It was an underwhelming display last night, but the Seattle Sounders held on to defeat the home-team Colorado Rapids 1-0, despite having a man advantage the entire match.  Colorado played an aggressive game, pressing throughout while Seattle was content to use their man advantage and hit on the counter.

Obviously the key to this match was the third minute red card given to Brian Mullan for his leg-breaking tackle on Steve Zakuani.  Earl has a post on this topic, so please share your thoughts on the incident in the comments of Earl’s post.  I mention it simply because from that point on the tactics of the match changed.  With Mullan off, Omar Cummings dropped from a forward position to the wing and left Caleb Forlan as the lone striker.  Seattle put on Alvaro Fernandez to replace Zakuani in the mid-field.

The match’s only goal came in the 19th minute on a Seattle counter.  Colorado  had put together some good possession in the Seattle half but a turnover led to the quick strike.  Seattle took advantage of being a man up when O’Brian White raced down the sideline and found Morales outside the Colorado box.  Morales, drawing the retreating Rapids defenders, slide the ball to Fredy Montero who slotted the goal through the legs of Matt Pickens.  Replays show that Pickens might have been able to make a play on the shot, but regardless it was Montero’s first goal since September 1.

After the goal, the Rapids controlled possession and used their passing to not only keep the ball away from Seattle but create an occasional chance despite being a man down.  Seattle threatened throughout but it was the Rapids who showed the determination to try and salvage a point out of the match.  They welcomed back Pablo Mastroeni to the lineup and his presence showed what Colorado had missed while he was out.  Their midfield was the key to holding off many of the Seattle counters.  The Rapids had a late flurry of activity in front of Kasey Keller but Seattle survived a Wells Thompson volley and a Forlan shot.

Obviously the play of this match was altered by the Zakuani injury; it is hard to completely focus after a teammate/opponent is so brutally injury, despite the fact it was unintentional.  But Colorado showed how a team with ten men can stay in a match – take the game to the opposition and keep the ball while making your own chances.  Seattle could have been more aggressive and tried end the match early by scoring a few more goals, but they came away with a needed three points.

Photo by Greg Hickman

On March 19, the Columbus Crew dejectedly walked out of RFK Stadium in Washington on the wrong side of a 3-1 game.  The team allowed two Charlie Davies goals (one a penalty kick) and looked outclassed, out played, and in for a long season.  The result came after they were shown the door from the CONCACAF Champions League by losing 4-1 to Real Salt Lake.  After an offseason where the team jettisoned many of its bigger named players to make room in the salary cap and committed to a rebuilding effort, the team looked destined for a long, long season.

A month later, Columbus sits in a playoff spot.  The team has not allowed a goal since the second Davies’ goal and this weekend held the highest-scoring team in MLS to no goals.  While not an offensive juggernaut, the team is scoring enough to get results.  So are the Crew back to their normal spot near the top of the Eastern Conference for good, or is this an illusion that will wilt away in the summer months?  The answer is, of course, not that simple.

At first glance the schedule up to this point for the Crew has been daunting, but upon closer examination looks to have been quite easy.  After the trip to DC, the Crew hosted the Red Bulls and Dallas, two 2010 playoff teams and teams expected to compete for an MLS Cup this season.  But the Crew played New York during an international break and essentially forced a draw with a “B” team, while Dallas has struggled mightily this season and is still sorting out personnel issues.  The trip to Chivas led to a scoreless draw, not surprising how bad Chivas is, and while Sporting Kansas City is promising, they have a horrendous defense to go with a great offense.  So the schedule has not been a good guidepost to the season so far, except to say the Crew don’t lose to bad teams.

One constant this season has been the defense, which should not be a surprise considering that was one area the team didn’t unload their star power.  MLS star Chad Marshall was retained and paired with a number of new players who have excelled to this point.  Julius James was picked up off the smoldering heap that was DC United’s 2010 backline and has seen a career resurgence.  Rookie Rich Balchan has started all five games and played extremely well.  In net, Will Hesmer has played very well after some uncertainty this offseason as to who would be the starter due to injuries.  The team has not allowed a goal in four matches, a team record and an incredibly accomplishment.  In their last match, Dilly Duka had as many shots on goal (2) as all of the Kansas City players combined.

Another reason for their positive play has been Robbie Rogers, their one consistent offensive threat.  The rift that existed between Rogers and head coach Robert Warzycha has seemingly been resolved; the Crew team on the pitch in DC looked lost and without a real offensive threat until Rogers stepped on the pitch.  So far this year Rogers has scored as many goals (2) as he has the past two seasons.

The upcoming schedule also should be a reason for optimism among Columbus fans.  This weekend, they visit a Toronto team in flux then host the expansion Whitecaps and struggling Sounders (although the Sounders may be finally turning their season around).  Things get tough with back-to-back trips to San Jose and Portland, but they end May by hosting Chivas.  Conceivably, the Crew should pick up at least 12 points through the end of May.

But the reason why Rogers has been so good for the Columbus offense is that the play of the Crew forwards and midfield have been terrible.  Consider that Portland scored as many goals in its home opener as the Crew have scored this season, and that two of those goals came from penalties.  Eddie Gaven has been ok but not really good up front, and while it is still early Andres Mendoza has been a disappointment.  Jeff Cunningham looks his age and fails to convert quality chances.

So can the Crew continue this run and qualify for the playoffs?  In an Eastern Conference with few clear favorites, it is not out of the realm of possibility for them to grab a top three spot if their defense continues to play well.  But for this team to challenge New York for first or even challenge a resurgent Philadelphia or DC, they need to find more consistent offense.  Without a goal scorer either emerging or being acquired this summer, Columbus could be on the outside looking in this September.

The UEFA Champions League(UCL) knockout phase is underway. It’s not an exaggeration to suggest that it attracts a global audience and captivates fans with competition that features many of the greatest players in the game.

When I was just beginning my journey of becoming a soccer fan(2003), I was struck by the emphasis that was directed at clubs finishing in the top 2, 3, or 4 slots because it meant qualification for the Champions League. Note that my first real exposure came courtesy of the then named Fox Soccer World which was broadcasting the Eredivisie, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1, the EPL and other non UEFA leagues. And as I watched the UEFA Champions League(and thoroughly enjoyed the concept and the competition), my thought turned to my own Confederation(CONCACAF) and I wondered if we had anything similar.

Lo and behold, we did, the CONCACAF Champions Cup(CCL) which has since morphed into the CONCACAF Champions League. So naturally I wanted to know if clubs from MLS were participants and how well they fared against our regional foes. In fact, it turns out that MLS did fairly well in its early years. Admitedly, the Cup competition had many fewer entrants than the recently rebranded CONCACAF Champions League, but that didn’t diminish my excitement in learning that MLS wasn’t as bad as I was reading in the soccersphere. In only its second year of existence, 1997, MLS club Los Angeles was a finalist, losing to Mexican powerhouse Cruz Azul. In 1998 DC United won the title, a feat duplicated by the 2000 Los Angeles Galaxy.

Since then however, no MLS club has made it to the finals. In the 8 completed competitions since then, MLS clubs made it to the semi-finals five times. But that in itself is misleading as for several years, MLS clubs entered the tourney in the quarterfinals. In the 2009-2010 version, DC United won its preliminary tie to gain entrance to the group stage, but after a terrible start failed to advance. Houston also failed to advance when they lost their final group stage match against a team that not only had been winless but had a -17 goal differential(Isidro Metapan of El Salvador). Only Columbus survived the group stage and will play Toluca in a home and home tie on March 9 and 17. Toluca, after finishing as top point getter in the ’09 Apertura, is currently struggling with only 10 points from 8 games in the ’10 Clausura.

Columbus will still be in preseason when they meet. But Columbus coach Warszyka acknowledged that their last few preseason matches are being played with an eye towards the CCL. Unfortunately, the Crew are awaiting word on whether Frankie Hejduk and Guillermo Barros Schelotto will be suspended for the March 9 match due to yellow card accumulation during the group phase.

Many people have written articles attempting to explain the failure of MLS clubs to seriously compete in the regional championship. Among the factors to blame for such poor results are:

• fixture congestion
• roster sizes
• poor team quality
• MLS teams simply don’t care and play 2nd teamers in CCL matches
• Lack of incentive

The fixture congestion issue has been attacked by the naysayers who point to Euro leagues and their busy schedules, failing to acknowledge the difference in roster sizes. Some of the bigger Euro clubs have upwards of 60 players(or more) under contract. Beginning in 2009, MLS rosters were reduced from 28 to 24.

Just to fill in the blanks on fixture congestion, it’s going to be a little bit ‘worse’ this year with the league taking off for the two weeks of World Cup group play. Here are the numbers and you may judge for yourself the impact on MLS clubs.

Last summer the preliminary round(home and home) ran from July 28-August 4. For the period running from July 25 to August 4(11 days), RBNY had one league match and lost to W Connection(T&T). OK, we all know they sucked, so no big surprise there. Toronto FC had 2 league matches during that period and lost out to the Puerto Rico Islanders. DC United also had two matches and progressed to the group phase by defeating Luis Firpo of El Salvador. The dates for the preliminary rounds of the 2010-11 competition haven’t been set yet so here are the MLS match counts for the two teams from MLS, LA(MLS Cup loser), and Seattle(US Open winner) for the period July 24-August 11. LA has three league matches and Seattle has four. We’ll have to wait for the completion of the Canadian Nutralite Championship to see if Toronto joins the other MLS teams in the preliminary round.

The 2009-10 group phase(6 matches) ran from August 18 to late October, essentially the end of the MLS regular season. From August 15 to season’s end, DC United had 10 league matches and failed to progress. Houston had 8 league matches and failed to progress, while Columbus had 9 league matches and advanced(as well as winning the Supporters’ shield). For the 2010-11 CCL, Columbus and RSL are in the group phase. From August 14 to the end of the season, Columbus has 11 matches, 2 more than they had in 09-10 and RSL has 10, the same as DCU in 09-10. Too much information? Well, it’s been a big part of the discussion, so I just put it out there.

As to the financial incentive, I give you this from the 2009-10 events…

The money factor, to be honest, has different implications for MLS than from any other league or teams, be it in CONCACAF, with it’s measly prize awards, UEFA, or CONMEBOL for that matter. UEFA clubs use the huge awards not only to balance their books, but for war chests to be used in acquiring new players in the ever upward spiraling marketplace of world class players. For MLS clubs, operating under a salary ‘cap’, the maximum reward of $77,000 is almost meaningless, except to the low salary players for whom any piece of the player share of prize money would have significance.

So what is the incentive for MLS clubs? Respect. Plain and simple. The Mexican league is clearly the dominant league in CONCACAF. Their teams have won 6 of the last 8 CONCACAF club titles, including the last four(Costa Rican teams won the other two). In addition to cementing their perch at the top of CONCACAF, those teams and the league get to extend their brand by their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup. For me, that’s the big reward and it shouldn’t be undervalued.

I guess it’s apparent that I’m a supporter of the CCL. As such, I’ve been collecting articles by folks I respect that touch on the topic. Here are a few….

Tom Dunmore on Pitch Invasion -Jan ’08 – A good Idea

Luis Bueno on SI.com -Jan ’08 – An ill bred concept

Steve Davis on ESPNSoccernet -Aug ’09 – MLS not focused

Steve Goff on Soccer Insider= -Aug ’09 – A Player’s thoughts

Bryan Zygo on MLS Talk -Aug ’09 – A Call for MLS to get serious

And here are links to Champions’ League websites.

CAF Champions League(Africa)

AFC Champions League(Asia)

CONCACAF Champions League(North America)

Copa Libertadores(South America)

The second round of the MLS Cup Playoffs has the two higher seeds in each conference hosting their opponents from last week’s match-ups. In the four matches from last week, the home teams either tied or won leaving the seeded favorites with work to do if they hope to advance to the conference finals. The path seems more difficult in the Eastern Conference, where the Columbus Crew and the Chicago Fire each trail in their aggregate-goal series by a one-goal deficit. Starting tonight at Crew Stadium and ending Saturday in Bridgeview, Illinois, the pressure is on for the two best teams in the east.

In the Western Conference, the higher seeds faired much better in their first matches. Both the Houston Dynamo and the Los Angeles Galaxy earned hard-fought draws against their respective opponents the Seattle Sounders FC and Chivas USA. The schedule makers treat us to a doubleheader on Sunday, with Robertson Stadium doing their best Qwest Field impersonation — but splashed in orange — for the second seeded Dynamo, and the Home Depot Center hosting the two Los Angeles clubs. Because of the drawn first games, these return leg contests are winner-take-all.

On the surface, it is fair to say that the playoff results have been as expected. Predictably defensively minded match-ups in the Western Conference were borne out in Seattle and Los Angeles. The scoreless draw at Qwest Field seems to favor Houston going into their game this Sunday, but they will need to keep in mind that last year saw them in the same situation, and they went on to lose 3-0 to the New York Red Bulls. No one in Dynamo Orange wants to repeat their home collapse of 2008; the team will not take this year’s opponent as lightly. Back at the HDC, host Chivas USA and the Galaxy did eventually draw 2-2, but not because of good attacking soccer, rather as a result of poor defending. Take away the brutal displays at both ends of the field and that match was evenly played throughout. The total defensive calamity should not be repeated the second time around as the Galaxy assumes the title as “home team.”

The Eastern Conference week one results were equally predictable. Neither host dominated play, but did enough to finish with one-goal advantages heading into their return leg matches. Real Salt Lake preserved a 1-0 victory over the scoring-challenged Crew — no goals in nearly four straight games — in a rather pedestrian affair. Columbus returns home with a line-up that should include reigning league MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto and playmaker Alejandro Moreno, both missing from the first game, making the prospects for the Crew that much more promising. The Chicago Fire returns home after having surrendered a one-goal lead to the New England Revolution in a 2-1 loss at Gillette Stadium. They will need to halt the momentum of the Revs with a win at Toyota Park to keep their season alive.

Will all four higher seeds advance to the MLS Cup playoff semi-finals this week? Based on the results of the last week, the answer appears to be an unequivocal “yes.” However, history tells us otherwise, as a dramatic number of higher seeded teams have lost to their lower ranked opponents in these aggregate-goal home-and-home playoff series since they were instituted by MLS in 2003. Out of the 24 series in the past six years, the higher seed has advanced in just 15 — a winning percentage of 63%. The prospects for the higher seeds get even worse when looking at the specific circumstances the four teams are in this year. 7 out of 12 times (58%) the higher team survived after losing the first leg of the series, and 4 out of 7 times (57%) the higher team advanced after a first match draw. If the past is a good predictor of the future, that unequivocal “yes” becomes an obvious “no.” Only in that first year (2003) did all four higher seeds manage to make it to their conference finals, and as many as three higher seeds have been eliminated (2005) after the first round.

So, there has to be an upset this year, right? As we’ve discussed, history tells us this is most likely. The playoff adage that “anything can happen” should be better phrased as “something will happen.” I would argue that the playoff seedings are essentially meaningless given that the higher seed does not really gain an advantage in the current playoff structure. Sure, they get to host the second game of the series in front of their home fans, which could include any necessary extra-time and penalty kick shootouts, but that doesn’t significantly outweigh the fact that they still play at the lower seed in game one. In fact, because team parity is the rule in MLS, it should come as no surprise that the higher seed has survived only 63% of the time since 2003.

Given that the higher seeds in the Eastern Conference have the more difficult path to the semi-finals due to their one-goal deficits, the most likely team to suffer at the hands of a lower seed is the Chicago Fire. For this, look no further than their home record over the 2009 regular season. The Fire weren’t much more than an average team at Toyota Park, gaining only 5 wins out of 15 home matches. Needing a win on Saturday to keep their season alive, the Fire will need to buck that regular season trend. Also not in favor of the Fire is their scoring output at home, just 16 goals (and 17 goals allowed) in 2009. The statistics suggest a New England result in this match-up, and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.

While I still expect the other higher seeds to advance, including my overall pick for the MLS Cup — the Houston Dynamo — the Fire look to be the odd team out this postseason. Sorry Chicago, better luck in 2010.

photo courtesy Joshua Trujillo/seattlepi.com

What was Pat Onstad thinking? How could he lose his cool so suddenly in the most important game in the Dynamo’s season? A dangerous cross came through the penalty area, just out of his reach, and continued over the byline. Sure, replays show Fredy Montero obstructing the goalkeeper, but not in any way dangerously. Besides, he has as much right to get position on the cross as Onstad. So when the ‘keeper charged the young striker, chest-first, knocking him to the ground, a red card from referee Ricardo Salazar was certainly next. The Dynamo would be down to 10 men, without their veteran goalkeeper for the rest of this game and the return leg in Houston, and looking at a second successive first round exit in the MLS Cup playoffs. However, Salazar conferred with his officiating crew and proceeded to display a yellow card to Onstad. The Seattle crowd roared furiously, viewers across the nation were left scratching their heads – even the announcers seemed to be surprised.

Perhaps if the push had occurred on any other player than Fredy Montero, there would have been a red card. Unfortunately for the young Colombian, he has developed a reputation throughout MLS for his unsporting tactics. So while Onstad escaped with a yellow card, Montero was also booked for his part in the altercation. As Kartik Krishnaiyer introduces in the previous article, these often despicable actions do little to endear Montero to the general American soccer fan. Even some Seattle supporters have expressed their displeasure at the perceived cheating. He is still early in his career, and one hopes that Montero can learn to use his skills with the ball to find success in MLS – not his dives.

On the play that could have changed the whole complexion of this playoff series, Pat Onstad explained his side. “He just picked me and, to be honest, I just gave him a super-light bump,” he said to reporters after the game. “He went down like he normally does and rolled around a few times. I think if it had been Nate Jaqua, he would’ve just brushed his shoulder like there was a fly buzzing him.”

Onstad may be underselling his part in the altercation. Replays show the goalkeeper visibly upset at Montero’s actions, and the “super-light bump” was given with heavy intent. According to a report from the referees, a yellow card was given instead of a red because of the action of the push – no hands or head, just the chest. However, it seemed clear that there was malicious behind the push, and could have easily been awarded with an ejection from the game. Onstad was saved by the poor reputation of Montero, a point he referred to in further post-game comments: “[T]hat’s Fredy. I knew as soon as I bumped, ‘That’s the wrong guy to bump, Pat.” So, I got what I deserved and I’m sure the referee felt [Montero] embellished a little bit.”

Give credit to the referees in this hotly contested match. Both the Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders FC earned eight red cards apiece during the regular season. The Dynamo in particular was being labeled in the media as being “undisciplined.” Preparation prior to the game for the officiating crew must have entailed the profiling of players most likely to inflict dangerous play. The Onstad/Montero incident occurred in the 15^th minute of the match, with each earning a yellow card. With the precedent set for the remainder of the game, only four more yellows were issued, despite a number of other reckless and dangerous tackles. Should the head referee Ricardo Salazar made more of a statement early with a sending off of Pat Onstad (and perhaps Montero as well?) Fortunately he did not, and despite the early fireworks, as exciting a scoreless draw as you will see played out.

Houston visits Seattle in MLS Cup playoffs

Our reward for enduring through 32 weeks of regular season matches is a fascinating final four in the Western Conference playoffs. While the Chivas USA versus Galaxy doubleheader in Los Angeles stacks up to be a tough defensive struggle for both squads, expect fireworks from the Houston Dynamo and the Seattle Sounders FC. The Sounders won twice against Houston in Seattle this season – once in the regular season and once in the US Open Cup playoffs – and will hope to repeat that result when the two teams face off in game one of their MLS Cup playoff matchup tonight at Qwest Field. Houston will have their full squad available this time around, and hope the phrase “third time’s a charm” holds true. Over 33,000 fans are expected to attend the expansion team’s first foray into postseason soccer, creating what will be a formidable home field advantage for the Sounders. Game time is 10pm on the east coast, 7pm out west – this is beyond a doubt Thursday night “Must See TV!”

Does Seattle have what it takes to win tonight? Home and home playoff series have historically been toss-ups for the #2 seed versus #3 seed pairing in MLS. The key in this aggregate goals format is a strong start in game one. After a lull during the middle of the season, Seattle has recaptured their confidence with a string of strong performances both away from home and on the artificial turf of Qwest Field. However, can this team adjust to the pressures of the MLS playoffs? The experience will be new for many of those wearing the Green and Blue, but not for two of their key players – Freddie Ljungberg and Kasey Keller. Ljungberg, from his central midfielder position, has orchestrated the last two Seattle wins, tallying four assists from their 5 goals. The Swede international should relish the chance to prove himself on the big stage that defines the American sports playoffs. On the defensive side of the ball, Keller and his defensive four finished the MLS season allowing a league low 10 goals at home. The veteran goalkeeper provides the confidence and leadership that will make it tough for Houston to break through tonight.

The key for Seattle is the play of their strikers – Freddy Montero and Nate Jaqua. The two combined for 21 goals and 14 assists this season, eye-popping numbers for an expansion team. They face a Houston Dynamo defense that should be at full strength, not the makeshift lineup they faced in their two victories earlier this season. With Ljungberg providing the service, Montero and Jaqua will need to convert on their scoring chances in order to gain the victory tonight. The Seattle defense is ready to do their part, getting a result beyond a draw will be up to the forwards.

Will Houston regain their playoff swagger after last season’s early exit? Seattle says all the right things, but they must be happy just to get to the playoffs in their inaugural season. Houston expects to be in the postseason every year, and believes they will triumph in the MLS Cup Final. The devastating loss to New York Red Bulls in 2008 – the biggest playoffs upset in MLS history – should provide ample motivation this time around. Dom Kinnear’s veteran squad was criticized for playing on cruise control during stretches of the regular season, often displaying a lack in discipline along the way. Still, the Dynamo finished the season with the second best record in the Western Conference. Players like Brian Ching, Ricardo Clark, Pat Onstad, and Brad Davis have extensive playoff experience – they can help lead their team past the overconfidence of last season toward redemption in 2009.

Let’s not forget the emerging stars on the Dynamo, midfielder Stuart Holden and defender Geoff Cameron. Look for both players to make a difference in these playoffs beyond just tonight. Confidence never seems to be missing from Holden’s game, and along with Davis, he will provide plenty of spark and energy to the Dynamo offense. Against a Seattle defense that gives up very little at home, Holden and Davis could prove to be the difference makers in stealing a result ahead of their return match in Houston.

What is the key for Seattle? Simply, Freddie Ljungberg needs to play the role of creator for the offense. Before their come from behind victory against FC Dallas in the closing game of the 2009 season, the Sounders had been held scoreless over four games. The packed house at Qwest Field should be all the motivation Seattle needs to find the back of the net. Ljungberg has the experience and verve to make that happen.

What is Houston looking for in this match? Getting off to a fast start will help immeasurably in this match. Not only will the confidence of their less experienced opponent be damaged, but an early goal would help quiet the huge sellout crowd. If Ricardo Clark can limit Ljungberg’s effectiveness, the Dynamo will be poised to leave Seattle with nothing less than a draw.

What can we expect? Seattle will want to bank as many goals as possible before the second game in Houston – no easy task given their paucity of scoring at home and the resoluteness of the Dynamo defense. Their fan base already dreams of filling up Qwest Field for the Western Conference Championship and the MLS Cup Finals, and will be loud from the opening whistle. The Houston Dynamo, not shackled with the “playoff favorite” label that weighed them down in 2008, look to survive their trip to Seattle with at least a draw, setting up momentum for the return leg in Houston next week. Expect both teams to find their scoring touch tonight, with the game ending in a pulsating 1-1 draw.

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.