of course, but that's life.

All of these quotes came from FCD fans, who praise the Dynamo and Dynamo supporters, and question the nature of their own team. I do wish FCD would gain some class (which would start by ditching Ruiz), but them having no class makes it so much easier to despise them. Having said that, I was impressed with the FCD fans, who drove a long way on a weeknight, and were quite boisterous. If I were to offer an opinion, it would be that they need to learn some songs to sing when things aren't going their way. They looked despondent when the balance turned on the field; perhaps some clamorous songs would hide their own trepidation while inspiring their team to reverse the tables yet again.

Those were quotes from opposing fans. Now for some quotes from the Dynamo, go here.

I'm tired and my throat aches. Off to bed. Go Dynamo!

Pilgrimage to the Cathedral of (US) Soccer

This past week, business took me to Southern California. Luckily, there was an MLS game during my stay and I was able to finally visit the much heralded "Cathedral of the MLS" -- aka the Home Depot Center.

I haven't been to many MLS stadia, which I hope to rectify over time. I've been to Robertson (of course) and the Cotton Bowl (which the Burn have since vacated), so I don't have much to compare to the HDC. It is a very nice facility and easily better than the Dynamo's home. The seating is nice, with excellent sight lines. The luxury suites are, well, luxurious and of the highest standard. (I swear I saw a shaggy B-list star in one, but I just can't place the face exactly.) There are lots of snack bars, lots of Galaxy-related artwork festooning the place, and restrooms that don't look like they belong in a backwater prison. The field is large (which I prefer) and pristine -- no sign of the X-games on this night.

I came across a parking lot that was down Victoria Street a bit, along Birch Knoll Dr. It posted a $15 fee, which is $5 more than the stadium parking around Robertson. I thought parking any closer to the stadium would involve even higher costs, so I took it. This involved quite a hike through the campus of California State University-Domnguez Hills, and across the parking lots fronting the eastern edge of the stadium. Thankfully, the weather was cool and crisp.

I circled the stadium before finding will call (at the North Gate if you're interested). I got in line just as the gates opened, an hour and a half before game time. A couple from San Jose was in front of me and noticed the Dynamo hat and shirt I was sporting. We got to talking about the old Earthquakes, the new team starting out in San Jose next year, and how we hoped RBNY would end LA's dream that night. The couple had been to several Quake games before the move. They would travel down to watch them play LA in the HDC. In LA, they were able to stay with other supporters in the same hotel as the team, and would even have drinks with the players after the game in the hotel lounge. On Sundays when the Reserve team had a game, the fans would mingle with the first team players and their families in a picnic-style environment at an ordinary field where the game was held. Sounds like good times, and I can clearly see why the fans were sad to see the team go.

But while the fan support was ardent, it wasn't widespread. The couple mentioned that there were season openers where only 6,000 people showed up, and there was absolutely no media coverage whatsoever. They have been really impressed with how the team has been accepted by the Houston fans and covered by the Houston media. Last year the couple rooted for the Dynamo, but this year they said the team was Houston's team, and they're looking forward to next year's return of the Quakes. They do hope they're able to pilfer a few of their former players though.

I took a counter-clockwise ramble around the stadium. Besides the concessions and souvenirs, there were vendor booths and a local band was playing -- kind of like what Houston has outside its stadium. I grabbed one of the free t-shirts commemorating Cobi Jones' career (this being Cobi's final regular season home game appearance before retirement). I saw Rob Stone walking up the stairs from the field, then found a booth selling Guinness, Harps, and Smithwick's. For $9 a pop, it's only $2 more than the usual stadium swill, so I had to partake of a "Smithicks."

Sipping my drink I stood above the field level seats, not far from the supporters' corner, and watched the Galaxy warm up. Beckham was there, but not with the starting team. He was just booting the ball around, mostly with Chris Albright. I was actually standing at about ground level, with the field and seating section below me having been dug out of the ground. The field level seats are built on concrete terraces. The sidelines sport actual chairs, while the corners and areas behind the goals have metal bleachers with seatbacks. The second tier (which is on only the eastern side of the stadium) have a metal base and the same bleachers with backs. I moseyed up to my seats in the second tier: Section 234, Row PP, Seat 25. I was 4 rows from the top, right on the aisle.

The crowd was very light, even by time the teams and refs were trooping out onto the field. An American Idol contestant (Kimberly Caldwell? Never heard of her.) sang the Star Spangled Banner well, if way too slowly. Then there was a tribute to Cobi and his career. The video screen displayed well wishes from current and past teammates. Cheers rang out for Kevin Hartman, Sigi Schmidt, and especially Mauricio Cienfuegos. Boos rang out for Steve Sampson. Alexi Lalas and Don Garber (mild boos here) made some trite on-field comments, and then Paul Caliguiri, Eric Wynalda (more boos), and Alexi posed for a picture with Cobi. With the chill in the air, it was no surprise seeing the RBNY players passing the ball around in their half rather than participating in the ceremony. After a while, even the Gals started kicking the ball around trying to keep warm.

When the game actually started, the seats were filling up. I sat next to a family of Galaxy supporters, and behind a guy from NJ who was pulling for RBNY (though he also cheered for Becks and even Edson Buddle). There were a lot of youth soccer teams in the crowd. Being on the metal-floored second tier, the footstomping of the crowd seemed especially loud. Throughout the game, the chants of the supporters' group (just below me and to my left) were spirited, and the crowds cheers, jeers, and footstomping was raucous. I thought there was a good atmosphere.

RBNY came out seeking the early goal, but the match was filled mostly by poor passing and poor touch from both teams, and no rhythm by either team. Inattentive defending led to good opportunities for both teams. LA took the lead first off a blown corner kick, but RBNY's Jozy Altidore evened the score soon after on an unmarked header. The Galaxy wisely covered Juan Pablo Angel tightly, but he still had many opportunities, and missed at least two that he should have finished. Even with those fluffs, JPA looked to be a level above the rest of the players on the field.

Oh yeah, David Beckham came in around the 68th minute. I suppose a few people cheered at this event and a few flashbulbs went off in the crowd. His first two plays were a missed header then a foul from a poor tackle. His corners showed that he's a bit rusty, so it was good that he got some minutes in.

The score ended in a draw, so the Galaxy's chances for a post-season berth remain solid, tragically.

On the long walk back to my car, I asked a couple if the crowd was usually that lively. They said that the crowd was larger and louder than usual. Usually they're "pretty laid back except after a goal." They also said they hope they face Houston in the playoffs rather than Chivas. I'm not thrilled with the prospect of a mediocre Galaxy team making the MLS playoffs, with the media spotlight on the team throwing all other teams into the shadow of its mediocrity. If a team that bad is competing in the championship, the other teams must be worse, right? No, it's better if the "Superclub" sits out this post-season and waits until they're truly worthy of the spotlight. It will be better for the reputation of the league and for the status Galaxy as well. They would be better off rebuilding for the next season. If they want to be revered as the best, they had better be able to live up to the hype and not rely on skating by due to flukish results and a faulty MLS post-season structure. If they want be be respected, they need to be respectable.

At least they have a first class facility.

Dynamo Downtown

In the time since I posted the aerial of regional sites being considered for the future Dynamo Stadium, it seems Downtown Houston has become a more realistic possibility. Channel 13 had a story about the possibility, and Glenn Davis' recent radio show (May 7) had much discussion about this with Dynamo CEO Chris Canetti, who was a guest on the show -- and Glenn's latest TV broadcast had Glenn sitting in the parking lot in question.

In short, the downtown opportunity resides on a large empty parking lot owned by the Astros organization, just across US59 from Minute Maid Park. Here's an eye-in-the-sky view, with the lot bordered in orange. I'm assuming the narrow lot along the highway is included with the larger square lot.

So how does this compare with The Rob? Overlaying the stadium on top of the aerial, you can see that the stadium fits diagonally along the area just fine, with only some of the surrounding grassy area clipped off. This orientation will require a road closure. It will eliminate the traditional north-south alignment of the field, and parking will have to be offsite, but both are surmountable obstacles.

And with a little tweaking, it looks like the field CAN fit in this space in the orthodox N-S alignment. That would be good for TV purposes (with the sun behind the cameras) and to keep the players from having to play opponents that have the sun behind them. As you can see, the field fits, but the surrounding stadium would have to be a bit asymmetrical to accommodate the geometric constraints. (I clipped off parts of The Rob to show the size differential.) But I think there'd still be seating all around the field even in this configuration; some just might not have concession stands behind them.
It does look like any practice fields (and definitely any youth soccer complex) would have to be located elsewhere. That's a bit unfortunate, but not overly problematic.

In short, the space fits, the location is great, and the news is exciting. Here's hoping it will come to pass.

Now I'll have to start solidifying my "Stadium Feature Wish List."

Musings on this week's media

The RSL-Rapids game on Thursday was pretty uninspiring. I fell asleep in my recliner early in the second half and was pleased that I didn’t miss any more own goals.

Attendance looked pretty good at The Dick for a Thursday evening. It was better than during the freezing deluge last weekend when Dynamo Houston was in town. The stadium looks nice in the sunshine, although I'm not a big fan of the one goal line that has what looks to be a few rows of temporary bleachers rather than the wrap-around permanent seating seen behind the other goal line. That's still better than the barren concrete stage on one end of the Frisco Deep Dish, which is an abomination. The Frisco club should at least put up temporary bleachers there, or maybe put a party patio out there, kind of like at Crew Stadium. Empty sidelines and endlines are something the Dynamo Stadium should avoid.

My gripe with The Dick is pretty minor in comparison. That Colorado pitch looks pristine, even when torrents of rain are falling. A pitch of that quality can make up for a lot. We need a field like that in Dynamo Stadium. Someday; someday.

The ESPN crew had more of the same: endless prattling by Wynalda, pointless People-magazine trivia by DOB about the players, and more of the same from the sidelines by Allen Hopkins. Tommy Smyth was talked over most of the time because he would, you know, take a breath occasionally.

Frothing rant: DOB, for the love of all that is beautiful, please just call the game! Try it just one time, and if you don’t like it, you can go back to Soccer Brought To You By Entertainment Tonight. And do we really need three in the booth? Seems awfully crowded and encourages more idle talk.

How about Herculez Gomez (the diving El Pescadito-lite) having the goal called back around the 13th minute? Here's how it plays out: Colorado's Nicholas Hernandez shoots the ball at the goal while Gomez is onside. Gomez then runs past the final defender as the GK makes the save, knocking the ball back into the field of play. Gomez, past the last defender, is now in an offside position after the ball whizzes past him going the other way. The ball then deflects off a defender and goes to Gomez, who finishes the shot. The refs call the goal back due to offside. Wynalda says the goal should count because Gomez wasn't offside at the time of Hernandez's initial shot, and as the LOTG state, a player in an offside position is only penalised if, at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team, he is, in the opinion of the referee, involved in active play by: (1) interfering with play or (2) interfering with an opponent or (3) gaining an advantage by being in that position. Well, when the ball was played by his teammate, he was onside; and when he was offside and collected the rebound off the defender, the ball wasn't played by "one of his team." Quod Erat Demonstrandum. Score one for Wynalda.

Ah, but Tommy Smyth was correct. FIFA's Decision 2 of Law 11 clarifies item #3, above: ... "gaining an advantage by being in that position" means playing a ball that rebounds to him off a post or the crossbar having been in an offside position or playing a ball that rebounds to him off an opponent having been in an offside position.

When the ball bounced off the defender, Gomez was offside, so the call was correct. Whew! Another game not blown by the officials! (Don't worry, it'll happen. And probably to us.)

Must agree with Wynalda's opinion about De Rosario during one of the many conversations in the ESPN booth. Tommy Smyth brought up a discussion he had with Jeff Cunningham, where Cunningham mentioned he's the most underrated (or overlooked, don't remember which) player in the league, but Wynalda respectfully disagreed saying that DDR holds that claim. True.

Later, during halftime, Wynalda mentioned DDR's explosive game versus Colorado and commended DeRo on kicking it into gear and how DDR is now getting that contract bump he wanted. Huh? Does Wynalda know something we don't? I haven't heard anything about the contract negotiations being settled. Maybe Wynalda just meant that DDR's play had made the case for a good contract a no-brainer. Can't argue with that.

I think DeRo should be among the top paid domestic players in the league, but I don't know that he warrants DP money. His play is equivalent to a DP, but it's an unfortunate truth that there is more to being a DP than on-field performance -- for starters, a DP needs to have drawing power. Dynamo Houston aren't much of a team without DDR, and DDR is one of the most dynamic players in the MLS, but Dynamo can't afford to use DP-dough on him unfortunately. Luckily for him, the cost of living is cheap down here, eh? (The Census has the Houston area with a COLI of 88.9 and San Jose at 158.1. The national average is 100.)

Finally, cheers to Glenn Davis for his Dynamo Soccer Report, which has come so far in so short a time. How do you like him stirring things up by being in the parking lot across US59 from Minute Maid Park? Someday, hopefully. Someday.