The Western Conference Championship + 30 minutes to get the Galaxy in the Cup

While I've been following the Dynamo all season, I have kept my comments to the various blogs (particularly Benardo Fallas and Glenn Davis) and haven't spent time on mine. Worse: I've attended only one game this season. That's primarily because my weekends are spent coaching my son's Divison 2 team, and that's proven very time-consuming.

The past two months have been painful because the Dynamo drifted into a malaise, and their game looked tired and uninspired. Even so, if they had won only one more game they would have earned the Supporters' Shield. This is actually the prize I wanted the most this year. When that went to The Crew, I shifted my hopes to the MLS Cup.

I was pretty pessimistic about our chances to get past the Sounders, but the excellent result at Seattle made me hopeful, and the Dynamo ended up closing out the series in style with an awesome extra time goal by Ching.

We match up fairly well against LA, so I was more optimistic than I was about our Sounders series. Several Dynamo and non-Dynamo fans suggested that the Dynamo would have to beat LA and the refs (and Don Garber and ESPN...) in order to get through to the final. I thought these fans were either paranoid Dynamo fans, or spiteful Galaxy-haters. Turns out they were right.

The Dynamo controlled the game in the first 18 minutes, other than a couple of dangerous forays early on by LA. After the blackout in the 18', the Galaxy asserted control. The MIO worked their way into the game again, but halftime took off their edge and the Galaxy again controlled the game after the break. Thankfully with the 2nd blackout in the 55th minute, the game became the Dynamo's again. They controlled the final 30 minutes or so, and looked like the only team on the field for long stretches. Then they get the only goal of the game off a Hainault header after a LA player takes out Ching and another LA player. Houston wins 1-0.

Except that the ref decided the Dynamo shouldn't have let the LA player take out his teammate and Ching. So no goal. A few crossbars later, and we're into Extra Time. Credit to the Galaxy for playing a solid 30 minute overtime, but it shouldn't have gotten to that. It was an illegitimate act that put an unequal hurdle before both teams. Turns out, you had to have the LA crest on your chest for your goal to count. We weren't aware of that stipulation prior to the game.

The Dynamo have nothing to be ashamed of. They acquitted themselves well for the 90 minute match and proved they were the better team. Fatigue and weak bench support proved to be their undoing when they were forced to play an illegitimate extra 30 minutes.

Question doesn't the Skunk-headed one make enough money to buy some maturity? He whines like a spoiled schoolboy. Does he always whine at every official? Does he always exchange whiny words with the opposition once the competition is over? He did versus Chivas USA, and now with the Dynamo.

It seems to me that the MLS is hurting its credibility with potential American sports fans by immersing itself more and more into the atmosphere of suspicious officiating, like seen with the NBA. I long ago gave up on basketball and I get physically ill whenever I see it on TV. It's an off-season YMCA conditioning exercise that they turned professional with all of the competitive legitimacy of professional wrestling. The MLS seems to be heading in that direction too, with their bush league referees and their rule-bending for the gender-bending Becks and his LA Gals.

I still support the Dynamo. They are the best organization in the MLS and, while physical, play a style of ball that other MLS teams only sometimes toy with. Coach Kinnear is the best in the league, and the players are class acts.

But I have slowly become a reluctant follower of the MLS in general, and have become a more and more infrequent watcher of the league. Furthermore, I worry that personnel changes and aging veterans will make the one bright spot in the league -- the Houston Dynamo -- a second rate team scrapping its way through the league next season as it waits on the next generation of talent to emerge.

Post-Season & Post-DeRo Media Roundup

Here's a roundup of some Houston-related topics that have hit the media. They discuss what Houston needs to do next year,

Houston season review
ESPN has an article about the Dynamo still being strong contenders for 2009. It was written before the team unloaded DeRo. Here are some excerpts:

"Houston is still, hands-down, the best team in Major League Soccer," said former U.S. international Eric Wynalda. "This is not to discredit the accomplishment that the Columbus Crew had. They had a great year and terrific blend of players. But based on pure talent, pure ability, soccer knowledge, experience -- yes, Houston is better."

Go down the Dynamo's lineup, and it's clear why Houston is still among the league's elite. Houston has quality at nearly every position, with its midfield especially rich in talent. Not only are Ricardo Clark and Brad Davis still in their prime, but the likes of Stuart Holden and Corey Ashe are young players who have proven themselves ready for bigger roles. Then there is the considerable class offered up by Dwayne De Rosario and Brian Mullan.

That's not to say that Houston doesn't have some holes to fill. The departure of Nate Jaqua to Seattle once again puts the Dynamo in the market for a forward to pair with Brian Ching. With Bobby Boswell expected to head to Europe, the team will also be looking to bolster the center of its defense, and the aforementioned age issue is most apparent at fullback. While both Wade Barrett and Richard Mulrooney are solid performers, Kinnear will need to start planning now for their eventual departures.

Kinnear will likely go the trade route, a tactic that has served him well over the years. After the 2004 campaign, the departures of Landon Donovan, Ronnie Ekelund and Jeff Agoos forced Kinnear to rebuild a San Jose Earthquake side that eventually morphed into the current Dynamo squad, with Davis and Clark among his acquisitions. And Kinnear's Midas touch in the trade market hasn't diminished over time; the 2007-08 offseason saw him land Boswell.

"Kinnear's too smart; he'll find players," said Wynalda. "And his system is one that works, that really defines the positions well so he doesn't have to get creative. Guys can come and go out of certain position and not have a dramatic effect on the team."

The MLS Website also has a season review. Here are some excerpts, some of which may presage the departure of DeRo:

Waibel: "The greatest thing to take away from this season, on top of the results, is that we are still one of the best teams in this league and we have a bench that is as deep as any."

After their loss to the New York Red Bulls in the Western Conference Semifinal Series, Ching mentioned that he thought there would be some big changes with the team, but failed to elaborate when pushed. Kinnear sidestepped the question and said the team next year would be fine. Waibel acknowledged the possibility of a shakeup, but didn't dwell on the potential breakup in chemistry the team has relied upon since Day 1.

"But I don't think anyone on this roster is banging down the door trying to get out of here. I think everyone that has been here and left is banging on the door trying to get back in." [Well, it seems that DeRo was, in fact, banging down the door trying to get out so he could return to Toronto.]

As for goals in 2009 for whatever players might don the Orange and White next year, that's easy.

"The season is over," Kinnear said. "But our goal for next year is set already, and that is to win MLS Cup 2009."

The DeRo Trade
Ives voices his opinion on the DeRo trade, and whether the Dynamo got a fair deal:

The deal happened because the Dynamo came to the realization that they had to revamp a roster that was showing vulnerabilities that didn't exist when the team was winning MLS Cup titles in 2006 and 2007. The departure of Nate Jaqua, potential departure of Brian Ching and likely departure of stalwart defender Bobby Boswell forced the Dynamo to consider how to revamp their roster without tearing it apart.

As much as all parties involved [Houston, Toronto, DeRo] needed the trade to happen, Toronto FC still came away the clear winner. TFC director of soccer Mo Johnston ... has set Toronto up for a big 2009. Add De Rosario to three first-round draft picks in what is considered a strong upcoming draft in January, $800,000 in allocation money as well as a designated player slot the team is expected to use, and you realize that Toronto had the resources to pay more for De Rosario but didn't.

Johnston managed to land one of the league's best midfielders and a renowned clutch player, and he did so without giving up a key starter or any of the team's three first-round draft picks. Throw in that Houston accepted what sources say was an allocation less than $200,000, and you get the sneaking suspicion that Toronto FC played hardball and Houston relented.

Toronto's reward is a player who will boost a Toronto attack that struggled at times. Whether TFC groups De Rosario with Amado Guevara and Carl Robinson in a 4-5-1 formation or plays De Rosario as a withdrawn forward in a 4-4-1-1, the prospect of having the creative tandem of De Rosario and Guevara working together is a scary proposition. Especially if you consider that Toronto is expected to use its designated player slot on a forward.

The lingering question that stands out when looking at this trade is, why did Houston deal De Rosario for seemingly so little? The reality is that there wasn't a huge market for De Rosario because of his salary, his desire for a new contract and the leaguewide knowledge that he wanted to play only for Toronto. With only one team to deal him to, Houston was left with poor bargaining position, and it showed in what most experts will call a lopsided deal.

Although that may be so, a closer look at the deal reveals that it could help Houston on a variety of fronts. In swapping De Rosario for James and between $150,000 and $175,000 in allocation money, the Dynamo gain a potential net of up to $350,000 of salary-cap space. Houston is expected to use that cap space to use its designated player, with a marquee forward at the top of the team's list of needs.

James also is very high on the lists of several MLS clubs that considered him the best defender in the 2008 MLS draft. Although James did struggle at times as a rookie for Toronto, he still boasts the athleticism and toughness that many scouts believe could help him turn into an elite defender.

In the end, Houston won't regret this deal if Holden flourishes, if its DP signing isn't a flop and if James is a standout defender. But if more than one of these doesn't break right for the Dynamo, critics will look back on this trade as the real beginning of the end for the Dynamo.

As for TFC, the club landed the player it has long coveted and is one step closer to completing a rebuilding project that will see it go from missing the playoffs to winning a title. For Johnston & Co., 2009 is a make-or-break season, and Friday's trade is a major step toward Toronto's establishing itself as a legitimate force next season.

The Chronicle covers one cool aspect of the DeRo trade, and that is that Stuart Holden will be at the heart of the team:

Last week's trade — the biggest in the Dynamo's short history — might have been all about outgoing midfielder Dwayne De Rosario and incoming defender Julius James. But come next season, it might be all about Stuart Holden.

"I’ve always thought that (attacking mid) was my best position," Holden said. "This year I got to play most of my minutes there, and I think I proved to (coach) Dom (Kinnear) that I can play in central midfield, and not only play but score and be a threat."

The team is confident, too. So confident that it is in talks with Holden about a long-term deal — one that is bound to include a significant pay increase —despite him having a season left in his contract.

The Chronicle later takes the position that unloading DeRo may help the team in the long run. DeRo was filling a position where we already had a capable substitute. We needed to make the moves to fill gaping holes in our lineup. Out of the deal we get a young defender of the future, and the money to pursue a solid forward ... possibly Luis Angel Landin, a young Mexican First Division forward from Morelia Monarcas (and Pachuca before that) "with exceptional size, name recognition, incredible potential, and, better yet, an attractive price tag."

Keeping the points a-coming

Two sweet goals in the first half, and another stellar performance by Onstad (among others), gave the Dynamo their first win over the Crew at Robertson. (Game recap. More on the win.)

First, know that it was hot. Mostly that was thanks to the humidity. I don't think the heat and humidity helped us as much last night though; it seemed that being a goal behind got the Crew motivated. They had some very good stretches of play once we scored, and they would have scored had Onstad not been his uber-goalkeeping self. The "Hardhats" looked particularly good in the second half, but the humidity (and the Crew's early subs mandated by injuries) probably did help late in that they didn't look dangerous after the 80th minute or so.

The first goal by Davis in the 13th minute came from a nice feed from Mullan. The ball bounced a bit on Davis' first touch (blame the uneven turf on that one), giving Davis the perfect opportunity to turn and blast a blistering half-volley into the upper left net. "It was good to be able to come out tonight and contribute with a goal. That was a great pass from Brian (Mullan) and the team got three points. That is the most important thing right now. I have had some chances recently with posts and crossbars, but it went my tonight."

In the 43rd, Ching hit a low rocket after Clark sent a through ball to Nate Jaqua in the box. Jaqua was closed down quickly and couldn't turn, but left a nice step-over layoff to Ching who sent his shot low and to the left, through the defender's legs, and into the net as the GK, Will Ferrell Hesmer, dove the wrong way.

As with the Pachuca match, there was some controversy on the field: what's with the new Dynamo Girl uniforms? They looked almost modest! My wife approves.

Cool article alert! Richard Justice must've been at the game, or maybe he attended the Pachuca game, because he has a great article on the Men In Orange. It's a great soccer article from a non-soccer sports journalist. Links to newspaper articles sometimes break over time, so here are a few quotes for posterity:

• The Dom, talking about the overwhelming support in the final home game last season: "To this day, I've never witnessed a club atmosphere in America better than that one," the Dynamo coach said. "You looked up and there was orange everywhere. There were no gimmicks, no giveaways. It was just fans that wanted to see the Houston Dynamo advance to the final. I still get chills talking about it."
• There's more emotion in one Dynamo game than the Texans, Astros and Rockets have in an entire season. Cynicism takes a day off when the Dynamo play. And it's all about the soccer. It's not about the creature comforts at Robertson Stadium or the chance to see an international star. It's about the team.
• Now into their third season, the Dynamo have done almost everything right. They moved into the right market. They won back-to-back championships. Robertson Stadium offers a closeness to the players, an intimacy rare in professional sports. It helps that players spend hours in the community visiting hospitals, holding clinics, being the best ambassadors a sport can have. It helps to have players who care, who always play with hustle and energy, who appreciate the fan base. It's all those things and more. It's our amazing little success story.
• They have great leadership beginning with team president Oliver Luck, an accomplished coach in Kinnear and an interesting locker room mix. Barrett, the captain, is quiet. So is Mullan. Onstad, the old guy, has seen it all. Robinson and Craig Waibel are talkative and emotional. It's the kind of mix of players for which every franchise strives. And the crowd support, the emotion and noise and all the rest, is irreplaceable.

Good stuff.

Now let's hope we can take care of business this Tuesday versus New England and bring home our first international trophy. The Revs can't beat us THREE games in one season, can they? CAN THEY?

(Meanwhile, a New England fan is thinking "The Dynamo can't beat us THREE championships in a row, can they? CAN THEY?" Lords of Destiny hear me out: Each season sees a slightly different group wearing the jersey of a club, so a Dynamo win wouldn't have the same players beating the same players three times in a row, even if there are quite a few returning core players. However, a Revolution win would (basically) have the same players beating the same players thrice in a row. We can't have that, okay?)

Go Dynamo!

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.

Mid-week Media Roundup

Steve Davis, the north Texas MLS correspondent, says The Dom may have to start considering changes if we don't start seeing results soon. "Dominic Kinnear has probably forgotten more about soccer than most of us could ever learn. As a player, he studied under Serbian-born tactician Bora Milutinovic. As an assistant, he apprenticed under Frank Yallop during the San Jose Earthquakes' first championship season." The gist: "It's clear that the Dynamo must do two things. One: Don't panic. Two: Prepare to panic ... if things don't turn around in the next two weeks."

The Dynamo website has some insight into a typical training day.

B-Fall suggests that the above article left out a creative adjective in the Waibel quote that concludes the article.

De La Hoya will be fighting in The Toolshed in Carson, CA, while the Dynamo are (hopefully) pummeling Chivas USA. De La Hoya will wear "forever orange" trim on his fighting gear.

Here's a fascinating interview with Ruud Gullit from The (London) Times. It provides some great insight into the soccer culture of the MLS and the US as compared to elsewhere. Some quotes:

• Best sound bite: "I can't play sexy football with this team at the moment because we are not ready for this."
• Standard English insight into US player development: "There is a huge difference between the very good players and some of the average players. The reason for this... is that young players are not being schooled in the way we do it in Europe...Here in the United States they play soccer in the schools and then college and they are 20 or 21 years old and they are coming to me, having been coached straight out of a book. None of these coaches has played at any kind of high level. In fact, if you were a World Cup-winner, if you had all of the medals but you didn't have the universal qualifications to teach, you could not get a coaching job at college level. This is a major limitation when these players come into the professional game and it means that I have to go back to basics with them..."
• Houston gets a mention, but only as a vehicle for Becks: "In the game against Houston, David was excellent, he worked hard, he set an example and he did everything I could ask of my captain...I couldn’t believe that people doubted him about his physical condition before England's game against France in Paris. You wouldn't doubt him if you saw him play against Houston."

Going Back to Ohio

Dynamo-Houston trek to Columbus, OH, tonight. The Crew aren't their usual pushover selves, especially when Guillermo Barros Schelotto is on his game. In the 4-game history of the two teams, the Dynamo have won only once (in Columbus, not The Rob) with the remainder being draws. It's hard to predict who wins tonight, although one might think that Houston is due its first win of the season, but I don't think the odds work that way: adding up until a particular game is a gimme. You could easily argue that the Crew are due their first win of the Houston/Columbus series. Maybe a draw is the most likely conclusion.

All's I know is that Alejandro Moreno will probably score a goal; he has netted one every time he's faced Houston since his departure from Houston. And I will say unequivocally that Moreno will earn his team at least 2 dangerous free kicks. That's how he rolls. Still, I feel that Houston should win if they play like they have been. Here's hoping for a game like the first half versus LA, only with more scoring for the orange.

Here is the MLS game preview.

Caraccio has been a long-time admirer of Schelotto. Tonight is a great chance for the young gun to impress the old maestro.

A brief note about the defensive line. This will be the first time this season our back line will have the same personnel lining up in consecutive games.

Did you know that Sigi Schmid coached The Dom on the USNMT years ago? Sigi said Dom was on the "World Cup Team" but Dom wasn't on the final roster for the 1990 team. Maybe Sigi was the assistant coach and Dom was with the team through the build up, then was cut before the final roster was made?

Also, do the Dynamo want to be the team that gives Sigi his 100th win? (Read the fourth bullet under Item #5 here. Also, Item #1 talks about the weird knuckling action of the MLS ball; could unfamiliarity with the MLS ball be the reason for Caig's slow start? That would be nice if it were true; and it might explain why his last few games have been better. But: (1) that wouldn't explain one of his apparent weaknesses, which is his hesitancy as to when to come off his line and (2) it wouldn't explain the performance in Saprissa, where they don't use the MLS ball and he still struggled.)

A final (?) word on Donovan and His Angry Face
Shaka Hislop has an interesting take on the Dynamo's reaction to Donovan's vocal showmanship last week: the complacency is a sign that all is not well in Dynamoland. He feels Ianni should have confronted Donovan and the Dynamo should have supported their teammate. Instead, Donovan "had to be led away by one of his own team-mates - all the while, no one from Houston, not even Ianni, cared to confront the LA forward...It portrayed a real lack of camaraderie from within Houston's ranks, which is very concerning given the pre-season favourites' precarious position at the bottom of the Western Conference, without a win to their name." Personally, I think Ianni handled the incident quite professionally, and camaraderie is one thing that doesn't appear to be a problem with the Dynamo. I do agree with Hislop's later accolades about The Dom.

Another factoid from the Hislop piece: In Portsmouth "the fans are famous for their vehement support, so much so that the number 12 was reserved for the crowd - no player would wear the No12 shirt." Cool tradition, that.