Game preview: An interview with the Crewture from the Black and Gold Lagoon

This week's Q&A is
with Crewfighter from the excellently rabid Crewture blog. It's nice to see such passion out there for any team, but especially for teams like the early-dominant Crew who have so little in their pasts and have to deal with constant relocation rumors, even with their own SSS. It warms this MLS fan's truncated icosahedron of a heart. So Crewfighter, hopefully your passion will continue to be rewarded, but only after Dynamo passes through. Factoid before we start, the Crew have never beaten Dynamo. Just thought you might like to know that.

Handling the questions this week are all three of us here at Nutmegged ganging up on Crewfighter, though I have to admit he does handle himself quite well. Crewfighter also posted several questions to us. His questions and our answers will be posted at Crewture later today.

Word from Fallas is that Pat Onstad will be back in the nets for Dynamo this weekend, though of course Eddie Robinson remains out on suspension. That means you'll probably see this formation:

Onstad (Thank the deity of your choice)
Mulrooney-Boswell-Ianni-Barrett
Mullan-Clark-De Rosario-Davis
Caraccio-Ching

Now, to be fair to Tony Caig, Donovan's two goals last week would be goals against anyone anywhere, but still, let's hope Tony takes a big breather with SuperCanuck back and plays again later this year a little more poised than what he showed over the last few weeks.

My prediction: Dynamo 3-2. Crew get an early gift against Onstad, which wakes up the Orange. Crew score again in the 90th after De Rosario scores twice and Caraccio once (Ching assists on all three). You heard it here first.

On to the interview:

NUTMEGGED: Sigi Schmidt was on the top of the First MLS Coaches to be Fired Lists for 2008 and was quoted as saying he wouldn't survive a slow start. What does he need to do to keep his job for next season? Along those same lines, with the early season success introducing the possibility of Sigi's continued tenure, where do most Crew fans stand on Schmid's reign: Better to lose now and get on with the process of moving on or is he thought of as a good coach in a previously bad, though now improving, situation?

CREWFIGHTER:

Simply what Sigi needs to do is get this team into the playoffs. We would all see that as a positive step in the right direction. From the GM, to the ticket guys, to the fans in the stands. What the Crew is doing this year at home is definitely making the ones who are left believe again. I have been going to games myself since I was 18 and could drive from Pennsylvania. Since 2004, I have been to over 30 home games and I think we have won 4 of those. Yes, 4! That was hard to swallow. This year we have won two and both have easily been the best games I have witnessed at CCS.

Plus every move he has made so far this season has been gold. Plucks Adam Moffat out of USL-2, finds Gino Padula who is going to be one of the best left backs in MLS (I have been impressed with him thus far), brings Brian Carroll in who fills a big need, gets Alejandro Moreno who is just a bulldog (we were not sure how that was going to work out at first but we made out). Then he also brings in Emmanuel Ekpo this week who is a U-23 player for Nigeria that has played for the Senior Nigerian side at the ripe age of 20. And, the formation is working great so far this year. Everyone knows who is on the field and where they are every game. There are not a lot of formation and line up switches like last year. So, right now he is my coach of the year hands down.

On that second question, yeah anymore losing is about the last thing we need.

NUTMEGGED: Speak to me about Will Hesmer. I see he's stopped two penalty kicks over your first four games, which is usually more than most keepers do in a season. Is he getting too much work due to breakdowns in the back line or is this just the real Will Hesmer finally standing up (and lurching about all over the place blocking shots)?

CREWFIGHTER:

Hesmer is a good keeper. That is another good trade that Sigi made last year. His save against TFC was just wild and the noise level where I was at in the Nordecke (north-corner) was electric. That was big, huge, colossal. Then Moffat beating Samuel to the ball from 8 yards behind him. The guys are fighting for the badge this year.

Hesmer could use a shutout this week to bolster his and the defense's confidence a little more. They are getting better week by week. It takes time because only Hejduk was back there extensively last season. But, as a unit I believe Hesmer and the defense has the chance to be one of the best in MLS once they all get on the same page.

That's one thing about the Crew, not a lot of weaknesses in the starting lineup.

NUTMEGGED: ESPN has you rated #2 in its weekly Power Rankings. This is the highest we've ever seen the Crew ranked. Do you feel you can stay in the top five for most of the season, especially if Schelotto tires as he did in 2007? And if so, what needs to happen to make that so?

CREWFIGHTER:

I don't think Schelotto got tired in 2007. I think that he got frustrated in 2007 because his teammates were not playing up to his level like they are this year. Schelotto's performances against Chivas and DC were his best ones in a Crew jersey.

And, I would love to say that we could stay in the top five. But, I would like a few more wins before I make that prediction. Because once a Crew fan gets the kool aid flowing, something horrible happens to bring us back down to Earth.

I definitely think we make the playoffs. I would love if we just pulled away from everyone else this month though. And, we could. We have you guys who are struggling, then KC at home, then away at San Jose, and away at TFC. I say those are all winnable games. Our organization just wants to prove itself again. The team wants to prove themselves and the supporters sections want to prove themselves. And, together we are making it hard now to win at Columbus.

NUTMEGGED: Dynamo's draw last week versus the Gals had much to do with Donovan's speed and finishing touch and Beckham's guile. While Schelotto has the guile, Moreno does not have the wheels, though he has the heart. Who needs to step it up for a home win?




CREWFIGHTER:

Everyone just needs to step up and play as a unit like they have been. The team is very cohesive right now and also very confident. We cannot get over confident as I could see this as a trap game. If we come out with a stinker on Saturday, all the doubts are back. I just hope the team can channel their energy the right way with focusing on Sigi's gameplan and flat out destroying the Dynamo. I would be alright with a tie or maybe even a loss on the road, but we can't lose at home at all this year. We are very proud now about making CCS impossible to play in.

And, I rather have Moreno then Carracio or Wondolewski or even Ching right now. Hardest working damn player alive. I think his wheels are fine.

NUTMEGGED: So far, many of the Crew's attacking players are playing above their previous press clippings. What seems to be wrong with Eddie Gaven? Why isn't he one of these? And similarly, was the Ned Grabavoy move addition by subtraction, or what accounts for the improved midfield play with the loss of a starter?



CREWFIGHTER:

Talking about a player that needs to step up and have a break out game, it's Gaven, or he could find Ekpo in his position. I don't forsee any changes this weekend because you don't change something when you're getting results. But, Rogers had his breakout game then Guille, Moffat, Hejduk, Hesmer, and everyone else has stepped up. It's time for Gaven to get a goal this weekend. And, it seems just when you start counting Eddie out he pulls a great performance out of his ass. So maybe he steps up this weekend.

I hope he does. He is a fabulous young player, so is Rogers. Both really need to be more consistent and bring it for 90 minutes each game. We do have the most promising and youthful midfield in MLS though. And, I don't want fans to get too down on Gaven. Because trading him or sitting him on the end of the bench are terrible ideas. He will turn it around. He hasn't been bad, just okay. He needs to play out of his skin one game. This would be the perfect week for it.

NUTMEGGED: And a bonus question: Prediction for the game?









CREWFIGHTER:

3-1 Crew. Wasn't impressed with Houston's breakdown against the Galaxy in the second half. And, we are 10 times the team that they are. Save your first win for the next weekend, please. :-)

Read more!

Can Dynamo sign this squirrel up?

I'm probably the last on my block to see this commercial. But what they hey. It's cracking me up and I hope it does for you too.

Read more!

Cynicism about Dynamo Park? Here's a way to dispel that (I hope, please, pray, invoke, uh, Know any good religions?)

I am asking Nutmegged readers to assist me in dispelling my cynicism. Now, I'm not huge on online petitions. Mostly I think it's just a way for people to feel good about themselves while accomplishing nothing.

However, I do indeed understand the value of directing your intentions to create your reality. So in that sense, I encourage everyone to focus their energy on this online petition (see it and sign it here) to get Dynamo Park built here in Houston. And please, I know all about how desperate this sounds, but it takes almost no time and at the end of the day, those of us who really can do nothing more than show our support for Dynamo have done that just one more, albeit tiny, time. Read more!

Good luck with Killie Paulie, or rather should that be "Good luck with Paulie Killie?"

In the wake of Dynamo's much-reported-upon scoring woes, some have lamented the loss of former striking stars Alejandro Moreno, Nate Jaqua, Joseph Ngwenya and the man above, Paul Dalglish.

My take on these guys is simple:
1. Moreno for Ngwenya deal was genius last year and helped Dynamo earn the title. Lamenting it now neglects that simple fact.

2. Jaqua. Smallest big guy I've ever seen. Getting repeatedly outjumped by players who are 6-8-inches smaller than you is nto good Nate. Maybe you'll learn how to win these balls in Austria.

3. Ngwenya. Nice speed. Nice developing player. Fun and enthusiastic striker. Try learning how to beat a physical defender while in Europe, OK?

4. Paul Dalglish. So there's a group of trainers hanging out in the medical room. Guy walks in. Guy walks in again. Guy comes in a third time, then a fourth and then a fifth. Eventually says, "Don't worry guys. I know where everything is. I can take care of this myself." That's Paul Dalglish. Nice guy. Flashes of real skill. Needed to go because eventually, the trainers had to take care of someone else.

I bring this up because of the following piece I just found on Setanta Sports:

Former Newcastle striker Paul Dalglish is eager to earn a long-term contract at Kilmarnock after overcoming his injury troubles.

In February, Dalglish signed a deal to stay at Rugby Park until the end of the season having been released by Houston Dynamo last year.

After making just two substitute appearances, however, the 31-year-old was sidelined with a groin injury for five weeks.

But he is now available for first-team action again and has vowed to take any opportunities he is given.

“I’d definitely like to stay here and I just need to get a chance to show what I can do,” he told the Daily Record.

Killie, if you do this, and I have little doubt you will since the Dalglish name is still golden in Scotland, I hope your medical staff has a LOT of extra time on its hands. They'll need it.

Though here's a quick look at what ol' Paulie could do in between his training table visits. We'll always have the '06 Western Finals, kid.

Read more!

Dynamo/Galaxy preview, a Q&A with Offside Laurie

With Dynamo taking on the hampered and hurt LA Galaxy tonight, it's time for another blogger Q&A, this time with The Offside-Galaxy's Laurie. (For the pregame press notes, click here.)

Dynamo goes into the game tonight missing Pat Onstad (injury, though he might be available during the game) and Eddie Robinson (suspension and knee injury recovery). That means the Orange XI will probably look something like this:

Caig
Mulrooney-Boswell-Ianni-Barrett
Mullan-Clark-De Rosario-Davis
Ching-Caraccio

As for Galaxy, Laurie reports LAG is missing or at least potentially missing several key players. Here's her list:

GK Charles Alamo OUT - R knee surgery
DF Ante Jazic OUT - R ankle surgery
FW Carlos Ruiz OUT - R knee
MF Ely Allen OUT - R hamstring
GK Steve Cronin QUESTIONABLE - L groin
MF Alvaro Pires QUESTIONABLE - L knee

So the Gal XI (didn't the USS Enterprise once visit that planet?) is really anybody's guess. Once you get past Donovan and Goldenballs, I'm not sure who we'll see.

So my prediction of a 3-1 Orange win still holds. Laurie, on the other hand, thinks differently (which, considering my track record so far, is probably a wise thing!). Here's our e-conversation:


MARTEK: 1. Like Dynamo, the Galaxy's results so far this season have to have been somewhat less than you would have wanted. What do you think has contributed mainly to the poor start?







LAURIE: We currently have only nine players on the roster who were around a year ago. The team has been rebuilt from the ground up to meet Beckham's strengths. This means the players are still working toward familiarity with each other. Additionally, the salary cap affects the team in a huge way. We have three DPs. (Beckham, Donovan and Ruiz.) They eat up nearly half of the cap between them. The gamble is that they can carry the team while the remaining oldtimers like (Xavier and Klein and Vanney) and the newcomers (like Randolph and Ely Allen and Sean Franklin) will be strong enough to at least hold up their end. It could work, and it could be a huge bust.

If we can avoid too many injuries, I'm guessing the later games of the season, when the team is more used to each other, will look better than the first games




MARTEK: 2. I know it's early, but what would you say is the biggest difference so far in the Galaxy under Gullit and the team under Yallop? Or do you see much difference? Are the players happier under Gullit or not so much?





LAURIE: It is so hard to tell from the outside! I think Gullit is a stronger personality. Also, because he's a superstar and highly paid, I think AEG will be more likely to listen to him than they were to Yallop. I think Yallop too often got bulldozed. I also think Gullit is a lot better at imposing high standards and discipline. A team that hasn't played together much really needs this!

On the other hand, it's hard to know who's calling the shots. I keep thinking Galaxy roster moves will start to make more sense under Gullit, and then we see a move like yesterday's signing of Joey Franchino. That's a page out of last year's book. Was that completely Alexi Lalas, or did Gullit have a hand in the decision? And what does this say about who's running the team and how they're running it? I have no idea.

As far as players being happier, again it's hard to tell. I know there was a lot of conflict last year among newcomers and oldtimers over playing time at the end of the season. And now most of those oldtimers are gone. Does this mean that the team as a whole is happier? I have no clue. But there haven't been any huge rumors of discontent that I've heard yet.


MARTEK: 3. How acutely does Galaxy feel the loss of Carlos Ruiz? Do you think someone will/can step up to fill that void, and if so who, as Landon Donovan can't do it every game (or can he)?







LAURIE: Ruiz hasn't played enough yet for us to know how his presence/absence will affect the team. We're still not sure which Ruiz we got -- the goal scoring machine from his LA years, or the attitude case from last year at Dallas. His behavior up to this point at least suggests he's happy to be here and comes with a good attitude, which is great. It remains to be seen whether or not this will translate into goals.

That said, though, aside from Landon we sure don't have a lot of consistent scorers when Ruiz is not playing.




MARTEK: 4. Rate Galaxy's defensive effort right now on a scale of 10. Has Steve Cronin done anything to justify his leap from the USL to a No. 1 in MLS? Is there hope that the back line will be able to come together to keep foes honest? And if so, who do you look to to lead this charge?






LAURIE: Oh, Lord. Defense. Our Achilles heel. Overall I'd give us a 3. Maybe a four if you factor in the fullbacks' ability to go forward. Chris Klein at rightback is amazing. He has it all and is the true leader of the backline. Mike Randolph at leftback is a little raw but gets the job done fairly frequently. It's at central defense where the big problems lie. We have two players over thirty — Vanney and Xavier, and they have both lost a step with age. They tend to be great at positioning and leadership, but they stand and watch as speedy forwards blast by them. On the other hand we have rookies like Sean Franklin and Julian Valentin, who have the speed but not the experience. It could work if we can find the right balance. As last week showed, we haven't found it yet. And I have no idea where Franchino will fit into this.

I don't want to write Cronin off, but in the games so far he hasn't shown an ability to step up and make the tough decisions with confidence. I have no idea whether this will come as the season progresses, or if Josh Wicks will become the #1 before that happens.




MARTEK: 5. (How do you like the fact that I've gotten to No. 5 without once mentioning that midfielder from England everyone speaks so highly of?) Prediction for the game?







LAURIE: Bravo for you. I think the longer Beckham plays, the more most of us just think of him as an integral cog in the wheel rather than as THE David Beckham. With luck that will come for the rest of the league as well.

As far as a prediction, I am grateful that you're kind of sucking too. Let's be optimistic and go 1-1. Read more!

Architects for Dynamo Park about to be chosen

Well, well, well, fresh off of the news over the last few days about the kerfuffle, hubbub and hullabulloo about the Don's letter and screwing up Dynamo's negotiations with the city over the Dynamo Park deal, we get this little piece at the Houston Business Journal by Greg Barr (a big shoutout to DuNord for tipping off about this.):

Interviews were under way Tuesday with five finalists vying to design the proposed downtown soccer stadium that would be home to the Houston Dynamo.

A spokeswoman for Colorado-based ICON Venue Group, the developer in charge of the project, told the Houston Business Journal that the finalists include two local architectural firms that are partnering with national firms on their bids.

The Major League Soccer team, which currently plays home games at Robertson Stadium, is close to working out a deal with the City of Houston which is close to finalizing the acquisition of a chunk of prime acreage near Minute Maid Park for the $80 million stadium, which could open as early as 2010.

The Dynamo wants to have an architect in hand as it continues to negotiate the stadium financing package in which the club and the City would share the cost of the project, according to team President Oliver Luck.

So does this lend credence to the various conspiracy theorists that the gnashing of teeth over the last few days was a tad stage-managed? I don't know, but when I put my rose-colored specs back on in a few minutes, I'm going to feel a little better.

Or am I just grasping at straws? Read more!

Quickie MLS weekend look

Well, since Columbus beat DCU last night, despite my prediction in our MFLS Bloggers League, I start this weekend at somewhat of a deficit in the prediction department. What do I learn from last night, never, ever pick against Center Holds It's Jeff Bull. During the offseason, Jeff eventually settled on supporting Colorado and Columbus this season, and look at the results so far. It's bigger than all of us and until Col and Col head downward, I'm ridin' this Bull!


Thursday night: (My prediction, DCU 3, Cmb 0; Actual: Cmb 2, DCU 1) DC looked terrible at home and still doesn't seem to have melded its players all together into a cohesive whole. Let's face it, the huge buttkicking they delivered to Harbour View at RFK looks more and more like the aberration here. Other than that, let's look at their results so far: a tepid and almost unwatchable 1-1 tie to Harbour View in Jamaica; a 2-0 loss to KC; a 4-1 smackdown over two legs to Los Tuzos; a 4-1 win over TFC (the lone bright spot against a team that, with all due respect, should see that kind of scoreline against them in every game, except when they play the Gals); and a pair of uninspiring losses to RSL (RSL!!!) and Columbus. DCU will probably be fine when the season is all said and done, but if they're not, you're seeing the seeds of destruction laid bare now.


REAL SALT LAKE at TORONTO: My prediction, 2-0 TFC. Reds build on last week's win at home against a team that is better, but on the road? Sorry Kreis, you don't get to face DCU every week. Question, did TFC win two in a row at all last year? Well, there's a first time for everything.


NEW ENGLAND at NEW YORK: My pick: 2-1 Revs. New England has had a season with the drunk staggers so far. Win-loss-win-loss. It's an odd-numbered game, so New England pulls through. It helps, though, that they have the Gambian speed brothers, while New York's back line is anything but speedy. Give Angel another concussion and unleash the dogs.


SAN JOSE at COLORADO: My pick: 2-0 Colo. EQuakes, score first, and then maybe I'll pick you. But one thing I'm NOT doing is picking anyone against one of Jeff Bull's Cols. I'm not tilting at those kinds of windmills.

DYNAMO at LOS ANGELES: My pick 3-1 Orange. More on this game later today and tomorrow. But quite simply, the Gals don't just look bad. They look terrible, especially in the back. Ching will score in this game. Vanney, you think Jeff Cunningham abused you...

KANSAS CITY at CHICAGO: My pick, 2-0 Fire. The wheels continue to come off for KC. Blanco will see to it personally at home. Frankowski scores again.

FCD at CHIVAS: My pick: 2-0 Chivas. Las Chivitas takes this one 2-0 over the candystripers in front of, oh say, 7-8,000 passers-by, most looking for some English guy that reportedly plays soccer at that stadium. Chivas fans again complain loud and long how they are the class of the HDC after the Gals get savaged by Dynamo the night before. Tough toenails guys. A move to St. Louis might just help you. Read more!

Dynamo Park not in danger just yet

That empty field right there, the proposed site of Dynamo Park in the shadow if downtown, is still on the table, regardless of what you may have read this week about letters and meetings, intimidating and otherwise. (No need to have me run down all the events of yesterday. Read about them here, here and here.)

However, it won't be for much longer if Don Garber (His letter to AEG, Oscar De La Hoya and Gabriel Brener is here.) doesn't keep his freakin' mouth shut and his pen capped. (Read Fallas' commentary on this here.) Nothing will turn the indifferent in this town into Dynamo-haters faster than perceived threats. As much as Dynamo's wins have captivated Houston and as much of a soccer hotbed that exists here, we all know the situation is still somewhat tenuous at best. Public opinion can turn fast, and if you try to intimidate here, you find out what a slight hand you're really playing with, trophies or no.

Oliver Luck, of all people, knows this, which is why he met with Mayor Bill White and called a press conference yesterday to keep things from turning into a full boil.

So let's stick with the simple truths of the matter:

Good news:

1. All sides are still at the table and are meeting. Going back to when the Allen Brothers first did the backroom deal that founded this place, quiet "you rub my shoulders and I'll rub yours" meetings are how bidness gets done in Houston. The fact that the sides are talking to each other and NOT the media means that, for now, no Bud Adams-type explosion is going on. Quiet = Good

2. It's early in the season and Dynamo face the Galaxy Saturday. Putting the focus back on the field, especially if the Orange can secure a win against such a visible and highly-beatable opponent, can only help. Everyone's on the same side when it comes to winning.

3. The city is still buying the land and there's really no other purpose for it than the building of Paradise South. The wheels that were turning before the Don's bone-headed letter are still turning.

4. Both sides were conciliatory in tone yesterday, with White saying, basically, there will be no pressuring, and the Dynamo saying, basically, the same thing.

BAD NEWS

1. The price tag went up from $80-90 million to $105 million. It's still a bargain, but two digits looks better than three in front of the "m" word when trying to sell the thing to the public.

2. Dynamo mentioned yesterday that the city needs to put in more money and nowhere was there reference to the former meme about the team footing most of the bill. This leaves people thinking that the team is asking the city to foot most or all of the bill. If this is true, this news turns from bad to really bad.

3. The time spent on this could have spent on something productive, but instead it turned into an airing of frustrations. Maybe this is good news emotionally for everyone in the room, but in the sheer lack of moving the ball forward I'm putting it in this column.

4. Bernardo Fallas says that UH is rumored to be wanting to raise Dynamo's rent by 50% next year. Luck says that's unnacceptable. There is no silver lining to this one


So back to Garber's letter, which was written April 4. Why was it released now? Absent hard facts, it's conspiracy-theory time. Here's a great post from El Naranja over at Bernardo Fallas' Soccer y Fútbol blog, in which he quotes a friend, who echoes my thinking as well:

Let's see. The Commissioner writes a letter to the Dynamo ownership group outlining the case for a stadium in Houston and listing other markets that have participated in public-private partnerships with MLS. The Dynamo ownership group gives the Mayor a copy. The Mayor releases the letter and says that he won't take money out of police and fire budgets to pay for a stadium (which no one believes would ever happen, isn't how the City finances things like what the stadium project would need, and is something that the Mayor has previously said numerous times) - all while reinforcing his image as a tough business person who won't be pushed around in a deal (which is a great image to have when you run statewide). Then the Dynamo throws together a press conference to say that they're committed to Downtown and aren't interested in moving.

I don't think there's any way that the Commissioner sends a letter to the Dynamo ownership group unless AEG wants that letter. But even if you believe that's not the case, there's no way that the Dynamo owners give White a copy thinking that he won't release it and publicly affirm his opposition to using money that could be used for things like fire and police to finance the stadium.

So have we got a deal or not? No. But will we? Well, I have seen so many stadium and other deals in this city, and usually when you've got everyone wanting the same thing and a lack of posturing, a deal gets done. If the cooler heads that were evident at the end of the day yesterday are any indication, it'll happen, but when is anybody's guess. Read more!

A tip o' the hat to Bhig Shot Jan

A little shout-out to my Bhoy Jan, who scored the game-winner at 94-fuh-reakin' minutes to beat the strangers at Paradise today 2-1! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

Or as Matt said over at Lord of the Wing, "I'd like to add F*CK and YES!"

Read more!

Worried about Dynamo? Actually, unlike some others, I think I actually have a reason to be "an optimistic fellow"

Oh, the portents of doom and gloom. A disaster of biblical proportions! Dogs and cats living together!

Let's just have a little perspective here, shall we?

As I posted over at CHI, Dynamo are suffering from the same malady they had at this time last year, CCC fatigue, not to mention just plain jet lag. They just played seven meaningful games in three countries in 31 days, only three of which were at home. That's an average of one game every 4.428571 days (according to my handy-dandy calculator thingy), which you can do over a span of three or four games, but not seven! (As the Dom has pointed out to Bernardo Fallas.)

Dynamo over that time has gone 1(the first of the seven by the way!)-2-4, which is actually a pretty stout mark over that span, while fighting a host of key injuries (Onstad, Robinson, Holden, Davis, Mullan, Waibelinho). So would I like a better record? Sure. But am I worried about Dynamo? No. This week off before taking on the Gals in LA (another road game! Dynamo don't return home until May 3.) is going to be a sweet salve indeed.

Maybe I'm just wearing the rose-colored glasses here, but when I look at this roster, and see these players slowly filtering back to health (Mullan, Davis, Holden and ERob), I am looking at a serious run of quality wins.

I think the main thing with which Dynamo has had a problem that they can do something about (since the schedule and freak injuries are both beyond their control) is communication on defense. Clearly, the ERob/Boswell pairing in the back is not going all that well. And getting Tony Caig to stay in his damn goal (I read he wandered out front and made two great saves in the KC game, highlights of which I cannot see), cool down and work with his defense would be nice as well until SuperCanuck comes back. Solve that problem, and suddenly these questions all fall away.

We'll see what happens in LA this weekend. If Dynamo is truly back in form, the Gals are a team that can make you look good in a hurry.

So no, I ain't afraid of no ghost.

Read more!

Dynamo/Wizards preview, a Q&A with Travis from The Offside

Time to play Ask the Questions again, this time Travis (an alright guy if there ever was one) from The Offside-Wizards blog gives us answers to my questions prior to tonight's Dynamo/KC game. Enjoy.


MARTEK: What kind of carryover do you think there might be from Wednesday's loss to the Revs? Are the Wiz lamenting lost opportunities or will it just fire them up to take it out on an apparently hurt and struggling Dynamo?






TRAVIS: The biggest issue is the defense. The young Gambians on the Revs really took advantage of a some poor composure at the back. Anytime facing an opponent missing so many key players, three points are a must, so it is definitely seen as a missed opportunity.



MARTEK: Through three games now, how have the cozy dimensions of the new home helped the Wiz? Hurt them?










TRAVIS: It's an interesting situation. The ballpark is obviously quite smaller, and I believe the max capacity is around 11,000. The good is that the Cauldron (supporters group) gets to sit near the opposing goalie for a half, and in general create a lot of ruckus during each match. The bad: it's a baseball stadium, and I find the dimensions of the actual pitch quite small. Plus the camera angles suck.


MARTEK: Other than Eddie Johnson leaving for Fulham, what have been the biggest changes for Wizards since these two teams met in the Western Conference final last season?








TRAVIS: Claudio Lopez was added, Chance Myers drafted, two veteran defenders traded (Nick Garcia and Jose Burciaga), Ivan Trujillo signed. Most of the big changes revolve around player personnel. There has been talk of switching from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2, but so far this season it hasn't happened.


MARTEK: What have you seen from Claudio Lopez that you've liked so far this season? Didn't like?











TRAVIS: The first game he showed how calm a finisher he can be. He gives the Wizards much needed experience of front. The last game, their first loss he got real fired up when things weren't going his way. Not sure if that's because he was mad at his teammates for not getting him the ball, or what. He doesn't seem that fast, but give him a few games. He'll adjust.


MARTEK: Prediction for the game?














TRAVIS: Wizards play defense, win 1-0. Read more!

Holy Toledo! Dynamo at an advantage? (and it's about time for some GOOD news)

Continuing the theme here on Nutmegged for my half-baked theory that past performances in front of a particular ref have a predictive value on upcoming games, let's take a look at Baldomero Toledo, tomorrow night's main guy in the Dynamo vs. KC Wizards clash.

(Self-deprecating note No. 1: Take this with more than one grain of salt, for, while this worked for me three times in 2007, this year I'm 0-1 after Michael Kennedy failed me in the Revs game. Being out of town last week, I took a pass on doing this with the FCD game.)

Now that CONCACAF play is over until Champions League begins later this year, it's time to focus exclusively on MLS and finally getting some serious results. So it's nice that Baldomero will be trolling the field Saturday night. This will be the first time Sr. Toledo will see either team this year.

(S-d note No. 2: Normally MLS does this for me in the game notes, but they did not this time, so I looked back and did my own research, limiting myself to only the last two years for obvious Dynamo and patience-trying reasons.)

OK, no more notes, over the past two years Dynamo are 2-1-4 with Toledo out on the field. The last time they made his acquaintance was in the thrilling 4-1 extra time win over the candystripers in the Western Conference semis in November. Over those seven games, Toledo has handed out 17 yellows and no walking papers to Men in Orange, while also passing out 17 yellows and showing the door to four of their opponents (including two in the FCD game, one to Alvarez for kicking Brad Davis in the nuts and another to Drew Moor for, well, just being Drew Moor is enough, now isn't it?).

Kansas City, meanwhile, 2-3-0 with Toledo on the field over the last two years. Baldo issued 12 yellows and one red to Wizards' opponents during that time, while showing yellow to eight Wiz and kicking out two in one game (Jimmy Conrad and Davy Arnaud), a 1-0 loss to Galaxy last September, the last time he made the Wiz' acquaintance.

Interestingly enough, in the 12 games Toledo has worked involving these two games in the last two years, he has not worked games involving both of them at one time and in only one game (a 1-0 Wiz loss to DCU June 24, 2006), did he not show at least yellow to both teams as DCU got off unscathed that day.

So make of this what you will, but personally, I see this as an advantage for Dynamo, and with Eddie Robinson still out for this game, as well as probably Stuart Holden, Craig Waibel and maybe even Pat Onstad (I'm trying not to think about that one), I think we'll take whatever we can get!

And just to get everyone in the mood, here's the last time we saw Toledo. It just warms the heart.

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Posting a day late and several goals short

Chasing the game, passes to nowhere, no coordination or communication on defense, possession that could string together no more than 2-3 passes on almost all occasions, surrendering three goals that could easily have been 4 or 5, sloppy,sloppy, sloppy play, am I missing anything here?

What a butt-whupping that one was. It was Agincourt alright (referring to the previous post) but Dynamo definitely weren't the English. As Mr3D said to me today, this is exactly what we all knew had a 90 percent chance of happening after the scoreless draw in Robertson last week.

It's too bad really, because I would have liked nothing better than to get our third shot at Pachuca after coming oh so close against Los Tuzos on two occasions last year. That became a fun rivalry last year, the kind where even when you get beat, you are left with nothing but a healthy admiration and even a rooting interest in the other team's success after it's all over. So Pachuca, I hope you destroy El Monstruo Morado in the final, and I look forward to seeing you all again in Champions League (and you Pachuca in SuperLiga) later this summer.

Oh, and by the way, the next person who builds a soccer stadium with artificial turf loses his license to live, as far as I'm concerned. Estadio Saprissa may be legendary (and I have to admit, I actually like the large dimensions), but until they replace that turf with real grass (What, you can't grow grass in Costa Rica? Costa Rica, for goodness' sake?!?!?) the place is now and will remain a dump. Read more!

Estadio Ricardo Saprissa or Agincourt?

Let me see if I get this straight:

1. Saprissa rested their top side this weekend while Dynamo played a tough 3-3 draw at home against their archrival.

2. Dynamo is without Stuart Holden, Eddie Robinson and Pat Onstad (injury) and Bobby Boswell (yellow accumulation) for tonight's match in Costa Rica.

3. Saprissa is 0-4-1 all time against MLS clubs at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa and has never lost to an MLS club in a series.

4. The stadium is large, covered with artificial turf and the surface is uneven. It will also be filled with crazed fans, some with a reputation for throwing hard metal objects at opposing players.

Did I miss anything?

5. Oh yeah, the two teams are knotted in aggregate 0-0, so tonight's winner moves on while the loser goes home.

As Apollo IX commander Jim McDivitt said "Sounds like fun! I can't wait!"

Looking over the game, I can conceive of almost no reason to think that Dynamo can go down to Costa Rica tonight and come back winners. And yet, that is EXACTLY what I expect them to do, and apparently what they expect of themselves.

"For us, it's a matter of coming in here and having a winning attitude," Kinnear said. "We know they have a good team, but we also have a good team, and if we didn't think we could win, we would not be in this tournament."

I generally hate pregame analyses.

"KEYS TO THE GAME: To win the team must have a winning attitude. They must go out there believing they can win."

"I think you're right on the money there Biff."

So in that spirit I predict that the team that wins tonight will be the one that either scores the most goals in play or in a shootout. How's that for pregame analysis?

In all seriousness, though, Saprissa is not 1972 Brazil. They are a beatable team, though it will take a total effort to do so. I look at this and see a task not that dissimilar to the one that faced new Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon and the 1995 Houston Rockets. Down 3-1 in the Western semis to Phoenix, after losing Game 4 here at the Summit, the Rockheads faced a near-impossible task. But on the plane to Arizona, Hakeem turned to Mario Elie and said "Y'know Mario, let's go down there and surprise them." And that's exactly what they did, ruining that team by winning Game 5 in Pho., Game 6 back here and Game 7 in 'Zona with Elie's Kiss of Death stake in Joe Klein's heart to finish Game 7.

The truth is below, and while I know all about probabilities, and all about the task tonight, I also know that this is a sport and these guys are proud professional athletes, and champions to boot. Forza!

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Qs and As and oy veys

PLAYTHERAPY: Okay, who's is going to post about yesterday's game?

Was Caig as bad as he looked on TV, gifting Dallas with 2 goals?

WTF happened to the DEE during Alvarez's breakaway counter?

Did Morrow gift us with a draw by subbing Toja and Alvarez who could have better utilized Oduro's speed?

Thoughts?


MISTER3D: If onstad was in goal for the whole game the dynamo win, simple as that. Caig looked horrible early on. After he gave cooper the second goal the crowd sarcastically cheered/jeered Caig whenever he touched the ball without letting it in the net. Prior to the first dallas score, the dynamo were dominating and the second goal was hovering slightly out of reach but surely to be had. The scent of fcd blood was in the noses of houston spurring them on and dallas was floundering...then.... rocha sent a perfect floater into cooper's run that split boswell and erob. I'll give caig a pass on the ensuing cooper lob but I do think onstad would have positioned himself better. The second goal was all arturo alvarez. He sucked two dynamo, barrett and ?, with him to the right sideline and then just embarrassed them with an amazing dribble, juke and run down the right that sucked more dynamo players into his vortex, (erob), then toja filled the space receiving the ball that then attracted boswell and waibel. Toja left it for cooper who was not marked quickly enough by cameron and even after all that, all would have been fine if not for caig's impossible bungle. It can't be stated more clearly, caig was shit on that play. The crowd was not happy with him following the lob goal but were willing to let it go but after giving cooper his second score, it was bad. Random screams of "you play for the dynamo now caig, those are two stars on your shirt, you fuck!", and the previously mentioned sarcastic cheering for corralling a simple back pass rained down on him until he made some important later saves.
alvarez' goal was set up by a horrible cross field back pass by dero that pulled boswell to the sideline that stretched the "D" out of shape. I can't remember but boswell's pass must have been picked off, but I distinctly remember thinking what the fuck dero, and then with boswell killing himself to get to the ball before it rolled out of bounds saying, this is not good. I think morrow's bringing on of oduro should have paid off but oduro's forte is speed not finishing or seeing the field and all its options. Many similar emotions from the saprissa match, domination without 3 points. The defensive brainfarts would have been cleaned up by onstad for a nervous win. Dallas deserves credit for not folding after the first goal. Ching was fantastic, mulrooney good, dax mccarty was amazing and so limited ashe's second half effectiveness but corey still was good. Mullan's subbing in looked like it was the move of the match after he juked serioux at the top of the box and was running free he inexplicably tried a far post cross to the 5 foot nothing Ashe. mullan needed to shoot low to the near post for the score, no defender was in front of him!!?? Sala was very good all day. Alvarez is deroesque, he sort of disappears for awhile then magic! how nowak kept him off the olympic squad is beyond me. Dero was active and menacing all day, I can't see the team having much left for saprissa. It was hot and they worked all over the field and chased the game until the bitter end. Robinson and onstad are not going to costa rica!

here's a well done, nothing needs to be added roundup of the game with all its pregame ceremony--sounds first rate. ( this is from the site http://hawksportusa.blogspot.com/ )

MARTEK: I watched the game last night when I got back in town and had a few observations. But simply:

1. You're right 3D. Onstad in goal all day = we win. However, I must say that Caig got better as the game went on and his two saves in the second half on 3 vs. 1 breaks by dallas quite simply saved the game. As a goalie, I would think you hope to not ever see those but figure you will once every few games or so. But to have two in the same half AND save them both kind of eases the sting of his first half screw-ups. By the end of the game, I saw enough of Tony Caig to think that he at least has something going for him. I'm not ready to condemn him just yet. It's a long season.

2. Rocha's tackle on Robinson at the end of the game makes me think that when we play them next, ol' Andres had better watch his back. Butcher. We need to get one of our total benchwarmers (Chabala? this might be the time for you.) to give him the Rico Clark/Carlos Ruiz treatment, then start a fund to pay the fine. Not that I would ever actually advocate kicking someone in the liver. I'm just making a point for literary purposes here.

3. Geoff Cameron?!? Holy crap. The kid looked pretty good out there. How good is he going to look by season's end? Mr3d, you famously said that this year was going to be the year of the goon, but you may just have to switch the "goon" label away from Wondo and over to Cameron, as Kinnear so obviously has. Wondo getting all those minutes in preseason, but in the two MLS games and Saprissa match so far, how long has he been on the field, 10-15 ticks? But Cameron starts, assists and scores. Not bad. First trade to be made this season is Wondo for ?????

4. Saprissa without Onstad or Robinson. Well, that has me dialing down my hopes. Right now, I just hope we don't get embarrassed and instead put out a good accounting of ourselves. I still think the game is winnable, though it would be the height of homerism to expect such a win. That's for a later post as we get closer to the match. Let's just say we've all seen things more impossible than that get done.

5. Davis looked great at the end there, as did Mullan, though I agree that Mully's cross would have been fine for normal-sized humans, but hobbits like Ashe just can't climb that ladder. What is a middle of Mullan, Clark, De Ro and Davis going to be like? Full-time fuh-reakin' awesome is what's it's going to be like. With Robinson out of Costa Rica, who plays center mid? Ianni? Hmmm.

6. How great was it watching the candystripers slump like they were beaten after Cameron's goal? Like kicking those bastards in the teeth. I can hardly wait to go get them again. Similarly, how nice was it to have Ching's goal be in effect a Drew Moor og? I will never forgive Moor for screwing up my first US-Mexico match (Jonny Magallon? Twice?!?). So it was nice to see the Flyin' Hawaiian abuse him like that.


PLAYTHERAPY: Condemn Caig... no, but he's on the watch list. Consider this a 1st write up- definitely going in the work file. Is he a professional or not? True, he somewhat redeemed himself with some sure handed 2nd 1/2 saves but the reactions have tended between over-reactive (crucify him) to under-reactive. He's a $$$ player, he's in a position where he must be called upon like a reliever, and he totally muffed it.

We're still in the evidence collecting stage but the scale is tipping negatively though it could right itself or even sway the opposite way.

But as Mr3D succinctly put it, if Pat was in, we win. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Read more!

Who are those guys?

The first week of the MLFS Bloggoff Competition ended with PeleOrei taking a commanding lead. The Blue Blooded Journal, DCenters, (the guy who attested,”I’m not very good at this”) and STO FC 2007 also had fine weeks.

In the immortal words of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, “Who are those guys (PeleOrei)?”

Nutmegged did so-so, attributable partly to me not doing hardly any homework and doing half-assed picks.

Fantasy League Results
Prediction Results

Overall Combined Results

1. PeleOrei 38
2. Blue Blooded Journal 28
3. DCenters 25
4. STO FC 2007 20
5. Nutmegged 13
6. Soccerlens 12

(To be fair to them, I omitted WV Hooligan and Center Holds It from the combined competition as they did not submit predictions last week; I would be more than happy to include them)

This week there's lots of room to play catchup, especially in some strong versus weak team matchups. Good luck! Read more!

El Monstruo Morado apparently kills you until you like it, and then they kill you some more

El Monstruo Morado is apparently a beast that kills less like a bear and more like a slow water torturer who leaves the room, goes out to dinner and a show, retires for the night and then wonders "Hmmm, did I leave that guy under the water drip? I don't remember. Ah well."

A 0-0 tie. I'm still getting my mind around it. Mister3d and I, together for the first time this season in our new prawn sandwich seats, witnessed Dynamo dominate Saprissa like we have seen them dominate few others in our many, many games at Robertson Stadium. I think back to watching the Orange pick wings off the flies of RBNY and Chivas USA in two 4-0 wins last year and even in those games, Dynamo did not dominate like they did last night. Every shot and cross in the box was just to the right, just to left, just over, just right in the keeper's breadbox. It...just...wasn't...happening! ARGH!

17 shots, nine corners (NINE!), and I don't even want to look at the possession numbers, though I'm pretty sure that in the 94 minutes of regulation last night, Dynamo had something like 489 minutes of possession. It got to the point that by the end, I wasn't even standing up to watch the crosses anymore, I knew how it would end.

Yesterday, I wrote that athletes are not like normal humans. They put things behind them quickly, and the wins and, especially, losses don't live on in their minds and hearts. Well, I am NOT one of those athletes and I felt like there were many times last night they should have been paying ME to deal with all that near miss stuff, or at least my heart surgeon. I will be watching the game in Costa Rica next week through my fingers.

(One positive vignette, after the game, as we were walking, somewhat stunned, to the car, a group of four Ticos passed us, shook our hands and said "Hey, good game, great game. Costa Rica will win 2-0 in Costa Rica, though." Those guys were A-OK, and the truth of the matter is that if I had to bet the house on it.....)

OK, OK, on to hosting the FC candystriper Kennedy killers on Sunday (not that I'm wanting to take my frustrations out on them or anything). Read more!

Taking out the Purple Monster tonight

Professional athletes are different kinds of humans than the rest of us. I still can't get that loss to the Revs out of my brain. Every time I close my eyes I see teenage Gambians coming from all corners. Weird.

But my point, and I do have one somewhere around here, is that pro athletes within 24 hours, and some in even less time than that, can put all of that behind them pretty quickly. Boy I hope so, because Dynamo host Saprissa tonight at Robertson. It will be my first home game of the year and due to out of town commitments, my last one until May 10th unless the Orange can best El Monstruo Morado in the two legs and move into the Champions Cup final. And ince is the last ever edition of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, remember, the team that wins it are the cupholders FOREVER!

(One aside, you may call me a betrayer of all things MLS for writing this, but I was thrilled to see Pachuca beat DCU 2-0 last night. After last year's three games against los Tuzos, I would dearly love to see Dynamo play them again. As I've written about before, last year's SuperLiga game against those guys was the best I had ever seen.)

Now, as to Saprissa, the Purple Monsters are, as has been written all over the place, no easy mark. The Costa Rican side, who play in front of what is, apparently, a band of hooligans who brained an Atlante player with a roll of coins in the CCC quarterfinals, will be without three key players: leading scorer Alejandro Alpízar (shoulder), keeper José Francisco Porras (knee) and midfielder Walter Centeno, who is suspended. So, seeing as how we would like to avoid going into the war zone (and I always thought the Costa Ricans were the most peaceful people on the planet. I guess that's outside Estadio Ricardo Saprissa.) next week with anything other than a commanding lead, Dynamo needs to CRUSH these guys.

(Of course, that's probably an unfair dig. Bernardo Fallas is an expat Tico and he seems a decent sort. And Jamie Trecker had wonderful things to say about them in his book about the 2006 World Cup. So my comments above are directed only at morons who throw batteries and coins at players. Futbol's too good for them.)

Can they do it? Well, after an early scare, it looks as if Eddie Robinson will indeed be playing tonight. Unlike in the Revs game, we have Rico Clark anchoring the midfield, though Mullan, Brad Davis and Holden apparently are all out. This should leave us looking like this:

Onstad
Waibel-Boswell-Robinson-Barrett
Ashe-Clark-De Rosario-Mulrooney
Wondoloski-Ching

The subs off the bench will probably be, in order, Generalissimo Caraccio, Pat Ianni and Geoff Cameron. Though if we're even or struggling to score late, Cameron comes in before Ianni.

The Web is awash in advances on this game today. You can read my favorites here, here and here.

But y'know, another reason I really hope Dynamo beats these guys, I have to admit, is that seeing as how their nickname is the Purple Monster, they have infected my brain with this song and I can't stop. The only cure, Orange goals, lots and lots of them.

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Rumors and ruminations about Dynamo Park

Bernardo Fallas over at the Chron yesterday made note of the fact that Dynamo's self-imposed April 1 deadline for a stadium passed without notice and without comment. But you know as a longtime Houstonian who has seen deal after deal done in this city, other than the announcement of the deal itself, I think this is the best possible news.

Make no mistake, I fully expect the deal will be done this month. The main sticking point, I believe, is over the concert usage. When the Rockheads got the city to build the Toyota Center, there was a clause in the deal that all downtown concerts had to there, with the Rockets getting the profit by the way.

Anyhow, that clause runs out in 2010 or 2011 so I believe that AEG is wanting to either (a) get the city to opt out of the clause early somehow or (b) ensure it does not get renewed so concerts can be at Dynamo Park. This is why AEG kept 50 percent of the team instead of selling away control to De La Hoya and Brener. After AEG's interest in the future use of the stadium can be satisfied, the deal will be done. and then after that, I fully expect that AEG will sell a controlling stake to De La Hoya/Brener.

I say this without ever sitting in on any meeting or talking to any principals, just reading between the lines from various sources around here. There is no resistance from the city or county and Dynamo want the deal done, so it's clearly complications beyond the basic "build a stadium for a soccer team to play in" sort of thing.

So while it's easy to be frustrated, basically I'm very optimistic that the deal is imminent.

What do you think? Read more!

Hugo, we hardly knew ye (though here in the US, we liked what we saw)

So I wake up this morning and what do I see,
Hugo Sanchez' mug staring back at me.
Is he on the sideline? Is he scoring a goal?
Nope, that's him lining up now for the dole.

Is anybody really surprised by the fact that Sanchez was fired yesterday? El Tri under Sanchez was known for lofty expectations, solid, sometimes spectacular, midfield play, and finishing that looked like my son's 8-year-old team over at the YMCA.

Chalk this one up to yet one more example of an immensely talented athlete who is a washout as a coach (except for his time with Pumas, I'll grant). How many times have we seen this, almost too many to count. And yet, how many times have we seen the exact opposite? So few that the few who do stand out (Preki? too early to tell I suppose but the results are promising. And Jason Kreis, we'll have a book on you soon enough.)

I've read a few snarky comments about maybe an MLS team will land Sanchez as a coach, and truly, my main thought on that is you Galaxy fans are damn lucky that this did not happen last fall (as it could have) or he'd be over there presiding over your nightmare instead of Ruud Gullit. You laugh, but with Lalas at the controls, you know all too well that it's possible.

Now, not to just pile on a bad situation for a guy, my heart goes out to anyone who's been fired. So Hugo, even though I have thoroughly enjoyed our US Rattlers taking you down to the tune of a 2-0-1 mark (and one disputed offsides call from being 3-0-0), I think you'd really want to be remembered more for the following.

Read more!