Houston Dynamo Odds & Ends - March 1, 2012

The 2013 MLS season starts tomorrow, Saturday March 2nd, and the Houston Dynamo will be hosting D.C. United at BBVA Compass Stadium. Click here to purchase tickets. It's been a somewhat busy week for the Dynamo as they get ready for the new season and another shot at the MLS Cup.

Contracts have been a big issue this week with Brian Ching and Mike Chabala getting new contracts and Chris Canetti getting a contract extension.

Brian Ching signed his new contract sometime within the past 24 hours. This is a one season contract, and it is clear that this will be Brian Ching's final season as a player for the Houston Dynamo, but that doesn't mean that the native of Haleiwa, Hawai’i (on the lovely island of O'ahu) will be leaving the Dynamo after this season. The contract provides that Ching will be a player/assistant coach, opening the door to a future on the coaching staff or being in the front office.

Ching was a member of the old San Jose Earthquakes team that made the move to Houston in 2006, and his long tenure and star power here in Houston puts him the same realm of former Astros players Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell.

“We are happy to keep Brian on the team,” said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear. “Throughout his career, Brian has been a key part of who we are. He has also been an important player on the field and in the locker room.”

“(Houston) is where I always wanted to be,” said Ching. “I was completely optimistic that we would get this deal done. I wanted to come back and play again, so I’m looking forward to continuing the same role I finished the season with last year and hopefully making a difference on the field.”

“It’s nice to formally wrap up Brian’s contract for 2013. Having him here was never in question; it just took some time to iron out the details. He is an integral part of our club today and will be into the future,” said Dynamo president Chris Canetti.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Houston Dynamo CEO Chris Canetti signed a contract extension that will keep him as the team's President for three more years. Canetti first joined the Dynamo front office when he became the Chief Operating Officer in 2006, and was promoted to President when Oliver Luck left the role to become the Athletic Director at the University of West Virginia in 2010.

“Under Chris’ leadership, the Dynamo have not only achieved some of the most successful seasons (on and off the pitch) in MLS history, they have truly been a model franchise for all of professional sports,” said Tim Leiweke, President & CEO, AEG, managing partners, Houston Dynamo. “While waiting years to open one of the great soccer stadiums, Chris continued to set records for attendance and revenue and now, with BBVA Compass Stadium, we have no doubt that with Chris guiding the organization, the best is yet to come for the Houston Dynamo franchise and their fans.” Leiweke continued: “On behalf of Oscar De La Hoya, Gabriel Brener, and Phil Anschutz, we could not be more pleased to ensure that Chris will remain with the Dynamo for years to come.”

“I am honored and privileged to have the opportunity to continue to lead this great club into what is a very bright future,” said Canetti. “I love coming to work every day and am committed to helping the Dynamo achieve the highest levels of success. I’d like to thank our ownership group for its confidence in me and for all of the support they have given over the years.”

An old face signed a new contract with the Houston Dynamo, it was announced on earlier this week that Mike Chabala, who was invited to trial with the club during preseason, and will now be much needed depth on the back line. Read more about Chabala rejoining the Dynamo at Dynamo Theory.

On Monday, the Dynamo unveiled their new jerseys:

This season will mark the first season the Dynamo have included the Texas flag on their kit.

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Houston Dynamo, Newtown Kindness Announce Partnership

On Tuesday January 29, 2013, the Houston Dynamo announced that it has joined with Newtown Kindness to become an official partner of the inaugural Charlotte Bacon Act of Kindness Award. In addition to becoming partners of the program, Dynamo defender Corey Ashe, midfielder Ricardo Clark and forwards Brian Ching and Cam Weaver have agreed to become spokespeople for the Charlotte Bacon Act of Kindness Award.

The Charlotte Bacon Act of Kindness Award is named in honor of Charlotte Bacon, a six-year-old girl who was killed in the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. The award is designed to encourage children from around the world to think about and perform simple acts of kindness in their respective communities. As partners of the Charlotte Bacon Act of Kindness Award, the Houston Dynamo and Dynamo Charities, presented by the Halliburton Charitable Foundation, are committed to using their resources to help communicate that message to the team’s fan base and to Houston-area residents.

“This is a great initiative,” said Dynamo forward Brian Ching. “It involves performing a simple act of kindness, which is something that anyone can do. I encourage all children to participate and honor Charlotte’s legacy.”

“I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit Newtown in early January as part of Soccer Night in Newtown event,” said Dynamo defender Corey Ashe. “While in Connecticut, my teammates and I had breakfast with the Bacon family. Charlotte sounded like an amazing girl and I’m honored to be a spokesperson for an award that honors her memory.”

The Dynamo and Newton Kindness are encouraging children to tell their act of kindness story in writing or by drawing a picture for a chance to be recognized with a Charlotte Bacon Act of Kindness Award. One award winner will be chosen to receive a Houston Dynamo prize pack that includes roundtrip airfare for four people to Houston, two nights in a hotel, four tickets to a 2013 Dynamo home game and $100 in concession stand vouchers.

The award is open to all children 18 years of age and younger. Entries must be received by Feb. 21, 2013 and must include a minimum donation of $5. Donations are also being accepted without an entry into the contest, with all funds going to the Charlotte Bacon Kindness Fund, a soon-to-be 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports the Sandy Hook victims’ families and memorials. Complete contest rules, including information on where to send entries, can be found at newtownkindness.org.

From a Houston Dynamo Press Release.

A Beautiful Night, But An Ugly Draw: Houston Dynamo 0 - 0 Portland Timbers

Photo by Nigel Brooks

Last night the weather was behaving when the Houston Dynamo hosted the Portland Timbers in the first ever night match at BBVA Compass Stadium, but the play on the field never matched the loveliness of the evening weather.

The Dynamo, playing their third match in 7 days, had to shuffle the starting lineup in order to give some players a much needed rest, thereby, ostensibly, giving the Portland Timbers, coming off over a week of rest, an advantage, but the only advantage the Timbers seemed to have was some questionable calls and no calls by the officiating crew.

After a little over 90 minutes, it was the Dynamo who, despite looking lethargic at times, dominated the match with 18 shots, 7 of which were on goal, and controlling possession for 59 minutes. By contrast, Portland had only 9 shots, just two of which were on goal. In the end, the Dynamo squad are right to be happy that despite the grind of their schedule, they managed to maintain a clean sheet and can now take a few days to recover before heading to New England to face the Revolution on Saturday night.

Saturday's match starts at 6:30 p.m. central time and will be broadcast on KPRC Local 2 in Houston, with the radio broadcast on Sports Talk 790.

The Dynamo's next home match will be on Saturday May 26th when they host the Los Angeles Galaxy. That match starts at 1:30 p.m., yes 1:30 p.m, and will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports.

Dynamo Win Second Straight Match on the Road

Today the Houston Dynamo returned to their old stomping grounds in the Bay Area of California as they faced off against the San Jose Earthquakes at AT&T (nee PacBell) Park in San Francisco. We all know that the Houston Dynamo were once the San Jose Earthquakes and that MLS has created a fiction whereby the expansion Earthquakes get to "keep" the Dynamo's old trophies . . . this means there is a whole lot of bad blood when the teams play.

In light of MLS's decision to make a completely and totally unbalanced schedule this season, the Earthquakes and the Dynamo faced off in the only regular season match they will play against each other in 2012.

In the end the Houston Dynamo bested their foes 1-0 thanks to San Jose's keeper Jon Busch fouling Brian Ching in the box. Brad Davis converted the penalty and that's all Houston need to pick up it's second straight road win of 2012.

Houston Dynamo Reload for 2012 MLS Season

The Houston Dynamo have always seemed to have a love-hate relationship with the MLS SuperDraft. In the franchise's early years in Houston, Dynamo Coach Dominic Kinnear seemed to have no qualms about trading away a top draft pick in order to obtain a player who filled a need or role right away for his squad. The result of this was that the Dynamo often picked late in the draft. Additionally, the Dynamo had no qualms about using draft picks on players like Marcus Tracy and Euan Holden, despite the fact that those players were clearly going to skip MLS for opportunities in Europe.

Despite this somewhat casual attitude towards the draft, the Houston Dynamo were fairly decent at picking up quality players like Corey Ashe, in 2007; Geoff Cameron, in 2008; and Danny Cruz, in 2009. After a rather dismal 2010 draft, the Dynamo seemed to take a new attitude towards the 2011 draft where they managed to pick up Will Bruin and Kofi Sarkodie.

This year the Dynamo showed signs that their 2011 approach was not a fluke, not only making serious use of the SuperDraft to pick up talent but also using the Supplemental Draft as a means of trying to address the team's weak spots, primarily, it's midfield and offense.

With their first pick of the 2012 draft, which was the 18th overall pick, the Dynamo drafted a forward, Colin Rolfe, who played at Louisville, the Big East conference champion. Then, in the second round, the Dynamo drafted midfielder Warren Creavalle, who played for the University of Central Florida.

In the 2012 Supplemental Draft the Houston Dynamo picked five players: Brian Ownby (forward); Karo Okiomah (forward), Eder Arreola (midfielder), Philip Aseweh (forward), and Daniel Roberts (home-grown midfielder).

The fact that the Dynamo are taking a look at four new forwards suggests that the team is doubtful that it will be able to trade for Brian Ching and has chosen to focus on trying to find the team's next generation of strikers. I know that many Dynamo fans really want to see Ching dressed in orange on May 12th when the new stadium opens, but fans need to ask themselves are they willing to ransom the team's future for one, aging player?

The Dynamo start preseason training camp on Monday January 23rd and have their first scrimmage on January 28th, against the Dynamo Academy. Additional preseason games in Houston include scrimmages against San Jac College (Feb. 1), HBU (Feb. 4), and SMU (Feb. 18). The Dynamo will spend a few weeks training in Carson, California, where they'll scrimmage against the Montreal Impact, L.A. Galaxy, Portland Timbers, and San Jose Earthquakes (in Venture). The Dynamo will close out the preseason by participating in the Disney Pro Classic in Orlando, where they'll play Sporting Kansas City, the Vancouver Whitecaps, and the Montreal Impact.

The Houston Dynamo start their regular season on March 11th when they play Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

Montreal Impact Draft Brian Ching in MLS Expansion Draft

The Houston Dynamo took a gamble this week by leaving striker Brian Ching unprotected for today's expansion draft, hoping that Ching's age and salary would prevent the Montreal Impact from drafting him. Additionally, Brian Ching made it clear that if he was drafted by Montreal, he would retire.

We'll soon find out if Brian Ching's threat to retire was a bluff, because he was the Montreal Impact's first pick in today's expansion draft.

During the short question and answer portion of the draft, Jesse Marsch of the Impact, made a comment about other teams being interested in Ching, which suggests the Impact have already looked into the prospect of trading Ching.

The Zygo Soccer Report in the Raw: Dynamo 1-0 Union

Photo by Katy Umaña

The Houston Dynamo beat the Philadelphia Union on Thursday night, 1-0, to advance to the 2011 MLS Cup Eastern Conference Semifinal. This episode of The Zygo Soccer Report features raw post-match audio from Stuart Holden, Chris Canetti, Bobby Boswell, Adam Moffat, Brad Davis, Brian Ching, and Dominic Kinnear.

The Dynamo play Sporting Kansas City in the Eastern Conference Final on Sunday November 6, 2011. The match starts at 4:30 p.m. central time and will be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel.

I apologize for the quality of my intro audio, had to use different equipment to record that part, the rest of it is the high quality you find on previous podcasts.

Music in this episode from Girl in a Coma, Cage the Elephant, Dum Dum Girls, and The Black Kids.

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Brian Ching Says Goodbye to Robertson Stadium & Hello to Eastern Conference Finals: Dynamo 1-0 Union

Photo by Katy Umaña

On April 2, 2006, over 25,400 sports fans packed into Robertson Stadium on the University of Houston campus to see the first ever MLS match to be played in Houston. The match featured the newly minted Houston Dynamo, formerly the San Jose Earthquakes, hosting the Colorado Rapids and the star of the night was a Hawaiian forward named Brian Ching who scored the first goal and then three more in the 5-2 Dynamo victory. Therefore, it was fitting that it was Brian Ching who scored the last Dynamo goal, the last MLS goal, at Robertson Stadium, ensuring that the Dynamo would advance to the 2011 MLS Cup Eastern Conference Final.

On Thursday November 3, 2011, over 24,700 Houston soccer fans were on hand to watch the Houston Dynamo host the Philadelphia Union in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal and to say goodbye to Robertson Stadium. This past Sunday, the Dynamo picked up a 2-1 win at Philadelphia in the first leg of the semifinal. Brian Ching picked up his goal in first half stoppage time. Fittingly, Brad Davis picked up an assist on that goal. After 90 plus minutes, all the Dynamo needed was Ching's goal, giving them a 1-0 win in the second leg and a 3-1 aggregate victory in the MLS Cup Eastern Conference Semifinals.

As you will hear in an upcoming podcast, the significance of Ching picking up the last Robertson Stadium goal was not lost on those connected to the Dynamo organization. Following the match, Chris Canetti, Stuart Holden, Dominic Kinnear, and several Dynamo players all reflected on the fact that Ching goals book end the franchise's Robertson Stadium era.

This season will mark the 4th time in six years that the Dynamo have advanced to their respective conference finals, the last time being in 2009 when they lost to the Los Angeles Galaxy in a controversial match. In the sporting landscape of Houston where the Astros are considered one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball, the Rockets have been so poor that the NBA lockout barely seems to register as a concern, and the Texans are just now starting to have a serious chance at making the playoffs, the Houston Dynamo, with its MLS Cup championships in 2006 and 2007, have truly been a bright spot, bringing pride to the city. A new era in professional soccer in Houston will begin next season when the Dynamo move into their new downtown stadium, but one thing that never changes is the Dynamo's drive to win the MLS Cup.

The Dynamo don't have much time to relax and enjoy their victory because they'll soon have to travel to Kansas City where they'll face Sporting Kansas City in the Eastern Conference Final on Sunday November 6, 2011. The match starts at 4:30 p.m. central time and will be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel.

Dynamo Ruin John Spencer's Return to Houston, with 2-1 Win over Portland Timbers

Sunday night's match between the Houston Dynamo and Portland Timbers at Robertson Stadium in Houston began at a frenetic pace, with Portland looking like it was going to get an early goal, but despite the numerous early shots on goal by the Timbers, it was the Dynamo who scored first, with Adam Moffat picking up a golazo, against his former team, in the 17th minute. It only took another 10 minutes for the Dynamo to get their second goal, this time thanks to team captain, Brian Ching. Ching's goal proved to be the game winner as Portland prevented Tally Hall from keeping a clean sheet when Jack Jewsbury scored in the 56th minute.

Sunday marked the return to Houston of Timbers coach John Spencer, who was an assistant coach under Dominic Kinnear until last season, and Mike Chabala and Lovel Palmer, who the Dynamo recently traded to Portland for Adam Moffat and allocation money.

Thanks to the three points they picked up on Sunday night, the Dynamo are now tied in third place, on 31 points, in the East with RedBull New York. On Wednesday, the Dynamo head to New England and then host Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Episode 33 of The Zygo Soccer Report: Houston Dynamo 3-1 Seattle Sounders

The Houston Dynamo beat Seattle Sounders 3-1 on Saturday night here in Houston thanks to goals from Colin Clark and Brian Ching.

Featured music by El Général, Public Enemy, and Little Dragon.

-Photo by Katy Umaña

Houston Dynamo Beat Seattle Sounders, 3-1: Video Highlights

-Photo by Katy Umaña

Coming off of a rough 3-0 loss to Chivas USA in California, the Houston Dynamo were looking for redemption as they hosted the Seattle Sounders at Robertson Stadium on Saturday night, and redemption they found as captain Brian Ching led the Dynamo to a 3-1 victory.

The Dynamo picked up their first goal early in the match when Colin Clark scored in the 7th minute:



In the 23rd, Brian Ching, with assists from Geoff Cameron and Brad Davis, scored what would prove to be the game winning goal for the Houston Dynamo:



Seattle finally managed to get on the scoreboard in the first half when Fredy Montero picked up a penalty in the box, a penalty that Alvaro Fernandez converted, making the score 2-1 going into halftime:



In the 71st minute, Brian Ching picked up an insurance goal for the Houston Dynamo:



After this weekend's matches, the Houston Dynamo have 27 points on the season and sharing fourth place in the Eastern Conference with Sporting Kansas City. The Dynamo head to Philadelphia to face the Union on Saturday.

Your Thursday Goals

Still enjoying a short summer vacation here at The Zygo Soccer Report, but here's some videos of goals (and some bonus material) to keep you entertained.

The Top Houston Dynamo Stories of 2010

It's December, that time of year when we look back on the year that was and try to sum it up as best we can. In that spirit, here are, in my opinion, the top Houston Dynamo stories of 2010, in chronological order.

Stuart Holden & Ricardo Clark Head to Europe:

Last December, the matter weighing on the minds of Houston Dynamo fans was whether Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark, who were out of contract and fresh off high profile stints with the U.S. National Team, would sign new contracts with Houston or ply their trade in Europe.

Ricardo Clark, who had been linked with European clubs like Livorno during the summer of 2009, signed with Eintracht Frankfurt in mid-January. A few days later, any notion that Holden would return to the Dynamo was dashed by his signing with Bolton.

The departures of Clark and Holden left holes in the Dynamo midfield that were never completely resolved during the 2010 season.

Geoff Cameron's Knee Injury:

With the departures of Clark and Holden, Geoff Cameron, who was a core part of the Dynamo's 2009 back line, was moved up to midfield with hopes that his speed and versatility could help the Dynamo reach the playoffs for the fifth season in a row. Cameron started the season strong, working well with Jamaican International, Lovel Palmer, who was new to the team, but during a match in Chicago this April, Cameron ruptured his right PCL.

Initial reports indicated that Cameron's injury was season ending; however, he returned to the line-up in August, but by then the team's fate had been all but sealed.

Brian Ching Excluded from 2010 World Cup Finals Squad:

Although Dynamo forward Brian Ching had missed the 2009 Confederations Cup due to injury, Ching was a vital part of the US National team's World Cup qualifying efforts and was one of the few US players to show maturity, experience, and leadership during the team's loss to Mexico during the 2009 Gold Cup final.

This past May, as the US team prepared for South Africa, it appeared that Ching had recovered from a hamstring injury and was a lock for the World Cup squad. But to the shock of Dynamo fans, US Coach Bob Bradley did not include Ching on the final 23 man roster, and Ching's leadership up top was missed by the US team as it failed to get past the knockout stage.

The Departure of Louis Angel Landin:

In late 2009, the Dynamo signed Louis Angel Landin as its first designated player. Landin, who was signed during the off-season in Mexico, was clearly out of shape and never made a huge impact during the tail end of the 2009 season. Dynamo fans were left hoping that Landin would use the MLS off-season to get fit so that he could player a bigger role with the team in 2010.

Unfortunately, Landin never found his groove with the Dynamo or MLS and he was released in July.

Brian Mullan Traded to Colorado Rapids:

As the MLS trade deadline approached, the Dynamo's playoff hopes looked dim and it was time for the front office to start building for 2011. In September, the Dynamo traded Brian Mullan, a fan favorite, to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for an injured Colin Clark and allocation money. As a result of this trade, the Dynamo now have an extra $200,000.00 or so of cap space to play with this off-season and the trade clears the way for Danny Cruz to play a bigger role in midfield.

The Houston Dynamo Fail to Make Playoffs:

Since moving to Houston for the 2006 MLS season, the Houston Dynamo won two MLS Cups, got knocked out of the first round of the 2008 playoffs, and made it to the 2009 MLS Western Conference final, which they lost to the Los Angeles Galaxy. The 2010 MLS season was the first season that the Dynamo failed to make the playoffs. It was a new and uncomfortable feeling for the club and its fans to not be playing in November.

Dynamo Stadium Progress:

While 2010 was not the best year for the Dynamo on the pitch, it was a great year for the Dynamo's efforts to obtain a soccer specific stadium. While the stadium progress has been slow, earlier this month the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority approved construction of the stadium, which will be located on the east end of downtown, and a 30 year lease agreement covering the stadium. Once the Sports Authority's actions are rubber stamped by the city and county, construction on the stadium can proceed.

Episode 21 of The Zygo Soccer Report

Saturday October 22nd will mark the end of the Houston Dynamo's 2010 season, the first season the team hasn't made it into the MLS playoffs. Here's some thoughts on the season and some audio from Dominic Kinnear, Brian Ching, Brad Davis, and Lovell Palmer who were at the Houston Dynamo's press conference on Thursday.

Episode 19 of the Zygo Soccer Report: Dynamo 4 - 3 Fire

The Houston Dynamo managed to break a 10 game winless streak on Saturday night with a wild 4-3 victory over the Chicago Fire in Houston. This episode includes post match audio from Brian Ching, Lovell Palmer, Bobby Boswell, Pat Onstad, and Coach Dominic Kinnear's entire press conference.

Post Match Video from Houston Dynamo 0 - 0 Columbus Crew

Here's some video Erin Dutka took following the Houston Dynamo - Columbus Crew match this past Saturday night.

Zygo Soccer Report Episode 16

The 2010 MLS Season is back into swing after taking a break for the Group Stage of the World Cup finals. Saturday night the Columbus Crew came to Houston to face the Dynamo in a match that became a 0-0 draw. This episode has post match audio from Brian Ching, Geoff Cameron, and Dominic Kinnear. Additionally, some thoughts on Spain's 1-0 overtime victory over Netherlands in the World Cup final. Featured music from K'naan, Robert Earl Keen, Joan Jett, Public Image Limited, and Everlast.

Saturday Video Day

It's Saturday once again, which means it's time for some videos. Before we get to the videos though, don't forget Turkey plays US in Philadelphia at 12:30 central time on ESPN2. Meanwhile, tonight at 7:30, the Houston Dynamo will be hosting Philadelphia Union at Robertson Field in Houston.

Tuesday wasn't a great night for the US team, dropping a friendly, 4-2, to Czech Republic. Here's some of Bob Bradley's post match presser:



The 23 man roster has been announced, and this past week the team paid a visit to The White House:



Part 1 of The Everton Experience (I think The Everton Experiment is a better title):



Brian Ching discusses getting left off the US World Cup roster:



Now that winter is gone - Gardening Tips from Kige Ramsey:



Yeah, it's a little old, but The Beaver Song is timeless:

The Zygo Soccer Report Podcast Episode 14 - The Brian Ching Episode

My take on Bob Bradley's moronic decision to leave Brian Ching off the 23 man roster and my take on the rest of the roster, along with audio from Brian Ching and Dominic Kinnear.

Featured music from 2Pac, Public Enemy, Wale, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg, & NWA.

Episode 14 of The Zygo Soccer Report

The Zygo Soccer Report

Bob Bradley's Potential 30

On Tuesday May 11, Bob Bradley and USSF have to submit their preliminary 30 man World Cup finals roster to FIFA. While those of us outside the team don't get to see the roster until it becomes public, the players getting called up typically find out several weeks in advance of the roster going public. There have been some hints, if you've looked closely, as to who has been called up, but the entire roster is still a mystery at this point.

So, for the heck of it, I've thrown together my prediction of who will make up the initial 30:

GOALKEEPERS:

Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, & Marcus Hahnemann.

DEFENDERS:

Jonathan Bornsein, Carlos Bocanegra, Jay DeMerit, Heath Pearce, Jonathan Spector, Steve Cherundolo, Clarence Goodson, & Oguchi Onyewu.

MIDFIELDERS:

Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Stuart Holden, DaMarcus Beasley, Ricardo Clark, Benny Feilhaber, Maurice Edu, Jose Francisco Torres, Sacha Kljestan, & Alejandro Bedoya.

FORWARDS:

Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, Brian Ching, Herculez Gomez, Edson Buddle, Conor Casey, Eddie Johnson, & Robbie Findley.

Who's in your 30?