The MLS Cup is over, but the Dynamo are still playing

It's a new era for Dynamo soccer. We're now fans of a team that is not the MLS Champion. But because the 'Mo is arguably the best team in the MLS, it's still a great time to be an Orangefan. Lark Howorth has stated in his blog that we will be tested as to "whether we support the Dynamo even harder and better next year, despite the MLS Cup sitting in a rival's display case." Supporters have to "remember that a soccer team depends on its fans as much as the fans depends on the team." So true.

A truly devoted supporter will be a vocal supporter of the team, attending every game whether or not the team is the champion and whether or not the team has a good team that can contend for titles. I suppose I am a little on the fickle side when it comes to team support. I am not one that needs my team to be the champion, but I do expect the team to be a quality team that is expected to compete for championships. As long as I don't feel the front office is skimping on the product, I'll buy. They don't need to be champions, but they need to be quality. Maybe that doesn't make me fickle; perhaps I'm just discriminating.

At any rate, we have a quality team here in Houston, and I, for one, am so glad the Dynamo have their postponed CONCACAF match tomorrow. (Preview. Preview 2.) It's going to be a long off-season, so I'm eager to get one last game in before the hiatus.

It's win and move on for the Dynamo. I like their chances, given (1) the desire to end the season on a high note, (2) having enough prep time and rest for the match, (3) we're playing at home, and (4) our reserves tied and almost won the match in San Salvador.

Unfortunately, by game time we'll already know that one of our players will be moving to Seattle. Most people assume that someone will be Nate Jaqua. If so, we'll miss him but wish him the best of luck. (And anyone taken will be available for the evening match versus Firpo.)

Here's hoping the soon-to-be-departed leaves with a final Orange victory under his belt.

Accolades for the Dynamo
Even though they had the second best record in the league and the best record in international competitions, the Dynamo saw little recognition for their quality. That's become de rigueur for the Dynamo, who have often focused on team accomplishments in lieu of individual accolades. Noble.

In 2006 I think DeRo should have gotten MVP. We had a goal of the year candidate last year (I think) that should have been recognized. This year, I think the travesty was that Geoff Cameron wasn't selected Rookie of the Year. He wasn't a regular starter, but he played on every part of the field but goalkeeper for the top ranked Dynamo, and contributed mightily to our run in international play. Instead, the award went to a defender on a team with the worst defense.

But at least the front office won some awards. (And here is another article on the matter...but nothing on the official Dynamo or MLS websites?) This is one of the best run organizations in the league: on field, on the sidelines, and in the office.

MLS Cup
Though I didn't have a personal rooting interest, I did watch the MLS Cup. (Recap.) It didn't have the feel of a championship game -- maybe it was due to the empty seats or the quality of the pre-game and halftime commentary. I dunno. It was a decent match though.

At any rate, I was pulling for the Crew as they were the more deserving team. If a league's champion is a team with a losing record in the regular season, then that league has a faulty method for choosing a champ. Luckily that didn't come to pass.

In the first half the Crew did unto the Red Bulls what the Red Bulls had done unto others: absorb pressure then score on the odd chance from the counterattack. According to Steve Davis, this was not a matter of the Crew playing poorly, but it was an intentional strategy by the Crew in order to take RBNY out of their regular game. It was a risky, but effective move that also allowed the second half to be a better balanced game. We were treated to a total of 4 goals (3 in the second half) and in the final 10 minutes we saw a beautiful goal off a linkup between Schelotto and "Hey, Duck!"

Overall it was a decent -- though not an awe-inspiring -- final match.

Changes Coming to the MLS
The Commish did his annual pre-Cup state of the league speech. There were several key items that were noted in the speech.

Some highlights:

• The reserve division is gone. (Houston will be the final champion.) The Senior roster will be expanded from 18 to 20. The Reserves will be reduced from 10 to 4.
• “There will be small growth in the salary cap.”
• Teams in the CONCACAF Champions League will not play in SuperLiga. Houston will play in the CCL, along with Columbus, New York, and DC. SuperLiga competitors will include Chicago, Chivas USA, Kansas City, and New England. I don't think there are any changes to the US Open Cup participation.
• Teams will play 30 games in the regular season. Teams will play every other team once away and once at home. That makes up 28 games. There will also be two additional games versus a "rival," so, presumably, Houston will have an additional home game and an additional away game versus Dallas.
• MLS will take off 2 international dates next year and will go to a reduced schedule on four other weekends.

So we should see a deeper group of starters next year, but we'll have a smaller team overall. We'll be saying adios to a lot of our reserves. I hope they find a place on another MLS team or in the USL.

Sometimes I really hate this game

How painful is it to not be able to win in regulation + extra time when you have 25 shots, 14 on goal, to the opponent's 15 shots, 7 on goal! And those 14 on goal don't even count the two off the left post! Arrgh! (Game preview. Game review.)

I've written before that this is not the Dynamo of yesteryear. This one loses to the Revs in a Championship game. This one has ginormous defensive gaffes -- and more than one! -- that allow goals. The usually stalwart Captain Barrett lets a ball drop into the box and doesn't stay with it, thus giving Ralston the ball, the space, the angle, and the first equalizer; while Bobby Boswell, who was B-Swell all match, reverted to BoBo on one play in overtime to give Shalrie Joseph the second equalizer. And that second goal was on a set play; Dynamo-Houston of yesteryear was golden on set plays.

On the other hand, this Dynamo team did other things that were uncharacteristic, like getting 14 shots on goal, taking the first lead in a final, and getting to a non-MLS Cup final in the first place. And how about Ching being the provider, sending in the cross for another player to head for a goal?

This has been the season of ties. Because we settled for yet another draw tonight, we had to go to a virtual coin flip to determine who gets to pick up the trophy. PKs are always a gamble. Excellent kick by The Waibel to set the tone. I had a bad feeling about DeRo (he seemed off all night, despite the countless opportunities he had on goal) and that proved correct. I then was hoping Ching would (1) not do the stutter step and (2) change his routine by shooting to the left. Well, he didn't do the stutter, but he went to the right, just like the last time he faced Reis. Onstad gave his side the saves they needed to win, only his buddies couldn't get the ball into the net every time. Just like in the game.

Can't complain about the PK result though. Those are really just crapshoots. I really can't complain about the offensive production either. We should have had more goals, sure; but if you said before the game that we'd get 2 past Reis, I'd take that straight up. My complaint is really with the lapses that gave the Revs their two goals. It should never have gone to PKs.

Take away the awful gifts by the defenses and we win 1-0 in overtime. As it is, we do continue the traditions of yesteryear by not winning a non-MLS Cup trophy. After ending our chances with the Pan-Pacific Cup, the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the Open Cup, and the SuperLiga Cup, and drawing our way out of contention for the Supporters' Shield (my favorite of the awards), only the MLS Cup remains. Frankly, that's the most important one as that's the only one that gives us the unprecented "three-peat". It's also the one that gives one an automatic berth into all of the tournaments that add spice to the season.

But maybe, just maybe, this is the season where we learn what it's like to be a true supporter of a soccer club. Instead of rating the team based on the awards won and the accolades bestowed by the soccer literati; maybe this is the season where we appreciate the team for what it is: a solid, hard-working, talented team that plays an attractive style of soccer, with players that give their all for us each match. And maybe next year we get to see how the team fares when it has only MLS league games to squeeze into the schedule.

Maybe. But I'm not sure I'm mature enough for that sort of character growth, so let's just get the three-peat, 'kay? We can deal with not getting the MLS Cup in some future season when we've gotten something else, say a CONCACAF Champions League Cup or at least an Open Cup. We need the MLS Cup this season. Grab the unprecedented three-peat, then we'll negotiate on what trophies must be earned next season...

Go DYNAMO!

Adios Pachuca!-SuperLiga

What a night! What a result! (Game recap.)

I should no longer refer to Bobby Boswell as BoBo. My wife suggests B-Swell has a more positive ring to it. And B-Swell's game winner comes a day or so after he says "For me, the goal is definitely to beat Pachuca, a team that [the Dynamo] played a lot last year. And if I can be a catalyst to help the team get past them and get into the finals, then that's a big step for me and the team." Congrats on your big step, Catalyst!

And I wonder how many more games I'll have to watch before I see Corey Ashe get another goal off a header. He's the smallest guy on the pitch, isn't he?

I thought there was a lot of energy in the crowd tonight. The two supporters' groups did well stirring up noise and fervor. We also were introduced to our newest player: Kei Kamara. He looked good, though he did not seem to have gelled with the team yet. No surprise there at this point.

My family tried a new seating position this time: Section 124. From that section we were looking over DeRo's shoulder when he made the two dangerous shots on goal from the left flank in the first half. The first shot looked like he was trying to bend it as a cross, only the ball didn't bend and it became a shot that was easily snuffed by Calero. The second shot looked like he swiveled to fake a cross, then attempted a clever flick that Calero deflected. Had a middie timed his run right, the deflection would have led to an easy follow-up shot on goal. (When I rewatched the play on Telemundo, it looked like Jaqua and Mullan actually were trailing the play, but the ball didn't get near them unfortunately.) DeRo's best shot was around the 8th minute. It was a spinning left-footed volley from about 25 yards out that Calero had to stretch to deflect over the ball. That shot, had it been a goal, would have been on the highlight reel.

From our seats, we were also in line with the play in the second half when Pachuca had a goal called back due to offside. We didn't see the infraction at the time, and watching the replay on Telemundo, it appears there wasn't one.

Before this divine/referee intervention, we also saw some excellent saves by Onstad in the first 5 minutes of the second half. The veteran saved our skin tonight.

I'd give Dynamo-H the edge in the first half. They had the better possesion and the better threats on goal. Pachuca completely dominated the first 5 minutes of the second half, and after that the game evened out (except for that fast break non-offside non-goal that we were gifted).

As the game wore on, I worried that we would head into extra time. If the Tuzos were able to sneak past the Dynamo yet again, who would I root for in the final, I wondered? Well, regardless of who wins the New England-Atlante match, I'd have to root for Pachuca. They're a quality team, and I won't root for the Revs as long as Steve Nicol is killing the game for them.

Then a bit of magic in the 77th minute when a DeRo corner is headed on by Waibel for a timely tap-in with B-Swell's side foot. After that, the game opened up as Pachuca sought the equalizer and the Dynamo had more opportunities to counter. Ashe's header 10 minutes later ensured that the non-offside gift wouldn't taint the Dynamo's victory.

Pachuca played a solid game, until their emotions got the best of them as time wore down. Then there was a fracas after the game. It seems Pachuca is only a class act when they're on top; they don't have the emotional maturity to face disappointment like men. Hats off to Calero (surprisingly, particularly after his antics with Dom at halftime) and Torres to show class and sportsmanship in their respective post-game interviews. They need to do some remedial training for some of their teammates.

Wednesday night, I guess I'll root for Atlante so we get the final at home. Either opponent would be difficult. We beat Atlante 4-0 in the group stage, so they'll be gunning for us -- plus they appear to have their edge back. Also, it's difficult to beat the same team twice in one tournament. New England would be difficult because they know how to frustrate the Dynamo, beating us for a combined 5-0 tally in our two matches this year. We've beaten them the past two MLS Cup championships, but that only makes the odds for a third consecutive championship victory seem that much more difficult to attain over the same opponent. Plus, we'd be on their home field with their fake turf. So, it's go Atlante.

But, Go Dynamo! even more.

Pachuca tonight

It's Tuzos vs Dynamo tonight. Here is the game preview. An essay by a fan. Another essay: It is the stuff of which movies are made. Pachuca will have to face the Dynamo at Robertson Stadium, in front of a crowd that bleeds orange. It will be impossible for Pachuca players to ignore their nerves for the game in Houston, because the Dynamo will be at home, the crowd will go crazy, and the team will shine. It will be a game for the history books, and it will be painted orange.

The Chron has a its own preview as well as various notes about the Pachuca match and other MLS news. Our newest player, Kei Kamara, might be on the bench. E-Rob is unlikely, Mulrooney is still out (but could be back for our next MLS match). Good news: Pachuca's Christian Gimenez (The Orange Slayer) is out due to card accumulation. "I don't know if it's a rivalry; they beat us out of every competition," Dynamo forward Brian Ching said. "It's more of a frustration for us. But they're a good team, and we consider ourselves a good team."

An article on Waibel's charity-driven field goal attempts. "You have the best job in the world!" Waibel told Brown, before admitting that on-rushing NFL defenders might make a slight difference. B-Fall mentions it in his blog as well.

Three points from the four-day match

Well, THAT was probably the strangest match of the season. (Game recap. Quotes.) Dynamo-Houston went to DC on June 4 to begin the match (abandoned after 15 minutes), then was hours away from restarting the match on July 22, then finally began the replayed match on July 23 and finished it in the wee hours of July 24.

I worried when I read on B-Fall's blog that the officials were going to restart the match at 10:40 after the 3 hour rain delay. At that point, up 1-0 and having dominated the match, Dynamo-H had nowhere to go but down. Three points in hand couldn't get any better. The break could have broken their rhythm. The puddles could ruin their passing game.

Luckily, the Dynamo still were the better team. DCU had two (three?) extremely scary, possibly game-changing shots on goal that Onstad managed to snuff out, but other than that, it was all Dynamo.

Dude: 23 shots to 4. That is total domination. Yet, if Ching hadn't gotten that insurance goal, or if Onstad hadn't been clutch, all those shots wouldn't have given us the points we deserved. Hats off to Onstad, Cameron, Mullan, Davis, and Ching for earning us the points. Others were able to create the domination on the field of course, but it was those five that managed to turn our advantage to points. DeRo was instrumental in the game, the midfield completely shut down the passing lanes and managed the transitions extremely well, and our defense were the aggressors on the ball. Nice job all around, but a special tip o' the hat to those who saved goals and made or assisted on goals.

DeRo had some near-gimmees in the first half, but Zach Wells or a defender's ill-placed extremity seemed to always deny the Canadian Creator. We need DeRo to unleash the dogs of war and net these opportunities when they arise in our upcoming SuperLiga matches and the remaining MLS league games. DeRo will create those opportunities -- he's a master at that -- we just need him to get his finishing mojo back.

The bad news from the match: our next game will be without our two attacking mids: DeRo (card accumulation) and Holden (Olympics). We will also be without ERob most likely (injury) and his understudy, Ianni (Olympics). We will have Rico back. Kinnear has a lot of options, thankfully, but he will have to be creative. And he won't have his first choices at several key positions.

Tonight Onstad and DeRo are to play in the All-Star Game, the same day that they finished their match in DC. I won't be surprised if we don't see either player on the field tonight.

Now it's back to SuperLiga for a bit. I want to beat Pachuca so badly and I want that SuperLiga trophy. Why? Mainly because the odds of winning the MLS Cup are slim so you want to take the silverware that's immediately available. Also because I do not want the plodding Revolution to take it. I'm rooting against them in the US Open Cup too. It grates on me that they're the leader for the Supporters' Shield -- I don't want their style of play to be rewarded. They have too much talent to play the crappy game they play. Yet that talent is compensating for -- and, more irritatingly, justifying -- Stevie Nicols' unimaginative leadership.

Go Dynamo!

SuperLiga - On to the Semis

A nice win yesterday in DC puts us into the Semis of the SuperLiga. (Game recap.) DC looked to be saving their effort for the MLS matchup on Tuesday, and started subbing players early. The odd part was that once their key players were pulled, DC began to look more dangerous and get more opportunities on our goal. I don't know if this was due to us easing up a bit once we realized that DC was capitulating, or if the effort was doubled by DC as players fought hard to make an impression on the coach so that one day THEY'd be the starters.

After Doe halved the deficit, I felt quite nervous that they'd at least tie up the game. Onstad wasn't as crisp as he usually was, although he made the saves when he had to. Our attack had dwindled as well.

Then the beautiful combination of a steal by Waibel, forward pass across the halfway line to Wondo, one-touch drop to Ching, through ball to a running Holden who touches the ball once with the outside of his right foot, then uses his right instep to slam the ball past Zach Wells from about 18 yards out. When I grow up, I want to be Stuart Holden.

Another match versus DC comes this Tuesday. I imagine it'll be difficult to beat the same team twice in a row at their home field, but that's what we need to do to make headway in the league. At least there's no travel in between games. Afterwards, Onstad and DeRo will have to trek to Toronto for the All-Star match up on Thursday, then it's back to SuperLiga. We should know who we face (and where) after tonight's matches.

Go Dynamo!

SuperLiga-Final Group Stage Match

Tonight the Dynamo face DC United in a do-or-go-home match. The good news is that we have DeRo, Ching, and ERob back in the lineup; but will Ching and ERob be match fit after their injury? We also have Ianni and (most importantly) Holden for the two DCU matches before they traipse off to the Olympics in search of honor and glory. We also have Nate Jaqua, though I doubt he sees action. Maybe in our Tuesday DCU replay.

We won't have Caraccio anymore. That's a shame, but understandable given the limitations on salaries and personnel set by the League. Buena suerte, Caraccio! (I took French, not Spanish, in school, so forgive any solecism.) I know you'll find a club that suits you well.

(The same day, LA released Abel Xavier.)

Winning tonight's match is vital, but B-Fall has all of the different scenarios of winners and losers mapped out in his blog.

There's been more coverage of the Dynamo's fight on behalf of all MLS players to get better compensation from tournament purses. Or at least to allow clubs to decide what is fair for their own players. Sounds reasonable. B-Fall has an article on the imbroglio. That MLS would prevent a team from voluntary striking bonus deals with players for this type of tournament can also hurt a team like the Dynamo, who could use the incentive to entice a player to sign with the team. ESPN has an article as well.The Dynamo case could set a precedent. If an arbitrator rules in favor of Dynamo players, each MLS team could be allowed to determine payouts to players for tournaments. This certainly challenges the single-entity system and could become a milestone decision.

In other soccer news, some of the New England Revs' staff are keeping the skies safe. Certainly a timely move by the MLS club members. Even off the field the club can effectively kill any offensive environment; sometimes it is not only easier, but better, to destroy than to create.

SuperLiga-Beaten by the Bimbos

They're back! After a one-game respite, the 2008 Dynamo returned in full force. The two telling traits were there for all to see:
1. Solid defense except for a costly moment of confusion
2. Chances aplenty up front but no goals

That's the 2008 Dynamo, love 'em or leave 'em. And in a season of unpleasant firsts, we added a new one: losing in an international competition at home for the first time.

The 1-0 loss to Chivas-Guadalajara answered the questions I posed earlier:

Was the domination of Atlante a fluke?
Probably. The fact that Atlante beat DC United handily does suggest that we didn't beat a pansy team. And the fact that we were missing so many starters does make it hard to say we couldn't beat Chivas-Bimbo with the lineup that beat Atlante, particularly since we were oh-so-close with the lineup we threw together. But in the absence of a different result, we have to say at this point that it was a fluke. We need some more data points (positive ones, A.K.A "victories") if we want to say that this side can be consistently good. Can you provide us with some more positive data points this year, dear Dynamo?

Can the Dynamo be creative and effective without DeRo?
Not really. Especially not when Holden is gone too.

We will be missing some regulars; Who will step up tonight?
No one. Try back again this weekend and we'll see what we can do for you.

Will Houstonians go to a game that begins at 9PM on a weeknight?
Apparently yes. But they won't necessarily be rooting for the Dynamo. Good crowd though.

Will the field still be crappy?
Ugh, yes.

This game was a "a microcosm of the Dynamo's 2008 season."

In all fairness, the Dynamo were missing four key starters (DeRo, Holden, Ching, and ERob) plus a fifth usual starter (Mulrooney, who is a very useful journeyman, but his lack of specialization means he's not an essential cog in the Orange Machine). That wasn't our A-Team that was out there, although they looked like our A-Team often does, given that they maintained some solid possession, demonstrated an indefatigable work rate, and clung to those two nasty traits I mentioned at the beginning of this blog. This patched-up team, but for a lousy 5 seconds, earned themselves a draw. But 5 bad seconds can kill you in this game.

The team also had three or so point blank shots that were saved by Luis Michel, the Chivas keeper. Good goalkeeping. Dreadful finishing.

Needing only a tie to get into the semifinals, the Dynamo took their usual rocky road and are essentially forced to win this weekend versus DC at DC. That's not an easy task. We then need to beat them on July 22 to help our MLS standings. (We could move on to the semis if we tie DCU and Chivas-Bimbo beats or ties Atlante, but we want a victory. Two of them. Both in DC.)

Another tough road ahead. That's the 2008 Dynamo for you.

PS: Check out Lark's blog. Good summary of the game, recap of the atmosphere, and analysis of Caraccio.

SuperLiga-Chivas-Guadalajara is up

Tonight the Dynamo take on the original Chivas in the 2nd match of SuperLiga group play. (Game preview.)

Questions to answer tonight:
Was the domination of Atlante a fluke?
Can the Dynamo be creative and effective without DeRo?
We will be missing some regulars; Who will step up tonight?
Will Houstonians go to a game that begins at 9PM on a weeknight?
Will the field still be crappy?

And here's an optimistic take from an East-Coaster, Ives Galarcep: Houston may only have four wins but the blowout of Atlante reminded us just how good they can be. The Dynamo will start turning those ties into wins, and for my money they are still the best team in the West.

I agree they are the best in the West. Let's hope they start getting the results that support this opinion.

SuperLiga-Atlante Aftermath

First things first: last night was awesome, destroying Mexican club Atlante 4-0 at Robertson. Simply awesome. Here are B-Fall's player grades. Nearly all A's, but just short even after a 4-0 win?

We got goals from both forwards (DeRo and Mullan) and two from our attacking midfielder (yup, that's Holden, who serves when DeRo is not in). Cameron served up two assists, Davis served up one free kick assist, and Barrett threaded one through for Holden's fabulous second goal.

Holden, Mullan, and Cameron were men of the match with their tireless play. Atlante were obviously in pre-season form, but let's hope this match serves as the catalyst for a great second half of the season for these three MIO, and for the team as a whole.

But first we have to face Chivas Guadalajara. They look to be in better form than Atlante. I didn't see all of their match versus DC United, but their 2-1 victory seemed to be due to a lot of luck, with DCU hitting the post hard on two occasions and missing a PK (Jaime Moreno, at that!) late in the game. Still, although they didn't look dominant, they looked better than Atlante did versus us, and we'll have to face them without DeRo.

This is the second match in a row (and maybe the fourth this season) where I thought "What the hell is DeRo doing? Is he trying to get kicked out?" Last week at Salt Lake he instigated a pushing and pointing match and he did the same last night. He didn't even get a warning in Salt Lake, but the SuperLiga ref wasn't having any of those childish shenanigans and sent DeRo off. What DeRo did was not deserving of a red card, but when you engage in tom-foolery (senseless tom-foolery at that), you take your fate out of your own hands and put it into someone else who might be capricious with it. If you want to control your destiny, act like a man.

So it seems ERob isn't the only hot-head we have on the team. DeRo has shown his temper on multiple occasions. My question: is it getting more frequent? Is there a cause? Is the increased hacking and double-teaming frustrating him and building up his irritibility?

Finally, hooray for the MLS Players Union, who is calling out the MLS. It seems the league is more than happy to market SuperLiga as having a "One Million Dollar Pot" if it sells tickets and hype, but only as long as they don't have to give that money to the players that have earned that money for the MLS and generate the revenues for the league every week. It seems that in the US, the pot is actually only $150,000 for MLS players, or just over $5,350 per player on a 28-man roster. The MLS struggles with credibility from soccer fans and sports fans in general. Improving the quality on the field and opening up the bureaucracy to the light of day would both go a long way towards improving credibility. Giving players what they earn, especially when the league itself hypes the amount, would help improve the motivation of those on the field and reduce the impression that the MLS is a Soviet-style apparat. Red card goes to the MLS on this one.

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.

Let's start this season, yo.

Today, finally, the MLS season begins in earnest. I've been in kind of a stupor the past few months. I guess you can tell that by the dearth of blog entries. But I'm genuinely excited that the season is finally here.

Sure, I've been following the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, even if I haven't been blogging about it. That's perhaps the best and most challenging competition the Dynamo face in the year. It's better than the SuperLiga because SuperLiga is comprised of one-match legs in relatively comfortable stadia (often our own) versus teams in their pre-season form. CONCACAF gets us into grueling environments with hostile atmospheres, and against teams that are in mid-season form. I'll also go out on a limb and state -- and do so with unequivocal certainty, even! -- that CONCACAF is better than the US Open Cup, although the Open does have a cool nostalgia factor.

Time will tell whether the new CONCACAF tourney that debuts this season will improve on the current Champions' Cup, which is in its swan song year.

Yeah, I think winning the CONCACAF Champions' Cup would be the best achievement of the Dynamo. It would far exceed the accomplishment of winning the MLS Cup, and would be further enhanced by the fact that this is the final Champions' Cup. So the winner will be the eternal champion, so to speak. That's kinda cool. Kind of like the Longhorns football team winning the final Southwest Conference Championship. They're also Men In (burnt) Orange, btw.

Yet, it always comes back to the regular season, which pits us against our fellows across North America. The season is often described as being without a sense of urgency, but it's the regular season that determines who goes to the tournaments -- the competitions that include CONCACAF, SuperLiga, the US Open Cup (although entry to it is pretty liberal), and the Pan-Pacific Championship should it continue past this year. Even the MLS Cup can be considered a separate tourney that is set up by the results of the regular season.

And when talking about the top teams of a particular season, it begins with the winners of the MLS Cup (that'd be the Dynamo the past two years, y'all) followed by the winners of the Supporters' Shield (that'd be DC United the past two years).

So, while I hope the Dynamo can expand their success into fields other than the post-season MLS Cup tourney, it's the regular season that is the basis for it all; and when it arrives you know that the stage has been set for every team to vie for all of the accolades and the rewards that come with them. In other words: everything hinges on the regular season. It's the hops in the ale. It's the apple in the apple pie. It's the walrus. Word.

My brilliant prognostication
So how do I think the D-Mo will fare this season? Polite of you to ask, seeing as I know you don't really care what I think. Nor should you. People get paid to come up with meaningless pre-season and pre-match analysis. And it turns out that what happens on the field is not affected at all by the words in print. Strange, that. Still, I'll give you my unabashed guesses. No one paid me to make them, but they're as accurate as anything else you'll read. And you can take it to Vegas; I just wouldn't recommend it, yo.

Well, the obvious conclusion of the salaried media literati (as seen repeatedly in the media links below) is that the D-Mo have a dominant defense (including Onstad between the pipes) and a skilled, veteran midfield. Thus, they already have the most important pieces set. The big question mark is the striker corps. Right now we have Ching and some unproven players, including Reserve veteran Wondolowski and the young Argentinean Franco Caraccio. Still, with a strong backline and skilled central machine, the Dynamo are expected to be one of the top-tier teams, along with DC United.

My thoughts are that the media has it right, but are a bit too simplistic in their assessments. I think that our vaunted defense looked pretty shaky in the pre-season, despite upgrading our backs with Boswell to replace Cochrane. It still needs to find its feet and tighten up where it's slack. And I think our goal-scoring options aren't as different as in past years. We've never had a particularly robust goal-scorer, yet we still manage to win. I think our forwards will manage to find the net this year, although it would help if they could get a speedy option to complement Ching's play. And! It turns out forwards aren't the only ones who score in this game. It seems that D-Ro and Holden can put a few away, and our big boys in the back (BBitB) convert their fair share on set plays. It's true.

So what am I saying? Here are my can't-fail prognostications. We don't break the defensive record we set last year. We go through at least one slump this season. We have some high scoring games and some games where we can't score on the weakest of MLS defenses who are a man down. We comfortably make the playoffs. And once we make the playoffs, anything can happen. At that point a team must win only a two-leg series then a single match in order to get to the MLS Cup. The Dynamo have proven they're among the best at this short tournament, and I think their season will be good enough that they'll be in that crapshoot of a tourney. Once they enter the post season, we'll deal with a renewed prediction; but they'll be in the playoffs, no doubt. Hopefully they do so with some other accomplishment under their belt. The Supporters' Shield? A tournament win? Something?

But it all starts tonight, versus the New England Revolution. So what's the dealio about tonight's match. Here it is: it's a rematch of the last two MLS Cup finals -- blah, blah -- Dynamo won both -- blah, blah -- something to prove -- blah and more blah. Fact is, the Revs have a better regular season record versus the D-Mo because they are effective at playing negative soccer. But! Win or lose tonight will mean nothing for either team -- and it likely ends in a draw. Both teams should be among the last standing at season's end.

Here's some media links on tonight's game
The MLS game preview.

Another MLSnet article.

You should always stop by the Chronicle. Here are its Dynamo Notes. While there, check out the new look for the Chron's Dynamo coverage. As always, the Chronicle is the best place to start for D-mo info.

Highfalutin' pre-season assessments of the Men in Orange that surpass mine:
The Chronicle's Dynamo beat writer, B-Fall, always has the best scoop and excellent insight. He's a Saprissa fan, though, so turn a jaundiced eye on his assessment of our performance in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup Semifinal these next two weeks. For the season he picks the Men.In.Orange. to place first in the Western Conference.

MLSnet's "quick hits"

Kyle McCarthy of Goal.com has his take here. "As long as you're not looking for a striker, you can probably find what you need on the Dynamo bench… Houston is built for a deep run into the playoffs with its depth and experience. ... Don’t bet against a three-peat.

One of my favorite blogs, USSoccerplayers.com, has its summary of the bandwagon team of the season. That's us, yo. "It's Houston, a club that's known nothing but glory. They had you at hello."

Shaka Hislop -- wait a minute: Shaka Hislop? -- says "Neither LA nor Dallas, however, are favourites for the 2008 title. That honour goes to Houston Dynamo, who have won the championship for the last two seasons and now have high-profile financial backing in the form of Oscar de la Hoya. Their players tell me they enjoy playing for their decorated manager, Dominic Kinnear, and that is evident in their wholehearted performances. Such chemistry makes Houston the team to beat. Having been formed as recently as 2005, the Dynamo clearly show the kind of fast and fruitful development that the MLS as a whole is seeking." Shaka must know what he's talking about. He adds U's to favor and honor. That means he knows foutball.

Only slightly related media bits:
Goal.com has this observation about games that have an interesting side-story: In the April 19 match between Los Angeles and Houston, "Houston midfielder Ricardo Clark returns from his record nine-game suspension just in time for a trip to Lalaland to face his old nemesis Carlos Ruiz."

Kelly Gray won't appear in any more of Beckham's Soccer In The USA shows. He's with Colorado now. Good luck, Kelly.

Have you been been keeping up with the "10 hottest Dynamo games"? Here's the schedule on Channel 55:
Mon, MAR 24 - Game No. 10 - 8:00 p.m.
Tues, MAR 25 - Game No. 9 - 8:00 p.m.
Wed, MAR 26 - Game No. 8 - 8:00 p.m.
Thu, MAR 27 - Game No. 7 - 8:00 p.m.
Fri, MAR 28 - Game No. 6 - 8:00 p.m.
Mon, MAR 31 - Game No. 5 - 8:00 p.m.
Tue, APR 1 - Game No. 4 - 8:00 p.m.
Wed, APR 2 - Game No. 3 - 8:00 p.m.
Thu, APR 3 - Game No. 2 - 8:00 p.m.
Fri, APR 4 - Game No. 1 - 8:00 p.m.
My DVR channel listing doesn't have these listed, so you just gotta flip to The Tube at 8 PM yourself, I guess.

Dynamo 2008 schedule

The MLS schedule came out yesterday. The Dynamo's 30 game include every team once at home and once away, and an extra match versus four of the six other Western Conference teams. We play Chivas and Dallas in an extra home game, and we play Colorado and San Jose in an extra away game. I think this works out perfectly: Chivas and Dallas have trouble getting results at Robertson, so it's good to have them come here to Houston (particularly given Chivas' strong home record). Colorado can be difficult due to the altitude, but the Dynamo often uses these trips to Colorado to recuperate at Philip Anschutz's nearby ranch -- assuming AEW still owns the Dynamo in June and October (brrr!) when the Dynamo venture to Commerce City. I'm sure the Dynamo also won't mind the extra trip to their old stomping grounds in San Jose either.

The week before that October date in Colorado (brrr!), Dynamo play in Toronto on September 27. That's my birthday weekend; maybe I'll use that as an excuse to travel to Canada.

Dynamo's first match is March 29 at Foxboro, MA. The first home game is the following Sunday, April 6, versus FC Dallas. There is only one Dynamo game scheduled in July due to SuperLiga, the US Open Cup, and the MLS All-Stars all occurring that month. The final game of the season is October 25 versus Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center.

The league schedule will be strained because of the usual extracurricular tournaments (such as the aforementioned SuperLiga), and international play will also be an issue. We host Chivas USA on August 20, the day the US is likely to play Guatemala in a semifinal round World Cup qualifier. (Probably means we'll face a Guzan-less Chivas.) We host the Wizards on September 7, when the US will likely be at Cuba. We host DC United on October 12 when the US will likely host Cuba.

B-Fall has some observations on the schedule in his blog at chron.com.

TV coverage is still being fleshed out, but hopefully Channel 55 The Tube will pick up some games to fill in those dates that are currently left to Direct Kick or HDNet.

Oh yeah, and the Galaxy come to Houston once: October 19. If you're a Beckham groupie and seeing him once is not enough, you can take a road trip to Frisco to see Becks play Dallas twice: May 18 and July 27. The other celebrity, Blanco, comes to Houston with the Fire on August 31.

In other Western Conference News:
Du Nord reports that former DC United center mid, Christian Gomez, is heading to Colorado. With him as the attacking mid and Beckerman (or Mastroeni) as the defensive mid, Colorado is now a much bigger threat in the West. It seems the quality of the opposition improves each season. Hopefully the Dynamo continue their trend of adapting and improving this season.

SuperLiga, here we come!

With the draw between Chivas and FCD last night, we are locked into the top 4 teams for the season. Dallas could have passed us had they won this game and their next, final, game had we lost both of our remaining games. But the draw keeps us in the top 4, which means we're playing in the SuperLiga next season. That's exciting news that hopefully will pan into a SuperLiga championship for us in 2008.

Back to 2007: while we're locked into the top 4, we're not locked at #4. If we win out, we'll have 54 points, a point total that DC United has already reached with 2 games to play. The other top 4 teams, Chivas USA and New England, are ahead of us, but haven't gotten to 54 points yet. With 2 wins, we'll pass up New England should they lose but one of their remaining two games (vs Columbus and Toronto, neither particularly formidable) and we'll pass up Chivas should they lose both of their remaining two games (vs Colorado and Dynamo-Houston).

To make any of these even possible, we need to win out. Even if we don't gain ground on the other top 4, we should win out anyway, just because it's the right thing to do when you're the class of the league.

A Craptastic ending to a craptastic week

Well, the Dynamo once again stumbled against an inferior foe. We had two goals this afternoon: 1. get three points and 2. keep a clean sheet to get a step closer to the defensive record.

We failed on both counts.

And once again, we failed to secure a win against a weak team. This happens too often for it to be coincidence. Do the Dynamo look at the stats and play conservatively against bottom feeders, thinking it'll be enough? If you ask them, of course they'll deny it. They may not even realize they're doing it; but the fact is, whether it's RLS, Colorado, Toronto, or LA, we have proven to be less than a top tier team.

Who is "top tier"? I would put DC, Dynamo, and Chivas USA (this year) into that category. New England may be there too, based solely on their consistency though not in their style of play.

But, while teams of the top tier may have the occasional letdown, those letdowns are few and far between. The Dynamo lose too often versus poor teams. In the MLS, even the top tier are not so far ahead that they can relax versus the mediocre or the pathetic. In fact, there are few teams that can do that in any league in the world.

Of course, as with any player of any sport, in pre-game interviews, the Dynamo will say their weak opponent is "dangerous" and that the Dynamo will remain focused during the game and "can't afford to let up"; but the team had better start believing it to their core and better learn that they have to play the full 90 versus every team, regardless of where the opponent is in the standings. Otherwise, crap like today's 1-2 loss to the Galaxy will happen.

What a crappy week. We've lost Rico for the season and then some, the Longhorns lost to OU, Brian Ching hurt himself (I would assume) before the game, the pathetic Galaxy can continue their obnoxious late season resurgence, and we fall further behind in the "race for the SuperLiga."

I've said it before: the media spotlight on the Galaxy means a good Galaxy is good for the league. But the fact is: the Galaxy are a pathetic team. Even if they win all of their remaining games, they'll have a losing record and don't deserve a place in the playoffs. If a crappy team like LA can make it to the playoffs, then a crappy team like LA can even win the MLS Cup. That a losing record could still get a team into that realm is a perfect argument for the meaninglessness of the MLS Cup as a way of determining a champion...and is more fodder for the argument that the MLS is bush league.

I've stewed about this all the way home from the game. I'm mad that the Dynamo did not get the 3 points they need, I'm mad that the Dynamo lost versus an inferior team, I'm mad that the Galaxy can still get into the post-season, I'm mad that Abby-O is such an incompetent ref, and I'm mad that we allowed 2 goals at home versus crap forwards. Heck, I'm mad that our fans are sometimes fools: down a goal and with time as our enemy, don't throw things onto the field to delay the game. Are you stupid?

I'm just mad.

1...2...3...4...5...

Okay, relax; there are some things that make this not so bad…

First, we were a long shot for winning the Western Conference, primarily due Chivas getting the job done and to our past failure to snag points against LA, Colorado, Real Salt Lake, Toronto, Chicago, and even our home game against New England when we outplayed the visitors but didn't have the quality finishing necessary to put the game away. And how about not being able to get more than a point against the Crew -- the Crew! -- at home? We should never lose at home, especially with the silver ball. Dang, I'm getting mad again. Okay, my point is this was a long shot, so not much lost here.

Second, only FCD can knock us out of the top 4. Why is this important? Well, the top 4 teams get to compete in next year's SuperLiga. The possibility that FCD can knock us out is remote. FCD has to win its final 2 games and we have to lose both of ours in order for us to be ousted from this group. All we need to do is tie one in order to claim this honor.

Third, we are still on track to set the record for best defense in terms of goals conceded. If we allow 4 or fewer goals in our next two games, we set the record for fewest goals conceded in a season, and fewest goals conceded per game. For some reason, I want this badly.

Fourth, it was a good environment today. The weather ranged from breezy and cool to humid and hot to rainy and cool. That quite a range in only 90 minutes.

The Dynamo Girls had a funny skit based on Posh Spice and the Spice Girls. Best line from the announcer: "That move [by Diesel] is better than anything we've seen from Beckham this year." But the best extra-curricular item was the "Real Men of Genius" song at halftime. The two guys sounded like the actual singers; I wonder if they were. I want to hear their song on the radio sometime.

There was a sign on the western side of the stadium that said "We [heart] the Dynamos." I really wish people would know not to add an "s" if they’re making signs.

You know what? There is a lot of room in those handicapped access rows. Yet you're still close to the action.

I need to read up on Ching. I saw him warming up with the "starting" group and Mullan with the "sub" group, but Ching wasn't even on the bench come game time. Reading Bernardo Fallas' blog I see Ching had a tight back. Hopefully he's 100% come next week, because we're apparently not the attacking threat without him.

Okay, deep breath. It'll be all right. The Dynamo have been brought back to earth (not that they had any reason to be over confident) and will get at least 4 points out of their next two games. They'll qualify for SuperLiga 2008 and be poised to make a run for the MLS Cup. We might also hear exciting news about a new stadium.

It'll be all right...

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.

SuperLiga Post-Facto Thoughts; Supporters' Shield Pre-Facto Thoughts

I stumbled across an interesting article in the Washington Post that was written back in July. It summarizes how the Soccer United Marketing will compensate MLS teams that do well in SuperLiga. An excerpt:

SUM will reward the tournament champion $1 million. If an MLS team wins, $150,000 of the prize money will be earmarked for the players to divide. The league also will award $100,000 to the players on an MLS team that loses in the final, and $50,000 to the players on any MLS team that loses in the semifinals.

This year's MLS participants were selected by tournament organizers, but starting next summer, the top four finishers in the previous regular season will earn bids.

According to this quote, the Dynamo get to split $50 grand at least. It's not much (about $1,920 divided 26 ways), but it could cover a couple of car payments, a mortgage payment, or beer money, depending on the player's needs. This would be particularly welcome to the lowest-paid members of the team.

I imagine that Joseph Ngwenya, after playing a pretty good game overall, is nevertheless bummed out that his spot kick turned out so horribly. It cost him and his mates some significant dinero. He might even feel the need to take personal responsibility for the loss. All I would say to him is: Ngwenya, you're a Dynamo now. This team regularly competes for the highest honors. You'll have plenty of chances to redeem yourself as we pursue future prizes. This very weekend we get back on track for the Supporters' Shield, my friend.

Speaking of which, it seems the Supporters' Shield is becoming more and more dominant in the hierarchy of awards. Starting this season, the Shield bearers from last season were the first to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup. (The other qualifier was the MLS Cup winner, that's us guys. If the Cup and Shield winner are ever the same team, then the runner up to the Shield -- not to the Cup -- takes the other Champions' slot.) Starting next season, the Supporters' Shield bearer from this season and the next three teams of the regular 2007 season qualify for the SuperLiga.

I like how the MLS is trying to make the Shield more prestigious. This is a reflection of the traditions of soccer leagues in other nations. Yet, at least for the foreseeable future, we here in America will refer to the MLS Cup winner as the Champion -- and the Cup Champion shall receive the most recognition in the press, the second slot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the MLS Cup jersey scudetto (which turns into a star atop the club's shield the second season after the Cup victory), and the silver ball for home games.

Winning the Cup involves a bit of luck: one bad game and your team gets nothing. For this reason, we should focus on securing the Shield. If we get this, then we get access to the two international tournaments. Only after winning the Shield should we turn our gaze to the MLS Cup...and we should be in a good position at that point to win the rare double.

(Click on the "Supporters' Shield" link above to see that only 3 teams have won the Cup and the Shield in the same season: DC United in 1997 & 1999, KC Wizards in 2000, and LAG in 2002.)

Pachuca, our Nemesis

I wish I could say we were the better team tonight. We were the better team for the first 15 minutes of the first half (which saw us go up 1-0 on a D-Ro goal), and maybe the final 5 minutes of the first half (where Waibel could have given us a 2-1 lead...twice). The rest of the time we struggled, being a man down against one of the best teams in Mexico in stifling heat and humidity. Though we struggled at times, with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game, Robinson fought through on a Mulrooney free kick to get the goal that would keep us in the match (2-2), then a Pachuca expulsion evened up the sides at 10.

Throughout the game, I thought we weren't pressuring the ball enough, and we gave the Tuzos plenty of time to make endless chains of passes in our own half. To our credit:
1) We didn't allow much of the possession to lead to scoring threats
2) We still pushed the attack on the counter, even a man down
3) We showed some 1v1 skill on the attack, wrong-footing the Pachuca markers as we drove to goal

In extra time, it was more of the same: cautious positioning by the Orange, possession by the Tuzos, and not a lot of chances for either team. Jaqua came out for Wondo. Regarding Jaqua: I can't wait until Davis and/or Holden are healthy. Nate wasn't much help on the field tonight. Oh yeah, and we got another red and went down to 9 men. At this point, the game began to look like the US vs Italy in World Cup 2006.

Ianni...I sure wish you had positioned yourself better in the first half so you wouldn't have had to make that foul. That red changed the game. Cochrane, who you were replacing, couldn't have done better though. Ah, to see this match 11v11. What would have happened then? And as for Ashe: that was a stupid, childish foul in overtime, particularly given the situation the team was in. You hadn't done much on the field, but your speed may have helped open the field up a bit. But alas, you felt pouty and lashed out.

Though the stars were aligned against us, we made it to penalties. At that point, I felt fairly confident. In fact, the only real doubt I suffered was when Ching went up. He had been a nonfactor for the entire game. He never linked up with any of his mates, and I can't remember a single header he won. I saw a lot of camera shots of him walking; he looked exhausted and listless. Robinson's goal in regulation could have been Ching's, but Ching didn't have a bead on the ball and the hungry Robinson leapt over the planted Ching to earn the equalizer. Because of this, I felt bad juju hung over Ching and was nervous as he approached the ball on the PK. It wasn't a badly struck ball, but hitting the post was just the icing on the cake for Ching's performance tonight. He'll have to be Mr. Clutch on another day.

Ngwenya's attempt to be cheeky was just atrocious, and that cost us the game.

Those who I thought did well: E-Rob, Waibel, and Barrett. Mullan was a workhorse, as was Mulrooney. D-Ro was inconsistent, but he wasn't the albatross that Ching and Jaqua were. Ngwenya played okay for the most part, but he still doesn't use his speed to its greatest effect, and there is that penalty of his...

All in all, losing in penalties is not what I wanted, but it wasn't an unfair result. We played poorly, though with heart. Defensively we left two men alone in the box, and each of them scored on us. We also made some stupid decisions that put the team in a bad spot and a man down...twice.

Now I just hope the team will focus on its league play and turn that ship around. We've lost our opportunity for the CONCACAF Champions Cup and now the SuperLiga trophy (and cash). The only things left are the Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup, but we won't be able to claim those if we play like we've been playing in the MLS and tonight. This weekend is the time to get back on track and start a new winning streak with FCD. Go ORANGE!

Senior Citizens unite for the Dynamo! (SuperLiga Semis)

Tonight, we go to freshman orientation for my son. I am the father of a high schooler; ergo: I am old. I remember my high school days quite clearly. Previously, I had kids that were at stages of life that were quite fuzzy in my memory, so that connection to my youth wasn't always there. I have infrequent flashes of remembrances from elementary and middle school, but now my oldest son is at a stage of life that I remember quite well. I remember, for instance, that my peers at the time had parents that were elderly and stodgy. I guess times are a-changing, because my high schooler sure doesn't have elderly and stodgy parents. Yes, I'll keep telling that to myself.

One good thing about the late start time for tonight's Dynamo game versus Pachuca is that we'll be home from freshman orientation in time to catch the game in its entirety. (Assuming I can move my walker fast enough.) Tonight's game should be a good one. The recent play of the Dynamo in league action causes some worry about their ability to control the game tonight. Pachuca is still trying to gain its season form, but its two wins in recent league play show the team to be dangerous already.

Last time we played Pachuca in Houston, we were in pre-season form and Pachuca looked sharp. Nonetheless, we took the game 2-0. This time, Pachuca knows they won't have a second leg to make up for a bad result, so they'll be more focused on the field.

We're also going to be hindered by Stuart Holden's absence due to injury. He has become an important part of the team's attack (a la Hunter Pence), but his appearance was due to another injury: Brad Davis' unfortunate injury. Perhaps Holden's absence will lead to another revelation from the team's depths. I don't think we're going to see Ashe (at least, not early), so it'll probably be Jaqua filling in for Holden. I don't mind Jaqua much as a forward, but I'm still not sold on him as a middie, even though that's where he cut his teeth with the Chicago Fire.

Perhaps the most cutting injury is Ricardo Clark, if he indeed does not play. Mulrooney is a good journeyman at D-Mid, but Clark is a defensive stalwart, an offensive threat, and a player with flair -- all rolled into one. Paired with D-Ro in the middle, we have a core that makes the Dynamo among the most potent in the MLS, if not the most potent. Without that core, we can still do the job, but it's more difficult and our usual flair is replaced with sheer doggedness. That's not as fun to watch, but injuries sometimes force a team to concentrate on the result, not the entertainment. I'm cool with that.

Ryan Cochrane is another player that will be out due to injury. I'm not a fan of Cochrane's, but his absence does weaken our depth in the back. Go get 'em, Ianni.

(And the recurring ankle injury to Dalglish again rears its head. It looks like we won't see him for a while. He wants to return next season, but do we need an expensive third option at forward?)

Tonight we need to control the pace and possession in the middle and stay organized in the back, or else we'll be easy pickens. We also need to keep possession as much as possible in Pachuca's half to put more green between them and our goal, giving us time and space to react to their attacks.

Here's my prediction: the home crowd carries the Dynamo to a 1-0 lead. Pachuca opens up the field in an attempt to equalize, and we score a second goal in the second half. Pachuca halves the deficit before the finale, but the Dynamo end up on top, 2-1. I'd be okay with that.

If I read the SuperLiga rules correctly, a Dynamo win means we host the final regardless of who wins the LA-DC match. (Our 7 points beats their point totals.) A home game with hardware on the line is a good thing. I'd sure like to get this trophy, and we're only 2 games away, which makes it much more likely than the Supporters' Shield or MLS Cup at this point.

Now, where'd I put my walker...

Go 'Mo!

Rocked in the Rockies

As the dark voice inside me expected, the Dynamo have lost to yet another lowly team. Colorado (with its previous 4 wins) joins Chicago, Toronto, and RSL in the Deadbeats That Shutout And Beat The Dynamo Club. The RSL match was a coincidence; now the Colorado match has set a trend.

I can't blame D-Ro for the own goal. Bad luck happens. But usually misfortune isn't a game changer, unless you're not taking care of business elsewhere on the field. As we said way too often last season, and again at the beginning of this season, the Dynamo's weakness is in the final third of the field. If you can't score goals, you'll be susceptible to bad luck; and we have been susceptible these past few weeks.

We generated a lot of chances, which is a good sign. We need to do better with the finishing if we expect to return to form. Good goalkeeping can keep a team in the game, but eventually the odds will work against the miracle worker in the net if you put enough quality shots at him. That's what we need to do. Mambo Seafood donates to charity $100 for each goal scored by the Dynamo. (Mambo has been saving its money big-time these past few games.) Maybe Mambo should collect $100 from each player that sends a shot from within the 18-yard box more than, say, 1 yard above the crossbar. That might eliminate those irritating parabolic, low-orbit shots.

I know, I know: penalizing bad shots will only lead to fewer shots. And that's bad.

So, we're 0-2-1 since the All-Star break. That doesn't speak well for the team in this second half of the season.

And there is a statistic I need to investigate. Have we ever won a game -- or even scored? -- when we had a man advantage and weren't already winning? Just off the top of my head, I know that we lost to KC last season when KC was down a man, we lost to RBNY this season when the Bulls were down a man, and we lost to Colorado tonight. We couldn't score against a 10-man Toronto just before the All-Star game in a match that ended it in a scoreless draw. Can we not score a goal against a short-handed side? And if not, why? What does that say about our weaknesses?

(Versus Chivas on June 21, we faced a 10 man team when we were up 2-0 already, and were able to score 2 more goals after the ejection. So we know that we CAN score versus a 10-man team if we're up by 2 goals already. We've proven that we CAN'T score against a 10-man team if we're tied or behind.)
Thanks to an uncharacteristic comeback by FCD in its match versus the Crew tonight, we're no longer leading the Western Conference. If New England takes care of business tomorrow versus LA, then we'll be in third place in the run for the Supporters' Shield. Our own destiny is no longer in our hands, but we should still be able to take the Supporters' Shield if we return to the form we had in June. With the remaining 9 games we have 27 points available, which would give us an impressive 61 points. (DCU won it last year with 55 points.) Next week we face FCD in Robertson, and that has proven to be a gateway to great runs for us in the past. This hope that trend continues, even while we look for ways to end the trend of losing to the mediocre.

But before we turn the MLS ship around, let's whoop up on Pachuca at Robertson and get the lads one step closer to that $1,000,000. Then we'll get back to taking our rightful place amongst our domestic brethren.