It's really difficult to call any given Major League Soccer match a must win match for one or the other club (unless, maybe, it's the last match of the regular season), but it seems that many Houston Dynamo fans believe that their team's next match is a must win if the Dynamo want to make it to the MLS Cup Playoffs.
On Saturday evening, the Houston Dynamo will host the New England Revolution at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo currently sit at 5th place in the Eastern Conference standings, with 46 points, while the Revolution sit at 9th place with 29 points. While the Revolution obviously don't have any shot at passing the Dynamo in the standings, this isn't Serie A, this is America, where lowly teams love to play spoiler. After the Dynamo's 1-3 loss to the Union, another low standing team, in Philadelphia this past Sunday, Dynamo fans are obviously concerned about Saturday's match.
I don't begrudge Dynamo fans their concerns, I've been a follower of Houston professional sports long enough to know that Houston teams have a bad tendency of playing to the level of their opponent, but it's a little too early to proclaim Saturday's match a "must win game."
The Dynamo still have four more regular season matches, including Saturday's match, before the end of the season. Three of these matches are at home, where the Dynamo have yet to lose this season, and then the last match of the season is away at the Colorado Rapids on October 27th.
If the Dynamo focus solely on the match before them, focus solely on winning that match, and go out there and try to win that match, then, ultimately, everything will fall into place.
There's no point freaking out over the standings or getting all emotional and irrational based on the last result. Take it one game at a time, go out there and win that game, and everything will be fine.
Saturday's match begins at 7:30 p.m. central time and will be broadcast on KPRC Channel 2 in Houston, with the radio broadcast on Sports Talk 790.
After the United States National Team lost to Jamaica, 2-1, in Kingston, Jamaica in a CONCACAF World Cup Qualifier on Friday, the US fan base went into full on Chicken Little - "The Sky is Falling!" - hysteria mode, fretting that the US would not make it to the Hexagonal Stage of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying.
Last night in Columbus, Ohio, the US got a chance to redeem itself against Jamaica, which they did with a 1-0 win against a Jamaica side that came into the match clearly hoping for a 0-0 draw. Jamaica's "park the bus" approach to the match gave the US numerous shots on goal early in the first half, many of which were denied by the woodwork.
The winning goal finally came for the US in the 55th minute when Herculez Gomez got the ball by Jamaica's keeper on a gorgeous free kick. After the US goal, Jamaica finally turned up the heat offensively, but it was too little, too late as the US picked up the 3 points.
The US is now tied at the top of Group A with Guatemala and Jamaica on 7 points, but the US and Guatemala lead on goal differential. This stage of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying wraps up next month when the US heads to Antigua to play Antigua & Barbuda on October 12th and then hosts Guatemala in Kansas City, Kansas on October 16th.
One thing that has become increasingly evident in recent years is that CONCACAF is a much tougher Federation to play in as more players from the smaller countries, such as Jamaica, have gained valuable experience and development in leagues such as MLS. Last night's match was a reflection of this since Jamaica started 5 MLS players while the US only started 1 MLS player. This is a reality that fans of the US, and fans of Mexico, need to start accepting and coming to terms with.
The CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying structure is still weighted in favor of Mexico and the US, but said teams and their fans need to stop underestimating the other CONCACAF teams. That's a lesson the US learned this past Friday.
Between the weird scheduling of the match on a Thursday night, the questionable officiating, depleted rosters, and the rather languid play, last night's match between the Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake took the "beautiful" out of the beautiful game. Until the final seconds of the match, it appeared that the score would stay at 0-0 and the Dynamo would have to wait until September 29th to finally pick up their first MLS home win since August 3rd, but then Macoumba Kandji was fouled in the box and Colin Clark converted giving the Dynamo a 1-0 win and breaking their 4 match streak of not winning an MLS match.
Going into Thursday's match, things did not look promising for the Dynamo squad, which had been decimated by injuries, international call-ups, and some sort of vicious stomach virus. Instead of starting the match with the typical 7 substitutes on the bench, the Dynamo managed to only put 5 players on the bench and had to cancel the reserves match due to the lack of available players.
For over half of the match, it appeared that the Dynamo were in a preventive defense, just trying to hold off the Salt Lake attack in hopes of picking up a draw. Late in the second half, the Dynamo managed to regroup and put more pressure on Salt Lake Keeper Nick Rimando, who put on a stellar performance that surely foreshadowed his future at the international level.
Hope of a goal appeared in the 75th minute when Will Bruin picked up a penalty, and Brad Davis was given the green light to take the kick, but, to the chagrin of Dynamo fans, Rimando, who is one of the best keepers in the MLS at saving penalty kicks, prevented Davis' attempt from going into the net.
In the end though, Rimando turned out to be his own worst enemy because he was the player that fouled Kandji, thereby setting up Clark's match winning penalty kick.
The 3 points that the Dynamo picked up last night will potentially prove crucial as the Dynamo fight to ensure the squad a spot in the MLS Cup playoffs.
Next up for the Dynamo is a visit to Livestrong Sporting Park to face the current leaders of the Eastern Conference, Sporting Kansas City, on Friday September 14th at 7:00 pm cdt. The match will be televised on NBC Sports Network.
The Dynamo are currently owned by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), Oscar de la Hoya, and Gabriel Brener, all based in California, not Houston. As most MLS fans and all Dynamo fans know, AEG also owns the Los Angeles Galaxy, which has amounted to the Dynamo being the red headed stepchild of the AEG family, hoping to at least get some of the table scraps discarded by the favorite son, the Galaxy.
Despite the absentee ownership situation, the Dynamo have managed to win two MLS Championships, have made it to the MLS playoffs in all but one season, and even made it back to the MLS Cup final last season, where they lost to the Galaxy. As of this season, the Dynamo occupy a brand new stadium in the form of BBVA Compass Stadium and have managed to become one of the hottest tickets in Houston. The Dynamo are a franchise and brand that most any professional sports team owner would be proud of, but they still don't seem to get much attention from their current owners.
Enter Les Alexander, a resident Houstonian who bought the Houston Rockets in 1993, who is apparently interested in buying out all three of the Dynamo's current owners. Despite the concerns of many a Dynamo fan, I think it would be a great thing for Les Alexander to take over the ownership of the Dynamo, he has a proven record of being the kind of owner who is willing to do what it takes to put a winning product out there for the fans.
Those of you concerned with an Alexander ownership are probably looking at that last sentence and scratching your collective head.
Yes, the Rockets have been fairly abysmal recently, caught in the NBA purgatory of not being good enough to make the playoffs and not being bad enough to take advantage of the lottery. But, some of us remember 1994 and 1995, the back to back NBA Championship victories brought to Houston by Alexander's Rockets, the first real professional sports championships ever brought to Houston (in the early years of the American Football League, the Houston Oilers won a couple championships, but considering how the AFL was regarded it's hard to put those in the same league as what the Rockets did in the 1990s). In the late 1990s, Alexander took a gamble on the fledgling WNBA and his Houston Comets won the first four WNBA Championships.
In the years since 1995, the Rockets have made some runs in the NBA playoffs but have not been able to make it back to the finals, but that, and the current woes of the Rockets, are not a major indictment of Alexander as an owner. Alexander is no stingy Drayton McLane, the man has been willing to write big checks, Drayton would not have brought a Tracy McGrady to town. With Yao Ming and McGrady heading up a strong supporting cast, the Rockets could have made it to at least one or more NBA finals, but for the constant injuries suffered by said players, not to mention McGrady's whining and checking out near the end of his stint in Houston.
Despite his willingness to spend money on talent, Alexander is no Jerry Jones, he does not act like he's the owner, general manager, and coach of his team. Alexander is smart enough to know what he does not know and willing to hire people to fill that knowledge gap and run the day to day affairs. I know many current Rockets fans have issues with Daryl Morey, the current General Manager of the Rockets and someone who occasionally tells Alexander to put the checkbook away, who has managed to put together solid, mid-table teams, but has been unable to lure a big name, a top player to the Rockets since the retirement of Yao Ming. I think some of the criticism is correct, but some of it is misplaced considering the current state of the NBA and the personal preferences of the league's top players who seem interested in creating superteams on the right and left coasts.
Considering how well Dynamo President Chris Canetti and Coach Dominic Kinnear have been able to cobble together winning teams despite the constraints of the current ownership situation, it is unlikely that Alexander will make any management changes if he buys the Dynamo. If anything, Alexander's willingness to open up his sizable checkbook will help Canetti and Kinnear in their efforts to sign players that AEG et al balked at buying. As an owner, Alexander will put the Dynamo on the same level as the Galaxy, Seattle Sounders, and RedBull New York in the sense that the team could afford to have multiple designated players, if Canetti and Kinnear so wished.
As an owner, Alexander will take advantage of the Dynamo brand and work to extend its market, especially its market beyond the shores of the United States. The lessons learned during the Yao Ming era will likely be applied to the Dynamo. While this might include signing a Mexican player with commercial appeal in Mexico, don't be surprised if Alexander attempts to get the Dynamo into more "exotic" and financial lucrative markets.
The time has come for the Dynamo to get free of AEG, to get free of the conflicts created by AEG's ownership of the Galaxy. The Dynamo could do a lot worse being sold to someone other than Les Alexander, but considering Alexander's commitment to Houston and his track record as a professional sports team owner, you would be hard pressed to find many better potential owners.
As Rudy T said: "Never Underestimate the Heart of a Champion!"
USWNT Goal Keeper Hope Solo made an appearance this morning on MSNBC's Morning Joe to discuss the team's winning the gold medal in London, her new memoir, and the various "controversies" that seem to surround her.
With an unlikely goal by Michael Orozco Fiscal in the 80th minute of last night's international friendly between Mexico and the United States at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, history was made as the United States beat Mexico, 1-0.
For the first time in its 75 year history, the United States, featuring a young, cobbled together squad, managed to beat their CONCACAF rival, Mexico, on Mexican soil. It was just a friendly, and a mid-August friendly at that, but it is proof-positive to the US National Team that it is possible for them to beat Mexico at the forbidding Azteca.
Despite the historic win, this was not necessarily one of the best performances by the United States. For the bulk of the match, Mexico controlled the ball, primarily in the US's half, and out-shot the US. In fact, but for the goal keeping of Everton's Tim Howard, Mexico should have picked up at least four goals.
The fact that Mexico was putting so much attacking pressure on the US, but was unable to score, highlights one of the bright spots for the US, its defense. The combination of Howard in goal and Geoff Cameron, Maurice Edu, Edgar Castillo, and Fabian Johnson on the back line showed great strides in the ability of the US team to shut down the attack; however, clearing the ball is something the defense still needs to work on.
The US's midfield was a bit of shambles, failing to play much of a role in either the defense or attack. The absence of Michael Bradley, who is now with A.S. Roma, and Clint Dempsey was evident in the midfield's ability to accomplish anything positive for the US. Meanwhile, Landon Donovan was apparently hampered by his left hamstring and left the match after halftime.
Herculez Gomez started the match as the lone forward but it's hard to put 100% of the blame for the US's lackluster attack during the first 77 minutes of the match on Gomez's shoulders since he wasn't getting much service from the midfield. The fact that the US only started one forward is disappointing not because US Coach Jurgen Klinsmann has promised a more attacking style from his side, but more because history tells us that the US tends to attack poorly when it only has one player up top.
Next up for the United States is the start of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying as they travel to Kingston, Jamaica to face the Jamaican National Team on September 7, 2012. The win over Mexico should give the US some good momentum going into the qualifiers and should give them a boost of confidence the next time they face Mexico at the Azteca, which, should be, a match that matters in the hexagonal.
After all the hype of "Call Me Maybe" this summer, the US Women's team decided to go a different direction in having a little fun before the 2012 London Olympics:
Here's a little something for you to watch as you wait for today's Euro match - Hero: The Official Documentary of the 1986 World Cup.
The 1986 World Cup finals, which were held in Mexico, is best known for Maradona's "Hand of God Goal" against England in the quarterfinals as well as being known for the birth of the "Mexican Wave." Here's the official documentary, which is narrated by Michael Caine. Not sure how long these videos will be up on YouTube, so watch it now if you've never seen it.
One can forgive Houston Dynamo fans if they're feeling rode hard and put away wet this morning, it's been a long, emotional week for them, and the week isn't even over yet.
This long week began on Saturday when the Dynamo hosted their rivals from North Texas, F.C. Dallas, at BBVA Compass Stadium. This was Dallas' first visit to the new Dynamo stadium and the only match between these two clubs this season.
The Dynamo got off to a quick start thanks to a Will Bruin goal in the 3rd minute. In light of the rough season that Dallas has had, many fans, especially Dynamo fans, suspected that the early Dynamo goal would demoralize the Dallas players, and it did for the rest of the first half.
Schellas Hyndman must of fired up his players with a good halftime speech, because Dallas started the second half like it was a whole new game. When Jackson picked up the Dallas equalizer in the 59th minute, there was a sense that Dallas was not going to be content to leave Houston with a draw and one point.
Any plans Dallas had for picking up the win pretty much died in the 63rd minute when Jair BenÃtez picked up a red card for an off the ball elbow to Colin Clark. Then, in the 76th minute, Adam Moffat scored a goal from distance, giving the Dynamo the win and bragging rights.
Last night, Toronto FC paid its first visit to BBVA Compass Stadium and, despite sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference table, started the match like a team determined to win the league. In a chaotic first 22 minutes Toronto went top first with a goal by Jeremy Hall in the first minute. Bobby Boswell managed to tie things up for Houston with a lovely header in the 20th minute, but then Danny Koevermans put Toronto ahead in the 22nd minute. Thanks to second Koevermans goal in the 45th minute, Toronto had a 3-1 lead over the home side at the half.
Those of use who grew up Houston sports fans are used to our professional teams playing to their competition - putting up great performances against top teams while losing to the bottom feeders they should easily beat. But, based on twitter, it seems that many Dynamo fans are not familiar with or used to that Houston sports dynamic, because their tweets during halftime suggested that the world was coming to an end, that this was the worst Dynamo match ever, and the season was over. I was almost surprised I didn't see any fire Dom tweets during the half.
For the second half, it seems that the Dynamo managed to channel their inner 1993-1994 Houston Rockets, the team that turned Houston from Choke City into Clutch City, and decided that Toronto was not going to leave Houston with 3 points. Will Bruin ended up playing the role of Houston hero by picking up goals in the 73rd and 90th minutes, giving Houston a 3-3 draw.
The Dynamo's week is not over, they head north of the border to face Montreal on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The match will be broadcast on Fox Sports Houston.
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