Post-Game Thread: 4/15 Dynamo at DC United [R]

Discussion in 'Houston Dynamo' started by anderson, Apr 15, 2006.

  1. anderson

    anderson Member+

    Feb 28, 2002
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  2. nobius

    nobius BigSoccer Supporter

    Jan 3, 2006
    Houston, Texas
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The officiating sucked!
     
  3. TXMilan

    TXMilan Member

    Jul 9, 2005
    Houston, TX
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I disagree. I thought the ref did a fine job when he gave Eskandarian the yellow card for wearing the funny thing on his head.
     
  4. SoccerKnight

    SoccerKnight New Member

    Nov 12, 2003
    What was the head piece? Doesn't he wear something to prevent head trauma after last years concussions?
     
  5. ignatz

    ignatz New Member

    Jun 3, 2001
    Washington, DC
    He wears a "Full 90," a FIFA-OK'd head band, that has been warn by a handful of MLS players who've sustained head injuries.
     
  6. chrishungate

    chrishungate Member

    Dec 16, 2005
    Katy, TX
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't think we can blame this one on the officiating. We just didn't bring it tonight. We definitely missed De Rosario. Gray was horrible in the back - I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't start next game. We looked like amateurs out there tonight, sad to say.

    Here's hoping De Ro brings our game back with him next week vs. RSL.

    On another note, the production (switching camera shots, etc.) from HDNet tonight was off - too much cutting away from live action - if they'd just keep those moments to the split screen like they did a few times it'd be ok, but there were quite a few times they'd show a 6-second close-up of the player they were discussing while the play on the field was elsewhere - or showing that woman commenting instead of the live action.

    Was cool seeing it in HD, though.

    Man...just an overall horrible game. No more losses for at least awhile, guys!
     
  7. pc4th

    pc4th New Member

    Jun 14, 2003
    North Poll
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  8. dynamotouchline

    Apr 15, 2006
    Not a great outing for the good guys.

    We had chances, but couldn't get the last touch to punch in a goal. DC's defense was very strong - no room given to anyone on the attack.

    It was good to see Brad Davis and Craig Waibel get in. We definitely missed De Rosario - Ricardo Clark couldn't make it happen from the middle of the field.

    Bottom line, DC played their game and did well. We will bounce back next week!
     
  9. DrLudicrous

    DrLudicrous Member+

    Jun 28, 2002
    Houston
    A lot of our players held on to the ball much longer than they should, opting to try to dribble past the defense instead of passing it off. And we gave the ball away much too easily.
     
  10. jkuterba

    jkuterba New Member

    Apr 4, 2006
    Kingwood, TX
    I was just about to comment on that. Seemed almost everyone held the ball for a touch or two extra, expecially in and around the area on attack. Although it is of my opinion that this is the way most of the mls is played, and one of the major reasons mls is not as good a league as EPL, La Liga, Serie A, or Bundesliga etc. Players tend to like to take 4 or 5 touches when they receive the ball as opposed to 1 or 2 in Europe or South America.
     
  11. Dynamo_Joe

    Dynamo_Joe Member

    Apr 3, 2006
    Texas
    It never seemed like the team got "into" the game. Our defense was soft and I agree that our players held onto the ball too long. The entire effort seem off. I hope they bounce back next week.
     
  12. flint

    flint New Member

    Apr 9, 2006
    Sugar Land
    I totally agree. I thought our attack was very weak tonight. Except at the end, we were barely in the game. Sad.:confused:
     
  13. dna77054

    dna77054 Member+

    Jun 28, 2003
    houston
    I am glad Houston has a team, I plan on attending at least 1/2 the home games and so far I have. But all three games this year confirmed one of my concerns about the Dynamo, that they are still the Earthquakes (one of my least favorite teams when in San Jose) in the way they play.

    Despite last years great record, the team is a one trick pony on offense. Pump airballs into the box and hope somebody gets on the end of it. Other than DeRo, we have no creative players and play a rather pedestrian game. God help us if he leave next year for Toronto. DC had a variety and skillful, aggressive dribblers to attack us, our team does not and DC just waited to clear out the crosses. It is great when we do get on the end, like against Colorado, but when we don't, there is no plan B. Think about our goals/good scoring opportunties this year. How many came for crosses? How many from dribblings, ground passing into the opponent's box?
     
  14. bayernguy311

    bayernguy311 New Member

    Apr 3, 2006
    I just got home from RFK where I was fortunate enough to see Dynamo play. I saw one or two Houston fans, and the people around me weren't too pleased that I was rooting for Dynamo (probably because I sat near the Screaming Eagles).

    In terms of the game, we didn't really get outplayed, but we didn't create any good chances. Also, our boys looked very "out" of the game, and rather than trying to get back into the game, they didn't seem to think this was their night. Our normally dominant midfield (with De Ro) couldnt get anything going until Cerritos came on. Oh...and Serioux was sensational in defensive midfield (at least, it seemed that way at RFK), but our defending without him was suspect. Let's hope for a better outing against RSL!

    Until then, let's go Dynamo!
     
  15. JazzyJ

    JazzyJ BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 25, 2003
    I think the team really needs a forward with good speed, something I've been yammering about since Landycakes bailed. That will give them a more varied attack. They won't be as dependent on the air game.

    Also, I didn't care for Dom's lineup. Unless there was something wrong with him physically I think Eddie Robinson has to be out there, and I would have started Cerritos at a-mid (and moved Serioux in the back with Eddie Robinson, Clark at d-mid). Clark just doesn't do seem to do well when he has more of an offensive role.

    If it's any consolation, they actually did quite a bit better than the Quakes did in DC last year. I saw this game as being fairly even despite the score, and last year they got smoked 3-0, and it wasn't even that close. And that was with DeRo. It's a long season and they'll get things going. They've just hit a little pothole. Overall I think they're a better team because they have one more real good player - Serioux.
     
  16. Mountainia

    Mountainia Member

    Jun 19, 2002
    Section 207, Row 7
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I thought it was a bit strange. HE seemed to let some bad things go, and called some light stuff. Also, we were pretty mad he called that foul before our first goal. We had the ball on the penalty spot when he seemed to call it. Although, to be honest, I have no idea when he first blew the whistle.

    The crosses weren't working at all because our keeper finally figured how to get to those. You may have scouted him and thought high balls would be a good strategy. UP to this week, you would have been right.

    You had several chances in the last 10 minutes, especially up the left side of the field. You had at least one where your forward (don't remember who) had the ball on his foot and the near post open, but he hit it wide left. Better finishing and this could have been a different game.
     
  17. FCLouie

    FCLouie Member

    Jan 4, 2006
    Houston, TX
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The bad: My opinion of what killed us tonight, and last week as well, is the weak passes in tight spaces and almost nonexistent communication. There were a number of possessions lost in the midfield because a 10 yard pass was made like it was to a little kid, not a pro player. Gray made some more bad passes, but not as many as last week. This week it was more spread out, basically everybody. And don't even get me started about the back-pass to the goalie early in the game. Lazy, lazy, lazy. I thought Pat was ganna blow a fuse. It just didn't look like we were willing to fight for it until it was way too late. The it was, duh, too late.

    Good part 1: Serioux is looking better all the time in the D, but his play at mid wasn't what I had hoped. (Dom, leave him in D, please.) He could been the best acquisition we made before the season started. Too bad we didn't have a full training camp to build his skills into the game plan better.

    Good part 2: The two teams played to stay on their feet, I don't think I saw a dive all night. Also the officiating was even with maybe only one blow call that wouldn't have changed the outcome (not playing advantage after a foul by Serioux? as the ball was passed to an unmarked player in the box). Now we know what the problems are. See first paragraph. The lack of energy and coordination were on clear display and can be coached to. We may still see it in a week, but in two or three it should be past us.

    Dynamo!,:(
    -Louie
     
  18. sportsfan-quakes

    Mar 19, 2005
    San Jose
    I'm not sure I agree that the team is that dependent on the air game; last year they scored many goals on ground passes and shots. But many of these were scored or created by DeRo, Chung, and sometimes Cerritos. I do agree that the team needs a forward who can create with speed, and like JJ I have been asking for this for two years.

    I'm guessing something is wrong with Robinson, he wasn't listed as on the bench tonight. Hopefully it's nothing serious.
     
  19. Hustletown

    Hustletown New Member

    Mar 12, 2005
    Houston, Texas
    Hopefully, a home game against Real Salt Lake will get the team back on track. Obviously, the team can't let the two losses ruin the season and we'll see if they respond against Salt Lake.
     
  20. sportsfan-quakes

    Mar 19, 2005
    San Jose
    By the way, I was disappointed with Barrett today. When he was at LB, he seemed to revert a bit to his form early last year where he was giving the ball away on bad passes. He got beat several times (granted, by some pretty talented forwards), and just didn't look that great on defense. Then, when he moved to the midfield, he really looked bad, giving the ball away more often and not creating anything.

    Gray also looked bad, but I haven't been impressed by him at all this year.

    Ching did OK, but his offside calls hurt the team, and maybe him for his chance to make the USMNT. Most likely Arena would have been at the game, and Brian had a chance to really catch his eye with another good game. Hard to blame Brian, as he wasn't getting the ball served to him in rhythm (several others have mentioned that guys were holding the ball too long), but still, a missed opportunity. But, neither Twellman, Wolff, or Johnson did anything today either.
     
  21. KMJvet

    KMJvet BigSoccer Supporter

    May 26, 2001
    Quake Country
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think the final score flatters DC. It was really a pretty even game. I thought the subs were odd, unless they were fitness based in that Waibel was the best defender and additionally did most of the distribution. Yeah, it was a bit too much long ball, but in the absence of DeRo and without the midfield really showing well for the ball, that was what he had to work with. Beats me why Gray and Waibel came off given that Barrett was crap and Cochran didn't show up until the 2nd half...not that Gray played well either. It seems very much like Barrett want's to play midfield and not defense and so he didn't manage good attack or good defense. The Serioux-Clark 2 d-mid formation was as much of a disaster as the O'Rourke-Clark 2 d-mid formation was early last year before the discovery of DeRo as a-mid.
    It didn't seem that Houston came with game faces on and in that sense, didn't deserve any points.

    Okulaja was certainly better than his last game. I can't really fault the calls he did make...the issues were with the ones he did not. Perkins fouled Mullan in the box in the first half and there was no call due to its being after the scoring chance was past. One of those "let's just pretend it never happened" calls that I hate. I also think there was probably a foul by Filomena on DCs first goal. I'm not 100% sure, but I think it was a push in the back that sent his marker to the ground grabbing the area of his right kidney. I don't know what happened to Waibel in the 2nd half when he went down clutching his face. Again, no replay, but Waibel never goes down easily so I suspect something happened off the ball there that got missed or ignored. I also think the free pass to Clark in the 2nd half on that very late tackle was bad as he clearly deserved a yellow card. So, I think Okulaja had his issues again, but it was still pretty good for him. In terms of the ARs, the offside called on Barrett was wrong--but he wasn't going to hit the broad side of a barn tonight, so I suppose it doesn't much matter. Most of the other offside calles seemed correct.
     
  22. JazzyJ

    JazzyJ BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 25, 2003
    Yeah, I'm trying to think back to how all the goals were scored last year, and I think it was every which way, and with very good distribution - lots of goals by midfielders. With Ching and Davis in there, they tend to emphasize the air game a bit more, and they're good at it. But how many goals last year were scored by a guy on a breakaway or a guy beating a defender to a thru ball and getting a one-on-one with the keeper? Not very many. I can think of a couple offhand. So that's where they can really use a guy with good speed. I remember when Donovan played forward with the team, seemed like he would get a few breakaways a game. And MLS Cup 2003 was won with a two Donovan breakaway goals.
     
  23. sportsfan-quakes

    Mar 19, 2005
    San Jose
    Yep - I agree totally. The only ones I remember involved DeRosario and Cerritos. I remember Cerritos missing on several 1 v 1 chances with the keeper in the first half of the year. So there were some chances created but they weren't finished. Of the forwards (Ching, Moreno, Cerritos, Nash) who played last year, only Cerritos seemed to be able to even create some chances like that.
     
  24. JazzyJ

    JazzyJ BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 25, 2003
    Yep, Cerritos and DeRo were the two I thought of also, and you're right, Cerritos had a number of 1v1's last year that he didn't convert on. And the one I remember he did convert on he was a bit lucky because the ball went through KC keeper Bo's legs IIRC (and I don't know that he planned it - he didn't have a lot of angles to work with). Cerritos was also frequently looking to make these type of runs on thru balls and getting called offside, but just by a hair (and some of these are called incorrectly IMO). Anyway, this is why I prefer Cerritos to Moreno as a foil to Ching. He can utilize speed better (though his speed may be average or just above average), and I think he was just a bit snake-bitten or maybe pressing on his finishing.
     
  25. zolafan

    zolafan Member

    Aug 10, 2004
    Houston, TX
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What happened to Eddie Robinson...

    Chron story already posted, see here:

    http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3796580.html

    in the notes after the game story is the following:

    "Robinson, a 29-game starter last year who recovered from an injury suffred this past preseason and played as a substitute last week, was left off the Dynamo's traveling roster for reasons coach Dominic Kinnear declined to address.

    'This is one we're going to keep in the locker room,' Kinnear said."

    Let the speculation begin...

    Edit: oh, and that request I made in the TV watching thread re a tape of the game? uh, never mind...
     

Share This Page