Well it is not often players or coaches come up with “smack”. But we might have a bit coming out of New York from the Red Bulls Dane Richards who played at San Jacinto College .
Richards is certainly grasping at motivation by saying the following about the Dynamo on artificial surface:

“That’s the good thing. They don’t like turf. Personally, I am going to try and run that left back to the ground because he don’t like the turf,” Dane Richards New York Red Bulls midfielder to Soccer by Ives.

Anytime players speak out like this it certainly can provide motivation for the opposition. In fact many coaches cringe when players say things like this. Locker room material, you bet. Now Richards went on to say that Brian Ching also doesn’t like the artificial turf.
WELL NO KIDDING DANE, FIND ME A PLAYER IN MLS THAT LIKES PLAYING ON ASTROTURF INCLUDING YOUR RED BULL TEAMMATES…..please. This may be a shot at riling up the defending champions but this could clearly back-fire.
Or maybe it just smacks of the Red Bull desperation with Seth Stammler, Jon Conway and Jeff Parke all out with injury and or suspension.
Lets face it, the Red Bulls were “gifted” the playoffs just like Houston was gifted “the Dynamo” but there is no doubt that Richards, Mike Magee, Dave Van Den Berg and Juan Pablo Angel must step up from an attacking perspective.
You better score goals New York because you are heading back to HTown………By the way, Richards it seems is shouting out to Wade Barrett……Richards , the Jamaican international did have one of his better games against the Dynamo during the regular season 3-0 win by the Red Bulls scoring a goal.
Not sure it was wise to call out the defending champions but we will see! Thoughts NY, thoughts Houston?

*Soccer fans don’t forget your soccer show is on the air tonite on Houston’s 55 at 9:30pm.
The Dynamo Soccer Report will preview the DYNAMO/RED BULLS playoff series, visit with a youth club who have allied themselves with the DYNAMO plus honor those in the community that are making STRONG youth soccer decisions and call out others.
We also take a look at some of the top plays of the MLS season plus hear from you the fan with a great viewer mailbag.
Set your vcr’s or tune in live tonite at 9:30 pm on Channel 55.

*More bad news from the NEW YORK RED BULLS camp as midfielder SETH STAMMLER one of their hardest working midfielders will be lost due to knee surgery for the series against the Dynamo. Surely this now must mean that Red Bulls manager JUAN CARLOS OSORIO has to start DANE RICHARDS formerly a player at SAN JACINTO JR. College under coach DAVE SANTESTEBAN.

*Good news from the youth community as EDDOA and PDF have both re-scheduled their volume of games on Sunday the 9th to allow youth players and parent the opportunity to attend or watch the game. Notice the word “opportunity”. This is player development and a great reminder that the top of the pyramid is professional soccer.
Now other associations must comply here and make “strong” decisions as leaders. BAYSA, HYSA and TYSA have got to step up to the plate and MAKE the decision as LEADERS in YOUTH SOCCER . Giving options is not decision making. Good decision making sometimes means some will not be happy.
Trust me when I say we need bold decision makers. If you can’t make this one happen by re-scheduling then you truly do not see the game and youth players in the big picture.
Another tip, starting planning and looking forward to the Western Conference final that the Dynamo will host if they beat NY because these will be historic moments.

* This beautiful piece of new from the Forth Worth area around youth soccer. A father in Lubbock, Texas was charged with aggravate assault with a deadly weapon after pointing a gun at the head of a coach’s husband during a dispute at his son’s youth soccer game. My guess is that this was over playing time? Just a wild guess…….Fools like this must be considered criminals and banned from ever being around youth. They also should be named publicly and shamed for this abhorent behavior. It is a youth soccer game.

* DIEGO MARADONA will amazingly be in charge of the ARGENTINE national team and will debut against SCOTLAND on November 19th.
This is still mind blowing to me but he has his back covered with CARLOS BILARDO on his staff.
So one of the first things out of Diego’s mouth about this match.
“I scored a goal there, on a tour with Menotti,” said Maradona in a 3-1 friendly win for Argentina in 79 when he was playing under Cesar Menotti.
Be careful with people who constantly say “I”. Especially football managers, clear indication of the ego.

* Disappointing crowd and atmosphere last night in NE. No excuses, don’t tell me it is cold. Don’t tell me players are injured and that hurt the gate. So tired of excuses being the first thing out of everyone’s mouth. Tell me how you plan on fixing it. This also makes people wonder if the KRAFT family are just doing lip service on a new stadium more central to Boston. I love that they support the game and have a team but will they make the effort to grow the sport and the team or sit comfortably in their rent free stadium.
Great position to be in and you can continue to tell people you are diligently working on getting a stadium, great fall back position.
Incidentally, the two main players in the Houston stadium issue now are Sylvia Garcia (we need one of our own on the team) and El Franco Lee who has parks and buses emblazoned with his name all over them. What a cast of characters.
Now more than ever fans need to be making their voices heard on a stadium that will support more than just soccer.

*The Dynamo will play on Robertson Stadium a day after the UH football team plays Tulane. Football lines and a torn up surface could be the norm.
This series between NY and the Dynamo needs to be named the “We need our stadium series”. Red Bull Park is in progress while the stadium cost for the Dynamo goes up daily as city politicians are slow to move on this.

*San Jose fan, enough with the emails to me. Go back and read my articles, they never gloated in the fact that you were losing your team to Houston.
They only pointed out that this was a great soccer city for MLS soccer. Few people , myself included were happy to see your team torn away.
Get over it, you got a new team with great owners and leadership , so move on. For the record I was always sympathetic to the strong fan base in San Jose on my radio shows, tv shows etc. Let it go once a for all and start talking about Darren Huckerby and a great manager in Frank Yallop. Or better yet start a campaign to keep FRANCISCO LIMA in San Jose real quick.

* Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson recently claimed that REAL MADRID think they can get whatever they want the same way they did in the days of General Franco. Real Madrid’s president Ramon Calderon suggested Ferguson is the one who resembles a dictator….hmmmm

Give me your most beautiful thoughts on the great game of soccer.