In retrospect, it was obvious. &nbsp;Houston is so good playing with an aggregate lead in the playoffs and with DC missing Chris Pontius and a fully healthy Dwayne De Rosario, the task really was impossible. &nbsp;But it didn’t feel that way at RFK Stadium Sunday afternoon, as a crowd of over 20,000 (including 350 standing room attendees) rocked the stands at kickoff, trying to inspire the home team to victory. &nbsp;Despite the crowd and emotional return of the home team’s captain, the end result was a 1-1 draw and a 4-2 Dynamo win on aggregate.
DC adjusted its lineup without Pontius by starting Maicon Santos up top in a 4-4-2. &nbsp;Dominic Kinnear countered with his <del>4-4-3</del>&nbsp;4-3-3 with Jermaine Taylor returning in place of Andrew Hainault. &nbsp;Even in the early going, with the crowd spurring them on, DC struggled against a poised Dynamo defense that tried to create chances on the counter. &nbsp;DC’s best chance in the first half was a shot in the tenth minute by Chris Korb from 30 yards out that a diving Tally Hall was able to knock down and was cleared by his defense. &nbsp;DC had the most success on the left side with Nick DeLeon’s speed causing some issues, but for the most part DC had to settle for the occasional chance, but had issues sustaining constant pressure.
The Dyanmo sealed the game in the 34th minute, when Brad Davis’s run down the right side into the box scrambled the DC defense. &nbsp;The midfielder then found Oscar Boniek Garcia who planted the shot into the top of the net. &nbsp;The crowd was deflated, DC United was stunned, and the Dynamo had punched their ticket to MLS Cup.
A couple of moments in the second half gave the crowd some life (keeping in mind that even a deflated crowd was making noise throughout). &nbsp;In the 62nd minute, Dwayne DeRosario took the pitch in place of Emiliano Dudar, his first game action since he was injured September 11 on international duty. &nbsp;He looked rusty, as to be expected, but still made a few good plays to help spur DC. &nbsp;The second moment was Branko Boskovic’s goal in the 83rd minute, where the midfielder took it upon himself to make a run into the box, avoid a number of defenders, and slot a shot past Tally Hall. &nbsp;In the second half, DC had a number of quality chances and could have grabbed another goal early in the second half, but overall Houston’s defense was solid and smart.
After the game, Brad Davis commented on the Dynamo’s defensive structure: “It’s very important to keep your lines tight, make it difficult to play through the middle, and try to force things out wide… we talked about hard work, dedication, and commitment to the system that we play. &nbsp;It’s been successful over the years, so if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
Fans fearing a repeat of last year’s MLS Cup are selling the Dynamo short. &nbsp;Despite the same two teams facing off in the same venue, this is a much different Dynamo club. &nbsp;First, Brad Davis will be playing after missing the team’s two previous trips, and this team goes to another level when their distributor is on the pitch. &nbsp;The additions of Boniek Garcia (offense) and Ricardo Clark (defense) will help even out the midfield&nbsp;discrepancy&nbsp;that helped the Galaxy essentially dominate the game last year. &nbsp;Finally, an in-form Will Bruin – who was a little quiet on a night he was not essential – gives the Dynamo a scoring threat they certainly did not have last season.
The East will be well represented by a fifth seed that has consistently found the right combination for winning this postseason.

Houston Machine Steamrolls DC to Take Eastern Conference - World Soccer Talk

Houston Machine Steamrolls DC to Take 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. &nbsp;The modern manager is part tactician, part showman, and part PR man. &nbsp;The best are the ones who can bring a diverse team together and make it into a&nbsp;trophy-winning side. &nbsp;Rarely can a side win an MLS Cup, Open Cup, or Supporters Shield with a mediocre or poor manager. &nbsp;However, at times its the team that makes the man and only the perfect marriage of players and manager that can make a championship. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;The following ranking is my own top five managers in MLS going into the 2012 season. &nbsp;Keep in mind this is not an all time list but simply looking ahead to the 2012 season. &nbsp;Agree or disagree? &nbsp;Make your opinions known in the comments section.
5. &nbsp;Piotr Nowak:&nbsp; Maybe the restructuring going on in Philadelphia is Nowak’s way to challenge himself. &nbsp;The veteran coach has taken a new franchise and by year two had made the Union into a Eastern Conference championship contender. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;His work with DC United, leading them to their fourth MLS title in 2004, only adds to his coaching resume. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;Schellas Hyndman: &nbsp;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. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;Sigi Schmid: &nbsp;For a guy who never played professional soccer, Schmid gets this league. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;His LA Galaxy team was also one of two MLS clubs to ever win an intercontinental cup. &nbsp;He is the winningest head coach in MLS history and has the Sounders poised to challenge for the 2012 MLS Cup.
2. &nbsp;Dominic Kinnear: &nbsp;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. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;Bruce Arena:&nbsp; The National Soccer Hall of Famer continues to prove that he is arguable the greatest American soccer coach of all time. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;The keys to the defense were that the two major contributors, A.J. De La Garza and Omar Gonzalez, were Arena draftees. &nbsp;Arena guided a dominant team through a dominant season, essentially staking claim to the MLS Cup early in the season and never relinquishing it. &nbsp;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.

Who is the Best Head Coach in MLS? - World Soccer Talk

Who is the Best Head Coach in MLS?

“In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king” said <a href="http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desiderius_Erasmus" target="_blank">a famous philosopher</a>&nbsp;centuries ago, but he may as well have been writing for MLS Talk about the 2011 Eastern Conference champions. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;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 <a href="http:\/\/www.chron.com/sports/dynamo/article/Ching-will-not-retire-will-report-to-Montreal-2444014.php" target="_blank">Brian Ching has accepted his role as a member of the Montreal Impact </a>(for background see the article<a href="http:\/\/www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/the-agony-and-ecstasy-of-brian-ching-14775" target="_blank"> I wrote late last year</a>). &nbsp;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. &nbsp;Setting that aside, the loss also leaves the team with a bit of a <a href="http:\/\/www.houstondynamo.com/news/2011/12/dynamo-say-2012-roster-requires-tweaks-not-reinvention" target="_blank">gap at the forward position</a>, 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. &nbsp;All three are good players, none of them are currently consistent top-level goal scorers the team needs to take&nbsp;advantage&nbsp;of Brad Davis’s assists. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;It may not be this year, but probably soon. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;The two starting full backs (Andre Hainault and Corey Ashe) look to have established themselves as ideal for the positions. &nbsp;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 <a href="http:\/\/www.dynamotheory.com/2012/1/5/2669654/what-should-houston-expect-from-nathan-sturgis" target="_blank">Nathan Sturgis</a> from wheeling-dealing Toronto FC. &nbsp;However, ownership has stressed that they will be making do with little cap space. &nbsp;These pronouncements come at an odd time: the <a href="http:\/\/www.chron.com/sports/dynamo/article/New-Dynamo-stadium-project-aided-by-help-of-BBVA-2404149.php" target="_blank">new stadium</a> has a naming-rights deal and the team even has a <a href="http:\/\/www.chron.com/sports/dynamo/article/KPRC-will-broadcast-six-Dynamo-games-this-season-2446168.php" target="_blank">small local TV deal</a>. &nbsp;However, the biggest financial question mark is the announcement by AEG that <a href="http:\/\/www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/sports/soccer/111214-dynamo-co-owner-aeg-will-sell-it&apos;s-share-of-the-franchise" target="_blank">they want to sell their 50% stake in the team</a>. &nbsp;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 <a href="http:\/\/www.dynamotheory.com/2012/1/5/2684067/reality-bytes-why-there-will-be-no-dp-this-offseason" target="_blank">limit the team’s&nbsp;financial&nbsp;flexibility</a>. &nbsp;Keep an eye on this situation.

Sustained Run or One-Hit Wonder? Three Questions for Houston Dynamo - World Soccer Talk

Sustained Run or One-Hit Wonder? Three Questions for Houston Dynamo

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Leagues: MLS

Houston Machine Steamrolls DC to Take Eastern Conference

Leagues: MLS

Who is the Best Head Coach in MLS?

Houston Dynamo

Sustained Run or One-Hit Wonder? Three Questions for Houston Dynamo