I am hoping you have heard of a new program that I have started with Fox called “Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis”?
This show becomes another addition to soccer in the media in Houston. Let me explain the premise behind the show and how it all ties together.
First I am happy to be partnered here with Fox Sports Houston and know many of the individuals at the network including Jeff Hallas, Murphy Brown and on.
These are tv people with integrity and tv people with experience and knowledge.
Murphy Brown was my first ever producer on indoor soccer on Fox Southwest and has encouraged and has givem me feedback throughout my career.
Jeff Hallas has been a joy to work with and he has assured me Fox will promote this venture. A great partnership .

The show will tie all levels of the game together. This weekend Houston Baptist University is in the spotlight with their head coach STEVE JONES. HBU remarkably is one of only two NCAA division 1 mens soccer programs in the state of Texas. Mind blowing (sign the petition for NCAA division 1 mens soccer on the website).
Houston Express youth soccer club is our featured youth club. My aim is to put the spotlight on those that don’t normally get it here locally because you are the “heart and soul” of the game. If you have story ideas or want your club or organization featured, please get in touch.
The Dynamo will be in every show and I will keep you up to date with the best interviews, highlights and more. This week will be a little light on the Dynamo as they are out of town but our first show featured and interview with Oliver Luck and Geoff Cameron. Follow the Orange here.
The professional game from around the world will be another tier that is covered so that we all realize the connection from the grass roots on up to the greatest teams in the world.
Special segments like viewer mail, rumors, rants and raves plus coaching points will all be relevant.
As with all I do in the media I feel a real responsibility and level of accountability to you the viewer, listener, reader….Thank you for reading through this and don’t forget all of our great programming Dynamo related on KHOU 11.2.
We are all in this together!

HOUSTON UNSUNG HERO brought to you by FIESTA

Every week on the radio show Fiesta and I honor someone in the soccer community by calling them out on the Houston Unsung Soccer Hero Award brought to you by Fiesta.
We put it to cool music from David Bowie “Heroes” because so many should be recognized. Winners have been youth players like Evan Mundine, Nick Doize or staples of our community in soccer like Victor Delgadillo or Jim Walker.
I know you know those dedicated to the game that should be honored, please let me know!!!

Quick Hits

GOLD CUP semi-final tonite between the U.S. and Honduras can be seen on FSC at 6:00 PM, will you be watching followed by Mexico and Costa Rica.
There may be an upset in the offing here!

Samuel Eto’o has finally got the cash that he wants and he is heading to Inter Milan to play for Jose Mourinho in Italy.
Texans local youth club is in the USYSA national championships at the U17 age level and in competition today ….

The DYNAMO back in action on Saturday night at Robertson Stadium with some injury worries around both Richard Mulrooney and Eddie Robinson. Brian Mullan banged up also heading into a big encounter with nemesis the New England Revolution and All Star Shalrie Joseph. Catch Joseph’s interview on the podcast of Dynamo All Access with Glenn Davis on 790 The Sports Animal at 790thesportsanimal.com

HATS OFF
To Oliver Luck and the Houston Dynamo plus city council who have approved financing for the Dynamo training facility that will be constructed south of the city.
This is a win , win for all of soccer in our city!!!!! The facility will prove to be a beacon for soccer in this city and opens up all kinds of windows and potential for the sport not to mention that the Dynamo will have now a new home for practice, training and game preparation.
I can see it now, Dynamo Academy teams and others training and playing in the shadows of the pros!
This is exciting news…….now to knock this stadium issue out of the PARK and we are in business!
What are your thoughts on the Dynamo Academy and the new set-up that has been funded?

Thanks to :Zukowski, Bresenhan and Sinex, Mark West Pinot Noir, San Jacinto College, Sterling Bank for your support of the radio show.

Good things happen when you are on the world stage and perform.
That is what has apparently happened to Landon Donovan and Ricardo Clark who both are apparently garnering interest from newly promoted Italian Serie “A” side Livorno.

Livorno club president Aldo Spinelli claims he is putting a bid together to pursue Donovan.
Donovan’s agent Richard Motzkin in LA confirmed that their was also interest for Ricardo Clark who at the end of the season will finish out his current MLS contract.

More on this can be found at mlsrumors.net and goal.com

So what would you think of both in Italy at a smaller club like Livorno?

A 2-1 loss in Seattle, a 1-1 draw in Toronto and now a 2-1 loss again in Seattle in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Most would think this is not a great run but we must examine these three games in a different light.
This has been a very telling time period for the Houston Dynamo and signifies that this team is once again primed for a run to win an MLS Cup.

Here are some things to consider:

1.) COMPETITIVE TEAMS AND PLAYER OPPORTUNITY
That is what Dominic Kinnear has put out here in the last three games. He is at the bottom of his roster yet each and every one of these games the Dynamo were in at the end.
I remember in Seattle despite being down a goal (controversial for sure) the Dynamo were still pushing to equalize with a 19 year old named Danny Cruz in the final minutes.
In Toronto the Dynamo battled back to get a valuable point on the road and last night were minutes away from a huge win before ultimately being beaten in overtime.
Players like Eric Ustruck, Mike Chabala, John Michael Hayden have been in MLS for a few years without getting minutes or games and all of a sudden have been getting opportunity.
Some may have wondered if they would ever see the field in MLS yet here they are tremendous examples of persistance , patience and opportunity. Sure they have made mistakes but they have also now become more of a part of the team have gone to battle with teammates. This only bodes well for the future and the rest of the season.
This players now walk with more confidence next to the Ching’s and Cameron’s of the world which makes their overall mindset better for the club.

2.) I mentioned this on a tv broadcast ……..Few MLS teams with the amount of starting players missing would have been able to compete in these games. Simple but true.
This also should be duly noted for the future of the squad. So how does this happen? Clearly because the manager (Kinnear) has created a mind-set, expectations and a culture of winning in training that occurs on a daily basis. Players that have confidence and trust in a manager will over-perform and stay focused to the cause and Kinnear is a great judge of character.

3.) All of this goes on with the knowledge of five Dynamo players including Eddie Robinson, Stuart Holden, and Ricardo Clark are all out of contract at the end of the season. So while the Dynamo are trying to win matches they are also trying to secure their future. All of this goes on behind the scenes non-stop.

4.) Richard Mulrooney factor….now I don’t no for sure but it does seem that his knee injury is serious after undergoing surgery so the “x” factor that can seamlessly move into the right back and central midfield role is missing. This is one to keep an eye on because Mulrooney has silently been a huge part of Dynamo success.

5.) Tally Hall has proven to be an able back-up to Pat Onstad in goal which has to give all confidence after the lack of stability with Tony Caig last year. Dominic Oduro is showing promise while despite scoring last night Ade Akinbiyi struggles to be impactful. Cory Ashe is still trying to find out how to be a starter but shows promise. He needs to produce a few more moments of unbridled play like he does so well off the bench. Then again it is always a challenge to find the balance over the course of 90 minutes between defending and attacking . He is definetly solid and the question is can the Dynamo get more out of him in a starter’s role in attack?

With the return of Brian Ching and Stuart Holden right around the corner the Dynamo again are looking primed to time it right………..lots here for fans to be optimistic about and to contemplate! Your thoughts on the Dynamo to this point?

INTERNATIONAL NOTES:

*CHELSEA beat INTER MILAN 2-0 last night in the WORLD FOOTBALL CHALLENGE behind goals from Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard at the Rose Bowl.
Coin toss was done by Will Ferrell.

*SVENGALI is at it again….this time the sucker is Notts County who puportedly threw in a case of Veuve Cliquot to Sven- Goran Eriksson so that he can be director of football.
Good luck and watch your wallets. And by the way he is apparently negotiating with the Mexican Federation to make a return to “EL TRI”! Ok, just kidding Mexico fans…..

*Xabi Alonso is looking to force a move out of Liverpool asking not to play due to injury in tour of Thailand. Real Madrid recently offered the Spaniard 27 million Euros which was rejected.

*The IVORY COAST was fined $47,000 following inquiry into a stadium tragedy in Abidijan where 20 fans died……TELEMUNDO will air the U.S. and Mexico match in both English and Spanish on August 12th from Azteca Stadium during World Cup qualifying.

Pick up “SMART SOCCER TIPS WITH GLENN DAVIS AT all SOCCER 4 ALL” stores and in Pasadena at SOCCER TIME………My thanks to FIESTA for being behind a project that is about the passion of the game!!

SOCCER MATTERS WITH GLENN DAVIS this Saturday Morning at 9am on Fox Sports Houston!!!

Dynamo All Access with Glenn Davis on KHOU 11.2 this Friday night at 9pm

Go to www.790thesportsanimal.com, click podcasts, click Glenn Davis to listen to Dominic Kinnear Dynamo manager, Sarah Huffmann of the Washington Freedom, Brian Ching of the Houston Dynamo plus lots of great calls from fans. Hear my comments on the David Beckham incident.

So here is the LA Press release regarding the David Beckham halftime incident with a fan coming from LA GM Bruce Arena:

“We regret the incident that happened at the end of the first half of last night’s friendly at The Home Depot Center. While it is important that our fans remain free to voice their opinions, they must do so in an appropriate manner. We appreciate our players and fans passion for the team and the game, but we all must aim to hold ourselves to higher standards.

We have a very good relationship with the LA Riot Squad and have already reached out to them to set up a meeting to discuss moving forward together in a positive direction. In addition, the LA Riot Squad has informed us that they have issued a lifetime ban to the fan that went onto the field of play.

We want to move in a postive direction as an organization, and ask our fans to support our players and our club as we look to return to the playoffs for the first time in three years. We need the support of our fans to continue providing an amazing home environment at the Home Depot Center as we look to reach our shared goal of qualifying for the playoffs.”

This press release shows the fine line of working with supporters groups who are so important to the growth of the sport.
Kind of strange to hear that The LA RIOT SQUAD issued a lifetime ban to the supporter that jumped on to the field? SO what does that mean? It means he is out of the group but free to still buy a ticket and attend games according to the Galaxy who don’t look particularly good with this press release. The Galaxy of course are treading lightly here knowing the importance of supporters groups and the growth of the game but let us not forget that supporters groups and fans also have to be accountable for their actions. This incident though is all on Beckham and I am not buying that David B wanted to shake the fans hand.

Here is the infamous Beckham quote:

“One of the guys was saying things that wasn’t very nice. It was stepping over the line. I said you need to calm down and come down and shake my hand and he jumped over.”

I am not buying this from Beckham who produced against AC Milan on the field putting on a passing display that even wowed new AC Milan coach Leonardo in the 2-2 draw.
How comical is this and quite frankly this is what people are sick and tired of …..the circus around Beckham and what Beckham wants to do with his career. Now this is good news and we have now reached the tipping point with Beckham where the romance is over and now he will be judged by his performance on the field and that is what we as fans and media need to do whether he is playing at Community America Ballpark in KC or at Giants Stadium.

Yes he wants to go back to Milan and that is ok provided he puts in an effort for this short term return for the Galaxy who is in a very important market and by the way has not made the playoffs for three seasons. The LA Riot squad have set the tone for the new way of judging David Beckham, based on his performance on the field.
By the way, the guy who jumped on the field is counter-productive and not a star but a complete idiot and those that are over the line are not included in the above statement.
The tipping point has arrived and who would have thought that Cuauhtemoc Blanco of Chicago is now the DP hero and David Beckham is the new villian.
What a masterstroke from MLS…..jajajaja.

Join me tonite for the best in soccer talk on 790 The Sports Animal with Dynamo All Access with Glenn Davis from 7-9pm.
We discuss the Dynamo road effort in Toronto, Tuesday preview of Open Cup vs. Seattle plus the return home against NE this weekend.
More on the Gold Cup, international friendlies and why the LA Galaxy now look to be dangerous……
Check back throughout the day as I will post an updated guest list for the program plus more…..

BECKHAM calls out fan? Seriously?
The MLS savior is quickly becoming a villian even to his home fans and I love it!
More attention from the brainless entertainment type shows might bring a bit of attention to soccer. How impactful it is, quite frankly I don’t know but it comes with the package called David Beckham. Now brainless might have been what Beckham did calling out a fan in the “LA Riot Squad” who jumped over the railing . Beckham said he wanted him to shake his hand. Not sure I am buying that one. All in all it was provoking.
Now on to the game, Beckham looked hungry and had two assists against AC Milan in a 2-2 draw. One fantastic counter-attack was initiated by Beckham who no doubt was hoping to impress Milan again. Landon Donovan also was hungry and I get the sense that these two who have been in the press as of late are a bit motivated.
The Galaxy all of a sudden with a couple of ugly wins, two superstars humming might be prepping for an MLS playoff run.
A couple of wins in this league and you are always right back in the thick of things.

“Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis” airs tomorrow morning at 9am on Fox Sports Houston and features interviews with team president Oliver Luck on the current status of the stadium plus Dynamo All Star defender Geoff Cameron who returns to the lineup tomorrow night against Toronto F.C.
Space City Futbol Club executive director Randy Evans weighs in on his youth club while you the fan make an impact with viewer mail.
Beckham, Aguirre , Dynamo highlights goals and more…..Dynamo All Access the tv show airs tonite on KHOU 11.2 at 9:00pm while Dynamo Insider shows up tomorrow night at 5pm…..

The Dynamo are at Toronto tomorrow night a game that you can see on FSC…..

Captain, yes I said captain Landon Donovan led the charge for the LA Galaxy at the Meadowlands as they crushed the New York Red Bulls 3-1.
Three goals of quality from Alecko Eskandarian, Landon Donovan and Eddie Lewis all from long range came in the first half.
Juan Pablo Angel scored a late penalty and then was stopped from the spot by Donovan Ricketts of the LA Galaxy.

You saw it on Fox Soccer Channel ….so what did you think of the night?

STAR MAN: Landon Donovan playing wide for the Galaxy hit a great long range goal from outside the box not to mention hit the sweetest of delivery to set up Eddie Lewis’s volley from distance.

BECKHAM UPDATE: Did not extend himself while playing 70 minutes and quite frankly did need to on artificial surface at Giants Stadium with the cushion of an early lead.

RICHARD MULROONEY has been listed as out for the Toronto game this Saturday night based on a knee injury that ocurred in the Seattle game. The Dynamo have to hope this is not serious with the versatile Mulrooney . On another Dynamo note how cool would it be if the Dynamo get to host the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final. First they must knock off Seattle and then hope for a Rochester win over DC United.

Fox Sports Espanol showed the final match of the Copa Libertadores from Brazil between Estudiantes of Argentina against Cruzeiro of Brazil.
The first leg in Argentina ended 0-0 and the fans of Cruzeiro figured it would be academic at home especially after they jumped out to a 1-0 lead via a Henrique goal in the 51st minute.
But Estudiantes would respond with a timely goal in the 57th minute from Gaston Fernandez and would seal the win in the 72nd with a goal from Boselli.
The Argentine club would hang on to win 2-1 with the talented Juan Veron the focal point of celebration.
It was the first Copa Libertadores win in four decades and their fourth triumph overall.
Meanwhile the party continues in La Plata!!!
Did you see this dramatic win from Estudiantes La Plata.

ROMARIO BUSTED
While they partied in La Plata the word is Romario may just have spent a night in cell block number 9.
So why was the former World Cup winner jailed? For failure to pay alimony to his first wife Monica Santoro who he had two of his 6 children.

GOLD CUP TICKETS AND WORLD FOOTBALL CHALLENGE TICKETS AVAILABLE at FIESTA TICKETMASTER outlets……The Dynamo have some truly exciting home games in the second half of the season with C BLANCO and Chicago coming to town plus the tandem of LANDON DONOVAN and DAVID BECKHAM with the LA GALAXY. Get your tickets now!!!!

CHICAGO KNOCKS OFF NE IN SUPERLIGA SEMI FINALS

Cuauhtemoc Blanco was the hero as Chicago defeated NE 2-1 in front of a sparse crowd at Gillette Stadium. His pinpoint cross found Brian McBride in the 34th minute and then he hit an amazing free kick in the 63rd for the margin of victory. Edgaras Jankaukas scored in the 44th for NE who also hit two crossbars on the night.
What were your thoughts on this match…….?

BECKHAM RETURNS
I am sure you probably have not heard but tonite is the return of David Beckham!
The streaking LA Galaxy have gotten their superstars to take tea and make amends and the lethal combination of David Beckham and Landon Donovan will be on display tonite against the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium. Rumor has it after a spectacular fireworks celebration Giants Stadium will be detonated and blown to bits to make way for Red Bull Park in Harrison, New Jersey.
It will be interesting to see what type of effect Beckham has on the attendance tonite. Catch it on FSC at 7 central time!

FC DALLAS defeats Communicaciones
Only around a 1000 fans turned out for a 2-0 FC Dallas win over Communicaciones last night at the Pizza Hut Park.

JOE COLE TO MISS CHELSEA TOUR
Joe Cole has suffered a set-back on his return to Chelsea after knee injury last year. He has apparently torn his meniscus and will be out according to Chelsea for another month.

So tomorrow night it is on at Giants Stadium.
David Beckham returns to the LA Galaxy lineup and it seems all has been patched up with Landon Donovan.
Beckham lashed out at Donovan indirectly and immediately called him out for using a book “The Beckham Experiment” to reveal his feelings and criticisms.
Sort of strange that LD would go on the record to on author like this who hung around the team while he never seemed to do that publicly during the year on tv or in the press .
And how about the timing of the book coming out on Monday? A great inadvertent marketing piece!

Meanwhile the Galaxy have won a few games in a row and are back in the thick of things with former Red Bulls manager Bruce Arena going up against his former club.
Donovan calling out Beckham’s professionalism in the end will be motivating for “Becks” one would think.
The saga continues and we will see!!

LEBRON JAMES JAMMED ON BY COLLEGE PLAYER
I know this is off the subject of soccer and I like LeBron James but this is pretty funny. Of course not funny to “King James”.
At his LeBron James skills academy apparently in a pick up game the “king” was dunked on by a college sophmore named Jordan Crawford who plays at Xavier.
What is even funnier is that image being so important to the NBA player, James had some handlers confiscate video tapes.
Too funny! Guess you need to bring your “A” game at all times.

What are your thoughts on Beckham, MLS and Landon Donovan?

The podcast of last night’s Dynamo All Access with Glenn Davis is available at 790thesportsanimal.com, click podcast, click Glenn Davis.

Guests: Dynamo CEO Chris Canetti
U.S. international and KC Wizard Davey Arnaud

Lots of great calls on this show on variety of topics from the environment at Reliant for the Mexico/Panama game, Dynamo at Seattle and much more!