Valencia's stop in the United States is proving quite successful.

More than a week after defeating the Portland Timbers, the Spanish club beat the Houston Dynamo, 2-1, in a friendly on Thursday night. Valencia rode two early goals from forward Aritz Aduriz to victory against a mostly first-choice Dynamo team in front of a soldout crowd of 22,039 at BBVA Compass Stadium.

OK, here is the view of the incredible hack that Futty Danso put in on Calen Carr Tuesday night. Danso was rightly suspended today for a game and fined for the foul, but like in the previous post, the question has to be asked: Why doesn't the MLS Disciplinary Committee mete out justice to referee Chris Penso and his unnamed AR as well?

Maybe Chris Penso should be disciplined as well?

MLS announced today that Mamadou "Futty" Danso will be suspended one game and fined for the vicious hit to the head he delivered to Calen Carr (who is wearing protective headgear for goodness' sakes!!) late in the 0-0 draw on Tuesday night at BBVA Compass Stadium.

Any question whether Futty Danso would play against Chicago has been answered by Major League Soccer and their disciplinary committee. Danso was suspended for one match for hitting Houston midfielder Calen Carr in the head during a collision in the 82nd minute of their May 15 match in Houston. Danso will sit out the May 20 match against the Chicago Fire, although his availability was questionable because of a hamstring injury he suffered on the same play.

Futty Danso received a one game suspension and a fine for an undisclosed amount for striking Calen Carr in the head while tackling the ball away from him in the Portland Timbers game versus the Houston Dynamo on Tuesday. During the game the play in question was ruled fair play as Futty got the ball before colliding with Carr, but upon further review the MLS Discipline Committee ruled that Futty's challenge warranted further action.

Well that was not a match to write home about. It happens in every sport, not every game is great and while last night's nil-nil draw between the Houston Dynamo and the Portland Timbers will not make any highlight reels, it wasn't the worst match we've ever seen. It's a little disappointing to leave points on the table against a struggling Timbers side but considering the lineup changes and the insanely busy schedule the Dynamo are facing right now, a point is a point.

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 emotional home opener at the newest cathedral of soccer in America is passed and it's time to get down to business. The Dynamo have limited time to recover and prepare themselves mentally and physically for a well rested Portland Timbers team that is desperate for points.

It's been a hectic week for the Dynamo, the dreaded side effect of having to compress the season's home schedule in a shortened amount of time.

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.

In the last two games, the Brian Ching and Will Bruin partnership up top has really been impressive for the Dynamo, combining for two assists and three goals. One week after serving the assist for Bruin's first goal of the season, Ching scored his first goal off an assist from Bruin to tie the score [.

Wow, a match two weekends in row! We're going to get spoiled.

The Dynamo's stretch of matches against Eastern Conference foes continues with a trip to Columbus to face the Crew. Robert Warzycha's side have lost two straight matches and will be looking to rebound against the Dynamo in the friendly confines of Crew Stadium.

One of the shames of the unbalanced schedule is that teams that were developing a strong on-field rivalry are now split apart. Houston Dynamo v Seattle Sounders FC matches birthed zombie Jaqua, the Dynamo were the first team to beat Seattle in the MLS Cup Playoffs and only the LA Galaxy have played Seattle more in the MLS era.

By THOMAS FLOYD

Come Saturday, the city of Montreal will officially introduce itself to Major League Soccer.

After starting the season on the road last weekend, the expansion Impact will play their home opener against the Chicago Fire at Olympic Stadium.

The Dynamo continue their season opening sojurn as they await the completion of BBVA Compass Stadium with another trip to the west coast. This time, they head to Northern California to face the San Jose Earthqukes at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Both team got their 2012 campaigns off to a winning start last week and will be looking to continue the positive mojo in the second weekend.

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.

Houston Dynamo past and present has been on parade over the last week. On the same day the reigning MLS MVP Dwayne De Rosario inked a new deal with DC United, the person those of us with an Orange persuasion consider the real 2011 MVP is back at work.

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that Brad Davis has been cleared by doctors for "all soccer activities.

Photo by Tony Quinn/ISIphotos.com

The Houston Dynamo are still actively trying to improve their forward options, and they took a step in that direction by swinging a trade Wednesday night.

The Dynamo traded a conditional 2014 draft pick to the Colorado Rapids for Macoumba Kandji, adding the athletic, Senegalese striker to a stable that currently has Calen Carr, Will Bruin, Cam Weaver and rookie Colin Rolfe.

Forward Calen Carr, who played a key role in the run to the MLS Cup final, has been limited this week while rehabbing from the left knee surgery he underwent late last month. "I had to get a little work done on my knee," he said. "It was nothing major. Just cleaned up some things." [...]

Judging by the general content of the comments around here (and in other places), the main concern going into the 2012 Houston Dynamo season is that team has dipped in quality with the loss of Brian Ching and Danny Cruz. The fear seems to be that we are in for yet another long season of middling to above average results with the possibility of a serious drop in form.

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!

--

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.

Here is the official list of protected vs. unprotected players the Houston Dynamo released. I like who's been protected and unprotected generally, but I have a few quibbles (below).

HOUSTON, TX. (Monday, November 21, 2011) - The Houston Dynamo have announced their 11-player protected list for the 2012 Expansion Draft to take place on Wednesday, November 23 at 2 p.

A substitution and tactical shift garnered much of the credit for the breakthrough goal scored by Landon Donovan in the 72nd minute by which Los Angeles downed Houston, 1-0, Sunday night in the MLS championship game.
Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America offers a recap of the 2011 MLS Cup.

Almost game time...

TSG's MLS Cup Final Preview, right here.

Still several hours away from tip off.

Toe-to-toe they go for the big price, Houston's Dynamo and the Los Angeles Galaxy for the season ultimate prize, the Supporter's Shield MLS Cup.

Rain is all over the forecast and you have to believe despite squirmy Calen Carr's ability to squirt through a backline that is favors Los Angeles.

BY ADAM SERRANO

CARSON, Calif. -- Long derided for being injury prone, Calen Carr is used to be written off, but for Carr, redemption could be only 90 minutes away.

Since returning to from a concussion suffered in preseason while he was with the Chicago Fire, Carr has earned a starting spot alongside Dynamo captain Brian Ching, with his fast paced play adding a cutting edge to the Dynamo attack.

It's going to take not only a great effort from the Houston Dynamo tonight to win their third MLS Cup, it's going to take Houston getting some breaks as well. Fortunately, that kind of thing happens all the time in soccer matches so while the Los Angeles Galaxy are massive favorites on paper (and rightfully so), we all know that in a one off playoff game, anything can happen.

photo by ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

CARSON, Calif. - When pundits and fans talk about the Los Angeles Galaxy's success this season, the names most often mentioned are David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane and Omar Gonzalez.

One player whose name is not mentioned as frequently but probably should be is A.

LA and Houston battle in the 2011 MLS Cup this weekend. (Getty Images)

Well, here we are, the final game of the 2011 season. MLS Cup 2011 or 2011 MLS Cup...whatever way you look at it we are at the final game of the year.

I've been sitting quiet all week on this game, mostly due to the work load I've had at my day job but also because there were other items to get through here.

Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo squared off in the Eastern Conference Final in front of 20,839 fans at LiveStrong Sporting Park in the win or go home match.
Both teams had experienced an up and down season but each were bringing impressive late season results into the match. Although Sporting KC might have been the favorite heading into the match Houston had developed a stouter defense of late and were undefeated in their last 6 matches heading into the Conference Final.

That's about the best way I think I can describe my feelings about last night. I'd even tried to prepare myself for it, telling myself it wouldn't happen. Still didn't make me feel any better when the final whistle blew. KC bowed out of the playoffs at home for the first time since 1997 last night to the Houston Dynamo 2-0.

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).

Philadelphia Union vs. Houston Dynamo
November 03, 2011 -- Robertson Stadium
Eastern Conference semifinals -- Game 2
Attendance: 24,749

Scoring Summary:
HOU -- Brian Ching 1 (Brad Davis 2) 48+

Philadelphia Union -- Faryd Mondragon, Sheanon Williams, Carlos Valdes, Danny Califf, Gabriel Farfan (Roger Torres 66), Michael Farfan, Brian Carroll, Veljko Paunovic (Freddy Adu 66), Sebastien Le Toux, Jack McInerney, Danny Mwanga (Justin Mapp 66).

Click here to view the embedded video.

Union

Faryd Mondragon said, "If we play the way we know how to play, we can beat anyone."

Sebastien Le Toux on Houston: "We know we can beat them."

And, as Marc Narducci reports, Danny Califf knows it can be done. Califf was on the LA Galaxy team that, in the 2003, beat San Jose 2–0 in the first leg, was up 2–0 in the second half, and lost 2–5 in extra time.

Calen Carr -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
Former Chicago Fire and current Houston Dynamo forward Calen Carr has had his share of injury spells over the past several years. This year it was a concussion that he suffered during the Fire's preseason in February when the team was training in Ave Maria, Fla.

Calen Carr -- Getty ImagesBy Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com
Former Chicago Fire and current Houston Dynamo forward Calen Carr has had his share of injury spells over the past several years. This year it was a concussion that he suffered during the Fire's preseason in February when the team was training in Ave Maria, Fla.

There is something fishy about Simon Borg's article about the Gabriel Farfan's tackle on Danny Cruz that was posted today on both the league's and Union's website.

If you read the version of the article posted on MLSSoccer. com (HERE), it looks different from the version posted at PhiladelphiaUnion.

Leg two of the MLS Eastern Conference Semifinals match-up between the Houston Dynamo and Philadelphia Union takes place at Robertson Stadium in Houston at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday November 3, 2011, and in preparation for the match, the City of Houston will be holding a Rally to support the Dynamo, who won the 2006 and 2007 MLS Cups, on Wednesday November 2, 2011.

Leg two of the MLS Eastern Conference Semifinals match-up between the Houston Dynamo and Philadelphia Union takes place at Robertson Stadium in Houston at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday November 3, 2011, and in preparation for the match, the City of Houston will be holding a Rally to support the Dynamo, who won the 2006 and 2007 MLS Cups, on Wednesday November 2, 2011.

The River End belts out the National Anthem.

Zombie-mode in full effect as Corey Furlan gets the beat going.

The header from a Brad Davis free kick begins to make its way into goal...

...and moments later Faryd Mondragon celebrates Seba's beautiful goal.

STARTERS
GOLDEN GOOSE EGGS! My Minnesota Stars won the NASL Championship on Saturday night down in Fort Lauderdale by tying the Strikers 0-0 after winning the 1st Leg at home 3-1! Oh what a glorious rainy night in South Florida for the Dark Clouds and all Minnesota players, staff, fans, families and friends!