This is an attempt at a live blog Game Thread for the Dynamo's Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match tonight vs. the San Antonio Scorpions. Please feel free to post at will here if you are following the match, which is being live streams on HoustonDynamo.com. You can also follow it via the Scorpions' Twitter feed here or the Dynamo Twitter feed here.

The bad news: This match didn't start well for Houston. The good news: It ended just fine.

After surrendering an early goal on a defensive mistake, the Dynamo came back to down the LA Galaxy thanks to a Mike Magee own goal and a Andre Hainault set piece goal. The victory provides a small level of payback for last year's MLS Cup final, but statements like that should be limited considering nothing can really make up for losing a final.

Tuesday night's game between the Houston Dynamo and Portland Timbers will be memorable for it being the first night game at BBVA Compass Stadium. But that's about it.

The two clubs combined for few chances in a sluggish 0-0 draw in front of a sellout crowd at MLS' newest stadium.

The Dynamo fell 1-0 at Red Bull Arena last night in a match that was pretty frustrating for all of us to watch. It sucks to lose a second straight match against a conference opponent, but there's still plenty of time left in the season. Thankfully, as we learned last season, MLS can be very forgiving to poor starts, though considering all the road games it's not really a poor start.

Zach posted earlier today about the official unveiling of the Houston Dynamo third kit below, including a link to the story on HoustonDynamo.com. (Full story here.) But over on the team's Facebook page, they posted several more views of the new kit, which I have included after this nifty little video and the jump below.

The Houston Dynamo fought back from an Eddie Gaven brace to record a 2-2 draw against Columbus last night at Crew Stadium.

And what a brace it was. Following a Will Bruin goal, Gaven went to work, scoring via a boneheaded series of plays from the Dynamo backline, specifically, and in order, by Bobby Boswell, Andre Hainault and Geoff Cameron, and then recording another wonderstrike from distance.

I don't want to sound like the president of the Dynamo Defense fan club, but here's yet another reason to praise Tally Hall, Bobby Boswell, Geoff Cameron, Andre Hainault, Corey Ashe, Jermaine Taylor and defensive midfielder Adam Moffat. Playing on the road is never easy. If you don't believe me, check out the road record [.

Led by a trio of outstanding performances by forwards, the SBI MLS Best XI for Week 2 is stacked with plenty of attacking talent.

Player of the Week David Estrada leads the way, and is joined on the squad by teammate and partner in goal-creating crime Alvaro Fernandez. River-dancing striker Kei Kamara garnered recognition as well, and so did LA Galaxy Designated Players Robbie Keane and David Beckham.

Power Rankings are nothing more than good fun, particularly in the pre-season. Taking fan support, previous season rankings, player movement and the SuperDraft into account, I took a shot.That said, here's how I see the Eastern Conference playing out.
1. Sporting Kansas City: This squad has done nothing but get better.

Name: Houston Dynamo Head Coach: Dominic Kinnear 2011 Record: 12-9-13, 2nd Eastern Conference, 7th overall Twitter Hashtag: #HoustonDynamo The Dynamo are the defending Eastern Conference champions, but all the talk this offseason has been about other teams. That's not to say ...
Visit http://www.

The day after the return of Brian Ching to the Houston Dynamo, the reaction has diminished in frequency, but not in heartfelt emotion. Many have noticed that Captain Kamehameha is loved in Houston like few US soccer players are loved in any other city in our league.

The list is a short one.

Dominic Kinnear was predicitably asked after the match about former Dynamo capatain Brian Ching and he made a slightly surprising comment:

"I think in the beginning, we were a little bit liberal with what we were saying," Kinnear said. "I think it was a little bit rude, and I apologize for that, back when Brian first got selected by Montreal in the Expansion Draft.

By ADAM SERRANO

CARSON, Calif. -- For months, people have awaited Brian Ching's first match against the Houston Dynamo.

After being left unprotected by Houston in the expansion draft, Ching threatened retirement before eventually being selected by the Montreal Impact.

It seems like just yesterday the Dynamo played for the MLS Cup in Los Angeles, in fact it was only 66 days ago, but time waits for no one and the new season must get underway. Yesterday at the team's training facilities, the Dynamo did just that, kicking off the 2012 season with the opening of pre-season camp.

The time has come to award the first ever Creamsicles!

We're beginning this annual (hopefully) tradition with nine categories for Dynamo fans to vote on. The awards and nominees are listed below and the voting link will be at the bottom of the post. You have one week to vote, so get to it!

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Click Here to Vote for the 2011 Creamsicles

VOTING CLOSES THURSDAY, JANUARY 5th at 11:00am CT

Team MVP: Tally Hall, Brad Davis, Andre Hainault, Geoff Cameron

Forward of the Year: Brian Ching, Cam Weaver, Calen Carr, Will Bruin, Carlo Costly

Midfielder of the Year: Brad Davis, Luiz Camargo, Adam Moffat, Danny Cruz, Colin Clark

Defender of the Year: Geoff Cameron, Bobby Boswell, Andre Hainault, Corey Ashe, Hunter Freeman

Newcomer of the Year: Adam Moffat, Luiz Camargo, Calen Carr, Colin Clark

Rookie of the Year: Will Bruin, Kofi Sarkodie, Alex Dixon

Moment of the Year: New Stadium Groundbreaking, Dixon's Goal vs.

Just a quick video message from newly re-signed Dynamo defender Bobby Boswell, and a special guest, to wish Dynamo fans a happy holidays.

Photo by Brad Smith/ISIPhotos.com

By THOMAS FLOYD

Fans expecting their team to nab that missing piece of the MLS Cup puzzle in the Re-entry Draft on Monday shouldn't get their hopes up.

Last year, clubs used the mechanism to bolster their rosters with the likes of Juan Pablo Angel, Josh Wolff, Jimmy Conrad and Cory Gibbs.

It remains to be seen whether the 2022 World Cup will be played in the summer or the winter, but one high-ranking FIFA official has a solution to ensure a winter World Cup gets played without a problem: Move the two biggest competitions in European club soccer.

Ahead of Friday's Euro 2012 draw in the Ukraine, UEFA president Michel Platini said that he is open to moving the UEFA Champions League and Europa League competitions in order to accommodate a winter World Cup in Qatar.

• Cameron's switch to center back becomes official [MLS Soccer]
• Houston Dynamo shockingly places Bobby Boswell in MLS re-entry draft [Sporting News]
• Dynamo's Boswell, others in re-entry draft [Houston Chronicle]
• Boswell makes buzz in re-entry draft [Houston Chronicle]
• Academy teams to compete in Winter Showcase [Houston Dynamo]
• New Dynamo Stadium to open on May 12, 2012 [Houston Dynamo]
• From Jose Ortiz's Twitter: "@ChrisCanetti told Sports Authority the Dynamo is close to announcing 10-year naming rights deal for new stadium.

The Major League Soccer re-entry draft will take place on Monday and there are plenty of players available, many of whom you have probably never heard of before (a full list can be found here and our discussion to date can be found here). Selections in the 2010 edition of the re-entry draft were rare with only two players going in the first round.

With today's list of players available in the Re-Entry Draft it is important to note the differences between the two stages. In Stage One a player would be pickup up at their current option value, or a "Bona Fide Offer." Now, not all players on today's list will be available in Monday's draft (Seattle holds pick 14).

The list for the Re-Entry Draft is out. Any interesting targets for United?

Ante Jazic: To old (36 before 2012 season starts) and too expensive ($115k salary), but plays a position of need. This would be an extreme reach, even at a reduced salary in Stage 2.

Bobby Boswell: Way too expensive ($210k salary) and we're probably set with McDonald and Jakovic in the middle of defense, but .

Bobby Boswell was one of the surprise names on the list today. (Getty Images)

The 2011 Re-Entry Draft has a few interesting names. The Vancouver Whitecaps will have the first pick and could snag a quality player in the first stage of the draft next week, or they could wait until the second stage when things are expected to get really crazy.

Major League Soccer has revealed the names of the players who will be made available in the upcoming MLS Re-Entry Draft.

Bobby Boswell, Bobby Convey, Joe Cannon and Andy Williams are just some of the veterans left exposed by their MLS teams in the Re-Entry Draft, which will be held on Dec.

Well this is going to piss off some Dynamo fans. Just days after protecting Bobby Boswell in the expansion draft, the Dynamo declined his 2012 contract option. They could of course be hoping to re-sign Boswell at a lower wage, but I doubt this is going to sit well with fans after the loss of Brian Ching, who was left exposed in the expansion draft.

The 2011 MLS Cup Final was won in a dream fashion. The LA Galaxy capped off an incredible season where they won the Supporters Shield, achieved success in the CONCACAF Champions League and impressed everyone with their quality throughout. With the 1-0 win over a resistant Houston Dynamo the Galaxy secured their third MLS Cup and did so in front of 30,281 screaming fans who weathered the rain.

The morning after losing a championship game is never enjoyable. Despite the fact that you tell yourself ahead of time, it's just great to be here, no one expected us to make this run, we're playing the best team in the league, all the things to try to prepare yourself mentally, it sucks.

Fortunately for Dynamo fans, the 2011 season which at one point looked on the verge of being a second straight season without playoffs, turned in to a magical run all the way to the brink of a third MLS Cup.

By FRANCO PANIZO

CARSON, Calif. -- Minutes before the Los Angeles Galaxy blasted music and opened bottles of beer in their locker room at the Home Depot Center, the Houston Dynamo sat in theirs with glum faces and blank stares. The silence that filled the air spoke volumes.

Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com

By THOMAS FLOYD

CARSON, Calif. - Landon Donovan, it would appear, has a knack for timing.

While struggling with various ailments, including a particularly troublesome quadriceps strain, the Los Angeles Galaxy captain notched just one goal and one assist in the regular season after the end of July .

CARSON, Calif. – El LA Galaxy se consagró como el campeón de la Copa MLS 2011 con un apretado 1-0 ante Houston Dynamo frente una asistencia récord de 30.281 aficionados en el Home Depot Center.El gol del campeonato fue anotado por el capitán angelino Landon Donovan, quien terminó con una sequía de títulos de seis años a nivel individual y le brindó al Galaxy la tercera Copa MLS de su historia.

CARSON, Calif. -- No Major League Soccer team with a Designated Player had won an MLS Cup prior to Sunday night.

In one moment, three DPs combined to buck that trend.

Landon Donovan finished off a pass from Robbie Keane in the 72nd minute to break a scoreless deadlock and deliver the MLS Cup to the Los Angeles Galaxy following a 1-0 result over the Houston Dynamo in front of 30,281 at the Home Depot Center.

Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy The Home Depot Center - Carson, CA - 8:00pm CT MLS Cup Final

All-time series: Galaxy lead 8-5-4

BROADCAST:

ESPN (ENG TV) Galavision (SPN TV) SportsTalk 790 (ENG Radio) ESPN Deportes 1180 (SPN Radio)

THE MATCHUP:

MLS Cup 2011 will match two of the most successful clubs in Major League Soccer history when the LA Galaxy take on the Houston Dynamo.

Photos by ISIPhotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

CARSON, Calif. -- It is no secret that the Houston Dynamo will need to slow down the Los Angeles Galaxy's star-studded attack if it wants to win the MLS Cup.

That may seem like a tall task when the Galaxy have players like Robbie Keane, Landon Donovan and David Beckham, but it is a task that Geoff Cameron and Bobby Boswell are ready for.

By ADAM SERRANO

The Houston Dynamo may be without their MVP candidate, but the Los Angeles Galaxy are keenly aware that the Dynamo will still have another key weapon in their attack.

Dynamo captain Brian Ching has enjoyed a stellar season since battling back from injuries that limited him to just 20 regular season games.

We are only four days from the culmination of the 2011 season and I don't know about all of you, but I'm ready. Alas, we must be patient and in an attempt to give you something to focus on ahead of the game, I figured it would be good to offer up my analysis of the two teams and who I see having the advantage, at least on paper.

STARTERS
I'm getting goosebumps already! MLS Cup is 6 days away.
dN
Bruce Arena of the LA Galaxy has been named the MLS Coach of the Year.
-That was an easy one. No one else was even close.
dN
The New England Revolution has hired Jay "He also played basketball for Mike Krzyzewski at Duke" Heaps as their new head coach.

Galaxy center back Omar Gonzalez, seen here challenging for the ball with New York's Luke Rodgers, is the 2011 MLS Defender of the Year (AP Photo).

Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez, who turned 23 Oct. 11 and stands 6-5, has become the youngest-ever winner of the MLS Defender of the Year award.

Houston won the Eastern Conference this year. (Getty Images)

Only two more teams to go in our look at each MLS club's potential expansion draft lists. Today I start with the Eastern Conference champions, the Houston Dynamo.

The Dynamo shocked a lot of people this season with their late fall surge in the playoffs.

Houston Dynamo vs. Sporting Kansas City November 06, 2011 -- LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, Kansas City KSEastern Conference finalAttendance: 20,839

Scoring Summary:
HOU -- Andre Hainault 2 (unassisted) 53
HOU -- Carlo Costly 1 (Luiz Camargo 1) 87

Houston Dynamo -- Tally Hall, Andre Hainault, Bobby Boswell, Geoff Cameron, Corey Ashe, Danny Cruz, Adam Moffat, Luiz Camargo, Brad Davis (Jermaine Taylor 39), Brian Ching (Carlo Costly 78), Calen Carr (Will Bruin 68).

Today the MLS Cup finalists will be decided and two teams will earn humble silverware with a conference championship. Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo will square off to decide the East while the LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake square off to decide the West. For the first time in what seems like ages, teams from the east and west are playing in their respective conference championships.