Name: Houston Dynamo

Head Coach: Dominic Kinnear

2011 Record: 12-9-13, 2nd Eastern Conference, 7th overall

Twitter Hashtag: #HoustonDynamo

The Dynamo are the defending Eastern Conference champions, but all the talk this offseason has been about other teams.  That’s not to say the winter has been cruel to the team; in fact they will be opening a new soccer stadium this year.  Their captain has returned after a hiatus and their ownership situation is getting a little clearer.  And they have one of the best coaches in the league.

But all is not perfect in Houston.  The team needed a late hot streak to make the MLS Cup, where it offered next to nothing in terms of competing with LA.  Despite their strengths, there are certain weaknesses throughout the team.  Is this team good enough for back-to-back MLS Cup appearances for the first time since, well, the Dynamo did it with the Revs in 2006 & 2007?

Coaching And Front Office: At this point Dominic Kinnear has to be recognized as one of the best coaches in MLS.  Despite not having the financial resources as some of his compatriots (wait, there’s a salary cap?) Kinnear seems to get the most out of his players every year.  Since taking over for Frank Yallop with the old San Jose ‘Quakes, he has taken this franchise to three MLS Cups, won two Supporters Shields, made one CONCACAF Champions League semifinal, and only missed the playoffs once.  He’s a definite strength every time the team takes the field.

Key Losses:  The team lost some depth players this offseason but nothing too earth shattering.  Hunter Freeman goes to Colorado robbing the team of a proven fullback.  Danny Cruz makes the long plane ride to DC in a trade for allocation money, robbing the club of some midfield depth.  Same for Carlo Costly, except in the forwards’ spot.  Where this hurts Houston is if the replacements they’ve brought in so far are unable to add good depth, which is especially important with the team’s CCL commitments.  The positive is that most of the players released freed up cap space.

Key Additions: Although he’s not technically an addition, the re-acquisition of Brian Ching after not protecting him in the expansion draft gives the team a leader and a decent threat at forward.  Another forward option acquired was Macoumba Kandji from Colorado.  Kandji is athletic and talented, and gives the Dynamo a good option off the bench at that position.  Getting Nathan Sturgis from Seattle was a good pick-up, as the midfielder can contribute some minutes to the club across their fixture list. The team also drafted seven players in the 2012 Super- and supplemental drafts.

Projected Starters: Tally Hall picked the wrong year to have his breakout.  His outstanding season was overshadowed by the growth of the younger Bill Hamid and Sean Johnson, making his chances at a national team spot seem remote.  Still Hall is good enough to play internationally (or at least get a shot) and has become one of the best keepers in MLS.  For the back four, Andrew Hainault has locked down a spot with Jermaine Taylor, veteran Bobby Boswell, and Corey Ashe.  Kofi Sarkodie will push for a starting spot or push Ashe forward but after those names there is a definite lack of proven depth.

Brad Davis is the key to the midfield.  Pushing David Beckham for the assist lead the entire season, Davis was a finalist for the MLS MVP award.  Look for him to continue setting up the forwards for scoring opportunities.  Geoff Cameron can play holding midfielder or drop back to the backline.  Former Sounder Sturgis could challenge for a starting spot on the wing.  Davis and Cameron alone make this a good midfield, but their support players are lacking.  Look for draftee Warren Creavalle to possibly make a run at starting.

Up front it will be starting by committee.  Will Bruin was sporadic as a starter last season.  He looked awesome at times and disappeared at others.  He needs to be more consistent this year to earn a starting spot.  Caleb Carr is a good option to start at forward but could be challenged by players behind him.  Kandji may be able to use the move south to find a consistent starting role.  First round draft pick Colin Rolfe could also challenge for starting time.  And of course there’s Brian Ching.  But to be honest, there are a lot of good to decent starting options here but no one great #9 who will convert all of those Davis passes.

Player To Watch:  Will Bruin was drafted last year to be the next Brian Ching, a forward who can score consistently and be a fixture in Houston.  While he is only a second year player, he hasn’t shown signs of that promise yet.  Maybe this is the year he takes a big step forward; if he does that would be a huge help to a team that has some cap space but not a ton for a high-priced player.

Best Case Scenario:  Kandji and/or Bruin and/or Carr and/or Rolfe is the answer the team was looking for at forward.  The added fixtures don’t dent their depth and the reserves and draftees are solid.  They make another run at the MLS Cup but this time push the Galaxy to the brink in the championship, beating the overwhelming favorites for a third MLS Cup as the Dynamo.

Worst Case Scenario:  The striker situation is as bad as feared and Brad Davis can’t turn sublime passes into assists due to lingering injuries.  The team doesn’t have the depth to withstand three competitions and there is no gas for a late season run.  The Dynamo limp into the playoffs in the fifth spot but bow out quickly.

Prediction:  Never doubt a Dominic Kinnear team, but I don’t see this team as having improved substantially while some of their rivals in the East have.  I think they will make the playoffs but the increase in games and lack of substantial depth will prevent this team from back-to-back Eastern Conference championships.  They will finish fourth in the Eastern Conference.

As the preseason gets into full swing and rosters begin to stabilize, it’s time to take a look at the men who pull the strings and have the greatest impact on the team itself.  The modern manager is part tactician, part showman, and part PR man.  The best are the ones who can bring a diverse team together and make it into a trophy-winning side.  Rarely can a side win an MLS Cup, Open Cup, or Supporters Shield with a mediocre or poor manager.  However, at times its the team that makes the man and only the perfect marriage of players and manager that can make a championship.  A manager is especially important in MLS, with the salary cap and built-in rules designed to promote parity.

These men are masters of the realm, the best managers in MLS today.  The following ranking is my own top five managers in MLS going into the 2012 season.  Keep in mind this is not an all time list but simply looking ahead to the 2012 season.  Agree or disagree?  Make your opinions known in the comments section.

5.  Piotr Nowak:  Maybe the restructuring going on in Philadelphia is Nowak’s way to challenge himself.  The veteran coach has taken a new franchise and by year two had made the Union into a Eastern Conference championship contender.  Building the team around a stout defense and the timely scoring of his offense, Nowak has made the club in his image and, even with the departures, Philadelphia is now a team to watch every year.  His work with DC United, leading them to their fourth MLS title in 2004, only adds to his coaching resume.  Although he does not have the large number of trophies some of the others on this list have, he is undoubtedly established himself as one of the best head coaches in the league.

4.  Schellas Hyndman:  Although at times his decisions are questionable (Brek Shea as a full back?), Hyndman is a long-time collegiate coach who finally got the right opportunity to prove his worth with FC Dallas in 2008.  His defining win was a 3-0 defeat of Los Angeles in the 2010 Western Conference finals over a team that looked like the best in the league with a healthy David Beckham.  Although Dallas lost the 2010 MLS Cup in overtime, the former SMU head coach has done a good job balancing his roster and replacing departed players, especially in the midfield.  Under his watch David Ferreira blossomed into one of the most dangerous midfielders in the league and with some promising youth coming up through the system this year, Hyndman may soon be able to chase down that elusive MLS Cup.

3.  Sigi Schmid:  For a guy who never played professional soccer, Schmid gets this league.  His uncanny ability to identify talent and his in-game ability to identify mismatches has made the former UCLA Bruin the brain behind the constantly-successful Seattle Sounders.  A team with a rich history and demanding fan base, Schmid gave the league a blueprint for how to compete in MLS from year one, a blueprint that teams as recently as Montreal are looking to emulate.  He is the most successful U.S. Open Cup head coach in the modern era and has guided the careers of many of MLS’s greatest stars.  His LA Galaxy team was also one of two MLS clubs to ever win an intercontinental cup.  He is the winningest head coach in MLS history and has the Sounders poised to challenge for the 2012 MLS Cup.

2.  Dominic Kinnear:  The coach of this year’s Eastern Conference champions narrowly edges Sigi Schmid in my rankings because since 2006, Houston has been one of the league’s most successful teams.  Besides winning back-to-back MLS Cups in 2006 and 2007, this year may have been his best coaching job, leading an arguably less talented team to the MLS Cup.  All of this is even more impressive considering the fact that the team has worked within a tight budget and a changing ownership situation.

1.  Bruce Arena:  The National Soccer Hall of Famer continues to prove that he is arguable the greatest American soccer coach of all time.  Even though he had three famous designated players, it was his work with the Galaxy’s defense that was most impressive about the 2011 Galaxy.  The keys to the defense were that the two major contributors, A.J. De La Garza and Omar Gonzalez, were Arena draftees.  Arena guided a dominant team through a dominant season, essentially staking claim to the MLS Cup early in the season and never relinquishing it.  His history is unparalleled in the U.S., but even going into the new season he is still in a class by himself and recognized by many as the best head coach out there.

“In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king” said a famous philosopher centuries ago, but he may as well have been writing for MLS Talk about the 2011 Eastern Conference champions.  The Houston Dynamo took advantage of a weak conference and a hot streak to face the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS Cup last season.  This is not to take anything away from the Dynamo: they are a very talented team centered around 2011 revelations Tally Hall, Geoff Cameron, and Brad Davis.  To dismiss this team as a one-year wonder could be a mistake, as they return most of their conference championship line-up in 2012 as well as their most critical component: Dominic Kinnear.

However, the team does face some critical questions in the new year, questions that require some attention in the few months remaining before First Kick 2012.  As such, here are “Three Questions” about the Houston Dynamo:

1. Who will play up front?

The big offseason story for the Dynamo (more than the stadium naming or the rumor that AEG might sell their stake in the club) is that legend Brian Ching has accepted his role as a member of the Montreal Impact (for background see the article I wrote late last year).  While it allows the club to move forward without sacrificing a good player to Montreal and with a little more cap space, the impact (no pun intended) of Ching being left unprotected will resonate with the fans and their view of management.  Setting that aside, the loss also leaves the team with a bit of a gap at the forward position, especially considering that Carlo Costly has moved on to Atlas.

Currently, the club has three forwards under contract: Calen Carr, Will Bruin, and Cam Weaver.  All three are good players, none of them are currently consistent top-level goal scorers the team needs to take advantage of Brad Davis’s assists.  While the team has limited cap space (more on this below) they need to find that Blas Perez-type consistent, veteran presence who they know will finish the chances the midfield will create.

2. Is the defense the best in MLS, or as good as it looks?

Don’t look know, but Houston may be challenging Los Angeles and Real Salt Lake for the best defense in the league.  It may not be this year, but probably soon.  Start with keeper Tally Hall, who made a huge step forward last season to enter into top-flight MLS keeper status with an excellent year.  In his late twenties, he is approaching the prime years for a keeper and looks to add some polish to his already impressive game.

In front of Hall is a back line that is coming together nicely.  Bobby Boswell and Geoff Cameron form a good center back pairing that lacks the pizazz of some other partnerships, but is effective for the team.  The two starting full backs (Andre Hainault and Corey Ashe) look to have established themselves as ideal for the positions.  Right now Houston does not have the best defense in MLS, but with an offseason of growth we may soon be speaking of them with the likes of Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Real Salt Lake.

3. What’s the money situation?

Ownership has already made a few moves to bolster the team, specifically making a trade to acquire Nathan Sturgis from wheeling-dealing Toronto FC.  However, ownership has stressed that they will be making do with little cap space.  These pronouncements come at an odd time: the new stadium has a naming-rights deal and the team even has a small local TV deal.  However, the biggest financial question mark is the announcement by AEG that they want to sell their 50% stake in the team.  This is a positive development for the league (anyone who says last year’s MLS Cup was not a conflict of interest is crazy) but how the salaries will be managed until the deal is complete may limit the team’s financial flexibility.  Keep an eye on this situation.

Where were you when the news dropped that U.S. soccer fired Bob Bradley?

A day after the Manchester United blitz of the MLS All Stars, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced the immediate termination of head coach Bob Bradley.  According to the federation’s press release, the firing happened during a meeting in Carson City.

“We want to thank Bob Bradley for his service and dedication to U.S. Soccer during the past five years,” said Sunil Gulati. “During his time as the head coach of our Men’s National Team he led the team to a number of accomplishments, but we felt now was the right time for us to make a change. It is always hard to make these decisions, especially when it involves someone we respect as much as Bob. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

It was no secret that the poor results during the Gold Cup, which ended with a devastating loss to Mexico, hurt Bradley’s standing.  While the United State’s most recent World Cup run had some incredible highlights, none better than Landon Donovan’s goal, the team underachieved in the eyes of many.  The same mistakes also kept popping up in U.S. team matches: the failure of young players to step up, not scoring the first goal (although this wasn’t the problem against Mexico), and failure to settle on a system/formation.

The timing, however, is bizarre. If U.S. Soccer was unhappy with the Gold Cup, why not fire Bradley then?  Unless there is something we don’t know that happened behind the scenes, the timing does not make sense except that the new coach will have a chance to assemble the rosters for the fall friendlies.

So who’s next?  It is no secret that Gulati’s white whale has been Jurgen Klinsmann, who has repeatedly turned the job down.  With a new position and rebuild under his control in Toronto, it is distinctly possible the U.S. job is less attractive to him now.

If the USSF wanted to turn to MLS to hire its new coach, its most promising candidates are all in playoff runs.  Jason Kreis is trying to lead RSL to its second MLS Cup in three years, Sigi Schmid has Seattle points behind LA, Dominic Kinnear’s Houston is chasing the Eastern Conference teams but is in the race, and Hans Backe obviously is trying to win an illusive title for New York.  Bruce Arena is a possibility, but he’s been on this ride before.

The depth in the federation is also lacking, with the firing of Thomas Rongen and not having named his replacement.  So a likely replacement will come from outside the United States.  But who is available?  The only big name Euro coaches are those who haven’t been picked up by a team – Carlo Ancelotti, Claudio Ranieri, Diego Maradona.  A big name that is available and has international experience is Marcello Lippi, the World Cup-winning manager for the Italian national team in 2006.

USSF will hold another press conference Friday; what do you expect them to say tomorrow?  Who do you think will or should be the next head coach of U.S. national team?

In his short but impressive coaching career, Jason Kreis may be approaching heights unseen by an MLS coach.  This weekend he essentially fielded a backup squad that handled an undefeated Revolution squad.  RSL is in the CONCACAF Champions League final and is the prohibitive favorite to win a second MLS Cup in three years.  Also an impressive player, Kreis is compiling the sort of record and experience that, if he were coaching in England, would make bigger clubs take note.  Now may be the time to ask – is Jason Kreis the right MLS manager to make the leap to the European coaching ranks?

MLS head coaches have in the past been rumored to be ready to take the next step to Europe.  Octavio Zambrano was a head coach in Moldova and Hungary but has now returned to the U.S.  Both Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley were rumored candidates for English jobs, with Bradley supposedly being considered by both Aston Villa and Fulham in 2010.  But neither were actually hired despite high-profile victories at the international level and winning MLS Cups.

So before we address whether Kreis should be that coaching pioneer, we need to address what impact MLS coaches going to Europe would have on the league. We spend much time and energy debating whether MLS players should make the jump and how that affects the league, and the general consensus is that the best players benefit from European playing time while those who are good MLS players might benefit more from staying in the U.S.  Where that line is drawn is where the debate is.  This season we are beginning to see the benefits of the exporting of MLS players: the league is getting players back in return.  Not only are the Beckhams of the world coming to America, but loanees like Simon Dawkins are coming over.  Dawkins, on loan from Tottenham, has given the ‘Quakes a scoring option besides Chris Wondolowski.

Would exporting coaches be the same?  Not quite, but there would be some similarities.  MLS currently imports Europeans who have played in Europe and in American leagues (Steve Nicol) and now is beginning to bring in new coaches from specific systems (Aron Winter).  If American head coaches began to be viewed as possible managerial candidates in Europe, then I think the best young coaches would begin to be poached by European clubs.  But this experience would be good for these MLS head coaches and allow them to expand their strategy and tactics beyond the North American viewpoint.  Having someone like Jason Kreis go to the Championship, for example, would allow him to immerse himself in different football philosophies and learn the latest trends overseas.  When he returns to MLS or is named USMNT head coach, he has a more diverse viewpoint to construct a winning team and improve the quality of MLS or the national team.

So if we agree this is a good thing, than who would be the best coach to make the jump?  The obvious answer is Bob Bradley, since he is the best known American coach/former MLS manager around.  Ideally, though, he is unavailable until after the 2014 World Cup.  Kreis right now is the hot name in MLS, possibly adding numerous trophies to the Real Salt Lake trophy case.  But he has few roots to any league outside of MLS, having played his entire career in the states and having not coached elsewhere.  I can imagine many teams would hesitate to hire someone with just MLS experience.  So is there a successful MLS coach with international experience that would catch the eye of a European club looking for something different?

There are a few actually.  The obvious answer is Bruce Arena, but at age 59 he may be too old for clubs to want to take a chance on.  A younger choice is Dominic Kinnear at age 43.  Kinnear played a bit in Scotland when he was younger as well as a year in Mexico, so he does have some international experience.  He has been a success in MLS, winning two MLS Cups with the Dynamo.  If I were a club in the Scottish or Irish Premier League, or lower levels of the English game, Kinnear is the type of head coach I would consider hiring if I wanted to garner a little attention and try something different.

If you expand the list to consider internationals who are currently coaching in MLS, then there are several viable candidates to leave MLS in the future.  I can’t believe Steve Nicol won’t get an offer back in England at some point, especially if he is successful in rebuilding the Revolution this year.  Aron Winter is being groomed for bigger things and he could return to the continent if he is able to successfully construct a Total Football Toronto.  Colorado’s Gary Smith could be in line for another job as well, especially considering his Arsenal connections and the fact that his owner now is a major player in the EPL with his majority ownership in Arsenal.

So what does the future hold for MLS coaches?  I think it will be a while before American/Canadian born head coaches are viewed as viable coaching candidates in Europe.  Over the next few years we will see foreign-born MLS coaches return to Europe (or Central and South America), showing bigger leagues that MLS is a good league for coaches.  And as bigger-named American stars retire from playing and enter coaching, it will be easier for European clubs to justify their hiring to fans as more than a publicity stunt.  Within the next 10-15 years we will begin to see the export of American head coaches which will lead to an improvement in MLS and the national team.  And it will give the best MLS coaches a chance to show that they are good managers anywhere, not just in North America.

The Houston Dynamo’s 2009 regular season came to an end on Sunday as they beat Chivas USA 3-2 at the Home Depot Center. Coming into Sunday’s match, both teams had secured playoff berths, but the outcome would decide the seeding of the teams. By beating the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, the L.A. Galaxy had secured the top spot in the west going into the 2009 MLS Playoffs, but both Houston and Chivas had a shot at securing the second spot in the west with a win.

The Dynamo, who hadn’t won an MLS match since September 19th, when they beat Real Salt Lake at Robertson Stadium, came out strong with a two goal first half. Defender Andrew Hainault got the first Dynamo goal in the 26th minute, off of a Stuart Holden corner kick, and Dominic Oduro picked up a goal in the 29th minute. In the second half, Abe Thompson, who came on for a banged up Luis Angel Landin, scored the winning goal in the 52nd minute, his first goal as a Houston Dynamo. Chivas attempted to respond in the second half picking up its first goal thanks to Michael Lahoud in the 59th minute and then in the 88th minute Eduardo Lillingston converted a penalty kick. The score line stayed at 3-2 and the Dynamo closed their regular season with an important away victory.

In some ways, finishing in the second spot in the West was a bit of let down for Dynamo fans who saw their team go on amazing nine match streak where they picked up two draws and 7 wins, and putting them ahead in the Supporters Shield race. This streak started on April 19th when the Dynamo got their first win of the season in a home match against the Colorado Rapids. This streak came to an end on June 28th, the same day that the US lost to Brazil in the Confederations Cup final, when the Dynamo lost to the L.A. Galaxy at the Home Depot Center. After that loss, the Dynamo went on to only pick up five more wins in their remaining MLS matches.

During the second half of the MLS season the two main concerns for the Dynamo have been finishing and discipline. Since losing to the Galaxy in June, the only games where the Dynamo scored more then one goal were limited to games that they won. Of their five losses since the start of July, the Dynamo only managed to score in two of those matches. The need for the Dynamo to score goals is highlighted by the fact that in their past for MLS wins, their opponents scored multiple goals. As to why the Dynamo have had trouble finishing, there’s multiple factors, but it does seem that the Dynamo have a tendency to not take many higher risk shots and look for the pass first. The Dynamo will need to take the momentum of their three goals on Sunday and run with it in the playoffs.

While the lack of finishing is something that Houston Coach Dominic Kinnear and his Assistant Coach John Spencer can work on in practice, the lack of discipline is something each Dynamo player needs to keep in mind when they’re on the pitch. On Sunday October 18th, when the Dynamo hosted the Los Angeles Galaxy, Brian Ching picked up a red card when he put his hand in the face of a Galaxy player in a dust-up that began with a hard tackle by David Beckham on Ricardo Clark. Ching’s red card was the fifth Dynamo red card in as many matches. While losing players to injury is hard to prevent sometimes, smart play and decisions by players can protect them from missing action due to yellow and red cards. This past Sunday, the Dynamo managed to break their red card streak, but Geoff Cameron and Eddie Robinson each picked up a yellow card.

With their victory over Chivas USA on Sunday, the Houston Dynamo secured the second spot in the West, giving them home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. On Thursday they play at Seattle Sounders FC, and then will host Seattle on Sunday November 8th. So far, the Dynamo do not have the best record against the expansion side, this summer the Dynamo lost both of their matches in Seattle, one being in the semi-finals in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and Seattle’s only appearance in Houston resulted in a draw. The Dynamo and Dynamo fans are looking to exact a little revenge on the expansion team, and this might be a series where the Dynamo’s veteran playoff experience will give them the edge. No matter the outcome, the Dynamo – Sounders series is shaping up to be one of the more interesting matchups in the round of the 2009 MLS playoffs.

Former Dynamo Player Kei Kamara

Going into Sunday’s home match against the Kansas City Wizards, the Houston Dynamo knew the needed a result to secure their fourth straight playoff berth since moving to the Bayou City, but when forward Cam Weaver received a red card in the 17th minute hopes of an easy victory were quickly dashed. The crowd of 16,854 who braved the early rain that gave way to heat and humidity, were not disappointed because in the 26th minute, Luis Angel Landin scored his first MLS goal, giving the Dynamo a lead going into halftime.

Unfortunately, the Dynamo were unable to maintain their lead, with Zoltan Hercegfalvi scoring the equalizer for Kansas City in the 73rd minute. Former Dynamo player, Kei Kamara, who was warmly received by the Houston crowd, had some good looks at the goal but was unable to convert. Zoltan’s goal was the last of the match, and the one point was enough to secure the Dynamo’s spot in the 2009 MLS Playoffs, which the Dynamo have marked with the launch of their Dream. Scream. Believe. website.

This Sunday, the Dynamo will participate in the inaugural Charities Cup in which they will host Monterrey in a friendly at Robertson Stadium; however, the team will be missing Brian Ching, Stuart Holden, and Ricardo Clark who will be with the US National Team as it takes on Honduras on Saturday night in its penultimate World Cup Qualifier. The Dynamo only have two MLS regular season matches left, it will host Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday October 18th, in what might be David Beckham’s first appearance in Houston since joining MLS, then the Dynamo close their season at Chivas U.S.A. on Sunday October 25th.

Here’s some video that was shot by Erin Dutka following Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Kansas City Wizards (the angle isn’t always right, she’s learning how to use her new Nano still):

Coach Dominic Kinnear following Dynamo draw with Kansas City on October 4, 2009

Luis Angel Landin following Houston draw with Kansas City

Kei Kamara following 1-1 Draw Between Houston and Kansas City

Don’t forget the official MLS video too.

The English Premier League is one of the most popular football leagues in the world for many reasons, especially its coaching soap opera. No other league has managed to turn coaching vendettas and spats into a complex, highly entertaining mix of both low and high art in the manner that the EPL has achieved. Granted the league has been aided by the fact that the English press has more access to the Gaffers then to the players and that the tabloids thrive on cult of personalities, not tactics. The biggest sign of how ingrained the coaching soap opera is in the EPL was the fact that Jose Mourinho was unable to recreate his EPL drama in Serie A.

Here in the United States, the likes of Bora, Steve Sampson, and Bruce Arena have provided the game with some interesting personalities at the national level, but, on the whole, Major League Soccer with its close knit community of coaches has not developed the kind of feuds, vendettas, and sniping that occur amongst the EPL’s coaches. As Ruud Gullit learned in 2008, because of the various salary and player rules in MLS, this is not an easy league to coach in, and success in Europe does not translate to success in MLS. For the most part MLS coaches have enough to focus on without creating unnecessary distractions in the press. In the world of football coaching, the EPL Gaffers are the White Collar guys while the MLS coaches are the Blue Collar guys.

The Blue Collar style of MLS coaching might be best exemplified by one of the best coaches in the league, Dominic Kinnear of the Houston Dynamo. Kinnear, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland, grew up in Fremont, California where he began playing soccer at the age of 5. After spending a year at Hartwick College, Kinnear returned to Scotland where he played for St. Johnstone between 1986 and 1989. Upon his return to the United States in 1989, Kinnear, like many U.S. players, found playing time at clubs in the various professional and semi-professional leagues in the States, like the San Francisco Bay Hawks cum San Jose Hawks (WSL, ASL, APSL, and USISL) and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers (APSL). In 1995, Kinnear played with both Nexaca in Mexico and the Seattle Sounders of the A-League. The formation of the MLS in 1996 allowed Kinnear to play for the Colorado Rapids, San Jose Clash, and Tampa Bay Mutiny until he retired in 2000. In addition to his club career, Kinnear played for the United States National Team from 1990 to 1993, earning 54 caps, but was dropped by Bora prior to the 1994 World Cup – a decision for which Kinnear has apparently not forgiven Bora.

Kinnear has indicated that after retiring from the game he had no interest in becoming a coach, instead he was interested in becoming a teacher. But in 2001, the San Jose Earthquakes hired Frank Yallop as their coach and Yallop talked his old friend, Kinnear, into becoming his assistant coach. Working together, Yallop and Kinnear helped the Earthquakes win the MLS Cup in 2001 and 2003. Kinnear took over as San Jose’s head coach in 2004 after Yallop accepted the coaching position with the Canadian National Team. After winning the Supporters’ Shield in 2005, the team relocated to Houston, Texas as the Houston Dynamo and went on to win the MLS Cup in 2006 and 2007, becoming only the second MLS team to ever win back to back MLS Cups. Currently, the Dynamo have nine wins on the season, and sit atop of the Western Division with 32 points.

In MLS’s short history and the even shorter history of the Houston Dynamo, Coach Kinnear has quietly gone about building a club that is on the verge of MLS Dynasty status. This achievement has not been obtained through splashy signings, flashy news conferences, or making the press focus on himself, rather, Kinnear has achieved his success by putting together a team that combines a hard working team ethic that encourages personal flair and technique.

I have lost count of the number of Dominic Kinnear press conferences that I have attended, but one thing is clear, he expects all of his players to work hard at practice and during games, no matter whether said player is Brian Ching or Erik Ustruck. This attitude was best exemplified following the Dynamo’s home loss to New England on June 12, 2008. Following the match, a match which saw several younger players get extended playing time, Kinnear stated that “No matter who you are in that locker room, if you’re given the opportunity to play, the expectation is to win.” It was that New England match that marked the beginning of the end of the Dynamo career of one fan favorite, Franco Carracio.

Despite Kinnear’s statement that the expectation is to win, he is also the kind of coach that will not blast his players for playing hard and losing. Granted, Kinnear is happy with those kind of losses, but he is willing to recognize that sometimes, even when his players give 100%, a win is not in the cards. This attitude could be seen in Kinnear’s comments after the Dynamo’s home loss to New England this past Saturday. While Kinnear did not completely absolve his players for the loss, he recognized that factors such as fatigue and the heat played a significant role in that match. Furthermore, Kinnear has developed the reputation as a coach who can take a struggling player and revive his career, while also pulling aside his younger players and making it clear what they need to do if they want to stay with the team. Few football fans outside of Houston know Kinnear’s role in the back story to Tyler Deric who rebounded from attitude and substance abuse problems to become the Dynamo’s first homegrown youth academy signing.

While it could be easy to say that Kinnear’s coaching attitude comes from some kind of dour Scottish work ethic, the reality is that Kinnear has a great sense of humor, and, along with Assistant Coach John Spencer, wants the Dynamo clubhouse to be a fun and happy environment. While Kinnear is willing to hold his players accountable for not playing hard during the match, the sense that I get from Dynamo players is that come next practice Kinnear comes in with a good attitude and a smile on his face and willingness to let the players start from scratch as they prepare for the next match. According to the Dynamo players I have talked to, despite the heat and the hard work demanded at practice, the positive attitudes of Kinnear and Spencer make the practices more fun and less tedious. This fun loving attitude that exists within the Dynamo organization is obvious to anyone who follows Stuart Holden, Brian Ching, Bobby Boswell, etc. on Twitter.

In addition to creating a good clubhouse atmosphere and making his expectations clear to his players, Kinnear has exhibited strong squad building and tactical skills. Despite MLS’s salary cap, Kinnear has shown, year in and year out, that he can still build a team with the necessary depth to survive involvement in multiple competitions and the loss of players to extended national team duty. On the tactical end, Kinnear goes into matches with his game plan, but he’s shown a willingness to make tactical changes in response to the course of the match. For example, after going down a goal against New England in the 2007 MLS Cup, Kinnear converted the Dynamo to a 3-5-2 formation and managed to pull out a 2-1 victory.

This summer, the biggest sign of Kinnear’s success as a football coach has best been displayed in matches that have involved the U.S. National Team, not the Houston Dynamo or Dominic Kinnear. Earlier this summer in South Africa, Dynamo midfielder Ricardo Clark, despite a red card against Italy, clearly earned a spot on the 2010 World Cup team after his presence in midfield proved crucial to the U.S. National Team’s success in the Confederations Cup. This past Sunday, it was Dynamo players Brian Ching and Stuart Holden who never gave up during the U.S. National Team’s Gold Cup Final 5 goal loss to Mexico. Brian Ching’s efforts to rally the rest of the MLS based squad fell upon broken spirits. The never give up attitude displayed by Ching and Holden during Sunday’s debacle against Mexico has to be partially, if not completely, attributed to the attitude Kinnear has fostered in the Dynamo clubhouse.

This Wednesday, Dominic Kinnear faces a new test in his coaching career as he takes the reigns of the 2009 MLS All-Star Team which will be playing Everton at Rio Tinto Stadium in Big Sandy, Utah. Although Kinnear will only have a couple days to work with his All-Star squad, American football fans can only hope that his attitude and style rub off a little on the non-Dynamo Houston players.

Kinnear’s on the field success and off the field personality has endeared him to Houston Dynamo fans, fans who, for the most part, have seemingly come to the belief that Dominic Kinnear will be the next coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team. Kinnear’s ability to succeed despite the severe MLS restrictions and his ability to get the best out of his players makes him uniquely suited for succeeding at the U.S. National level, and considering the never give up attitude displayed by Ching and Holden on Sunday, imagine what would have happened if the entire team displayed that same ethos.

If he becomes the U.S. National Team Coach, don’t expect Kinnear to exhibit the quirks of some past National Team coaches, instead, expect a demanding coach who’s not afraid to speak his mind. But also, expect a coach who will smile, who will show emotion, and who is willing to make the necessary tactical changes to win a match.

I do not, and cannot, expect other MLS coaches to wholesale adopt the coaching style of Dominic Kinnear, after all each coach’s style is dictated by his personality and each coach has a different personality, but other coaches in MLS would do well to study and learn from the methods of Dominic Kinnear. We do know that European coaches who do not take the team to adjust to the ways of MLS are doomed to failure, so MLS needs to depend on homegrown coaches, and these coaches need to push MLS players, and demand much from them, without forgetting the importance of team atmosphere. This is how the quality of play in the MLS, and even the U.S. National Team, will improve. For now, we can leave the soap opera to the EPL and hope that MLS coaches will focus on improving the league’s overall quality.

On Saturday, July 4th, the Kansas City Wizards hosted the Houston Dynamo at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in front of a sell out crowd of 10,385. The Dynamo were coming off a lackluster loss to Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday and a lucky draw against Real Salt Lake the previous weekend, and Kansas City was seeking their first MLS win since June 13 when they beat the New England Revolution, 3 – 1.

Kei Kamara got the match’s only goal in the 18th minute when he headed a Mike Chabala cross into the net. Saturday’s goal was Kamara’s fourth goal of the season, a goal which he celebrated with a tribute to the late Michael Jackson. Despite the early Houston goal, the Kansas City Wizards never gave up – racking up 15 shots, only 3 of which were on goal.

With Saturday night’s win, the Dynamo sit atop of the MLS table with 31 points and a league leading nine wins. Kansas City is still within Playoff range, sitting at the fifth spot in the East with 19 points.

Up next for both teams are Quarterfinal matches in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Dynamo travel to Charleston on Tuesday to play the Battery while the Kansas City Wizards head to Seattle to take on the Sounders. On Saturday the clubs resume MLS play as Kansas City heads to New England and the Dynamo make their first visit to Seattle.

Here’s some post match video from the Houston Dynamo dressing room, courtesy of Erin Dutka:

Houston Coach Dominic Kinnear

Houston Dynamo Mike Chabala

Houston Dynamo Kei Kamara

Houston Dynamo Pat Onstad

As a bonus, here’s some video Erin Dutka filmed after the Dynamo’s 2-0 victory over the Austin Aztex in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup:

Houston Coach Dominic Kinnear

Houston Dynamo Corey Ashe

Guiseppe Rossi

In the eyes and opinions of many of you, I am about to defend the indefensible: the decision of Guiseppe Rossi to play for the Italian National Team instead of the United States National Team. This issue came to head this week, with many calling Rossi a Judas or Benedict Arnold, because on Monday Rossi scored two of Italy’s 3 goals against the US at the Confederations Cup in South Africa.

Despite playing for the Italian National Team, Rossi was not born in Italy, he was born in lovely Teaneck, New Jersey on February 1, 1987. His parents, Ferdinando and Cleonilde Rossi; however, were born in Italy and had moved to New Jersey, where they taught at Clifton High School.

Rossi’s football skills were noticed by Parma, of Italy’s Serie A, when Rossi was only 13 years old. Parma offered Rossi a spot in its youth program, which he accepted, moving to Italy with his family. In 2004, after two years in Parma’s youth system, Manchester United bought Rossi’s contract and brought him over to England where he spent two years in Manchester United’s youth system. By this time, Rossi had already attracted attention from Italy’s National Team and had played for several of the National Team’s youth sides, including its U-16 squad.

Rossi ultimately made five appearances with Manchester United’s senior team, scoring a goal against Sunderland, but Manchester United also loaned him out to Newcastle United and Parma. In 2007, Rossi was sold to La Liga’s Villarreal, and there is currently speculation that he might return to Italy via a sale to Serie A’s Juventus this summer.

It was not until the build up to the 2006 World Cup, several years after Rossi first suited up for the Azzurri’s youth squads, that the U.S. National Team made an overt effort to pull Rossi into the USSF’s fold. However, Rossi turned down Bruce Arena’s offer and expressed his desire to play for Italy’s National Team.

Rossi’s dream to play for Italy’s Senior National Team came true in October 2008, when Marcello Lippi called him up for Italy’s match with Bulgaria. In less then a year, Rossi has made six appearances for the Italian National Team and has scored three goals. Baring the unforeseeable, Rossi will most likely be playing for the Azzurri when it defends its World Cup Title in South Africa next summer.

While Rossi was born in the United States, his football skills have been grown and nurtured not by the U.S.’s suburban club soccer, high school soccer, or college soccer, but by the youth systems established by Italy, Parma, and Manchester United. Rossi has developed his technical skills outside of the standard U.S. system, and, as such, is a foreign entity in terms of the USSF system. While Arena might have had an interest in Rossi, I find it hard to believe that Rossi would see serious playing time under the current Bradley regime, which seems to favor past personal relationships and toeing the line over technical ability and independence.

Instead of heaping blame and hate upon Rossi, a young, competitive athlete who chose to play for a team with a proven winning record, fans of the U.S. National Team should criticize the USSF for allowing such a talent to get away. Indeed, fans of the U.S. National Team should start putting pressure on USSF to get Vincenzo Bernardo capped. Like Rossi, Bernardo is an Italian-American who was born in New Jersey and has the option of playing for either the U.S. or Italy. Bernardo, who recently turned 19, is currently a member of SCC Napoli’s Primavera side. While Bernardo has indicated a desire to play for the U.S. Senior National Team, that interest has not been reciprocated and it might only be a matter of team before he turns his eyes toward the Azzurri.

I know the following position will not endure me to many fans of the U.S. National Team, but I cannot help but point out how hypocritical it is for U.S. fans to criticize a player who does not play for the country he was born in. Among those who have been capped by the U.S. National Team, but who were not born in the United States are Tab Ramos, Freddy Adu, Dominic Kinnear, Hugo Perez, Predrag “Preki” Radosavljevic, and Joe Gaetjens, among others. Meanwhile, many U.S. fans are expressing a strong desire to see Jermaine Jones, who was born in Frankfurt and has already played for the German Senior National Team in several friendlies, take advantage to recent FIFA eligibility changes that allow him to play for the U.S. National Team.

The reality is that FIFA’s rules regarding nationality have always had grey areas and wiggle room, and as the world grows more mobile there will be more and more instances of players choosing to play for a national side that does not represent the country in which he was born. Instead of blaming the player for the side he ultimately chooses, attention should be focused on why he made the decision he made. When it comes to players who shun the U.S. National Team, that fault might fall upon the dysfunctional, insular ways of the USSF, not the player.

Click here to watch Rossi’s press conference following Monday’s game against the U.S.