Late stingers in the north country

After watching the game this morning, I had a few thoughts and since I seem to have the floor, here they are:

1. Corey Ashe looked nice coming in from France, scoring a few seconds after entering the game. His cross for the game-winner was studly as well. Where has that been all year?

2. Like with any draw, you lament the chances missed. I have to say that I think Dynamo had more chances missed than the candystripers. No need to list them all, but Davis' decision to pass in the box instead of shooting at an injured Sala 30 seconds after DDR's strike was a killer. I have no doubt that would have been a winner. So what else is new? Both teams looked mediocre and I think the draw is well-deserved, if a draw can ever be.

3. Kenny Cooper's goal was indeed a thing of beauty, like so many of his have been this year. He's the only player over there I fear.

4. Once again, big props to the Texian Army and El Battalon for turning the pizza box into Robertson North once again. As Buzz Carrick over at Third Degree pointed out, (in different words of course), those northern flatlanders need to take a long, hard look at themselves.

5. Eddie Robinson has got to stop having these brain farts. Now he misses the game Saturday night at a time they really need him with DDR, Onstad and Clark already away on national team duty, Davis and Barrett's status are questionable, and now Mullan's. That means the starting XI against RBNY Saturday could look like this:

Caig
Waibel-Boswell-Ianni-Cameron
Ashe-Holden-Mulrooney-Davis
Ching-Caraccio

Brown and Wondolowski first off the bench. Jeez Eddie, I know when someone clocks you with their cast on the back of the head, you get pissed, but cool it! (Too bad it wasn't Rocha you pushed. In that event, I might have been willing to give you a pass, but only if you took him completely out. Though I have to point out that I am completely opposed to needless and gratuitous violence. But if you destroy Rocha, does it really count?)

6. Referencing No. 2, Dynamo are consistently (insofar they've been consistent at anything) making one pass too many in the penalty area and are not playing sharp at all. Davis, Holden (a big transgressor in this category), Mullan, Caraccio, De Rosario. Shoot. The. Damn. Ball. You make a mess of scoring chances you get what you get. It's finally time to say that the team's record right now is what it deserves, and they're darn lucky to have the 5 draws. 11 points out of a possible 30 to start the season? It immediately turns me into a BIG fan of the playoff system. Any playoff system.

7. Stoppage time equalizers against your greatest rival are quite fun. The teams play one more time, here at Robertson in late June. If Dynamo wins that one, the jinx over the candystripers is preserved for 2008. Quite nice.

8. Waibelinho played the worst I have ever seen him play. Getting beat by Kenny Cooper for the first goal was just the lowlight of a nightmarish evening for Craig.

What do you think?

El Capitan, staying in Houston for a third year in a row?