Just wanted to provide a quick update for everyone concerning the status of Dynamo Theory during the holidays. With things mostly calm around the Dynamo and the league in general, we'll be taking a break for the next couple weeks and recharging out batteries for 2012.

We've got the MLS SuperDraft and the winter transfer window in January, along with doing some looks back at the 2011 season, so you've got plenty to look forward to. I'm in the process of adding some new voices to the blog as well so hopefully the content should pick up next year giving you some more variety of styles and opinions.

In the interim, we're here in case the Dynamo break any huge news during the holidays but I assume it'll be fairly quiet. After the calender turns there are a lot of questions facing the Dynamo and plenty to discuss. What will happen with Brian Ching, did Dom and Ralston find any diamonds in the rough during their scouting trips, what will Houston do in the draft, will Sebastien Ibeagha be offered a MLS contract by the team. Needless to say, there's plenty to discuss and we'll be here to cover it all. Plus, training camp gets rolling in February and we have a new stadium opening to look forward to in May...2012 should be fun.

So from all of us here at Dynamo Theory, enjoy the holidays and we'll see you after the new year!

I'm opening this with the following statement:

This is an editorial piece containing my opinions about the Brian Ching situation. I do not have factual evidence to support my points, I'm simply making educated assumptions based on the information we've actually seen. That said, I'm sure I'll get some reactions from people who don't make it past the headline before jumping to a conclusion. Oh well.

Jesse Marsch, the coach, is a bit of an asshole.

I've never met the man personally, but I have an extremely low opinion of him. Before you lose your mind about this statement, realize that this is not the reaction of a bitter Dynamo fan about the fact that the Montreal Impact selected Brian Ching in last week's expansion draft. Sure I'm angry about the pick, but not for the simple reason that the Dynamo have lost the face of their franchise. I'm annoyed that Jesse Marsch is using a great guy like Ching as leverage in an attempt to get a player he has no chance of getting.

According to the Sporting News, Marsch wants defender Andre Hainault and draft picks for Brian Ching...whatever Jesse. That's not only ridiculous, it's borderline insane. We love Brian Ching but even the most orange blooded Dynamo fan should realize that trading one of our best defenders AND draft picks for a guy that is at the end of his career is a bad business decision. So the fact that Marsch is asking for that is completely absurd.

We of course do not know if Marsch and the Impact approached the Dynamo before the draft and inquired about what it would take to get Hainault. If they did, then the pick of Ching is nothing more than a spiteful move that belongs on an elementary school playground. If there was no approach, then Marsch was simply taking Ching as leverage in hopes of forcing the Dynamo in to trading away whatever Montreal wanted to get back their team captain. If that's the case, Marsch is sadly mistaken and has likely done nothing more than bring Brian Ching's career to an unceremonious conclusion.

All that said, let me quickly point out that if you are going to be upset with Marsch and the Impact, you need to be just as upset with the Dynamo front office for exposing Ching in the first place. You can't just rail against Montreal and their staff and pretend that our own front office team isn't culpable in this. So let me suggest that maybe we should calm down about Montreal and remember that Dominic Kinnear was directly involved in the decision making process that created the Dynamo's unprotected list. Why? Take a second and ask yourself what lesson did we just re-learn during the 2011 MLS Cup playoffs? Say it with me...In Dom we trust.

You can't blame the Dynamo for not protecting a 33-year old injury prone forward with a guaranteed contract of close to $500,000. On the other hand, it's hard to defend the decision to risk the face of the franchise ahead of the new stadium opening in the spring. It really feels like a no-win situation for them considering the love Dynamo fans have for Ching.

The question really will come down to if the public relations hit they are taking can be overturned with the roster additions they can make thanks to the significant amount of cap space they now have at their disposal. Let's be honest here, having Ching's guaranteed contract off the books isn't the worst thing that could happen to a team that needs depth in the attack and an additional creative midfield player to keep the offense from being so dependent on Brad Davis. Unfortunately, many people won't accept that if the cost is a player of the stature of Brian Ching and I sympathize. Still, this move may end up making sense in the long run.

Something tells me this story is far from complete and while we would all love to see Ching helping to open the new stadium in May, this move may ultimately lead to a better overall team in 2012.

The Monday after many a Dynamo match this year hasn't been the best of days, consider those all conditioning for the delight we all feel today as our beloved Dynamo will face the Los Angeles Galaxy for the 2011 MLS Cup in two weeks. 

Yet another road game? Meh, we own the road.

No Brad Davis? Two weeks for Kinnear to prepare...no problem. Ok, this is a huge loss but this team has the heart to overcome this. When many of us weren't believing this season, they never stopped believing. Never bet against a team on a mission, playing their best soccer of the season when it counts the most.

Plenty to talk about over the coming two weeks, so for now, let's enjoy some reactions:

If you haven't rode a roller coaster at any point in your life, you likely can't truly appreciate the 2011 Dynamo season. All the thrills and exhilaration has been there, those stomach lurching moments as well, it's been both fun and maddeningly frustrating all at the same time. In the end, the depth of the journey certainly leads to the end result being even more fulfilling.

Normally, finishing in second place isn't something that everyone would get really excited about. However, when finishing in second means that on the final day of the regular season you got a huge win that catapulted the team from the wild card round, things feel a lot different. Considering there were points during the season where even making the playoffs was a doubt, things feel a lot different.

Basically, finishing in second place is not too shabby.

As a result of the Dynamo's 3-1 defeat of a weakened Los Angeles Galaxy team, Houston will face the Philadelphia Union in the Easter Conference semifinals. The Union will host the first leg of the tie on Sunday, October 30th, while the Dynamo will host the second leg on Thursday, November 3rd. Much better than having to travel to Colorado or Dallas to play a single elimination wild card game.

In addition to the team victory, Brad Davis passed David Beckham (who did not play) to finish as the top assist man in the league this season with 16 (a single season career high). It was a final punctuation mark on was could potentially be an MVP season for the Dynamo midfielder. The assist was the 80th of Davis' career, tying him for ninth place on the all-time MLS assist chart.

Oh yeah, Carlo Costly finally scored! Everyone is fully aware of Costly's goal scoring ability and there would be no better time than the postseason for the Honduran forward to catch fire and start putting balls in the back of the net. In addition, I feel Costly was wrongly yellow carded for removing his shirt in celebration after the goal. Clearly, the amazing nature of Davis' curling pass blew his shirt off. Bad referee.

You could make a case that the key moment of the Houston Dynamo's 2-0 victory over the Portland Timbers on Friday came in the 51st minute. After a hard collision between Danny Cruz and Timbers defender Mike Chabala, match referee Baldomero Toledo elected to give Cruz a yellow card for a reckless foul. Toledo's decision that the contact did not cross the line between a yellow and red card, not only kept the Dynamo with 11-men on the field, but it ensured Cruz was still in the game to unleash his wicked second goal.

How you feel about the foul and Toledo's call likely comes down to your team affiliation and much like Thierry Henry's red card on Saturday, there is room for interpretation. It looked dangerous but I don't think there was any maliciousness at all in the play and certainly no intent by Cruz to injure Chabala. Given Toldeo's track record you could have easily seen him give a red card but he held back.

Continue reading this post »

Around 11:30pm CT on Friday evening, we'll know a great deal more about the Houston Dynamo's playoff chances for the 2011 season. All those missteps and dropped points throughout the long summer have culminated in a massively important match against the Portland Timbers at Jeld-Wen Field. 

As if the game itself wasn't enough, there's the added storyline of Mike Chabala and Lovel Palmer waiting for their former comrades in orange to arrive. I can all but guarantee the pair have one thing on their mind, damaging the playoff hopes of their former club. It's not personal, it's business and it's a natural motivating factor for people. You always want to show up your previous employers and what better way to do just that than to vault the Timbers right in to the playoff mix and send the Dynamo back to Houston needing a lot of help and a victory over the best team in the league in the season finale.

Houston's 2-1 win over Portland back in August means nothing now. The Timbers are a better team at this point in the season and they are a significantly better team at home compared to on the road. Going in a getting a point (which would be ok) or the full three points (which would be ideal) will require a fantastic effort from the Dynamo and the kind of performance on the road we're honestly not used to seeing this season.

It's a test of this team's mettle and one that I really feel they need to pass in order to have the best chance of playing past October 23rd.

Needless to say, it's going to be a long week waiting for Friday's match, but I'm sure myself and the rest of the Dynamo Theory team will have plenty to say. I'll be adding a new playoff chase post this afternoon to update the playoff standings and preview the week's matches.

Random thoughts from Saturday's game, where the Three Amigos from the Nutmegging (or Nutmegged) blog were finally reunited for a game. I still love the blog's postcript salute to the redneck American prejudice against footy as if it's a noncontact sport- 'I love soccer- am I gay?'

Here goes:

• Why did we bring in Carr if we stay with the diamond, which compacts play into one third or ½ of the field when we have possession? Oduro's goal was beautiful, a result of his deft speedy touch- but also due to the Fire's wide spacing and attempt to create mismatches with one on one isolation. Martek complained that you have to put a body on Oduro when he receives the ball that deep. Hainault or Robinson would have knocked him out, but Oduro would have gone down hard and most certainly drawn a foul (I don't remember, but think this was outside the box). All the same, I think it's significant how each team scored. We got a feisty goal from Clark off a set piece that wasn't cleared and they got a cheeky score that seemed as much about tactical strategy as it was about skill and determination. When Carr entered the game, we all hoped he could also prove his value to his former team. Too often, Carr was playing up top in the muddle, rather than in a position where he had the space to utilize his speed. The few times he got the ball wide (I disagree with Tinman's too wide assertion) were scoring opportunities, especially when he played a ball flat across to Ching streaking toward the left post. If we were to keep the rather centrally focused wedge shape, wouldn't Bruin be a better fit for these types of tight spaces? Earlier in the week, Boz stated that many players achieve more after leaving Houston. I'm starting to think that's because those new team's game strategies are tailored around player strengths and weaknesses. Oduro's goal was an excellent example of that as well as Chicago's spacing when they had the ball.
• On the subject of Bruin, the last time he got minutes, he scored a point saving header against Columbus after coming on late in that game. Nothing like sitting after a clutch goal.
• It is ironic Costly missed a similar sitter to the howling miss that sent Oduro north. Clearly, as Martek asserts, Costly is used to a more sedate tempo where he could at least get more time on the ball. Again, the diamond wedge creates congestion, leaving little time or space. Is this formation cheating Carlos from what he does best?
• This line of thinking might also be tailored toward Cameron's struggles at attacking mid. I don't know too many competent tall attacking mids, but wonder if Geoff would do better at CAM if spaced differently. Few attacking mids can dribble on a tight wire a la Deco in his prime.
• I made this crack during the game but still firmly believe it: restrict Moffat from watching Maradona videos. Adam, you should avoid one on one encounters and should take the Joe Shlabotnik approach to the game- stick to basic routines. A few touches, then that's it unless completely unmarked. The Scot lost several balls deep which thankfully went unpunished.
• Cruz is gonna be awesome if he ever develops poise to go with energetic speed. He seems to have the game savvy of an ADHD cocker spaniel puppy. With experience, this will hopefully change, until then; I expect lots of excitement followed by a chorus of resigned sighs.
• Speaking of which, Martek seemed resigned after Oduro's goal. I think he's in the Depression Stage as even if we make the playoffs, then what? He seems much more excited about the new stadium than playoff prospects. Don't worry, it's all good as I believe Martek is almost to the Acceptance Stage where a rebuilding stage can be just that and the rest is all gravy.
• The MLS schedule drives me nuts- so many contenders have several games in hand while the Dynamo sit for a few weeks. All revved up with no place to go. Ah well, I bet the last game film will be played repeatedly to a host of players as they rue missed opportunities.
• Given the number of high profile Chicago players who didn't start, the Fire are a team to be reckoned with. Given their need for three points, I was surprised Klopas settled for the draw, though perhaps he wanted morale high for the upcoming US Cup Final. Hat's off to them for a confident performance in the sticky heat after playing in midweek.
• The post-game explanation of why Cameron was selected as Man of the Match was simply hilarious. The announcer went into detail, almost defensively, as if the choice needed justification. It was as if he were saying, "We apologize, but we had so little to work with!"
• On the subject of the announcer, the WWF spiel exhausts me. I don't want monotone but this is ridiculous. As I told Ben (Mr3D from the old Nutmegged blog days), I wonder if this guy does the same thing during foreplay with his wife (LET'S GET READY TO RUMMMMMBLLLLE!!!). Sheesh!

Still buzzing about the Dynamo's first road win of the 2011 season? Me too and honestly, how could you not be.

Houston may not have dominated the game on Saturday but they got the necessary combination of good luck and great plays from key players that made all the difference between leaving Frisco with a draw and leaving with the full three points...and El Captian!

Photo by Nigel Brooks

Let's be honest, and I'm not trying to be a downer here, but the FC Dallas game was a brilliant example of the underlying issues with the Dynamo this season and why it took them so long to win away from Robertson. It really comes down to one word: speed.

The Dynamo don't have enough of it and when they are forced to play on the generally much larger fields across MLS, that lack of speed can be exposed. All afternoon, Dallas was able to terrorize the Dynamo back line thanks to the attacking speed of guys like Brek Shea and Jackson. They generated a ton of chances and if not for Tally Hall and the woodwork, it could have been a fairly ugly result for Houston...but it wasn't. 

The Dynamo did enough and made plays when they had too and sometimes that's all you need to do.

I'm not criticizing anyone but this points directly to why Houston has had such an up and down season. More importantly, there's nothing to do about it right now. If this team finishes off the season by making the playoffs, it will be thanks to home results and a tremendous resolve by the players down the stretch to get result in the face of some heavy media and fan pressure.

Basically, we're supportive but realistic and no matter how the 2011 season concludes, it's going to be essential that the speed issue is addressed during the off-season.

As for the weekend, let's enjoy the three points and the fact Houston is in first place in the Eastern Conference for a couple days. In addition, I just want to thank every Dynamo fan that made the trip to Frisco and helped remind everyone who is a part of and supports the FC Dallas organization that Pizza Hut Park is Robertson North. 

Brian Ching was asked after the game how it felt to get their first road win of the season. His response?

"Was that a road game?"

Well said Brian...and well done Dynamo fans.