Happy Labor Day to all and lets keep our eye on Gustav.
The DYNAMO took three very important points against Chicago tonite at Robertson Stadium in front of the largest crowd of the year.

This game started off strangely with Chicago scoring first after an akward clear by DYNAMO defender EDDIE ROBINSON deflected to Chicago with BLANCO ultimately finding BRIAN MCBRIDE at the back post for a simple tap in almost.
Could have potentially been a foul called against BOBBY BOSWELL who got tugged and pulled to the ground.

Poor set piece defending from CHICAGO let the DYNAMO tie it up quickly through DWAYNE DEROSARIO and then BRIAN MULLAN scored into the far side netting past JON BUSCH and that would be the final scorline. Now you may have seen it differently but the FIRE were not prepared from the opening whistle despite scoring first and just to me did not live up to the evening. I was surprised how unemotional they seemed in the first half of this game and the DYNAMO should have won the game in the opening 45 minutes if not for the goalkeeping of Busch and indifferent play in the last third of the field. Chicago was organizationally a mess and the team shape was a disaster.
For me they got it all wrong and were not prepared nor motivated. Chicago tactics were all wrong as well and we can watch the tape to prove it ( no width and wide play as repeatedly Justin Mapp and Chris Rolfe came central rendering Brian McBride useless. He is a target man and his lifeline is delivery from wide areas) .

The collective effort and will of the DYNAMO on many a night can win them three points that others might not get. No one stood out yet they produce a huge win over a team that should be around at the end of the MLS playoffs.

Chicago did perplex me on this evening and really had no wide play which to a large degree rendered BRIAN MCBRIDE ineffective. Both JUSTIN MAPP (does he have a fire in his belly? Not this night) and Chris Rolfe both continued to drift central eliminating any width and delivery from wide areas to McBride. With MCBRIDE and BLANCO deep they had no threat in behind the Dynamo ….one would have thought that Rolfe and Mapp would have made some deeper runs out of midfield but it never happened.
Yet the fact that the DYNAMO did not put CHICAGO away kept them hanging around and they put some pressure on in the final few minutes and nearly produce a tying goal that would have left them with a valuable point.
CUAUHTEMOC BLANCO did not live up to it on this evening apart from a few brief moments of brilliance including a backheel as though he had eyes in the back of his head. Limited influence from the AMERICANISTA…..but he put them in the stands. Blanco himself probably responsible for an additional 5-6 thousand fans at this one.

This was about getting it done and the DYNAMO did that to the tune of three points and a five point spread in the Western Conference over RSL. Winning ugly? Maybe a little bit but they can’t all be artistic masterpieces. Brian Ching, Ricardo Clark, Dwayne DeRosario and Pat Onstad all off to WORLD CUP QUALIFYING duty so KEI KAMARA, CRAIG WAIBEL, STUART HOLDEN and TONY CAIG , JEFF CAMERON are all looking at opportunity next weekend it would seem.

*Dynamo banner’s were awesome. The monster orange and black one unveiled by EL BATTALON worked perfectly with the comedic relief provided by the TEXIAN ARMY……What a sight! What an effort!

Happy Labor Day and I want your thoughts on this game……

It seems as though MICHAEL BRADLEY of Dutch side HERENVEEN is headed to BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH in GERMANY.
The 21 year old midfielder scored 15 goals in 33 league appearances and those goals made people stand up and take notice.
Apparently an agreement on the transfer fee has been reached with BRADLEY’s contract due up in 2009 at HERENVEEN.
Terms still have to be agreed upon as well as BRADLEY passing a physical.
More expected in the next day.
Which leads me to the thought of some players that are targets for Europe:
*RICARDO CLARK- Clearly could play in Europe in the right environment/
*SACHA KLEJSTAN- apparently already has interest after Olympic display.
*KEN COOPER JR. – a move to ENGLAND turned down by MLS.
*STUART HOLDEN- excellent possession player who has dual passport.
*PABLO MAESTROENI- apparently has had interest from ITALY.

RANGERS defeated CELTIC 4-2 at Celtic Park in front of 58,595 fans. KENNY MILLER scored twice for RANGERS while former EVANSVILLE UNIVERSITY defender PAT WEIR went the full 90 minutes. U.S. OLYMPIAN and national team player MAURICE EDU was on the subs bench for RANGERS but did not play.

*A quick thank you to those who have contacted me concerning my father’s recent open-heart surgery, my sincerest appreciation for your kind thoughtfulness.
Glenn