In retrospect, it was obvious. 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. But it didn't feel that way at RFK Stadium Sunday afternoon, as a crowd of over 20,000 (including 350 standing […]

After only twelve goals total being scored in the conference semifinals, fans could be forgiven for expecting low-scoring first legs of the conference finals. Instead, tired legs and teams pressing advantages led to seven goals and seemingly anti-climatic second legs coming up on Sunday, as a repeat of the 2011 MLS Cup looks in the […]

As you may have noticed when you excitedly opened your podcast app this morning, we were unable to record a post-Thursday episode of the MLS Talk podcast due to a variety of conflicts. However, after a wild and crazy first round/conference semi-final round, I wanted to approach a wrap-up from a different perspective. After elections, […]

Tonight the road to MLS Cup 2012 begins with Chicago hosting Houston in the Eastern Conference 4/5 game. Over the next month ten teams will battle to determine who is the best team in MLS this season (at least, the best playoff team) and based on the regular season all of these games are must-see […]

Injuries, an international break, and a bevy of good matches gave MLS fans a number of games to watch Friday and Saturday. With the number of games to be played dwindling, every match-up takes on that much more importance, and this weekend the results shook up the Eastern Conference standings. On Friday, a back and […]

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 […]

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 […]

"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 […]

It's always a drag when work gets in the way of your retirement dreams. On Wednesday as millions of us were travelling to Thanksgiving dinner, the Montreal Impact selected ten players left unprotected by their fellow MLS clubs and, for the most part, their picks were quality and unremarkable. However, their first pick has sparked […]

Join MLS Talk this Sunday night beginning at 9 PM ET as we provide live analysis and insight into the match between the Houston Dynamo and the LA Galaxy. Join us for a discussion on the teams and tactics, as well as the occasional opportunity to sound off on ESPN's coverage and the atmosphere at the Home […]

The 2011 MLS Cup will truly be a David v. Goliath affair. In this corner, you have the regular season's best team with the most star power and biggest names who, by the way, will be playing at home. In this corner, you have a team that fought all season for a playoff spot then […]

Houston Dynamo 1 – Chicago Fire 1 (Clark 33', Oduro 43') With the way the results in the Eastern Conference shook out this weekend, not getting the full three points was a major blow for Chicago, who see their playoff hopes still alive but a bit more on life support. Neither team looked like they […]

The question I wrestled with in my head last night was this: if there were no playoffs or a playoffs with just four teams instead of 10, would this weekend be as exciting? Regardless of how you feel about the playoff format or the playoffs in general, the answer I came up with was YES. […]

It was an incredibly busy week in American soccer. Between the US national team, MLS midweek matches, and all sorts of FIFA controversies, there was a wealth of story lines for fans of the beautiful game. Below are some of the ones we were following this week that we did not have time to post […]

After a midweek tease, the MLS slate is full this weekend with all but two teams playing on Saturday. For those looking forward to a little Friday night soccer, there will be none so you'll just have to wait for Saturday night's glamorous TV lineup, which includes the renewal of the U.S. leg of the […]