The Big Kahuna Saves a Point for the Dynamo
by Zach Woosley on Jun 25, 2011 11:02 PM CDT
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It's a generally accepted rule that when things looks their darkest, a hero will rise. Tonight in Washington, D.C. the Dynamo's hero rose in the 89th minute in the form of Brian Ching whose goal help save Houston from another disappointing loss.
After Will Bruin hit the post and Danny Cruz missed a wide open net early in the second half, the deck appeared stacked against Houston when Charlies Davies put United ahead 2-1 in the XX minute. Up to that point of the half, Houston had dominated play and you had the sinking feeling that this was going to be another one of those games where Houston played good enough to win but couldn't find the back of the net when it counted.
Then Brian Ching scored and Dynamo fans collectively exhaled. Credit to Colin Clark for making a great cross from the left wing to find Ching trailing the play. The Big Kahuna got way up in the air, completely unmarked, and buried a header past Hamid who was caught flat footed on the play.
Ching helped create Houston's first goal, drawing enough contact from DC United goalkeeper Bill Hamid to earn a penalty kick that Brad Davis converted. It was a stark reminder of how important Ching is to this team, for better or worse.
Houston remains win less on the road this season, but they've gotten points in five of their eight road matches so you really can't be to upset about those numbers. The struggles at home are what's really holding this team back, but for tonight we'll avoid that topic.
Let us enjoy the fact that this team at least has the ability to fight back, most of the time, and right now that's enough to keep them afloat in the mediocre Eastern Conference.
It was such a busy night of soccer, I really need to re-watch the Dynamo game with a little more attention and see what I missed in the details. I'll take a point on the road and ride off in to the sunset...or something. We can argue Monday about whether the Dynamo's poor finishing should actually qualify this result as a bad draw. Let's enjoy the greatness of Ching for tonight.
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When you say it was a big night of soccer, are you talking about the Gold Cup final, or the fact that you were at the Dallas-Portland match wearing a Rose City t-shirt and No Pity scarf?
Oh Look, A Troll. How Cute.
Considering I was talking about it on Twitter and mentioned I would be standing with the Timbers Army at the game on ATL Extra this week, I’m not sure what your goal is. Besides, cheering against Dallas is always acceptable. If Dynamo fans want to complain about what I’m doing that’s there business but I’m guessing none will considering I work my ass off on this blog and travel in excess of 8,000 miles a season to cover and support the team. Go back to the Inferno.net forum and talk about your next 24-tailgate or “how good” all 30 of you look on TV.
--
"You live and learn. At any rate, you live." -Douglas Adams
Managing Editor of Dynamo Theory
Yo si le voy, le voy al naranja!
by Zach Woosley on Jun 26, 2011 5:46 PM CDT up reply actions
I do believe...
Somebody just got OWNED…
-- "...I was sick, napping, and then woke up and came to the computer to read a note from the Gingered Angel of Doom..." Martek - Dynamo Theory Blog
I would love to go to a Timbers game
Last season I went to Seattle when the Orange were there and it was awesome (not the score). I hope you had fun. We don’t doubt your faithfulness to the Dynamo.
Soft penalties
DCU fan here… Ching’s penalty was mighty soft. CD9’s penalty last week was incredibly soft. (if there was contact at all) I’m not liking this trend where the refs are pointing to the spot so easily no matter the team…
All told I’m much happier with a 2-2 draw than a 4-1 drubbing, we seem to have held the dancing bear (hopefully the guy has found a better celebration by now?) in check. If I’m coaching a Houston opponent I tell my CB to just ride on Ching’s back the last 10 min. See you guys in the Eastern playoffs!
I tend to agree with you...but for other reasons entirely
All forwards in MLS fall into one of two categories, the quick speedy flopper or the slow, physical bruiser. Both get away with far too much, and both can expect to lose out on a lot of calls as a result. There isn’t a single forward in the league who can say he plays 100% legit 100% of the time. Every player is taught when you feel contact, you embelish(sp?) it so you get the call. This is true usually starting in high school on up, and it carries through to other “professional” soccer leagues as well. Hell, it’s in every sport, in every game, on every play.
Even still, I can point to the worst officiating in some time happening within the MLS. These referees are worse than college refs. At least in college you can rely on a consistent game in and game out refereeing style. In MLS, one week you have Hitler Von Nazi calling every little tug or push a foul or you have Ugunbudaha Radalfio letting the game flow and ignoring any and all fouls. To make it more understandable, you have your whistle-blowers and your whistle-swallowers, and to make it worse, both are so bad that they tend to intermingle with the other side of the fence far too often. If you’re a ref and you’re going to start the game with the mentality of “let them play”, then by God, come the 90th minute, you’d better stick by that, and the opposite holds true.
If you’re a ref, you are to call the game fairly. IF the officials of MLS called the games fairly, the outcomes would be vastly different. Now, I think the Dynamo suck hardcore this season, and thus I won’t use them as an example of this. But there have been plenty of Sounders games where a ref unintentionally favored one team or another. There’s no sign of it being resolved or even a concern on the part of MLS or it’s execs, which tells me they are content to rake in the dough and let the refs continue to be just absolutely 100% GOD FREAKIN AWFUL.
The worst part is it’s beginning to rear it’s ugly head in CONCACAF sanctioned games. The officiating was horrid. The US goal in Houston should not have counted. Dempsey was offside when the ball was played (and I had a DAMN good vantage point behind the goal in the 500 sections). Yet it counted and the US advanced. Don’t even get me started on the US – Mexico game, there were bad calls and no calls just abounding in that one.
Even still, it’s up to MLS and CONCACAF to address this BS and stop ignoring it. Sadly, they won’t, and it mars the game. If soccer wants to be taken seriously in the US, then it needs to have quality officiating week in and week out. We don’t need to become the NBA where flopping is an art, and totally goes uncalled every game.
-- "...I was sick, napping, and then woke up and came to the computer to read a note from the Gingered Angel of Doom..." Martek - Dynamo Theory Blog
Actually, he wasn't
“The US goal in Houston should not have counted. Dempsey was offside when the ball was played (and I had a DAMN good vantage point behind the goal in the 500 sections). Yet it counted and the US advanced.”
Dempsey was kept onside by the near post defender, photographic evidence here: http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/9942/goaliq.jpg
I agree, however, that the officiating in the USA v Mexico match was awful.
Ahh, I'll admit I didn't see the near post defender during live action.
Well played cfig, well played.
-- "...I was sick, napping, and then woke up and came to the computer to read a note from the Gingered Angel of Doom..." Martek - Dynamo Theory Blog
that play was literally right in front of me
I had zero doubt that he was not offside
"If my hips had pockets, I wouldn't wear pants at all." @NotBurtReynolds
It wasn't a hard foul, but there was a clear foul.
I just watched the highlights and they didn’t show it in the highlight package (and maybe the DC feed never showed it) but the feed in Houston showed a pretty good shot of Hamid’s foot making pretty solid contact with Ching’s right ankle. Ching might not have tried to stay on his feet, but it was a 100% clear penalty soft or not. Davies had little to no contact and started falling before any contact might have occurred.
Not that I felt like we deserved the win, but Najar should have been called for a foul before Davies goal. He took out Chaballa who had a chance to clear the ball. As bad as our defending was on that sequence though we probably deserved to be scored on though.
"If my hips had pockets, I wouldn't wear pants at all." @NotBurtReynolds
Yea
But it’s open to anyone on SBNation to post.
-- "...I was sick, napping, and then woke up and came to the computer to read a note from the Gingered Angel of Doom..." Martek - Dynamo Theory Blog
not hating...
won’t speak for the Dallas guy above but no hate from this direction, always like to come onto the opposite SB nation blog and read views from a different perspective and comment (ok… maybe a bit of hating on the dancing bear dance…)
The glass was half full
Considering the game was slipping like hourglass sand through their fingers, this was a good result. Nice to see an old-fashioned head-snap goal for a change. All the headers I’ve seen recently have been of the sort where the person barely cocks their head to get the perfect geometrical deflection.
Dynamo saved my day after after having to endure watching the putrid USMNT.
Bob bradley done?
I personllay have hated coach sweat pants since we settled on him, from the first interview i thought he look in over his head. to be fair he hasnt been terrible, but there is enough talent in the US for him to get much more out of the squad.
what do you guys think:
Zach?
Martek?
Fuzion?
Eugenio?
Papabear?
Dynanote?
Even you Dallas guys, im polling at this point.
Sadly the problem isn't Bradley at this point
It’s the US Soccer system in general. Lack of development of the younger players is killing the US MNT’s ability to maintain proper depth at the proper positions going into tournaments. We have Bornstein to replace Cherundolo, really? That right there was the writing on the wall. Bornstein can’t hack it as an outside back (or CB) against quality opponents.
But hey, take nothing away from the first 30 minutes of US soccer. That was a brilliant 30 minutes, but ultimately it was a lack of outside back depth that killed them. I do believe, honestly, had Cherundolo not been pulled due to injury, the US may still have pulled off the victory.
-- "...I was sick, napping, and then woke up and came to the computer to read a note from the Gingered Angel of Doom..." Martek - Dynamo Theory Blog
I want Bradley fired because he’s been there too long and has taken the team as far as he can…but the real problem is Sunil Gulati, as long as that jellyfish is around, US Soccer will be stick in neutral.
--
"You live and learn. At any rate, you live." -Douglas Adams
Managing Editor of Dynamo Theory
Yo si le voy, le voy al naranja!
by Zach Woosley on Jun 28, 2011 11:47 AM CDT up reply actions
I've liked Bob Bradley
But I was against his rehire based on the axiom that second term coaches never do well. Case in point: Bruce Arena had an amazing World Cup in 2002, anybody remember 2006? And I’m afraid we’re headed that way again.
I agree the greater problem is the systemic lack of youth development in this country (U-17’s currently in World Cup). Although the MLS academies will help open the doors to more youths.
I am against firing someone for one defeat. We do have to question his player selection, but at the same time those decisions have led to bright spots (Adu, Agudelo). So he gets props for being brave when it works and conversely calls for his resignation when it doesn’t. It’s a mixed bag with Bob.
I will be critical of one decision: putting Bornstein on the left. I’m not upset that he brought in Bornstein. I’ve liked Bornstein; I think he had a good World Cup, so he was probably the best option we had. But Lichaj was playing well on the left there was no need to move him to the right to put Bornstein in there. Now you have 2 players in uncomfortable positions instead of just 1. That being said Bornstein, had a stinker and should have done better. Mexico saw a weakness and exploited it-credit to them.
4-5-1 is an excellent option for us especially since we’re so loaded with midfielders and short on strikers, and that again was Bob’s idea. So overall I don’t know what we should do about Bob, but I don’t think that a firing is in order.
I strongly caution you from relying on me for advice/insight
I would like to see the USMNT bring in someone with experience internationally. I would like to see someone like Marcelo Bielsa who really impressed me with what he did with Chile in the last cycle. I honestly don’t know much about him, but it probably won’t matter because I’m 90% sure that even if Bradley is fired he will be replaced with another American who will do things the way the federation wants them done. I’ve seen some other names thrown around that I’m drawing a blank on right now. I would just like to see someone who comes from a different school of thought so to speak. If you’re going to make a change, then make a change. Don’t just change out one piece of the puzzle for another similar piece. Add a technical director. Take a look at the youth system. Basically take a long hard look at the way you do things now and find a way to do them better.
For the record, I’m not a Bradley hater. I thought he made some solid moves in the gold cup, but he made some mistakes as well. Sadly the mistakes are getting a little predictable and he seems to be very reactionary in that he has to have his back against the wall before he makes changes. They are usually pretty good changes, but he waits until it’s a full on crisis before making them. I think we could continue to see reasonable success and even get lucky and make a deep run in the next world cup…but overall we are probably better off having a fresh set of eyes running the program.
"If my hips had pockets, I wouldn't wear pants at all." @NotBurtReynolds
bradley
hes lucky villa and fulham didnt sign him last season, would have ended his own career. premier league would have broken him
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