A quick review of last night’s playoff games. Being in Columbus the Crew only drew a little of 11,000. Dynamo fans you will blow that out of the water today by essentially tripling that number.
* The Columbus Crew on a cold night warmed hearts as they defeated the KC Wizards 2-0 to win their home and home series 3-1. The number one team record wise in MLS scored in the 7th and 57th minute through Brad Evans and Robbie Rodgers to players that have played pivotal roles in this years run.
GUILLERMO BARROS SCHELOTTO outplayed fellow Argentine CLAUDIO LOPEZ in a battle of marquee players that could provide the cutting edge..
KC fans will go back to the botched chance and lament a missed “sitter” that Abe Thompson bungled in the first half that would have been at the time the perfect response to the Evans 7th minute opener.
In the end the Crew were the better team living up to their #1 seed in the East. They now take on the #2 seed on Thursday the Chicago Fire in a mouth-watering match-match up.
Former CREW striker BRIAN MCBRIDE will return home to where he forged out the beginning of his professional career in Columbus before heading over to England where he played in the EPL.
So will the CREW fans bow in reverence to McBride? I hope they show undying support to their current squad and view McBride and Blanco as villians coming to town.
It will make it all the more interesting.

Real Salt Lake continued making club history. First making the playoffs and now advancing to the conference title to play the Dynamo/Red Bulls winner today. One has to credit manager JASON KREIS , his squad and gm Garth Lagerway for this great turn-around. Ironic that they knock off the other expansion team that they came into the league with.
The 2-2 draw last night at the HOME DEPOT CENTER gave them a 3-2 aggregate series win. Think how big that opening game 1-0 victory at Rio Tinto now looks.

*THEY WON”T WANT THIS FINAL
Clearly the final that MLS won’t want from a marketing perspective is REAL SALT against COLUMBUS. The MLS playoff system still allows for teams that are not consistent to get close to the FINAL. Look at the New York Red Bulls who today are one game away from competing in an MLS Conference Final after a less than successful season.
The EAST has played out perfectly with the top two teams during the regular season.
Do you like the playoff system that really doesn’t reward teams for consistent regular season play?

*The “ORANGE” aka HOUSTON DYNAMO will take on the NEW YORK RED BULLS at 2pm at ROBERTSON STADIUM Sunday for the right to go to host the Western Conference final. Don’t expect many changes from game one from the DYNAMO who drew 1-1 in New York.
Buoyed by what should be a sell-out crowd the DYNAMO are trying to make history by winning a third straight MLS Cup in a time when the stadium issue politically is coming to a head. Incidentally Dynamo playoff game attendance will blow out of the water any other crowds in MLS so far in post-season…..hopefully many will take notice. Sometimes it seems to me that others around the country are not aware of this great soccer city. In fact these numbers attendance-wise are somewhat shaming to other franchises who have to be accountable for the amount of fans turning out for games.
Houston fans have opportunity to be in the limelight today on national and local tv.

Preview: NEW YORK manager JUAN CARLOS OSORIO is hard to predict with lineups. Last game it was youthful and workmanlike on the artificial surface at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. It will need to be the same because New York can not play an open game against Houston. In fact few have ever “opened up” attacking wise at Robertson Stadium against the “Orange”. I suspect it will be “direct play” from the RED BULLS today and if they choose to play a high line defensively they will get crushed like LA did a few weeks back under Bruce Arena.
Does Osorio bring back some of the foreign element of his team in the starting lineup to deal with the crowd which can be intimidating. A midfield of Luke Sassano and Sinisa Ubiparipovic will not be able to control the middle third of the field in Houston. Does MIKE MAGEE get back into the starting lineup after being ill in game one. If he does that brings a bit more attacking mentality.
Look for New York to try to keep it close, by-pass their midfield with direct play to their talented striker JUAN PABLO ANGEL. Don’t
The scary thing about him is that he needs few chances to produce goal.
Dane Richhards returns to Houston where he played at San Jacinto College.
New York will look to make the game ugly, break the Dynamo rhythm and get the ball in the penalty area as often as possible to give ANGEL a chance.

KEY MATCHUP: Eddie Robinson/Bobby Boswell against Juan Pablo Angel.

I see the Dynamo winning this convincingly by a few goals and remaining unbeaten at home. The Dynamo are doing everything they can to wake up the city of Houston to this championship caliber team.
Your thoughts on the DYNAMO/RED BULLS?

*Nice to see some in the mainstream media beginning to finally pick up on the DYNAMO DYNASTY which I wrote about in the Houston Chronicle about two weeks ago. I also noticed today that mainstream columnists in the COLUMBUS DISPATCH are picking up on the Crew excitement. Better late than never.

POLITICAL OVERTONES…..What really must the DYNAMO as a team or organization do to prove they are worthy of a new stadium. Hard to think they have to do much more but it is amazing in Houston to how many in public office and the mainstream just seem to look the other way with this team.
Let me let them in on a secret……there will be close to 30,000 at Robertson Stadium this afternoon. SSSHHHHH, don’t say a word.

ON THE RADIO POST GAME….Dynamo fans join me for a post-game discussion after the DYNAMO/RED BULL match today on 790thesportsanimal….Call in number is 713-212-5790. Turn it on in the car while leaving the stadium.

According to Dynamo Ceo Chris Canetti only 2000 tickets remain for tomorrow’s playoff match against the NEW YORK RED BULLS at Robertson Stadium. It is not a stretch to say the Dynamo will double other attendances around the league. This match kicks off at 2pm and can be seen on Houston’s 55 or Telefutura.

Additionally I will be hosting a post game show on 790 the Sports Animal so catch it on the way out of the stadium.
Call in number is 713-212-5790.

FILL IN THE BLANK:

A NEW SOCCER STADIUM DOWNTOWN WOULD BE GOOD FOR HOUSTON BECAUSE____________________!

I will start it off with this answer: IT WOULD SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

NOTABLE QUOTES: “HOUSTON is a SOCCER CITY,” Mayor Bill White after the Dynamo won their first cup in 2006

“Soccer is important to Houston. Soccer is Houston. Houston is soccer,” Politician Adrian Garcia.

Ok so am in COLUMBUS, OHIO. Wet and rainy Ohio that is for tonite’s CREW vs WIZARDS second leg. The Crew have to feel pretty comfortable coming back home where they are 11-2-2. Their supporters groups have consolidated as many of you know in the corner of the stadium and it is impactful. Curious to see what they draw tonite.
Rest assured KC coach Curt Onalfo will not drop Claudio Lopez back into midfield due to the suspension of Herculez Gomez. Enter former Ohio State player Roger Espinoza. Wizards likely will have three rookies in the lineup. But the whole synergy of this team currently is around Onalfo moving Jack Jewsbury and Davey Arnaud into central midfield.

The Crew at home I think is worth a goal and they will have a better chance to get their wide game going on the bigger surface.
Little impact in game one from Robbie Rodgers and Eddie Gaven out wide. They of course will have to control and be wary of Arnaud and Lopez breaking out as we saw in game one.

*Brad Guzan was applauded by manager Martin O’Neill of Aston Villa after a wonderful UEFA performance securing a 1-0 win at Slavia Prague. The 24 year old formerly played at Chivas USA who play tonite at home against RSL.
Preki has a choice to make in goal with either Dan Kennedy or Zach Thornton who played in their last game a 1-0 loss at RSL.
Chivas USA at home still makes me think they can reverse this home and home.
Can Yura Movsisyan of RSL continue his amazing goal scoring run. Preki has done a great job of managing this year with numerous challenges, injuries etc.

*Dynamo vs. Red Bulls tomorrow is on Channel 55 at 2pm. No pre-game or post game.
My understanding is that I will be doing a 1 hour post game show on 790 so look outside the stadium for a 790 booth and stick around to catch the broadcast.

Your thoughts on the playoffs and I am looking forward to seeing the amazing environment at Robertson Stadium tomorrow.
More later on Arsenal and Man U plus some preview information on tomorrow between the Dynamo and the RED BULLS.