Nutmegged 20 November @ 11:56 AM EST
OK, after taking this week off to mostly just troll other blogs and not comment too much on MLS or
soccer in general after letting last week's loss sink in, I do have some thoughts on a rash of
topics:
(But before I begin, I have to tell you my favorite lines from anyone about events so far this
week.
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WVHooligan 18 November @ 02:11 PM EST
Houston had another strong season behind Brian Ching. (Getty Images)
Dominic Kinnear teams always compete, always and the 2009 edition of the Houston Dynamo looked
very similar to the ones we've seen win league titles over the last few years. Even though the
Dynamo lost their big star in the midfield in a trade to Toronto before the season started everyone
knew this team would still compete.
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Du Nord 13 November @ 05:12 PM EST
2009 DU NORD MLS BEST 11The 2009 du Nord MLS Best 11 will be announced on Sunday night at 6pm Central time live on the
United Mania Podcast, with Martin Fernandez, Mike Martin & Chris Webb! Hear it live at United Mania
then, or download the podcast of the show later.
STARTERSMLS Semifinal #1 is tonight!
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WVHooligan 13 November @ 02:48 PM EST
Tonight starts the conference finals in the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs. We all know the pairings
going into the conference finals and for the most part we know who the league and ESPN are hoping
to see in the MLS Cup.
We have our favorites and we certainly have our underdog. These next two games will put either a
really high profile match in MLS Cup 2009 or one that sees a couple of western conference clubs
battling it out like last year's two eastern conference teams did in LA.
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8 p.m. Western Conference Final Galaxy-Houston Dynamo Home Depot Center or ESPN2.
Tickets are still available.
Required reading:
* Game preview.
* How the Galaxy got here.
* How the teams match up.
* The dynamic Dominic Kinnear.
* The Galaxy counter with the MLS Coach of the Year.
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The Netminder 12 November @ 02:03 PM EST
Salt Lake vs. Chicago: Saturday's MLS playoff teams have one thing in common --
their goalkeepers are the shortest starting netminders in the league. Chicago's Jon Busch is listed
at 5-10; Salt Lake's Nick Rimando at 5-9.
"People that tell me I wasn't going to achieve anything because I was too short, I just remember
that, and I like to shove it in their face whenever I can," Rimando says.
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Galaxy Head Coach and General Manager Bruce Arena, ably assisted by Assistant Head Coach Dave
Sarachan, revitalized the fortunes of the once-moribund Galaxy this season and has the team in the
Western Conference Final against the Houston Dynamo at 8 p.m. Friday at Home Depot Center.
And deservedly so after leading the Galaxy from worst to first in MLS and adding a second MLS
Coach of the Year honor a dozen years after first claiming the award with D.
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Here are the 24 finalists, courtesy of Goff:
Mike Burns, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Raul Diaz Arce, Thomas Dooley, John Doyle, Marco
Etcheverry, Robin Fraser, Chris Henderson, Eduardo Hurtado, Dominic Kinnear, Roy Lassiter, Shannon
MacMillan, Joe-Max Moore, Victor Nogueira, Peter Nowak, John O'Brien, Cindy Parlow, Preki
Radosavljevic, Mike Sorber, Earnie Stewart, Steve Trittschuh, Carlos Valderrama, Tisha
Venturini-Hoch, Peter Vermes.
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The US National Soccer Hall of Fame has come out with their 24 finalists for this years induction
into the Hall of Fame. Six former Wizards are on the list this year, as Mike Burns, Chris
Henderson, Roy Lassister, Preki, Mike Sorber, and Peter Vermes are all up for induction. Sorber,
the Wizards first allocation back in 1996 is in his final year of eligibility before being moved to
the veterans ballot along with Thomas Dooley, John Doyle, and Dominic Kinnear.
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Photo by ISIphotos.com
The National Soccer Hall of Fame released its final ballot for the Class of 2010 and the 24
former soccer players chosen represent a vast array of teams and eras.
Former U.S. national team standouts Earnie Stewart, Peter Vermes and Thomas Dooley, Women's
national team stars Cindy Parlow and Shannon McMillan, as well as foreign-born MLS pioneers Marco
Etcheverry, Peter Nowak and Carlos Valderrama are just some of the candidates on the ballot.
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..........................Photo by ISIphotos.com
The National Soccer Hall of Fame released its final ballot for the Class of 2010 and the 24
former soccer players chosen represent a vast array of teams and eras.
Former U.S. national team standouts Earnie Stewart, Peter Vermes and Thomas Dooley, Women's
national team stars Cindy Parlow and Shannon McMillan, as well as foreign-born MLS pioneers Marco
Etcheverry, Peter Nowak and Carlos Valderrama are just some of the candidates on the ballot.
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National Soccer Hall of Fame Press Release:
ONEONTA, NY (November 9, 2009) – The National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum distributed the 2010
Player Ballot today to all voters. The ballot features 24 retired national team and professional
players who all have contributed to the growth of soccer in the United States.
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Nutmegged 30 October @ 12:20 AM EST
So let's start the discussion. Here are some of my initial thoughts from tonight:
1. The Onstad Bump: After the game, Alexi Lalas showed the smarts that made him the GM he was when
he said that Onstad should have gotten a red card for that contact. "99 times out of 100, that's a
straight red," ranted his Gingerness.
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WVHooligan 29 October @ 01:40 PM EST
Fredy Montero leads the charge for the expansion Sounders. (Getty Images)
The playoffs are finally here and tonight they kickoff with a bang up in the Pacific Northwest
as the Houston Dynamo travel to Qwest Field to face the Seattle Sounders FC in a big first leg
western conference semi-final series.
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WVHooligan 27 October @ 01:53 PM EST
Landon Donovan continues to impress. (Getty Images)
While I realize that the news of Landon Donovan winning his latest US Soccer's Honda Player Of
The Year award isn't exactly new, I thought it was important to discuss the progress of the USA's
number 10. I myself will be the first to admit was one of his fiercest critics not because of his
three stints in the Bundesliga, but because at one time his attitude was all wrong.
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The Houston Dynamo's 2009 regular season came to an end on Sunday as they beat Chivas USA 3-2 at
the Home Depot Center. Coming into Sunday's match, both teams had secured playoff berths, but the
outcome would decide the seeding of the teams. By beating the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, the
L.
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WVHooligan 21 October @ 10:37 AM EST
For most folks out there the Coach of the Year debate is a three person race. Depending on the
how the final week goes we could include one or two others into the discussion.
Some coaches have lead their clubs from loads of draws early to the top of their conferences,
one has lead an expansion club to the playoffs for the second time in league history, while others
have just done what they always do.
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Main thing in this episode is Houston Dynamo Coach Dominic Kinnear's entire, unedited press
conference following Sunday's 0-0 draw between the Houston Dynamo and L.A. Galaxy. Plus a little
audio of Luis Angel Landin following the match.
Music featured in this episode is from The Judys, The Church, David Jordan, and Bombay the Hardway.
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You know, soccer, there are codes of conduct in this world. One of them is that if you want to
end a relationship with someone you supposedly care about, you deal with them honestly. You don't
promise excitement and entertainment only to bore the hell out of them. But of course, that's what
you did with me, and I'm not real happy about it.
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This episode's topics include the tragic accident involving US National Team forward Charlie
Davies, the US victory over Honduras, and the Dynamo victory in the Charities Cup on Sunday.
The entire press conference with Dynamo Coach Dominic Kinnear is included in this episode, as well
as some audio of Luis Angel Landin, in Spanish.
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Episode 2 of my podcast is now available. This episode has a focus on the Houston Dynamo, including
the raw audio from Coach Dominic Kinnear's press conference following the 1-1 draw with Kansas City
Wizards this past Sunday.
This week's music includes CapaRezza, Goldfrapp, and Robbie Williams.
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Former Dynamo Player Kei Kamara
Going into Sunday's home match against the Kansas City Wizards, the Houston Dynamo knew the
needed a result to secure their fourth straight playoff berth since moving to the Bayou City, but
when forward Cam Weaver received a red card in the 17th minute hopes of an easy victory were
quickly dashed.
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If the Wizards want to make the playoffs this year, they're likely going to have to win out. Sure
they are only 6 points out at the moment, but with so many other teams between them and the 8th
playoff spot, KC is going to likely need to grab all 12 available remaining points to get into the
post season.
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Regarding what happened yesterday? I'm over it. Done. New day. Time to end suckers.
At least RSL and TFC lost last night. Thank god. The only bad part was having to listen to Glenn
Davis be a smarmy tool throughout the Houston game. As for Houston and Kinnear? That's a team
slowly dying inside:
A visibly frustrated Dominic Kinnear could be seen on the bench and the Dynamo
continued to make poor decisions on the ball, lacked movement and generally played
direct.
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WVHooligan 15 September @ 12:12 PM EST
A late season trade is underway. The Houston Chronicle is reporting that the Houston Dynamo are
set to trade forward Kei Kamara to Kansas City in exchange for Abe Thompson and possible allocation
money.
The deal isn't totally finished but boy it is an interesting one to see. Thompson hasn't really
done a thing in KC since being traded last season from Dallas.
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(photos by Jonathan Ingraham/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)
John Spencer was made the fourth member of Colorado Rapids' Gallery of Honor on Sunday at Dick's
Sporting Goods Park. The 38-year-old assistant coach for the Houston Dynamo was in town for a
fixture between the two teams, and the Rapids honored him at halftime.
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After following the Twitter comments of Houston Dynamo supporters on Wednesday night and reading
the various reactions of bloggers on Thursday, I was finally able to actually see the match that
has stirred up so much controversy.
Houston's CONCACAF Champions League group stage match in Panama against Arabe Unido was at best a
bad anomaly and at worst a shambolic example of what a complete joke CONCACAF is.
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First, the good news: Houston Dynamo picked up a crucial away point by drawing 1-1 with Panamanian
champion Deportivo Arbe Unido. That puts Houston second in their group with two games played. So
far, so good for the Dynamo.
Now things get ugly.
DC United fell at home 3-1 to Mexican side Toluca Wednesday night.
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Episode 107 of the Major League Soccer Talk podcast features reports and post match audio from
correspondents Brian Zygo in Houston, Chris Riordan in Columbus, Robert Jonas in San Jose and
Daniel Feuerstein in New Jersey. We hear interviews with among others, Dominic Kinnear and Juan
Pablo Angel.
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Earlier this week the Houston Dynamo filled its designated player spot when it acquired striker
Luis Ángel Landín on loan from the Mexican club Cruz Azul. The loan is scheduled to run through
the end of the 2010 season, at which time the Dynamo can purchase Landin.
What makes this deal noteworthy, is that Landín is only 24 and is by far the youngest of the
designated players in M.
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On Thursday, the Houston Dynamo unveiled their first ever designated player, announcing they have
signed 24 year-old Mexican striker Luis Angel Landin on loan from Cruz Azul. In signing Landin, the
Dynamo had to release Ade Akinbiyi, who joined the team earlier this summer.
This is a good signing.
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WVHooligan 19 August @ 06:50 PM EST
I've had another busy day around Dallas so the links are only a couple tonight. Thankfully we do
have a good bit of soccer as the Galaxy and Fire kickoff in a little bit. Houston also has a match
tonight but more on that in a moment. I have a couple thoughts on league expansion tonight, along
with a great photojournalism link for those still wanting to see the craziness that was the
US-Mexico game.
Click to continue reading...
by TRAVIS CLARK
It certainly wasn't the worst start for MLS clubs in yesterday's opening matches of
the CONCACAF Champions League. Houston will get their first crack at the competition tonight,
looking to improve on their quarterfinal finish from last season.
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by TRAVIS CLARK
It certainly wasn't the worst start for MLS clubs in yesterday's opening matches of
the CONCACAF Champions League. Houston will get their first crack at the competition tonight,
looking to improve on their quarterfinal finish from last season.
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MLS Rumors 18 August @ 02:57 PM EST
When the Kansas City Wizards removed head coach Curt Onalfo after a 6-0 loss to FC Dallas one had
to wonder if management was jumping the gun in a league of parity.
After all Onalfo has in the past gotten the Wizards within one game of the MLS Cup final.
Yes there have been struggles this year for the Wizards in different areas but look around MLS and
you can say that for most of the teams.
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