*The DYNAMO have qualified for the Concacaf Champions League again next year by virtue of COLUMBUS going to the MLS Cup and winning the supporters shield. No one can discount how important international competition has been for growing the game in Houston and around the country. It has earned the Dynamo and MLS new fans and provided some great “international” nights at Robertson Stadium.
The Dynamo will take on FIRPO of EL Salvador on the 26th in a game they must win to advance in the competition currently.

* I am in SALT LAKE CITY tonite for the REAL SALT LAKE vs. NEW YORK RED BULLS Conference final and still find it hard to believe that one of these two teams are heading to the MLS CUP FINAL to take on the COLUMBUS CREW. Looking very much to this match as it will be historic for either of these franchises. Still in awe of the NY result over the DYNAMO…..but that is why we play the game….

*After the Dynamo struggled to deal with Dane Richards what does RSL do. With a midfield that likes to tuck in their wide players this could be an issue……Also can Richards produce another performance like in Houston. My feeling even though everyone talks of JUAN CARLOS OSORIO changing things is that the RED BULL will approach the game similar to Houston although the surface could entice them to play more soccer? What sticks out to you in this game?

Real Salt Lake is expected to sell out the Rio Tinto Stadium which is a beauty. Check it out in high definition tonite on HDNET. By the way this is the final game in a three year contract between MLS and HDNET.

*REMEMBER GAMBA OSAKA?
The Dynamo met them at the PAN PACIFIC CUP with Brazilian striker BARE running wild. GAMBA won the ASIAN CUP and will go to the World Club Championships. BARE is no longer on the team having been transferred to AL ALHI for a big pay day in the middle east.

*REAL MADRID VS VALLADOLID
Check this one out as GERMAN MANAGER BERND SCHUSTER of REAL MADRID is on the hot seat after a COPA DEL REY exit to Segundo B team Real Union. They have also lost back to back to JUVENTUS in Champions League play. SCHUSTER had a stop at UNAM PUMAS in his playing days.

* SAN LUIS, PUMAS AND ATLANTE are in with five spots remaining in the Mexican League playoffs.

* HEY WHAT A GREAT IDEA?
Hijacking a bus? That is exactly what the fans of CHACARITA in ARGENTINA did. They overtook 2 buses and forced the driver a knifepoint to go faster. Robberies ensued with the passengers on board. The thugs were caught and 66 were arrested. The game was at Talleres on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

PREDICTIONS ANYONE?
Not me. I have no idea who will advance today between RSL and NY……NY proved it could win in front of a packed stadium in Houston. Wish more would have ran with the idea of 30,000 fans attending the Dynamo match with the NFL just down the street.

*ROME DERBY IS A CAN”T MISS
Don’t miss the “Rome Derby” between Lazio and Roma tomorrow on FSC….this is one of the most intense matches in Italy. I had the opportunity to call these matches at Fox Sports World and always was struck by the amazing passion of one of the world’s great rivalries.

Have a great soccer weekend!

The final installment of the Dynamo Soccer Report with Glenn Davis airs tonite at 9:30pm.
The final show focuses on the historic upset this past Sunday by the New York Red Bulls with interviews with Dominic Kinnear and Brian Ching. Lots of highlights and opinion on the stadium issue as well.

Just saw Mayor Bill White over at the Latin Grammys which is kind of ironic with the stadium rally today on the East End.
This playoff attendance courtesy of the Dynamo front office and Rocky Harris. We might need to send this information to our elected officials.

THE DYNAMO IN THREE SEASONS HAVE PRODUCED THREE OF THE LARGEST PLAYOFF CROWDS IN HISTORY:

1. 10/16/98 Chicago vs. LA at Soldier Field 32,744

2. 11/10/2007 HOUSTON VS KC at ROBERTSON STADIUM 30,972

3. 10/02 1996 LA vs. SJ 30,231 Rose Bowl

4. 11/2/2007 HOUSTON VS DALLAS AT ROBERTSON STADIUM 30,088

5. 11/09/2008 HOUSTON VS. NEW YORK AT ROBERTSON STADIUM 30,053

The CREW scored twice in the second half to counter a first half BRIAN MCBRIDE goal from the CHICAGO FIRE. First CHAD MARSHALL towered above MCBRIDE the former Crew legend to pound in a header and then 22 year old EDDIE GAVEN produced the second goal after being put in off a header by ALEJANDRO MORENO….It was not a sell-out but the game at CREW STADIUM had a great atmosphere………The CREW now take on the winner of RSL and NY RED BULLS…….

*DYNAMO assistant JOHN SPENCER and PAUL MARINER of NE both have been interviewed by the new SEATTLE franchise. Other rumors include PREKI leaving CHIVAS USA to go north where he played alot of indoor soccer plus SIGI SCHMID has been mentioned in many circles for his work with the CREW…….Who knows but I am sure all have agents who have inquired or have been approached. For that matter who is to say they have contacted the Dynamo about DOMINIC KINNEAR…after all these are all coaches with quality. One coach who didn’t get as much credit is DENIS HAMLETT of CHICAGO who has had to deal with the WILMAN CONDE situation and C BLANCO….

* By the way was that the worst piece of defending you have seen when JAVIER MORALES scored against CHIVAS USA….First Sasha Kleijstan with a timid stab with his leg and then SHAVAR THOMAS is literally on top of his goalkeeper……Not taking anything away from Javier here because he has been excellent…

* My hope is that LANDON DONOVAN will get a deal at BAYERN MUNICH. Apparently former German great ULI HOENESS their general manager has been impressed. Do you want Donovan to go to Germany?…..JURGEN KLINSMANN plays a big part in this….Sad to see RUUD VAN NISTLEROOY of REAL MADRID injured again…ROMA will take on LAZIO this weekend in the ITALIAN SERIE “A”, if you have not seen this match please check it out…..TEXAS AM FRIDAY AND SUNDAY IN THE NCAA PLAYOFFS AT AM, Be on the look out for the STAGS HEAD PUB WORLD SOCCER UPDATES WITH GLENN DAVIS ON 790 The Sports Animal……Pretty amazing the fans that waited outside the DYNAMO locker room this past Sunday after the 3-0 shocker to NY..My radio show was wall to wall calls after the game and last night on DYNAMO ALL ACCESS callers were still lined up at close to 10pm..Thank you fans !…Check out the final DYNAMO SOCCER REPORT with GLENN DAVIS this FRIDAY night at 9:30pm pm…The ALexi Lalas show is off and running on ESPN, he has vowed to shot-gun (chug) an energy drink on tv….ok….if the Red Bulls win…….REAL SALT LAKE is expected to sell-out this Saturday night at the RIO TINTO STADIUM…take a look at the beauty of this stadium if you can….Great effort by Dynamo fans in attendance down at the East End yesterday…..As for me it is off to Salt Lake City …..

Please check out the podcast of last night’s DYNAMO ALL ACCESS with GLENN DAVIS. Do this by going to 790thesportsanimal.com, click podcasts, click Glenn Davis. You can hear from County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia, Brian Ching and tremendous phone calls throughout the night from fans. One emailer said that I was rude to Commissioner Garcia but I did not feel I was and that was never the intention. This is not about attacking politicians it is about them giving answers.
On that note County COMMISSIONER EL FRANCO LEE declined to come on the show and talk about the stadium issue. In fact I do believe Franco is living large these days and can pretty much take his sweet time on anything he wants.

Todays HOUSTON CHRONICLE has an article that left me in amazement on the stadium which says County Judge ED EMMETT is deferring to EL FRANCO LEE and SYLVIA GARCIA on the stadium. Commissioner STEVE RADACK is willing to DISCUSS the idea but does not know enough about the project? Commissioner JERRY EVERSOLE has not been given ENOUGH INFORMATION.
I find this lack of knowledge about this issue remarkable. So why don’t they know about this issue? Or are they all just taking the easy way out leaving it all up to Sylvia Garcia and El Franco Lee.

* A couple of notes on soccer in the media. The tv program that I host “THE DYNAMO SOCCER REPORT WITH GLENN DAVIS” will air it’s final show of the season this Friday at 9pm. My hope is to one day make this a year round show because their is the obvious content to fill it with remarkable stories around the country. Not only has this program showcased local stories it has also aired interviews with Dynamo players and coaches. Not to mention DAVID BECKHAM, LANDON DONOVAN, SIGI SCHMID, BRIAN MCBRIDE, BRUCE ARENA and other major players in the world of soccer.
The program is done on a small budget but is something that I am proud of. My hat goes off to my producer ALAN LITVAK and production and camera-men ROBERT LAND and DAVE KNOBLER. Thanks guys.

*DYNAMO ALL ACCESS with GLENN DAVIS will continue to run throughout the year. In fact this radio show gets acknowledgment around the country and it is amazing with it’s support from you the fan. So thank you.
I started a soccer program many years ago on public radio, moved it 790 AM and then merged it with the DYNAMO. The support is amazing considering show has changed dates and times, has different producers…Last night at close to 10pm at night I am still taking calls as lines were still lit up. Thank you the soccer fan for supporting all of these ventures and I am always all ears when it comes to story ideas and your thoughts and opinions on the game!!

*

A very important Dynamo All Access Radio show this Wednesday night from 8-10pm on 790 The Sports Animal.
We re-cap the Dynamo season and break down the heartbreaking loss to the RED BULLS.
BRIAN CHING will be a guest on the show among others from around MLS.
I will also preview the conference titles and re-air parts of County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia’s interview.

CALL IN NUMBER IS 713-212-5790

SPREAD THE WORD:

Thursday morning at 10:00 AM the East End Chamber of Commerce and numerous other civic groups will be holding a press conference at the corner of Dowling and Rusk concerning the stadium issue. Fans are encourage to attend this event in a show of support for the stadium. Spread the word on this event.

*AEG and Philip Anschutz are rumored to be looking at potentially purchasing NEWCASTLE UTD….I know what you are thinking…..Brian Ching and Ricardo Clark have been called into the recent U.S. National team camp………Hard to believe but it is NEW YORK VS RSL in the Western Conference Final this Saturday night on HDNET and this Thursday first up is Chicago at Columbus for the Eastern Conference title. With all due respect, can you imagine marketing RSL vs Columbus in the MLS final…the league office must be lighting good luck candles on this one.

*Dynamo MVP and Gold Boot winner is Brian Ching while Bobby Boswell picked up the defender of the year. Stuart Holden was young player of the year. I will re-cap these awards on the radio show Wednesday from 8-10pm…….

It was stunning and it stung like a bee.

When the Dynamo’s dream of a third straight MLS Cup title was vanquished by the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, the crowd of more than 30,000 at Robertson Stadium seemed almost emotionless. Many walked out of the stadium with perplexed looks.

Dane Richards and Danny Cepero turned in remarkable performances in the 3-0 victory by New York, and the biggest upset in MLS playoff history was complete.

No one saw this coming after being “conditioned to winning” by the two-time defending champions’ success in a short amount of time in Houston.

The text messages rolled in. “Speechless” one read. Another read “stunned.”

The e-mails continued to roll in, while on my postgame radio show fans had opportunity to mourn the loss or critique the Dynamo.

Some remained focused on the stadium issue. Phone call after phone call came in. But one thing was clear. The fans care.

The opinions of what went wrong ran the gamut.

Yet, as always after a loss or a disappointment, there is a silver lining, a great reminder or a lesson.

From day one, when Brian Ching produced four goals against Colorado in what marked the return of pro soccer to our city on….to check out the rest of the article click here

I am still scratching my head over the stunning NEW YORK RED BULLS result over the HOUSTON DYNAMO. This was in my opinion the biggest upset in MLS playoff history. The RED BULLS walk into ROBERTSON stadium and pull off this result not in front of 12000 fans sitting on their hands but in front of 30,000 fans in a packed to the gills environment. No one to my knowledge gave the Red Bulls a chance other than themselves.

First on the RED BULLS: Juan Carlos Osorio deserves credit for having the courage to bench a number of his foreign signings to put out a workmanlike lineup. Clearly he felt this was the way to beat the Dynamo. Young players and work ethic were vital to this series for them. Names like Luke Sassano, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Dane Richards, Andrew Boyens among others Remember, they limped into the playoffs being humiliated on national tv against Chicago giving up a first half hat trick to Chris Rolfe. If not for DC hitting posts at Columbus they would not even be in the playoffs.

THE PLAYOFFS: This is the beauty or cruelty of MLS depending on which team you are, forget the regular season. Play a good game one and get confidence and you now are in a one game playoff to get to the conference final. Every MLS team had a shot of advancing going into their second match. After a controversy filled season how could the Red Bulls not feel somewhat relieved and confident after game one in New York. The playoffs give everyone who had indifferent seasons to clean the mental slate.

Tactics: NEW YORK must have loved walking out pre-game a realizing that the field was rock hard and could be an additional advantage. They were not coming to Robertson Stadium to play an aesthetically beautiful type of soccer based on their lineup.
Direct play was the norm, no risk at the back and they work ethic in midfield was disruptive to the Dynamo. Twenty one seconds in JUAN PABLO ANGEL made us all realize that they were at Robertson to compete. That message must have been inspiring to the youth in the squad. Finding him in the penalty area and the pace of DANE RICHARDS would be the main attacking threats. Mainly Richards at the end of the day.

SURVIVAL: The RED BULLS survived the ever important first 20 minutes of the game at Robertson. Some how!

GAMES FIRST GOAL: Lets face it. This was a huge mental lapse taken advantage of by the RED BULLS. Loss of possession from Ricardo Clark leading to no pressure on an opponent who hits a good direct ball. Dynamo backs don’t cover properly leaving huge space that Dane Richards cruised into. Where was the cover? This was as direct as it gets.
There is no telling what this meant confidence wise for the Red Bulls! Not to mention gave them the tactical advantage to play the game more on their terms.

DANE RICHARDS: The rap on the speedy RICHARDS has been that he can’t finish off plays. Not on this day. He played a part in all three goals and tormented the DYNAMO on the day. Now many have been coming down on WADE BARRETT and the overall pace of the DYNAMO backs but you have to consider a few things. First, the Dynamo midfield did not offer the proper balance to protect their backs on a number of occasions throughout the game. Many times Wade Barrett I felt was left unprotected by Brad Davis and the rest of the midfield. Isolated with Richards it was difficult for Barrett to deal with him. He seemed in two minds on many occasions and every coach in the league says ‘make sure we get a second defender over to Richards’. In fact on this day who could have defended him? This was about collective defending and it is real easy to simply point the finger at one player but it is happening. Who wouldn’t have Richards beaten off the dribble on this day if he was isolated against them?
An unbalanced midfield not offering the proper protection to their backs as well as a sub par day of possession and control has to be considered here in a big way here when it comes to controlling a game.
No one can say this was not impressive from Richards who played a part in all the goals. On a few too many occasions he was allowed to turn.

1. Goal #1 from Richards: Juan Pablo Angle drew Dynamo midfielder Eddie Robinson into midfield, Ubiparipovic with a direct ball found Richards on diagonal run into the huge space vacated by Robinson. Clearly Bobby Boswell needed to slide central and cover Robinson. He reacted late and was caught napping.

2. Goal number two Richards again was not dealt with well out wide as he got behind the Dynamo defense including Barrett and Davis forcing Ricardo Clark out of the middle to deal with him leading to the hand-ball.

3. On his third goal Boswell’s challenge was reckless and at minimum needed to foul him. After that he was off to the races beating Cory Ashe as well. After the long run you must applaud his ability and prescence of mind to find John Wolyniec…
The hard, fast surface was perfect for the speedy winger but he made the plays, he finished the plays and that is the difference.

Pretty amazing that one player could be this dominant on this day . What also has to be considered is the timeliness of their goals. Richards and the rest of the Red Bull midfield including Dave van den Berg were combative and matched the work ethic of the Dynamo like few can do at Robertson. Remember the year prior when the less mobile and less youthful midfield of Claudio Reyna, van den Berg, Markus Schopp tried to compete for the Red Bulls under Bruce Arena. The Dynamo destroyed them 4-0 as Arena took off Reyna and they could not compete in midfield. That game could have been 7-0 and was totally embarassing for NY. Osorio wanted to put out an athletic and youthful midfield to confront the Dynamo and he did.

NO one really stood out on the Dynamo…too many individual performances lacked their usual sharpness and their team shape was punished by the Red Bulls on their goals……..they had moments but it never seemed comfortable to me .

POSSESSION, PASSING AND CONTROL…The Dynamo just didn’t have that normal sharpness, that normal rhythm and confidence to me through passing. Credit the Red Bulls for making it difficult for them to play.

HAND OF FATE: Lets face it …to win MLS CUPS, WORLD CUPS any CUPS you have to have good fortune. That good fortune didn’t follow the Dynamo on this day. Despite not hitting all cyclinders they still created far more chances than New York and who knows what happens if Wade Barrett scores early in the match.

GOALKEEPING: An amazing performance from a young goalkeeper DANNY CEPERO who only made one mistake on the day. His positional sense was acute . The ball must have looked like a “beachball” to him.

Did the Dynamo stay too loyal to trying to find their passing and movement game. Based on the conditions should they have abandoned their attempt at the possession game and become more direct earlier? That normal penetration wide didn’t come often enough. It is all easy to question after the fact and in simple terms the Dynamo created more chances.

On another note what an amazing environment on a day that the NFL and the Texans were playing down the road…..SIGI SCHMID of the COLUMBUS CREW has been named coach of the year while DARREN HUCKERBY has landed the newcomer of the year award.

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL: REAL SALT LAKE VS. NEW YORK RED BULLS

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL: COLUMBUS VS. CHICAGO

The New York Red Bulls pulled off what I think is the biggest upset or at least one of the biggest upsets in MLS history.
Thirty thousand fans plus pundits and critics across the country including me didn’t see this coming.

Dane Richards formerly off San Jacinto Community College ran wild playing a part of all three goals.
First he was found off a run right through the heart of the Dynamo defense and finished beautifully. With this goal the Red Bulls had gained the tactical edge.
But in the past the Dynamo have always found ways to come back and many may have thought that this was just an aberration. Another way of making it a dramatic come-back for the Dynamo.
A penalty kick call on a handball from Ricardo Clark off a cross from Richards which was then converted by Juan Pablo Angel begin to prey on the minds of both fans and players alike.
Richards capped off an amazing run finding John Wolyniec who was a forgotten man for much of the season for goal number three.

Stunning yes but also deserved. In the end New York matched the Dynamo ethic which is hard to do. Produced plays through Richards who couldn’t be contained and got an outstanding night in goal from Danny Cepero whom many didn’t know about. A star was born.

The dreams of a third straight championship have faded.

Now for the good news if you are a Houston fan.

*30,000 fans have to be noticed on a day where football was being played across town.

Let me know your thoughts on the Dynamo exit from the playoffs …….

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.