Holden and Ianni are coming home

Good news from the Glass-Half-Full Department, we don't have to miss any more sleep watching early morning men's soccer and Holden and Ianni are set to return to Houston.


A red card 3 minutes in and a Nigerian team playing loose and aggressive combined to deny the US the draw it needed, and ended a promising Olympic campaign by the Americans. (Official recap.) The Nigerians were a fun team to watch. It would be nice to see how we'd fare 11 v11 for 90 minutes. The match was a microcosm of the troubles faced by the US in the tourney: poor decision-making at inopportune times, making worthless fouls that gain us little and cost us much, and not being able to mentally adapt to the changing dynamic on the field. It also showed that the US players are better technically than their forbears, can maintain possession and create chances against their international opponents, and are just a few tweaks away from making great strides on the international stage.

Overall the US did much better than I thought they would, and showed promise for the future of the full USMNT. They overcame listlessness to win their opening game, were seconds away from clinching their group in their second game, and held up well down a man when facing a relentless Nigerian attack. The coaching was adequate, but I think there are better choices for this age group.

As for the hometown connection, Stuart Holden was one of the bright spots of the team, showing composure defensively and creativity offensively. He looked like the guy McBride wanted to work with the most on field. His singular moments were the winning goal versus Japan, the dangerous run late versus the Netherlands that nearly got us the clinching insurance goal, and the unfortunate foul outside the box that gave the Netherlands the free kick in the dying moments that would deny us the win. At least he wasn't the one who jumped in the wall.

Ianni didn't see any field time, unfortunately. We only saw him in the post-goal celebrations.

And best of all, both players are uninjured and ready to return to help the commented on the Olympic Village, and his thoughts turned to the dining situation: Although we weren't able to sit together, it did give us a chance to mingle with some of the other athletes from other countries, which was pretty cool. I don't remember the names of the people I spoke with, but they were French track athletes and I was able to speak French with them. It went actually pretty well, and they obviously were big soccer fans. I also talked to a few Russian wrestlers, who I'm pretty sure I could take (kidding guys...good luck on a medal!).

He also mentioned that heroomed with Charles Davies, who subbed in for Stu in the 77th minute of the Nigerian match today.

In the same blog, Brad Guzan talked about the opening ceremonies and how POTUS recognized Stuie. Then we got to meet President Bush. I had never met him before but apparently Stuart is best friends with him. He walked down and took a group photo and met with all the athletes, which was pretty cool. He got to our team and Peter introduced him first to Brian and then to some of the other guys. He got to Stuart and President Bush did kind of a double-take and said "we've met before!" Oh, sorry Stu. I didn't know you and the President were so close!

Ives had some nice reflections on the pivotal draw with the Netherlands:

No, the U.S. team's comeback and 2-1 lead were no fluke, the Americans outplayed the Dutch for 65 of minutes. There was no bunkering, no hitting and hoping. The U.S. team moved the ball around, created quality chances and defended well for a majority of the game. It was a quality performance made more impressive by the fact that it came a Dutch team regarded as a medal favorite, and a Dutch team that came into the match needing a result...

What the Americans were guilty of on Sunday was not being used to a situation like that, beating a high-level opponent and knowing how to finish them off. The Dutch were a beaten team and ripe to be finished off, but the U.S. team didn't have the experience to do it. You only develop that killer instinct by putting yourself in those situations regularly, something we just might see if this young and strong generation of American talent continues to develop.

Grant Wahl loves the Olympics and he loves soccer, but he doesn't like Olympic soccer. That's mainly due to the ruling that clubs can hold onto their stars who would otherwise represent their countries. If the clubs can reject Olympic call-ups for their players, I think that should apply only to players who are older than U-23. I think clubs should be forced to release players who are U-23.

In US Open Cup news, the Charlestown Battery, the USL team that knocked the Dynamo out of the Cup, won their semifinal match versus Seattle in PKs. They'll face DC United in the final. DC is the presumed favorite, of course, but it would be kind of cool if the Battery capped off their Cinderella run by earning the trophy. That'd earn them some CONCACAF Champions League matches too, I believe. I'm just glad New England isn't going to repeat. They've got their SuperLiga trophy, that's enough for them this season.

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!

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.

Dynamo battered by Battery

Well, we see that MLS Reserves can compete versus a top-tier USL team, but they cannot beat a top-tier USL team. Dynamo-R were the second best team in the first half. They managed to improve their play in the second half and, 15 minutes after the Battery went down to 10 men, Dynamo-R managed to find an equalizer. After the Battery went down to 9 men, Dynamo-R were out of creative ideas and the 11 only managed to give about as much as they got from the 9. That's nothing to be proud about.

Yes, this was the Dynamo-R, not the Dynamo. I'm completely fine with that choice of personnel. A reserve squad losing to a good USL team in PKs is completely understandable. Losing to a 9-man team (who still looked like they could score with those 9 men)? That's a sign that our Reserves have a lot of maturing to do. I also can't help but wonder why The Dom didn't make the moves in extra time that could have taken advantage of the 2-man advantage and prevent going to PKs. I believe the US Open Cup allows a lot more than the traditional 3 substitutes.

Once the PKs start, the result becomes a crapshoot. And, unfortunately, the USL players were the ones who looked confident and composed when taking their kicks. The Dynamo-R did not. That is completely unacceptable for an MLS club.

How did New England Revolution (who schooled us in our two meetings this year) fare with their reserve squad? They beat the Richmond Kickers 3-0. Taylor Twellman (just off injured reserve) and (maybe) Kenny Mansally are the only names you'd probably recognize on that reserve squad, yet they managed to take care of business.

All in all, a very disappointing indictment of the status of the Dynamo Club and the Club's development system. Let's hope a good result comes on Thursday to wash the bitter taste of this result out of our mouth. Without the possibility of winning the US Open Cup (and we're not even sniffing distance from the Supporters' Shield), we'll need to win the MLS Cup or come in second in the MLS Cup if we wish to compete in next year's CONCACAF Champions League. Slowly but surely, we're trimming our options by losing key matches. Being destroyed in the Pan-Pacific final, losing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, embarrassed in the league opener, held winless through the month of April and being the last team to record its first win, losing El Capitan, losing to a 9-man squad in the US Open Cup...it's time for the MIO to man up and succeed at something this season. And quickly.

Hmm. I guess I'm bitter.

Addendum, the morning after...
First of all, I'm less bitter, but still bitter.

Here is the official recap of the game and an anecdotal recap of the game. Charleston used four subs, the Dynamo used a paltry two. "Paltry" because you are allowed more than the typical three in the US Open Cup, and the MIO-R had played 120 minutes.

The Chronicle has its own post-game article. The Battery again had more juice than the Dynamo.

Another ESPN match for the Dynamo tomorrow, so Soccernet has a preview of the game vs RSL. Houston hasn't been horrible in the season's first three months. In fact, the team is tied for the fewest losses in MLS. But the Dynamo have found it difficult to beat teams, and their league-high seven draws have meant that the defending champs have gone sideways for much of the season.

Go Dynamo!

Battery is Included

Tonight the Dynamo begin their quest for the US Open Cup, the oldest cup competition in the United States. It was born in 1914, during Woodrow Wilson's term as president.

Here is the game preview. The team blog is here. (Looks like the blogger had interned with the Dallas Burn prior to working with the Dynamo, but that's just my guess). You can watch the match online at USLLive.com.

The Chronicle has a pre-game article as well. Wondo says: "This is a big game; it means something. We certainly take the reserve games very seriously, but this is a step up." Chabala says: "These are games for us to take advantage of. Dom gives us the privilege to take that game because we've worked hard and done well. It's time for us to pull our weight and get a win. It's a tournament we've never won as a club, and it's one we want to put on our trophy case."

Last year a mostly Reserve-unit of the Dynamo lost to the Battery in OT. This year, with a league match in Salt Lake just two days away, we'll probably field a mostly Reserve team again. I have no problem with that.

1. It gives the Reserves a chance to compete for something meaningful.
2. The Reserves of an MLS team should be capable of competing with a USL team.
3. Our starters need time to recuperate. And they had better take advantage of the time off by getting a result on Thursday.
   

After the Open Cup match, it's back to business. We have a chance to help ourselves in Salt Lake, and it's a busy schedule after that. The MLS Website has an article about the tough stretch ahead, in terms of a lot of matches, but few league matches that will help us gain ground that we've conceded by drawing too many games. We need to win on Thursday.

Go Dynamo!

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.

Battery drains Dynamo

Well, I would've liked to have won tonight, of course. Wins are always nice, and we'd have had the reward of facing the vile Frisco Hoops in the quarterfinals. It would be nice to add the US Open Cup to our trophy case one day, but it won't be this year.

As much as I would have liked to have beaten the Charleston Battery, I can't say that I'm all that disappointed with the loss. Usually when we're on the business end of a defeat, I gnash my teeth and glower at the dog and grunt at the kids, but I just don't feel the frustration tonight.

Why?

The US Open Cup is a fascinating competition, and it's a nice piece of hardware; but it's traditionally been third in importance in the hierarchy, and now with SuperLiga, it's dropped to fourth. Let's see...in my mind the order is probably:
(1) the MLS Cup,
(2) the Supporters' Shield (which is a greater accomplishment I think, but the MLS Cup gets the edge because of the lasting recognition, including the jersey scudetto that turns into a star, and the magical silver ball),
(3) SuperLiga, then
(4) the US Open Cup.
I would have to put the CONCACAF Champions Cup above the SuperLiga at this point, but I do think (hope) SuperLiga will grow with importance as it matures.

Let's get the bad stuff out of the way:

• Well, we lost, and that's never good.
• Ashe looks like he has an ankle sprain. He's recently been making a name for himself on the first team, and an ankle sprain could waylay him for a while -- just ask Dalglish. Cochrane may have also been nicked up.
• Charleston Battery were quite equal with us on the field, and could have gotten a goal without the ref's help had it not been for Zach Wells. Similarly, we had too few good chances on goal.
• Eddie Robinson played quite a bit. So? Well, this is bad because he's on my Fantasy Soccer team (currently in 6th place in my 86-team league; Go Balder Dash!) and will now probably sit much of the Thursday game.

What is the good news tonight?

• The reserves got some good time on the field and in a meaningful competition. I saw some talent out there, but a lot of development is still in the books. There was one left middie (or an advanced back) towards the end of the match who had a really good touch and could maintain possession well under pressure. Was that Hayden? Hatzke? Ustruck? Couldn't tell on my small screen. Moloi got some raves too.
  
• Dalglish finally got some work on the field and began to build up his fitness. Welcome back, Daggers! (What's with the hair?)
• Zach Wells continues to impress.
• It took a lame dive and chintzy call by the ref in the 106th minute to get the ball into our net, and even then, better reaction from our defenders may have paid off after Wells deflected the initial shot but couldn’t beat the Battery forwards to the rolling ball.
• Except for Robinson, our primary starters were able to rest. I know Onstad traveled to the game and Ching didn't, but I hope at least some of the other "Starting XI" attended the game to cheer on their mates.
• Our game schedule is now a little more open and less arduous on the lads. It's very likely we'd have to go with a mostly reserve team versus FCD, or risk our effectiveness in the league or SuperLiga.

As the Black Knight says, "We'll call it a draw."

Other 3rd Round Results:

• Dallas plays its first team against the Atlanta Silverbacks and is a man up for 68 minutes (from the 82nd minute through two overtimes) but still has to go to penalties to move on.
• LA takes the same approach as Dynamo Houston, and with the same results. Playing several reserves, the Gals lose to the Richmond Kickers 1-0.
• New England Revolution plays its first team and beats the historic club, the Rochester Rhinos, 4-2.
• Colorado relies on a mix of veterans and reserves to put away the California Victory, 3-1.

Media Watch:
I can't hold it back any longer: listening to Steve Mark's game description (I can't call it game play-by-play) is pure torture. He doesn't use much soccer terminology first of all, but the worse sin is that he doesn't keep pace with the game. The PK was immediately called by the ref, but Mark seemed to think the ref was waffling and I didn't learn of the call until the video feed (which runs nearly a full minute behind the radio play) showed it. Action in front of the goal will end with a long silent pause while Mark tries to mentally sort it out, and I'm left shouting "What is HAPPENING?!" The man knows sports, and he's got passion, no doubt; I just wish he'd borrow some tapes of EPL games and listen to how it's done. Maybe Glenn Davis or even Charlie Pallilo (who's not a soccer guy, but knows play-by-play) could pass along some pointers.

Having said that, I really liked Steve Mark's post game report this past weekend. It's great to be able to flip over to 790 on the drive home after a game and hear the team interviews. Live local soccer with radio commentary; things have gotten good here in Houston.

The USL video feed of the game was actually pretty good. The camera work was hosed, but to be able to watch a US Open Cup game from a USL team's home stadium in South Carolina is really a treat. The play-by-play guy was understated and good. He didn't know many of the Dynamo players...but then neither did I tonight. I wouldn't mind him calling Dynamo games regularly, but who knows: his radio work might not be as good as his video work.

A nod to Monsieur Dwayne De Rosario
I really like the news that came out yesterday: DDR will be a Dynamo through 2010. Much bile has been spilled his way due to his lack of form so far this year. He's still the generator of electricity for the Dynamo, and his speed, touch, and imagination can leave you breathless on the sidelines. I've already noted many times that I don't think that he was not trying hard enough during the negotiation: he was trying too hard. Hopefully now he will be at ease and just let himself slip into the game. DDR through 2010 is a good thing.

The Dynamo Machine Keeps Plugging Away

The Dynamo-Houston defense lived up to its billing and got its fifth straight clean sheet. We only got ourselves one goal, but it was all we needed.

The goal wasn't pretty by any stretch. After DC cleared one of our corners, the ball ended up with Mulrooney, who took a little long in my eager mind to decide to shoot, but shoot he did. The ball got stopped in the crowd in front of the goal, and Ching managed to redirect it into the goal. Gotta say that I didn't realize Ching had even scored that one until much later.

We had a few more opportunities that were prettier than the goal, but nothing trumps a goal. In the first 10 minutes, I thought we were going to get our goal when we had two solid threats. One of them saw Ngwenya with an open look on goal, but he decided to pass it off and the ball was lost. Later, Ching [watching the tape later: it is D-Ro] hustled to the goal line to save the ball and chip it in front of goal, but with an open goal staring us in the face, no one was there to capitalize as Holden hustled up to try.

Then in the 19th minute Gomez had a pretty innocuous free kick that bounced in our box (bad news, that) and somehow lazily floated towards the top corner of our goal. We were saved by the woodwork, but it would've been pretty embarrassing had that slow ball gone in.

From my position (low down section 219 tonight), I thought Ching had a sure goal in the 27th or thereabouts. With the ball at his feet at the edge of the 18-yard box, only one defender in the area (pinned to his side of course), Ching winds up and rips a shot that was deflected by the back's shin. With the deflection, I was lined up behind the ball's path and it was bearing in on the upper 90. I thought the ricochet would make it too deceptive for Perkins, but the GK had incredible reflexes and managed to knock the sure goal out for a corner.

Just a few minutes later, Robinson and Emilio are going at it on our half and Robinson smoothly wins the ball, only to get twisted up with his own momentum. The Brazilian collects the ball and Onstad faces him alone...and comes out on top. This was by far the most dangerous moment of the first half (other than that confusingly scary free kick). A few minutes later, we got the goal and I figured one goal would be all we need in Robertson Stadium.

But then the second half started and I became a bit more worried. Our back line limited DC 's opportunities on goal, but we were totally outclassed in the midfield. It wasn't that we had bunkered in or had given up, but for a stretch from about the 55th minute to the 65th minute, we could only manage about 2 passes to every 11 of DC's. They were stringing the passes together like beads, but luckily the passing was basically just possession-oriented and not penetrating. Things became a bit more even as the half wore on, but I think DC's desperation made them a bit more effective.

I thought that we had some good individual performances in the second half, but we sure weren't clicking. One player would make a nice pass, and another would have just cut the other way. One would zig while another would zag. The subs didn't change the game complexion much, but were a good move given we have three more games this week. I didn't think Nate Jaqua added much when he came in, but it was good to give Ngwenya some rest. Ashe did manage to keep our speed up in Ngwenya's absence. DeRo needed the rest and Clark needed some time to gel with his teammates. (And did Clark's jersey look yellower than the other jerseys? Maybe that's what happens when it sits at the bottom of your drawer for a month. My wife thought it just hadn't absorbed 8 pounds of sweat and that's why it looked different.)

We do need to work on game-killing possession play in these 1-goal games. It makes for tense moments otherwise. And I repeat this question: Why can't the stadium keep the clock running past 90 so we at least have an idea of how far into stoppage we've gone? Maybe I need to start an email campaign to get that going.

Bottom line is our defense is tops of the league. We have allowed only 10 goals this year, 5 fewer than the next lowest total (owned by Chivas-Carson). At home, we've scored 13 and allowed only 4. In only one game (at DC) we have allowed more than 1 goal -- and that was limited to 2. Credit goes to Onstad and our back four, no doubt; but it's also a result of our solid midfield with talent in the center and hustle on the wings. Perhaps Bradley should give some of our defenders a better look at the next US National Team camp.

Odd bits:
You know, you can't expect better weather in Houston in July. With the occasional breeze, it was actually bearable tonight.

We tied the series with DC this year. While we're done with them for league play, we do meet them once more here in Houston, on August 1 for the SuperLiga tournament.

We are only 2 wins shy of our season win total last year. Our 2 ties are 11 shy of our season total for last year, but I'd gladly swap draws for wins any season.

Tuesday we face the Charleston Battery in the US Open Cup. Even if it means we struggle, I hope we give our reserves some time on the field. It'd be good for them and good for our club's future. If we do move on and face FCD, I hope we mop the field up with them!

A Warm, Wet Blanket

I'm back from hot, dry So-Cal. In Palm Springs the car thermometer said it was 113 out. But at least it was a dry heat.

It was about 30 degrees cooler in Frisco this evening. But it was a wet heat. Humidity and heat, as we Houstonians know, is like having a warm, wet blanket thrown over you. And that whole game was like a wet blanket. The bright spot: we got one point on the road.

With over 40 fouls between the two teams, it was a chippy affair to say the least. There was absolutely no rhythm to either team, but I'd say that FCD had the edge in possession and did a better job in the middle of the field. Alvarez and Toja had the best opportunities for the hosts, and it would have taken only one to put that game away.

Yawn.

On the other end of the field, DDR had a great opportunity in the 79th minute when Mullan won the goal line and made a nice cutback pass, but DeRo hit a stray, weak dribbler of a shot. In the 85th, he had a 1-on-1 with Sala, and the GK made a great sliding save. The back lines of both teams -- even FCD's cobbled-together defense -- were pretty solid.

In general, a team is happy with a point on the road, particularly after a great 5-game winning streak; but at the Deep Dish the Houston supporters were more ardent than the Dallas supporters and that FCD defense was mostly second-string. That was no hostile crowd or stifling defense we faced, and if Dynamo-H is going to be a contender we should be able to put away games like that ... or at least look to be the more dangerous team. I'd say we were half-hearted, though not as half-hearted as the Dallas supporters looked.

This makes two games in a row where our offense looked timid. When we had opportunities, our forwards would pause and pull back. They'd allow the defense to get organized, then pass the ball (and the responsibility) to someone else. You know: they were playing like Eddie Johnson on the USMNT. DeRo was the only one that looked willing to score. The only other threats came with players hoping for a lucky ricochet off their foreheads off corners or free kicks. We had 8 shots to Dallas' 14.

Subs didn't help either. Unlike past games, there was no spark generated by Holden's and Ashe's entrance into the game. What was missing? Are teams now aware of Ashe's speed? Or was there just a general malaise and a desire not to lose rather than an urge to win? I dunno.

Yawn.

Let's hope there's more passion when Juan Pablo Angel comes to town on Thursday. (And RBNY losing to the Crew tonight: what's with that? Parity can sure make for a fun league, but it sure undermines the ability of the league to have any great teams emerge. And it plays havoc with my fantasy team.)

Odd Notes:
Ruiz, trouble though he is at times, is still sporting the captain's armband. Did you notice that his armband is in FCD's colors with the FCD shield? Wade Barrett's armband is black and white with the Adidas logo. Can we not pitch in for a truly Dynamo armband?

In the pre-game show, Dallas supporters were waving some really classy posters in the background: "Bretos has Onstad's merkin" and "Kinnear has a baby arm." (What does that last one even mean?) After the first commercial break, the Fox Soccer Channel folks must have forced the miscreants to put away the posters. I think FSC did the miscreants a favor by making them put away those posters -- it prevented them from embarrassing themselves.

Post-game, did you notice the FCD prayer circle? It included Dynamos Brad Davis and Joseph Ngwenya. Seems religion can bring people together. Too bad that doesn't work in the Middle East.

The third round of the US Open Cup is upon us. We'll be playing the Charleston Battery of the USL on or around July 10. If we win, we'll play the winner of the FCD-Atlanta Silverbacks match. Charleston is no pushover, particularly since our schedule will likely force us to play many reserves and we'll be playing at their home stadium, Blackbaud Stadium. We played the Battery in the pre-season and tied 1-1. FCD faced Charleston last year in the Open, and the game ended tied 3-3, with FCD advancing on penalties (5-3).

It's no guarantee, but it's very likely we'll face FCD in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row. If so, it'd be nice to have a result like last year's.

Dynamo tops Dynamo

Last night, the family saw its first Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match. Except for the finals (and even then only rarely) these games are rarely televised, and no cup match has been played here in Houston (or in Austin, my previous residence). This tourney traces its lineage back to 1914, so I'm glad I got to a match before a hundred years have passed.

Dynamo Houston played the Carolina Dynamo, a PDL team out of Greensboro, NC. Trekking in from work in the Galleria area, we didn't settle into our seats until almost 10 minutes into the first half. No worries, because both teams waited until we arrived to really gear up.

Carolina seemed to get the first break. The home crowd was still paltry and quiet when Carolina earned a PK halfway through the first half. This was to be backup 'keeper Zach Wells' first test...and he passed it smashingly, diving to his left to block the well-placed, if anemic, shot. Robertson was so jazzed about the stop that it shot off a water sprinkler (or was it a water cannon?) that arced over the field for -- what? -- two minutes? Play was stopped until the spray could be shut off. What a great goal celebration that would be on a regular basis, particularly on a hot day...
Houston's play amped up a bit after that; seemingly energized by their GK's accomplishment. Less than 10 minutes after the PK, Moreno sailed up effortlessly and nodded home a Mullan cross. About 5 minutes later, a Davis free kick was saved and Moreno picked up the rebound and knocked in his second. A 2-0 lead at half thanks to Moreno; this is what we like to see from our forwards!

At halftime I stood in the beer line for a $7 domestic brew. Glenn Davis walked by and was called over by the guy (a manager at Saltgrass steakhouse) in line before me. They talked for a bit before I saw a hawker with no line nearby. I still had to pay $7, but at least I didn't have to wait for it.

The second half continued the good fortune of our forwards. Ronald Cerritos scored (off a Holden corner) about 10 minutes into the second half. Cerritos had not scored all season, so this was well worth it...and ended up being the winner after Carolina exposed some lax clearing and/or defending to make it a 3-2 game. This was fortunate timing not only because it broke Cerritos' slump, nor because it gave us a much-needed goal, but because Cerritos is from El Salvador and the crowd (which had grown steadily to a healthy number) included a highly partisan (orange and black) Salvadoran crowd who was there to see CD Águila take on the Honduran CD Olimpia (and their red and blue clad fans) after the Dynamo match.

Eddie Robinson provided the necessary cushion after the 80th minute when he headed home another Holden corner. Holden, a hometown player, has done well for himself the past few games. His two assists helped us to the 4-2 win.

Our family sat up in Section 200. This was the first time we sat on the West stands. I've sat on both goal lines and numerous times on the East stands. These seats were the farthest from the field I've ever sat, but the views of the South Goal were excellent, without forsaking the views of action at the North Goal. We clearly saw our first two goals and both of Carolina's goals, and we had no trouble seeing our two second-half goals either. One complaint: there was no replay on the video screen for this game, so you couldn't see different angles of the goals, of great plays, or of fouls.

We left not long after the game ended. I wanted to see the two Central American teams play. The crowd seemed passionate and vocal. There were lots of club colors and banners (on our way out, I heard a Dynamo security lass telling another that she had confiscated all of the flags from one section). But we had another 45 minutes to wait until the second game started, and the kids were getting restless and I knew I had more of my life-sucking workweek to go, so we headed home.

As we walked out, we saw Aaron Lanes, Dynamo player and rock guitarist, dressed in his street clothes. Apparently he didn't suit up for this game. Hopefully we'll see him soon; seeing the reserves advance is one of the joys of this game.

Had we stayed, we would have seen (according to the Chronicle) "a benches-clearing brawl, a pair of ejections, two late penalties and a last-minute goal." With the score tied at 2-2, Olimpia of Honduras (who had lost to Águila in its last two attempts) netted one in stoppage time to win it in regulation, 3-2.

We relinquished all this excitement for an easy trip out of the parking lot (that's a first!), still warm with the pleasure of having increased our stash of Dynamo coozies and, oh yeah, seeing our team progress to the quarterfinals of the tourney to face none other than FCD (Fakers, Cheaters, and Divers of Frisco).