It may not have come as easy as Dominic Kinnear would have liked but in the end the Dynamo took a full three points from Real Salt Lake to keep alive the hopes of winning the Western Conference title and garnering home field advantage in the playoffs.
The 4-3 win included a hat-trick by Dynamo striker Nate Jacqua who was a problem all night long for RSL.
Rookie Cory Ashe had a career game with three assists as a wide midfielder and Jacqua had a feast off his delivery in front of over 15,000 fans announced.
*The Dynamo clearly looked fatigued in the later stages and conceded two late goals that made it a game. Cary Talley scored on a header to make it 4-2 while Kyle Brown scored his first goal of the year to make it 4-3 and the Dynamo had some problems managing the game out comfortably.
*Injuries are a major issue with Brian Ching, Brad Davis, Stuart Holden and Paul Dalglish out. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that without these players your ball possession will be affected. Consider Ching’s ability to hold the ball up front combined with the comfort on the ball of Davis and Holden . Will Paul Dalglish make a late effort to get into this team and provide some good games like last year?
One also has to consider how long it will take these players to get to full fitness. Ching , Holden, Dalglish were doing some serious fitness work this week while Davis was doing some light technique work with trainer Bruce Morgan.
* All in all huge three points to take back momentum. Chivas USA has three games in hand on the Dynamo as they head to LA next weekend to take on the Galaxy who will get Landon Donovan back after a 3-0 win against Colorado.
Your thoughts on last night at Robertson and today’s US/Brazil match?
Glenn

Catch the Houston Dynamo tonite as they take on Real Salt Lake at Robertson Stadium at 7:30 pm on HDNET.
Glenn Davis and Marcelo Balboa will call the action that pits the two Western Conference teams.
You can also catch the Dynamo Soccer Report with Glenn Davis at 5pm on Channel 55.
The popular show brings comprehensive Dynamo highlights, interviews and more.

The league leading goal scorer Luciano Emilio staked DC United out to a 2 goal lead at the Home Depot center in Carson, California last night but it was not enough.
Chivas USA stormed back to tie it up on a deflected goal by Lawson Vaughan and were unlucky not to have a shot a third goal in stoppage time as Francisco Mendoza was played in behind the DC defense staring at a break-away at Troy Perkins but amazingly the linesman lifted his flag for offsides. The replay clearly showed that Mendoza was onside and Chivas USA head coach Preki was absolutely livid and rightly so.
Chivas USA continues to get results under the radar and has three games in hand on the Western Conference leaders the Houston Dynamo who are facing an injury crisis with Brian Ching, Stuart Holden, Brad Davis and Paul Dalglish still out injured.
Glenn

These are photos of David Beckham’s car parking underneath the Home Depot Center. Beckham has seats and a medallion on the grill of his car with the number 23.

A new professional league will kick-off in the United States during the spring of 2009 and will include franchises from coast to coast. The seven team league will feature franchises in Boston, Chicago, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis and Washington DC.
The announcement comes prior to the World Cup that kicks-off in China in mere days.
Lets hope fiscal responsibility is on the minds of all involved and that the main aim is to make this a league for the top womens soccer players in the United States so as to feed the womens national team and olympic team programs.
Womens teams sports have yet to prove out as successful money-makers at the professional level.
The WUSA was littered with poor leadership and decision makers who lost sight of what the purpose of the league was intended for back during it’s launch after the historic 1999 Womens World Cup hosted in the U.S.
Level-headed thinking can make this league a success with realistic goals set.
Is womens soccer out of sight and out of mind? What is your opinion?
Glenn

Catch Glenn Davis and the Dynamo Power Hour tonite at a new day on 790 The Sports Animal at 7pm.
Guests on the show include Landon Donovan of the U.S. National team and LA Galaxy plus Dynamo striker Brian Ching who will take phone calls.
Call in number is 713-212-5790 and tickets will be given away to this weekends important match against Real Salt Lake at Robertson Stadium.
Don’t forget the Dynamo Soccer Report hosted by Glenn Davis this Friday at 6pm and Saturday at 5 pm on channel 55.
The show features the impact of the foreign player in MLS plus interviews with Dominic Kinnear and Davey Arnaud of Nederland, Texas and the Kansas City Wizards.

When FC Dallas takes on the Seattle Sounders tonite in Seattle , Houston are talent will be represented.
FC Dallas includes defender Chris Gbandi (Cy Falls, UCONN) and midfielder Arturo Alvarez (Mayde Creek) while the Seattle Sounders feature midfielder Josh Gardner who played three seasons with the LA Galaxy. Gardner and Alvarez could be matched up tonite wide in midfield.
FC Dallas comes off a 4-0 thrashing from DC United while Seattle is one of the top “A” league teams and has knocked off both Chivas USA and Colorado in the Open Cup. The game can be watched live on the internet at USLLIVE.com
Brazilian World Cup winner Denilson also could get the start tonite for FC Dallas.

When FC Dallas takes on the Seattle Sounders tonite in Seattle , Houston are talent will be represented.
FC Dallas includes defender Chris Gbandi (Cy Falls, UCONN) and midfielder Arturo Alvarez (Mayde Creek) while the Seattle Sounders feature midfielder Josh Gardner who played three seasons with the LA Galaxy. Gardner and Alvarez could be matched up tonite wide in midfield.
FC Dallas comes off a 4-0 thrashing from DC United while Seattle is one of the top “A” league teams and has knocked off both Chivas USA and Colorado in the Open Cup. The game can be watched live on the internet at USLLIVE.com
Brazilian World Cup winner Denilson also could get the start tonite for FC Dallas.

Nederland’s Davey Arnaud a member of the Kansas City Wizards has been called up by national team coach Bob Bradley to represent the United States against Brazil on September 9th in Chicago. Arnaud went to West Texas AM and is one of the most underrated players by the media in MLS .
Arnaud is capable of playing both as a wide midfielder as he did against the Houston Dynamo this past weekend and also as a striker. Arnaud teamed with Josh Wolff in Kansas City up front as a striker in recent years.
Twice Arnaud has had to remove himself from national team contention due to injury after being called in to camps in recent times.

The LA Galaxy lost to Real Salt Lake last night in a battle of the two teams with the worst records in MLS. A stong Labor Day weekend crowd showed up to the Home Depot Center for a game that pitted two teams with the worst records in MLS.
David Beckham obviously did not play out with a knee injury but attended with his two young boys and watched from a private suite.
The Galaxy were the better team in the first half and had alot of success down the right side with Chris Klein and Landon Donovan. The problem is LA could only produce one goal, an Alan Gordon header in the first half despite playing the better soccer.
In the second half the Galaxy got a golden chance to take a 2-0 lead but Nick Rimando saved a Landon Donovan pk to keep RSL in the game. The play would prove pivotal on the night.
After coming in during the second half Cobi Jones hit the crossbar but on the ensuing counter attack Robbie Findley got in behind the LA defense and Mike Randolph to tie the score.
Ultimately Eddie Pope in his final season in MLS provided the game winner for RSL who won for only the fourth time and the first time on the road.
A couple of thoughts:
*David Beckham parked his black Escalade right near our HDNET truck, the car has embroidered #23 on the seats plus a large medallion on the grill with the number 23 and impressive rims if you like that kind of thing.
*LA strikers are poor. Alan Gordon, Carlos Pavon just can’t get it done although I credit Gordon for at least putting in an effort. Pavon turns out to be a poor signing and is a grand disapointment . The kind of foreign player that doesn’t need to be in MLS. No movement, no mobility and effort.
*Nick Rimando was an example of a goalkeeper winning a game for a team on the road. Some excellent shot stopping .
* RSL had a hard time managing the game out but ultimately got it done. They have won two games in a row now over KC and the Galaxy.
*The Galaxy miss Chris Albright in a big way.
Injuries, poor signings, underperforming players and an overabundance of mediocre players who have mediocre desire have hurt. One has to feel for Frank Yallop. So who is accountable?