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.

Ching squared off against his old club yesterday. (Photo via Montreal Impact)

As bad as it was back in November, both Brian Ching and the Houston Dynamo are ready to move past the whole expansion draft fiasco.

Ching now a member of the Montreal Impact played the Dynamo yesterday in a preseason scrimmage.

Ching squared off against his old club yesterday. (Photo via Montreal Impact)

As bad as it was back in November, both Brian Ching and the Houston Dynamo are ready to move past the whole expansion draft fiasco.

Ching now a member of the Montreal Impact played the Dynamo yesterday in a preseason scrimmage.

Although Ben Franklin had probably been considering industrious colonial farmers when he recommended going to bed early only to wake up before the rooster crowed would make one "healthy, wealthy, and wise," his words still resonate today and appear an apt suggestion to the modern professional athlete.

The Dynamo have added another forward/midfielder to the roster, trading a conditional draft pick to the Colorado Rapids for Macoumba Kandji. Kandji is a tall, atheltic forward with good quickness, but he's had his injury struggles the last couple seasons.

It's an inexpensive move for Kinnear to make and makes good sense as Kandji has experience in the league and has shown the ability to score goals and create chances for teammates in the past.

The Dynamo continued their preseason undefeated with another convincing victory over a college side. Several trialist played well as they try to convince Dominic Kinnear to offer them contracts for the 2012 season.

Press Release

HOUSTON, TX (Saturday, February 04, 2012) -- The Houston Dynamo defeated Houston Baptist University 4-0 on a wet Saturday morning at Houston Amateur Sports Park.

As the preseason gets into full swing and rosters begin to stabilize, it's time to take a look at the men who pull the strings and have the greatest impact on the team itself. The modern manager is part tactician, ...
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com for the rest of the story.

Kofi Sarkodie wants to succeed with the Dynamo this year and garner more playing time with the U.S. Olympic team.

The Dynamo had another positive preseason match today, defeating San Jacinto College 4-0. Goals from Nathan Sturgis, Will Bruin, Adam Moffatt and trialist Jorge Escobar did the damage for Houston.

Houston Dynamo Press Release:

The Houston Dynamo continued their 2012 preseason with a 4-0 victory over San Jacinto College, Wednesday morning, at the Houston Amateur Sports Park.

With the Houston Dynamo's preseason well under way, it's not surprising that last night's Dynamo All Access with Glenn Davis on Sports Talk 790 in Houston featured interviews with Geoff Cameron, Dominic Kinnear, and Eddie Robinson. If you missed last night's show, you can catch up via the podcast:

Dynamo all access 1 30 2012 Hr 1: Geoff Cameron joins Glenn on the show to talk about the National team and his performance.

With the Houston Dynamo's preseason well under way, it's not surprising that last night's Dynamo All Access with Glenn Davis on Sports Talk 790 in Houston featured interviews with Geoff Cameron, Dominic Kinnear, and Eddie Robinson. If you missed last night's show, you can catch up via the podcast:

Dynamo all access 1 30 2012 Hr 1: Geoff Cameron joins Glenn on the show to talk about the National team and his performance.

Eder Delgado Signing with the Dynamo?

It's in Spanish, but buried in the last paragraph is an interesting statement.

"Likewise, the manager reported that Eder Delgado is very close to signing with the Houston Dynamo set, that through his coach, Dominic Kinnear, his trail for some time, to the point that last week traveled to San Pedro Sula to watch closely during the game that drew 1-1 with Motagua.

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." [...]

If you're a Dynamo fan, one of the highlights of the start of camp has to be the fact that Brad Davis and Cam Weaver are quite busy working out. Davis, who was a finalist for the 2011 MLS MVP award, tore his right quad muscle in the Eastern Conference final victory over Sporting Kansas [...]

Follow the yellow brick road, and there might be a powerful wizard at the end able to grant you whatever your heart desires. Or, as so often we find, after having stumbled through the many potholes on that road you come to the end of it only to be met by an eccentric myth of a person capable only of offering up false promises and trinkets.

I hung out with Chris Canetti for a brief chat yesterday outside beautiful BBVA Compass Stadium, and it's amazing to see how the Dynamo's new stadium is coming along. Then I drove down to Houston Amateur Sports Park, where Dominic Kinnear will have almost 30 players for the start of camp on Monday. Considering the [.

The Houston Dynamo have always seemed to have a love-hate relationship with the MLS SuperDraft. In the franchise's early years in Houston, Dynamo Coach Dominic Kinnear seemed to have no qualms about trading away a top draft pick in order to obtain a player who filled a need or role right away for his squad.

The Houston Dynamo have always seemed to have a love-hate relationship with the MLS SuperDraft. In the franchise's early years in Houston, Dynamo Coach Dominic Kinnear seemed to have no qualms about trading away a top draft pick in order to obtain a player who filled a need or role right away for his squad.

MLS lives by a simple creed, there is no such thing as too many drafts. Thus today we had our fourth draft of the off-season with the 2012 Supplemental Draft. This is essentially rounds 3-7 of the SuperDraft but in the interest of time, money and general interest, it's been split off in to its own event.

Nicol thinks Boyd would be great in Houston

Former New England Revolution coach Steve Nicol has high praise for both Kris Boyd and Dominic Kinnear. Speaking to the Scottish Sun here, Nicol said "I haven't spoken to Dominic about him. We're mates but we don't speak about players like that. You don't hear Sir Alex Ferguson on the phone to Harry Redknapp to discuss his targets!

Four time MLS Cup champion defender Eddie Robinson, one of the last remaining original Dynamo, announced his from professional soccer today. Robinson came with the team in 2006 when they moved from San Jose and was a key part of the team's two championships. Injuries have limited Robinson the last couple seasons, but his retirement from the game does not mean we'll be seeing any less of E-Rob around Houston.

"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king" said a famous philosopher centuries ago, but he may as well have been writing for MLS Talk about the 2011 Eastern Conference champions. The Houston Dynamo took advantage of a ...
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com for the rest of the story.

Instead of his deal ending in 2012, Houston Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear will be in Orange at least until 2015, as he got a three-year extension to his contract with the team.

Jose de Jesus Ortiz announced te Kinnear's New Year's gift in his piece in the Chron today. Link here. Here are a couple of highlights of the article:

With one season left on the contract, club owners AEG, Golden Boy Promotions and Gabriel Brener tore up the old deal and gave the fiery Scot a raise for 2012 in the new four-year pact.

The Dynamo have acquired 24-year old midfielder Nathan Sturgis from Toronto FC in exchange for a conditional MLS SuperDraft pick. Jesus Ortiz broke the news on Twitter.

Sturgis hasn't fit in to Aron Winter's plans in Toronto and he has an extremely reasonable salary which shouldn't hurt the Dynamo's cap space too much.

Strake Jesuit alumnus and Notre Dame goalkeeper Pat Wall via www.houstondynamo.com

If you're like me, you're watching football around the globe, following whatever teams you enjoy following (I hear there are others out there that are not Celtic and Barcelona, but that may just be a rumor.

Apparently, Kofi Sarkodie and Will Bruin are not the only members of the Houston Dynamo across the pond these days. Take a close look at that picture yesterday from Celtic's 1-0 win over Hearts of Midlothian at Celtic Park. Reeeaalllll....Clooooosseeee.

See it? No? Well, then, check out this link right here.

Sergio Koke and Carlo Costly may have ultimately been disappointing signings, but there's no question Brazilian midfielder Luiz Camargo was a fantastic late season pick-up for the Dynamo. Camargo fit right in to the central midfield role, allowing Geoff Cameron to return to the defense. His play down the stretch was a big part of the Dynamo's improved form and run to the MLS Cup Final.

photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

Geoff Cameron's switch to centerback was one of the key ingredients in the Houston Dynamo's run to the MLS Cup, and that's why head coach Dominic Kinnear has made the move permanent.

Cameron will serve as a center back in 2012 after he and Kinnear had a discussion following the end of the season.

Glenn Davis, the Houston Dynamo's local play-by-play voice, also does a weekly radio show in Houston dedicated to both the Dynamo and the sport of soccer. Last night was his first show since Brian Ching was selected by the Montreal Impact in the Expansion Draft. Dynamo defender Geoff Cameron and head coach Dominic Kinnear were both guest on the show and had some interesting comments concerning the Ching situation.

The dust of MLS Cup and the Expansion Draft has settled and there is still one topic currently making the rounds in MLS circles: the selection of Brian Ching by the Montreal Impact.
Jesse Marsch likely made few friends in Houston with his selection of Brian Ching in the expansion draft. Really though, Houston have no one to be mad at but themselves.

Le Toux's turkey cupcake. (Photo: Courtesy of Sebastien Le Toux)

A Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from all of us at the Philly Soccer Page. Here are a few more holiday messages from the Philly soccer community:

Sebastien Le Toux: "Happy turkey day everybody!

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.

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.

By JOSE M. ROMERO

Practice had a calm, almost stoic feel to it for the Houston Dynamo Friday on the fields near the main Home Depot Center stadium.

So said forward Carlos Costly, who added that he's anxious for Sunday when the Dynamo face the L.A. Galaxy for the MLS Cup.

The season ended weeks ago for most of us Sounders fans. It feels even longer since the league scheduled the MLS Cup after the international break. However, the real end of the season is nigh as the Los Angeles Galaxy take on the Houston Dynamo this weekend. I'm expecting an entertaining, if decidedly one-sided match-up this weekend.

MLS Cup Betting Insider There are just two teams left alive in the 2011 MLS season, and only one will be left standing after Houston and Los Angeles faceoff in the MLS Cup Final on Sunday night. Let's preview the unlikely matchup for the league's most important match. This game will be shown on ESPN [.

Do you work on Monday? Me too.

Feel like joining me in offering a salute to the bigwigs at Major League Soccer for playing their most important game of the season at 9pm Eastern Standard Time (on ESPN) on a freaking SUNDAY? A time at which 90 percent of the owners of tiny Beckham jerseys up and down the Eastern seaboard will be unable to watch because it's a school night?

CARSON, Calif. – The next man looking to step into the breach for the United States at center back will on the Home

Depot Center field on Sunday. You probably knew that.

But it may not be the one you're thinking about.

Yes, Omar Gonzalez is having a fantastic season, just named MLS Defender of the Year, and deservedly so.

Union

Ahead of last week's end of the season press conference, we posted a piece that looked at all of the different midfield lineups the Union fielded in 2011 (there were 26 of them). MLSsoccer.com published a piece yesterday with quotes from Nowak defending his use of so many different lineups and formations.

Los Angeles Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena was named MLS Coach of the Year for the third time, winning the 2011 award after leading the Galaxy to the Supporters Shield as the team with the best record in the MLS regular season. The Galaxy's 19-5-10 record was also the second best record in league history.