By now you've heard that the MLS has dropped their official Best XI. And while we'll get to that at the end of this bit, there's a better way to do that. Some players in the mix didn't belong there. Hence the reason to build OleOle's own version of the best XI.

Without further adieu, here we go.

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Houston has plenty of guys worth protecting here. (Getty Images)

Today we move another day closer to the 2009 expansion draft. Now we turn our focus to the Houston Dynamo.

The Dynamo are a tough team to figure out due to the number of quality players that are both young and old.

Protected Available Exempt Corey Ashe Wade Barrett Danny Cruz Bobby Boswell Mike Chabala Geoff Cameron Ryan Cochrane Brian Ching Tyler Deric Ricardo Clark Tally Hall Brad Davis John Michael Hayden Andrew Hainault Richard Mulrooney Stuart Holden Dominic Oduro Luis Angel Landin Pat Onstad Brian Mullan Abe Thompson Eddie Robinson Erik Ustruck Craig Waibel Cam Weaver

Either way they stand to lose a good player this year.

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The goal came from a David Beckham free kick. Omar Gonzalez got a head to it at the far post, it rebounded off Eddie Robinson and came to Gregg Berhalter for his first Galaxy goal - ever - in the 103rd minute.

Update: The half is over with the Galaxy up by one. Fifteen minutes until MLS Cup beckons.

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This match promises to be a dogfight. The season series between the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo featured exactly one goal and a lot of physical defending. If that sounds a lot like what Chivas and the Galaxy went through for the bulk of their five games this season, its not coincidence.

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EDIT - BREAKING NEWS! Preki re-nominated for Hall of Fame! Feel free to factor in his performance over the weekend. (Yes, I know you're not supposed to.)
Now that I've got my head out of the oven, let's warm up with some trivia.
Depending on what happens Friday night, one bit of statistical weirdness will fall. Click to continue reading...

The stage was set in El Salvador last night for the Houston Dynamo to punch their ticket to the CCL quarterfinals. Earlier in the evening, Pachuca had knocked off Arabe Unido 2-0, meaning three points would seal qualification and give MLS their second entrant in the next round.

But Isidro Metapan, the tiny club from Central America and winless in their previous five CCL matches -- having been outscored 17-0 in those games -- was out to play the spoiler.

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And that word is: Punchless.

Or it could be seven words: This team is nothing without Landon Donovan.

So let's start with the positive: shutting out Houston at home in front of a sell-out crowd and forcing Pat Onstad to actually make some saves. Once again Donovan Ricketts proves his worth making a busload of saves and the backline bends but doesn't break.

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The games are getting tight in MLS. Chivas USA was the only team to score two goals last week.
MLS also has hit a lull in the schedule thanks to World Cup qualifying. Just one game Wednesday, three on Saturday and one the next Wednesday. Several teams will be watching at 4 p.m. ET Saturday hoping to see Toronto lose at home to San Jose, which would all but clinch playoff spots for the three teams on 41 points. Click to continue reading...

Ever wonder what happens in "microfracture surgery" and how a soccer player recovers? Houston's Eddie Robinson, who scored a rare goal in his return from surgery last week against Arabe Unido, fills us in:
I think my body's still getting used to a new anatomy. I have a little bit farther to go on my fitness. Click to continue reading...

STARTERS
I want to float this idea right now: Next season in Kansas City the head coach should be Preki! You read it here first.
CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Official Web Site, and video highlights from all the games.
dN
Cruz Azul got a decisive win in Columbus last night and has officially advanced to the knock out rounds. Click to continue reading...

STARTERS
Jens Lehman answers his team who suspended him for attending Oktoberfest celebration: "That evening, I drank only half a Radler and then mineral water after that. I drove myself home later on. The visit to Oktoberfest was for a charity event which had long since been planned, but had not been agreed with the club. Click to continue reading...

The last time the Houston Dynamo faced Panamanian side Arabe Unido, there were five red cards issued in the match. On Tuesday, red cards weren't raining. It was only raining Dynamo goals.

Houston had four different players score goals, including Stuart Holden, who netted a brace in the Dynamo's 5-1 thumping of Arabe Unido at Robertson Stadium on Tuesday night.

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The last time the Houston Dynamo faced Panamanian side Arabe Unido, there were five red cards issued in the match. On Tuesday, red cards weren't raining. It was only raining Dynamo goals.

Houston had four different players score goals, including Stuart Holden, who netted a brace in the Dynamo's 5-1 thumping of Arabe Unido at Robertson Stadium on Tuesday night.

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The Dynamo took care of business at home, beating Arabe Unido 5-1 to move into second-place in Group A. Eddie Robinson (11th) and William Weaver (50th) had Houston up two when Arabe Unido's Omar Camarg was sent off in the 56th minute. Arabe Unido got a goal back shorthanded when Orlando Rodriguez scored in the in the 69th, but Houston piled on the goals late. Click to continue reading...

The Houston Dynamo got an emotional boost Tuesday night with the return of defender Eddie Robinson, who scored in his first match since last November, and the Dynamo crushed Arabe Unido of Panama 5-1 in a CONCACAF Champions League match at Robertson Stadium.
Donald Buckholt reports from Houston. Click to continue reading...

The CONCACAF Champions League continued its group stage matches on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 with three matches. The Houston Dynamo hosting Arabe Unido, Puerto Rico Islanders v Saprissa, and Isidro Metapan v Pachuca. Here's a recap of all three matches along with video highlights.

Houston Dynamo crushes Arabe Unido 5-1 Video Highlights

The Dynamo greatly improved their chances to advance to the next stage with a 5-1 thrashing of Arabe Unido.

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The CONCACAF Champions League continued on Wednesday with three more group stage matches. The Columbus Crew visited faced Saprissa, Pachuca hosted the Houston Dynamo, and Pumas traveled to W Connection. It's about halfway through the group stage with the Columbus Crew the only MLS team in position to advance to the quarterfinals.

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Dynamo defender Eddie Robinson could soon see action for the first time this season. Robinson underwent microfracture surgery in his left knee in March, and his rehabilitation hit a couple of major speed bumps that have delayed his comeback. But...

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Before the season, I examined the average age of each MLS team in league history. That's done by taking the average age of all the players for the season (using July 1st birthdates) and multiplying it by minutes played. It's then divided by the total team minutes. I think it was one of the more interesting posts I've ever had on this blog. Click to continue reading...

On this 4th of July weekend Houston comes into KC hoping to improve on their goalless effort from last weekend against one of the worst defenses in the league (LA's), while KC, tries to make it 2 wins in a row in the league after a horrible Superliga performance.

KC will be missing defensive leader and captain Jimmy Conrad, as well as midfielders Davy Arnaud and Roger Espinoza due to Gold Cup call ups, while Kevin Souter will not be available due to injury.

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If anyone has watched Major League Soccer in the first 2 months, its been very apparent that there's been a rise in the number of red cards. Only a few weeks ago, the Kansas City Wizards had 2 player sent off against Chivas USA. It seems almost clockwork that at least one or two players will receive a red card every weekend and in some weeks its been more.

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STARTERS
Shout me down on Twitta: dunord
dN
Maurice Edu got the news he did not want - he needs knee surgery and could be out 2 months or more. That means we probably won't see him again until Rangers preseason. Damn.
TEAM AMERICA
US Soccer has a Q & A with Clint Dempsey as he gets his 50th cap tonight. Click to continue reading...

Tomorrow night we take on the Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium in a match that will mark Dwayne De Rosario's first ever match in Houston as a member of the Dynamo's opposition. In a way it is a homecoming for him. The same can be said for Adrian Serioux, who won an MLS Cup in 2006 with the Dynamo before finding his away across Texas in Dallas. Click to continue reading...

Well, well, well. It looks as if Julius James or Waibelinho his own self may get to see some action sooner than planned.
Bernardo filed this story today (link here):
Dynamo defender Richard Mulrooney will miss Saturday's match at the New York Red Bulls after suffering a broken left cheekbone after a collision during Tuesday practice. Click to continue reading...

The Dynamo will be without starting right back Richard Mulrooney when they face the New York Red Bulls Saturday night at Giants Stadium.

Mulrooney, one of four Dynamo players to play every minute of all nine competitive games so far this year, fractured his left cheekbone in a practice collision on Tuesday.

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The Rapids are in Houston for their first Sunday game of the season. They have a 4 game undefeated streak on the line (If you count the USOC game) as they finish their longest road trip of the year. The game is at 1pm MDT and will be televised on Telefutura nationally and on Universal Sports in the Denver market (in English). Click to continue reading...

What now?, I hear you quip, glibly. Actually, as you may or may not have heard, the Orange officially announced the signing of 22 year old Canadian International Andrew Hainault from FK Banik Most of the Czech Republic league (ah, yes, the Czech Republic league, powerhouse of Europe) yesterday. Hainault is apparently good young defender of the Eddie Robinson mould and much needed so we can stop playing the awesome Geoff Cameron back there.

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So fresh on the heels of the Atlante debacle, we find out that Eddie Robinson will be out "indefinitely" after undergoing surgery on the cartilage of his left knee. (Story here, Bernardo Fallas' take here and Ives' take, along with a quick look around the Western Conference here. Click to continue reading...

NEWS: Dynamo defender Eddie Robinson, who left Sunday's 2-1 win over Chicago with a left hamstring strain late in the second half, is questionable for Sunday's match against Kansas City. If you missed it, here is what Robinson said about... Click to continue reading...

3 games, 3 goals, 9 points. If you are a New York soccer fan you've got to love the resurrection of Mike Magee. Five years ago he was a hot young prospect out of the Bradenton Academy, the future of the franchise. Yet only a year ago he was the injury-plagued ghost of Metro past. Not that my amateur analysis amounts to anything more than a barstool appraisal, but if the kid's hot streak retains it's momentum he may simultaneously fulfill the prophecy, exorcise a few demons and make himself a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year. Click to continue reading...

SuperLiga
Official website
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Semifinals
Matches & Scores:
-Tue Jul 29
Houston 2-0 Pachuca - HD goals by Bobby Bowell & Corey Ashe.
Attendance: 16,679
Venue: Robertson Stadium, Houston TX
Match report by Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle. Click to continue reading...

Hey, hey - here we go now. Well, not just yet, some telenovela is on. "No quiero verle nunca mas!" spits the heroine. Oh, ok, it's over now. Bring on SuperLiga! Post predictions quick!
Ha, the announcers know all about the Houston/Pachuca history.
"Houston wants revenge," they say. I've picked Pachuca to win, however, so I predict a heartbreaking 2-1. Click to continue reading...

NEWS: Back in late June, when the Dynamo hosted a press conference at Fox Sports Grill to promote SuperLiga, defender Eddie Robinson couldn't hide his desire - as well as the team's - to play defending tournament champion Pachuca again,... Click to continue reading...

The 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup begins tomorrow for MLS teams. Eight qualifiers will take on eight lower league clubs in what is always one of the single most exciting days of the season. Last year was not the greatest year for MLS in the tournament, as only 3/8 teams advanced. One of those 3, the Rapids, then lost 5-0 in the quarterfinals to Seattle. Click to continue reading...

Finally, a little bit of time to write, and oh, what a series of topics there are. Here's a quick rundown:
FORZA: Dynamo vs. little d tonight in the Thursday ESPN game. (Here's Jeff Carlisle's always-excellent advance here and the Chron's here.) I know, I know. Journalistic objectivity should compel me to write the team's name properly and all that. Click to continue reading...