Houston Dynamo

The MLS Cup 2011, between the L.A. Galaxy and Houston Dynamo, will be one for the books as there are lots of possible records to be achieved when these two soccer clubs meet on November 20, Sunday night, 9:00 p.m. ET.

It will be a battle of experience and talent on the pitch of Home Depot Center, as both clubs seek to annex their third MLS Cup title. The LA Galaxy vs Houston Dynamo match live stream will be broadcast through ESPN, Galavision and TSN 2.

D.C. United has already won four MLS titles with its last coming in 2004. It could be either Galaxy or Dynamo joining United as the only franchises with three MLS titles.

Dominic Kinnear and Bruce Arena have two titles on their sleeves and are both seeking their third. Arena has given D.C. United two titles. Kinnear has helped Houston win its two titles in 2006 and 2007, against the New England Revolution.

L.A.'s poster boy, David Beckham, will be playing the last game of his multi-million dollar contract signed with the club in 2007. Beckham has won league titles in his final year campaign with Manchester United in 2003 and Real Madrid 2007. Could this be another title for Beckham with Galaxy?

Rumors are circulating that Los Angeles will try to recruit Chelsea forward Frank Lampard to replace Beckham.

Landon Donovan is playing well and could be on his way to his second MLS Cup MVP. Donovan will be playing in his fifth MLS Cup finals, and has recorded 19 goals in the MLS playoffs and three goals in the MLS Cup. Another title for Galaxy might give Donovan another feather in his cap.

The Home Depot Center will host its record fourth MLS Cup, and the Galaxy will be the third team to play the MLS Cup finals at its home stadium. Galaxy has been very impressive in home matches, not losing a single match this season. The home crowd will be another factor for Houston to contend with to win its third MLS Cup.

Watch Houston Dynamo vs LA Galaxy live stream, for this could be another exciting MLS Championship on Sunday night as both clubs try to rewrite MLS history.  

Dominic Kinnear’s Houston Dynamo inched closer to the MLS Cup Playoffs with a 2-0 victory over John Spencer’s Portland Timbers on Friday night at Jeld-Wen Field in Portland, Ore.

With the win, Houston leapfrog the New York Red Bulls, the Columbus Crew and Sporting Kansas City for second place in the highly competitive MLS Eastern Conference with a record of 11-9-13 (46 points).

The 36^th minute saw Andre Hainault open his scoring account with a delivery from one of the league's top providers in Brad Davis. The assist was Davis’s 15^th of the season. In the 59^th minute, Danny Cruz made up for a yellow card caution eight minutes prior with a volley from Luiz Camargo.

Portland are not eliminated from the MLS Cup Playoff picture just yet, since they have a game in hand over the Dynamo and Colorado Rapids, who were consigned to a scoreless draw with Real Salt Lake. However, the road ahead got a bit tougher for the Timbers, and they will need some help in order to stay alive.

On Wednesday, Oct. 19, the Timbers will hit the road for a match against D.C. United before concluding their inaugural season away to Real Salt Lake on Saturday, Oct. 22. Both matches will be must-win games.

As for the Dynamo, they have all but secured their place in the playoffs, but will need to wait for results over the weekend to make it official. In the event that it doesn’t just yet, a positive result in the season finale against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Oct. 22 will erase any doubts.

Keep it right here on Bleacher Report for continuing coverage of the 2011 Major League Soccer season.

On Thursday afternoon, Major League Soccer Club Houston Dynamo and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) met inside the cage for the first time.

Hopefully, this isn't the only time that a MLS Club and the UFC collaborate in promoting a each other's respective sport. As a fan of both sports, I remember when the MLS and UFC were in danger of becoming extinct.

Now, I'm amazed and proud on how both organizations were able to weather the storm only to persevere over time. With the growth and universal acceptance of both sports, fans will have the opportunity to watch plenty of action for many years to come. 

With UFC 136: Edgar vs Maynard III taking place at the Toyota Center in Houston, Houston Dynamo players Bobby Boswell, Geoff Cameron and Corey Ashe were on hand to help promote the upcoming UFC event. The trio had the opportunity to meet current UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo and his Saturday night opponent, Kenny Florian.

In a display of mutual respect and good sportsmanship, both fighters met inside the cage for kick-up contest judged by the Dynamo Players. Both fighters had no trouble in showing off the juggling skills which they honed over the years of playing soccer. 

Kenny Florian, who is hoping that third time is the charm in capturing gold, has admitted in the past that he has more years of experience playing soccer than he has training in mixed martial arts. In addition, he even had a short-lived stint playing soccer while attending Boston College.

Based on the performance from both fighters, it will be interesting to see which fighter has the more educated feet when they meet for the title on Saturday. Aldo and Florian juggled it out to draw and appeared to enjoy mingling with the Boswell, Cameron and Ashe.

Following the contest, Aldo and Florian were each presented with a Houston Dynamo jersey. 

Click here to see photos from Thursday's event.

Watch Bobby Boswell and Kenny Florian discuss their passion for the others' sport.

About the Houston Dynamo

The Houston Dynamo are a Major League Soccer club that has won two MLS Cup championships in its first four seasons and represented the United States in international competition in four consecutive years.

For more information, log on to www.HoustonDynamo.com or call 1.713.276.7500.

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for LatinoSports.com. He also writes for USSoccerPlayers.com; your source for American Soccer news brought to you by members of the U.S. National Team. Reach Cesar at cesar@latinosports.com and at Twitter at @CoveringSoccer.

A few times in a lifetime, an opportunity presents itself to prove you have what it takes to compete with the big boys. Saturday is one of those occasions for the players of Galveston Pirates as they face up to MLS Houston Dynamo Academy side.

As the MLS side gets the new season off and running, their Academy side is like any other in the world of football, bringing through the best young stars from around the state in the hope of providing the senior squad with players to improve the playing 11 on the field.

As Galveston prepare themselves for the HFA season ahead, this is an excellent test of their metal and an expertly timed morale boost for coach Brendan Keyes and his players.

The more competitive and professionally run HFA will prove to be a stern test for the Pirate side as they look to keep improving as a team and increase their fan base within the Galveston Island area.

This match will help increase awareness of the soccer side in the area and hopefully build a larger fanbase for the Pirate side as they look to increase visibility of soccer in the city.

Dynamo star of the future Francisco Navas Cobo is bound to be the main attraction of the day as he continues his push toward becoming a first team regular with the Houston MLS side.

Pirate coach Brendan Keyes sees this as ideal preparation for the forthcoming HFA season and after already defeating them once in their short lifespan, the coach will be hopeful of a similar result.

"This is a great chance for our players to prove their worth against a top class side. We have recently joined the HFA leagues which will prove to be a much better test for us than the SPSL we were playing in previously. This match against the Houston Dynamo Academy side will prove just how far we have came in a very short space of time."

Speaking of his short tenure in charge of the Galveston soccer team he said, "We have came a long way in a very short space of time, and it has had its ups and downs along the road. After losing our top scorer half way through the season to long time rivals, Regals FC, we bounced back and as we transgress through the uncertain soccer ocean, we find ourselves stronger at every turn. This matchup against the Dynamo is just another step in the right direction for us."





Dynamo Director of Youth Development James Clarkson said, "Galveston is a strong club. They are a good, organized team, who have done well in their league. This is a good opportunity for our team to play against a strong club, especially with the competition we are going to face shortly in the Dallas Cup."

The full Dynamo article is available here  http://www.houstondynamo.com/news

The game kicks off at 4 p.m., Courville Stadium, Galveston. be there or miss out on the biggest soccer game in the City to date!

The Formula 1 United States Grand Prix organization has released more detail on the site today via their website. The new rendering shows the circuit layout including buildings, parking and key features on seating and grand stands. The details were accompanied by the press release here:

AUSTIN, Texas – September 21, 2010 – Full Throttle Productions LP released today the conceptual master plan for the Formula 1 United States Grand PrixTM venue. The conceptual master plan features the development of the United States’ first purpose-built F1 racetrack complemented by additional visitor attractions including a proposed Driving/Riding Experience and Seminar Building, Motorsports Driving Club, Kart Track and Welcome Center.

With a complete length of 3.4 miles, the track combines modern features with details reminiscent of traditional races from the 1960’s. The surrounding landscape will allow for a maximum elevation change of 133 feet, a feature that is sure to please drivers as well as fans. In addition, the circuit includes a strategic combination of over 20 turns, including variations of classic corners such as Istanbul Turn 8, Maggots–Becketts-Chapel and Hockenheimring’s Stadium Section.

The multifunctional facility is ideally situated on a 900-acre site in southeast Austin along the SH 130 corridor near FM 812. The proposed grandstands, semi-permanent stands and natural seating areas created by integrating natural grass berms and picnic areas for families will enable over 120,000 to attend the venue’s first event: the Formula 1 United States Grand PrixTM 2012. To address the traffic impact and provide a great guest experience during a specific event, leading domestic and international transportation and traffic-engineering experts, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. and Graham Lake-Grange respectively, have been retained.

Kimley-Horn brings tremendous experience to the project having developed traffic management plans for Texas Motor Speedway, the new Cowboys Stadium, Lone Star Park, and Houston’s Dynamo Park. Graham Lake-Grange, based in the UK, has developed successful traffic management plans for 13 F1 Grand PrixTM events at Silverstone as well as over 100 large-scale public events.
The multifunctional facility is being designed with year-round functionality and attractions. Proposed attractions within the development include:

Driving/Riding Experience and Seminar Building: The facility and racetrack will provide the ideal location for manufacturers to test, launch and educate dealers as well as consumers. The facility will feature classroom settings, virtual driving experiences and will provide the opportunity for test-driving on the racetrack.

Motorsports Driving Club: The membership-only club will serve as a luxury destination featuring an array of hospitality services and amenities focused on the motorsports enthusiast. The club will offer its members professional instruction, customized driving courses, premium car storage and concierge level services.
Kart Track: The outdoor karting track will be designed to provide an experience for youth and adults of all ages. The track, open to the public, will specialize in orchestrating custom group events, team building programs, celebratory events, fund-raisers as well as individual experiences.

FTP attorney, Richard Suttle, faced stiff questioning by the Travis County Commission regarding infrastructure, environment and traffic issues in his first meeting with the board a fortnight ago. The second informational meeting between Suttle and the commission was to relay the plan details as well as announce that FTP has moved forward with an environmental study and hired two traffic engineering firms — one of which worked on the Grand Prix site in Silverstone, England — to conduct studies of the 900-acre location.

Here is a larger view of the new site rendering with additional detail: USGP site detail

The press release does mention natural seating areas or grassy hill locations for viewing and family entertainment. The expected attendance has been often rumored at 150,000 but today’s release seems to suggest that they are looking for 120,000 as a first-year total. This may be a nod to manageable traffic expectations as a previous story last week placed exiting the circuit in hours instead of minutes after the grand prix. The concern is certainly valid and FTP have taken the opportunity to announce the retaining of Graham Lake-Grange and Kimley-Horn as traffic engineering firms.

Galveston Pirates Defeat Houston Dynamo

The Galveston Pirate SC will start its first NPSL season on October 2nd versus Corpus Christi Fuel but first they have to play the second game of the Houston Cup against Regals FC on September 3rd in Legends Sports Complex at 9pm. The future is looking bright once again for the Galveston Pirate SC and one can only guess the heights they will reach in the NPSL.

Copied with permission from Galveston Pirate soccer Club.

The Houston Dynamos have just defeated the Puebla FC to clinch first place in Group A. Dominic Oduro scored the first goal of his career for the Texas team and was assisted by Cam Weaver.

The rest of the game was a measure of force between the two teams as well as a rush to judgement. The rush to judgement mentality and the desire to do any form of play did not help either team. Both teams dealt with multiple fouls.

It came to a point where the referee issued multiple red cards to members of both teams for unprofessional conduct.

The players affected by the red cards were Oduro and Cruz of the Dynamos, while Gonzalez and Brown of Puebla received the same punishment.

The last few minutes of the game were characterized by both teams just wanting to finish the game. Each side appeared to be fatigued. Neither team can afford to be tired in the last few games of the Superliga 2010.

The red cards will probably not help either team in the last leg of this tournament. Regardless, Brian Ching had a superb performance with his passing and defending of the ball. Houston Dynamos remain in first place in Group A of the Superliga 2010 followed by Puebla, CD Chivas USA, and Pachuca.

Houston Dynamos 1-0 Puebla FC

Place: Houston, Texas

MVP: Brian Ching and Dominic Oduro

The Superliga 2010 Games between the Houston Dynamos and Pachuca FC took place in Robertson Stadium in Houston, Texas. It is a rivalry of mutual respect and this game was the most exciting in the Superliga 2010 Games.

The Houston Dynamos are the US Soccer Club affiliated with the MLS while Pachuca FC [also known as the Tuzos] are in the Mexican League. The Superliga is an event which has Soccer teams from USA playing against those from Mexico.

The game was a war of nerves between the two teams which started when the Zimbabwean player Joseph Ngwenya scored the first goal in the 19th minute as a result of possession of a loose ball.

Pachuca FC was shocked at first but then decided to fight back with its strong defense. Their consistency left them in possession and Houston asking itself the question of why did it allow itself to weaken.

The Dynamos received a wake up call of their own when Damian Manso [in the 51st minute] kicked the ball towards the center with the Houston goalie Tally Hall unable to block the ball.

The result was an equalizer which left both teams energized as both teams started to play aggressively for the victory. It was an exciting game seeing both teams blocking each other and passing the ball from one side to another.

Joseph Ngwenya was able to save the day for the Houston Dynamos by scoring with a header towards the left side of the box from a free kick by Corey Ashe.

The result left Houston with a 2-1 victory and a chance to advance within the Superliga tournament. The most valuable player of the game was Joseph Ngwenya for his two goals including the last one that saved the day for Houston.

It was a promising move that was supposed to reward the Houston Hispanic fan base.

Instead, Luis Angel Landín was holding back a franchise that, since its relocation from San Jose, experienced instant success and two MLS Cup Championships.

The United States is a results-driven country, and the Forward position in Soccer is the most criticized because it’s judged based on the statistics of goals scored. Nonetheless, a player receiving a salary in the six figures only to produce just two goals and three assists in almost one year's time is unacceptable.

It was expected that the Houston Dynamo would not pick up Landín’s contract option after the loan expired in December, but his early dismissal proves the Dynamo are ready to win now and won’t stand for setbacks.

Houston Dynamo announced the signing of Luis Angel Landín as the club’s first Designated Player on August 20, 2009. Landín joined La Naranja on loan from Mexican First Division team Cruz Azul until December 2010. Landín had already been registered in the 2009-10 CONCACAF Champions League with Cruz Azul, meaning the Houston Dynamo would be unable to use his services for that competition.

The Designated Player slot in MLS is commonly used by teams to bring a player of proven talent, although some also past their prime, to improve their squad. A Designated Player is also marketable and usually also brought for revenue through their merchandise. Houston decided to take a different approach and instead bring a player that was unproven, but young enough that they hoped would evolve into something greater. Landín never did.

When Houston acquired Landín, they were expecting the MLS style of play would suit him. Landín showed signs of promise but never really stood out in the Mexican First Division besides his YouTube sensation scorpion kick goal. Many expected that the more physical Major League Soccer would be the perfect opportunity to develop Landín’s talents.

When he arrived, Dynamo Head Coach Dominic Kinnear had this to say:

"I am looking forward to getting Luis involved with the team. He is a player that will fit nicely into our system. I think we improved our team with an exciting, young, attacking player. We'll get him training as soon as possible and get him ready to play in this physically demanding league."

As mentioned, during his tenure at Houston Dynamo, Landín only managed to score two goals and provide three assists.

When he arrived, he was criticized for being overweight, even though he managed to improve fitness over the offseason.

He also arrived injury prone, and just when he showed glimpses of what could’ve been, he hit the sidelines and took a long time to recover.

His inability to learn the English language quickly may have also hindered his performance. It was notable that there was a communication barrier between the Dynamo organization and the Mexican Forward.

Landín was simply not producing, and even more vital for a player of his importance to the team’s payroll, he could never solidify a starting spot in a team that always rotated the second forward position next to team Captain Brian Ching. Something had to give, and on Tuesday, the team announced his departure.

"A lot of factors came into play, where it just wasn't the right fit," Coach Dominic Kinnear said . "I feel sad because I like him and I don't like it when players come in and they leave soon after. You don't bring players in to have them leave. It's unfortunate that this has come to."

“We are sorry things didn’t work out with Luis Landín,” Dynamo chief operating officer Chris Canetti said in a statement . “Our hopes and expectations for this signing were never met. We believe it is the right time for the club and Luis to move forward. We wish him well in the future.”

Just like that ends a roadblock in the Houston Dynamo history books. Landín will return to Mexico for Cruz Azul just in time for the start of the Apertura 2010 season.

Meanwhile in Houston, the Dynamo await the opening of the transfer season on Thursday, and many fans will wonder who will be the next signing that will hopefully move them back towards dominance. Houston will host the MLS All-Star Game on July 28, 2010 at Reliant Stadium.

The Houston Dynamo fans’ hopes for a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup title would come to a heartbreaking halt at the hands of fellow MLS Western Conference rival Chivas USA. The Goats broke a club spell by winning their first match at Robertson Stadium at the expense of what were undoubtedly the Dynamo reserves.

Despite losing the only two league meetings earlier this year against La Naranja , Chivas USA must feel they got the better end of the battle by eliminating the Dynamo from US Open Cup play and will await the winner of the Los Angeles Galaxy-Seattle Sounders FC quarterfinal.

Brian Ching may have taken the night off, but one could’ve sworn to see the USA men’s national team habits of giving up early goals on the field as Justin Braun’s header in the fifth minute opened up the scoreboard and gave the visiting Chivas USA the 1-0 lead. Houston Dynamo was forced to play catch up the rest of the evening.

Simply by looking at the lineups sent on to the field by their respective managers, it is evident Houston Dynamo sent their reserves to face all but two Chivas USA common starters. Chivas USA flew to Houston to win and their attitude exhibited that objective in immediate fashion. The teams would battle opportunities and possession back and forth, but ultimately the scoreboard maintained the same result til halftime.

The problem facing Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear at halftime has been the one in bold all season long: team complacency and no sense of urgency.   Both teams took the same amount of shots: two. The difference was Chivas USA converted on a shot for goal.

When you refuse to react to the opposing threat and furthermore allow the adversary to keep aiming for goal, sooner or later you will feel the attack. Chivas USA reacted on a counter attack led by Ante Jazic to a lone Michael Lahoud, who went one-on-one with a vulnerable Tally Hall and fired the laser into the broad target to place Chivas USA 2-0 en route to the semifinal.

No matter the lead, the dedicated 1,037 fans at Robertson Stadium withstood a light rain and rallied behind subs Danny Cruz and Lovel Palmer to control the midfield into an all-out attack to possibly send the game into extra time or win in dramatic fashion.

Danny Cruz has been on the rise, scoring recent goals in MLS competition. Lovel Palmer has scored in crucial situations; his first MLS goal came earlier in the season at Robertson when he fired a near half-field shot for goal and his most recent moment of triumph came in the previous USOC match where he scored the game winner versus Miami FC.

Houston Dynamo’s comeback opportunities were looking bleak until the 86th minute of the match. Joseph Ngwenya was fighting for possession against two Chivas USA players, found the opportunity and fired with power the Jabulani ball that would rebound off teammate Dominic Oduro and send a wave of thrill to hopeful Houston Dynamo fans that now saw the comeback to be a possibility.

To the dismay of those wearing orange jerseys in the stadium, the mood quickly changed as the lousy work at defense once again left Tally Hall alone inside the box. Justin Braun would sprint down the field off another counter attack and a valiant Tally Hall that managed to save an earlier threatening shot could not stop the misleading chip in stoppage time that would cement Chivas USA’s dominance and secure the Goats’ ticket to the semifinals of the 2010 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.