The first time Brian Ching came up to Sports Talk 790 to do a live interview with me back in 2006 I looked at him and said, “score goals here and you can be a star in this town.” I knew that Ching could transcend just soccer and being a bigger sports personality growing closer to those on the Texans, Rockets, and Astros. I like many tire of the soccer comparisons to other sports yet it is one form of measurement.
Still the market was ripe and hungering for the sport to return professionally and Brian fit the mold in alot of ways, goal-scorers can grab attention. Producing four goals against Colorado on the return of professional soccer made a statement and the rest is history. You will hard pressed after Landon Donovan to find many players in MLS history who have scored as many goals of importance, that lived up to the moment like Brian Ching did throughout his career.
I also reminded on Sports Talk 790 after being chosen in the expansion draft by Montreal that all roads for Brian Ching would ultimately lead back to Houston and I believe this deal will get done and you will see him run out at BBVA Compass Stadium on May 12th. He wants to be in Houston and I like you want this man to be honored and go out on his terms as a professional athlete.
When the Montreal Impact let Ching go on leave for personal reasons it just proved their patience had worn. They were out-waited by the Dynamo, knew they had a player that did not desire to be in Montreal and quite frankly was not brought there to be a PLAYER, he was brought there as a bargaining chip to get Dynamo Canadien defender Andre Hainault. All’s fair in love and war I suppose and this is the reality of professional sports?
One day you are one of the league’s all time great players the next day you are an accessory to a trade. The move to draft Ching was within the rules and has backfired on the Impact who were stuck with a $450,000 salary cap albatross while trying to build their team. And yes they are in Europe looking for a designated player.
When building an expansion team with a $2.7 million salary cap, $450,000 is a big hit.
When Ching returns it will be an instant public relations boom to go with moving into a new stadium.
Ching will join a bevy of strikers including Calen Carr, Will Bruin, Cam Weaver, draftee Colin Rolfe, and new signee Mac Kandji.
The question will remain around the Dynamo as to who will be this team’s goal-scorer?
SET UP TO TIME RIGHT
The Dynamo could clearly go into the season with their current crop of players. All of the starters from the Eastern Conference final sans Danny Cruz and currently Brian Ching remain. With guaranteed contracts in MLS coaches and organizations must make player decisions that more often than not are successful. The Dynamo outside of draft choices have picked up midfielder Nathan Sturgis and striker Mac Kandji .
The club will get pressure from fans for a higher profile signing but the return of Brian Ching could appease that if it happens.
MLS still remains a playoff oriented league that organically because of that structure does not reward an overall consistent body of work. This also causes difficulty for front offices that are trying to make a go of it business wise.
You can’t blame teams if they look at the season in a way to time things right much like the Dynamo did dramatically last year. Still an entertaining product must be on display in order for MLS clubs to reach out to the soccer fan.
You heard Dominic Kinnar last night on Sports Talk 790 say he is still looking for players and to improve his club. That could come now or it could come in the summer transfer window or via a trade within MLS.
Thoughts on the Dynamo heading into the 2012 MLS season?
ZAMBIA
If you wanted a cinderella story you got one with Zambia winning the African Nations Cup against heavily favored Ivory Coast and Didier Drogba.
The win on penalty kicks was dramatic and emotional.
Back in 1993 eighteen Zambian players and seven administrators where killed in a plane crash of the coast of Gabon the site of this year’s African Nations Cup.
Zambia was a long shot and become the 14th African Nation to win the ANC. The Ivory Coast lost this tournament without conceding a goal.
All hail the “Cooper Bullets”!
LUIS SCORES
Former Dynamo Luis Landin scord for Puebla in a 2-0 victory over UNAM Pumas. Landin picked up his goal in the 5th minute and Puebla added another in the 67th from Luis Garcia.
BE A PART OF HISTORY at STADIUM OPENING ON MAY 12 vs. DC United
If you are a current season ticket holder you can get additional opening game tickets by going to HoustonDynamo.com in a special deal.
You can also grab your season tickets which will also get you in to the opening game.
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I’m with you and 99% of the rest of the Dynamo supporters when it comes to wanting to see Brian in an orange uniform again, but I have to temper it against the knowledge that Brian is in the twilight of his career, [total] appearances have decreased ever year since 2008, goals have decreased since ’08, injuries are on the rise, there’s a lot more teams with a ‘run-and-gun’ type of attacking offense vs. having 1 forward hold the ball and waiting for his counterpart to make an overlapping run or through ball, etc. Unless he agrees to a reduced salary with Houston, I see ourselves in the same boat at Montreal – a player with a salary of $3-450K on the books, and a need to sign a DP still lingering over our heads. As it is, we have 5 forwards on the books. Do we really need an aging star at $450K sitting on the bench ? Don’t we still need an attacking midfielder ?
“The question will remain around the Dynamo as to who will be this team’s goal-scorer?” I didn’t see Moneyball but, at $350K or $450K/year, statistics would seem to indicate it’s not going to be Brian Ching, at least not in the lead position.
Get Ching and you can still add a designated player. Other teams have 2 to 3 designated players, why can’t we do the same.
c.l. you bring up some good points, however the Dynamo showed last year that a team does not need a lone goal scorer. Think about how fantastic our season was last year. Boswell scores 5… Boswell? Alright thats pretty cool our defender is getting into the goal scoring mix. Then Hainualt scores 2 what the F is going on here. Last season I kept thinking where are the goals gonna come from next? But that kind of stuff happens when you have awesome delivery off of corner kicks (Brad Davis). The fact that Ching scored 5 goals for us last year was phenominal when you compare how much time he was out injured (6) counting that ref denial which was clearly over the line. I agree I want a dp, however I think it should come in the form of a right midfielder who can compliment Davis on the left. I feel Bruin will have a breakout year for us now that he has those rookie year nerves gone.
Glenn, I for one love the playoff oriented season. I think the drama of the playoffs is where its at for any league. It gives hope to the above average teams and puts a lot of pressure on the powerhouse teams to perform in the playoffs like they do during the rest of the season. Just think how awesome it would have been if the Dynamo tied then beat Galaxy in OT for the final last year, David and Goliath. Then you have your Derbys through out the season to help add excitement. Which brings me to our Texas Derby that will only be one game this year for some retarded reason. I dont like the way the premier league does it because typically the teams that spend the most money are the ones who win. United has won 12 times in 19 years. With playoffs, you never know whats going to happen. Of course thats just my opinion and I could be wrong (Dennis Miller).
Glenn: I for one would love to see Ching back. He was one of my favorites. Money is an issue although he has earned every penny. As far as the Orange go, they need to re-structure his contract to be able to sign players within the 2.7 mil. payroll MLS has set. To me that is peanuts when you compare other sports. Still, there is something to be said for the increase of the sport and the way it has grown throughout the USA while maintaining these rediculous payroll demands. I love soccer especially these guys and I wish Ching rejoins the team and we add a wing and another forward, just for grins.
I love the playoff system come playoff time. I don’t like it because it tempers urgency and like other leagues outside of the NFL more emphasis and reward has to be given to the teams that play the best over the course of the season. The Dynamo had some rough patches last year and in my opinion every game is an opportunity to grow the sport and gain new fans!!
The finish and the run in the playoffs was spectacular!!!