If the De Ro trade is still getting you down

I'm trying to stay positive with the whole "Trust in Dom and Canetti" mantra ringing through my brain, pausing only for a quick repetition of "Moreno/Ngwenya! Jaqua! Kamara! WHOOP!"

However, I have found this video surprisingly helpful. Read more!

So long Dwayne. We'll always have DC.

First thoughts:

There was too much DDR is going to Tor chatter going around not to take it seriously. Hopefully, this will be another Moreno/Ngwenya deal, which you have to say in some way affected the outcome of the last two championships!

Ms. Thertek's first response: "What? Well, I guess Dynamo just got tired of winning."

Must. Resist. Negativity.

Must. Resist.

Look book over the last three seasons and find, I tell you, find a deal that went truly bad. The worst you can find is the Tony Caig as backup keeper thing. (Running slightly ahead of Franco Caraccio).

But, I will submit, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, that those are peanuts PEANUTS!, to the multiple examples of true brilliance from Messrs. Canetti and Kinnear over the years. Ngwenya/Moreno; Jaqua I; Boswell/Wells; Jaqua II; Kei Kamara;

Need I go on?

Like Bill Lee once said about the National League All-Star lineup in 1976 (yes, I AM that old), "I ain't pitching against them. These guys just don't make outs."

So, fare thee well Dwayne De Rosario. Enjoy your years back in your hometown, where we would always want to wind up in our lives. You have earned our love and respect and, and I mean this in all sincerity, I hope you take it as the deepest measure of personal respect and true love when Dynamo come to BMO Field next season and crush you like a grape.

In the spirit of true sportsmanship of course. Read more!

The past is prologue?

I've heard that the past is prologue. One can hope.



Here is the official press release:

HOUSTON, TX (Wednesday, December 10, 2008) – The Houston Dynamo were drawn against Mexican power FC Atlante for the 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals when the draw was held today at CONCACAF headquarters in New York City.

The Dynamo will host FC Atlante in the first leg of the two-game, total-goals series on a date to be announced February 24-26. The second leg will be played in Cancún, Mexico March 3-5. The winner will advance to the regional semifinals. The tournament champion, to be crowned in late April, will advance to the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup, to be held in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, in December.

Houston qualified for the quarterfinals by placing second in Group B during group play in the first edition of the Champions League. The Dynamo reached the semifinals of the tournament’s predecessor, the Champions’ Cup, in both 2007 and 2008.

The other quarterfinal matchups are:

Pumas UNAM vs. Cruz Azul, Montreal Impact vs. Club Santos Laguna, Puerto Rico Islanders vs. CD Marathon

Tickets for the Dynamo’s home leg of the quarterfinal series are currently available via Dynamo season ticket packages. The Dynamo have also qualified for the 2009-10 Champions League group stage, which will take place August 18-October 22.

The Houston Dynamo are a Major League Soccer franchise that has won two MLS Cup championships in its first three seasons and represented the United States in three consecutive regional championships. The Dynamo will begin their 2009 MLS campaign on Saturday, March 21, taking on the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew. For more information, please log on to www.HoustonDynamo.com or call (713) 276-7500.

Read more!

Calling Joseph Ngwenya.. Where are you?

At the conclusion of the Dynamo/Firpo game the night before Thanksgiving, Mister3D and I were lamenting the loss of Nate Jaqua to the nor'westerners. Then Mister3d says this to me:

"No big deal as Joseph Ngwenya is coming back."

"Whaaa?!?" sez I.

"Just trying to start a rumor," he replies with a mischievous grin.

And that got me to thinking. Where is Joseph Ngwenya anyway? Last I heard, he was in Turkey, plying his trade, trying to get noticed after his high-profile tryout with Bayern Munich, of all teams, in the summer. So this morning, participating in this discussion over at Dynamo Planet, I set about looking for our man Joseph, and what I found is something of a mystery.

He supposedly was playing for ANTALYASPOR A.Ş. in Turkey, which currently sits just out of the relegation zone, at 15th in the 18-team Turkish Super League. However, looking over the team's Web site (which, unfortunately for me, is entirely in Turkish), I can find no mention of our man on the 27-player roster. So the mystery deepens... Where is Joseph Ngwenya?

And then, curiouser and curiouser. The Turkish Football Federation site still lists him as being under contract to Antalyaspor, but I can find no appearance by him with the Scorpions after October. Read more!

Setting priorities for 2009

(Continuing the thread from El Naranja's "So...What now?" post on Dynamo Planet. Check that one out for a great discussion in it's own right.)

With the 2008 year now completely concluded for our Men in Orange, I think it's time to look ahead at the offseason on-field priorities (as opposed to Dynamo Park, which is Priority "All" off field I would think) for Chris Canetti, Dominic Kinnear and the rest of the Brain Trust.

Here, in no particular order (other than the first ones that come to my caffeine-addled mind) are several.

1. Re-signing Bobby Boswell. The man was to my mind at least the co-MVP of the season this year. He had a horrific start, but then picked it up around early May and clearly was the best defender on the pitch for long stretches. He anchored the best defense in the league. I know he can probably make much, much more money were he to go to Europe, but looking at the team, I would say bringing the Boz back to town would be among the first objectives.

2. Bringing in a new back-up keeper to replace Tony Caig. To be fair, Caig wasn't always awful this year and I'm sure there are many, many keepers out there who are worse than him. However, Zach Wells may be back on the market, and who wouldn't love the all-around punkjob that be to one day in 2009 beat DCU with Boz in the middle and Zach Wells in goal? Also, I'm thinking Troy Perkins and, especially, the out-of-contract Matt Pickens might be available. All would be improvements over Caig. Super Canuck is nto getting any younger in the No. 1 role, though he seems to indicate that he intends to go another year or maybe two (!). If his reaction time slows appreciably, this could become a HUGE hole for this team in a hurry.

3. Replacing Nate Jaqua up top. Don't get me wrong. I like Kei Kamara and don't want to go anywhere, but Nate was truly spectacular at times this season, clearly a better player than he was in 2007. It was shown this year that Chris Wondolowski is not the guy here, and neither is Kyle Brown. So the team will have to look elsewhere. (Though, wait a minute, who knows? Maybe Geoff Cameron in this spot?) He seems to be a head case, but perhaps Arturo Alvarez could be prised away from San Jose? I had a few other names on my mind when I started this paragraph, but they have flitted away. This is a big need because let us not forget that while Ching did play the whole season this year without an injury (an amazing feat for anyone, but for him, stunning), we can't rely on that all the time. Again, I'm thinking that this is the prime area for bringing someone in from outside the organization. Thoughts and ideas?

4. Time for you guys to fill in the blanks here..... Read more!

The date, it is circled. Orange ya glad you won't be yellow Mar. 21?

Of course, CONCACAF starts a month earlier than this, but March 21 is still a date to circle and DAMN! if I'm not already salivating over knocking out those Little Yellow Crewmen, who seem to think that holding onto our cup for a year means they own it or something.

It's Champions v. Champions March 21 here at Robertson Stadium, and since Mister3D and I have already re-upped for '09, we'll be there. And if you want to know what happened last time around, here you go.



And here's the whole slate for MLS First Kick opening weekend:

Thursday, March 19 (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)

New York Red Bulls at Seattle Sounders FC, 8 p.m. (ESPN2/Deportes)


Saturday, March 21

Columbus Crew at Houston Dynamo, 7 p.m. (Fox Soccer Channel/Fox Sports en Español)

Toronto FC at Kansas City Wizards, 7:30 p.m.

Chicago Fire at FC Dallas, 7:30 p.m.

Colorado Rapids at Chivas USA, 9:30 pm (Fox Soccer Channel/Fox Sports en Español)

New England Revolution at San Jose Earthquakes, 9:30 p.m.


Sunday, March 22

D.C. United at Los Angeles Galaxy, 2 p.m. Read more!