2007 CONCACAF Champions Cup (MLS Edition) [R]

Not to look too far ahead, but will DC and Houston be able to produce large, enthusiastic crowds on their home legs? This factor could prove to be very important as many MLS teams in the past who have participated in the CCC have played to near-empty stadiums. Houston seems to be thinking about this since they have switched to a smaller venue.

Best of luck to both MLS clubs!

 

Maybe lower ticket prices for a pre-season game scheduled without much notice?

 

Houston kinda had to. There were scheduling differences with Robertson/UH, so the team decided to make it an event at Texax A&M. I expect it to be a large crowd for the facility. If Houston made it to the next round, I think you'll see higher attendance then because of the significance of being the first US team to beat a Costa Rican team.

I don't know about DCU, but I'm expecting to see some rowdy United fans in the highlight reels at their home game.

Perhaps if either or both teams advance, there would be higher attendance for future CCC 1st rounders...

 

DC United drew 21,185 for the Champion's Cup match against Mexican club PUMAS in April 2005.

 

Ok, so time for me to pray that I can get enough bandwidth on the campus network to play the freetube stream tomorrow. (though this is Albion College, so I highly doubt it).

...so please for my sake have a lively PBP thread or two tomorrow.

 

The freetube FSC stream is down. Better find a bar with FSC.

 

Can't wait for these two games. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that either or both of our teams will somehow sneak through, giving them more time to get their sea legs by the time of the next round (not sure when it is). I love to see our teams in any kind of international competition - it's great for the teams, organization and players involved, and it's great for the fans to see how our teams stack up. It's a shame we never play in the CCC while in season but that's why I'm keeping my fingers crossed, hoping our boys find a way to sneak through, anyway, anyhow (still by the rules).

Buena suerte!!

 

AK 47s and Police Escorts

Just another day on the road with DC United in the Champions' Cup

http://www.barra-brava.com/news/article.asp?id=287

 

I think the implication was that they would need large, enthusiastic crowds cheering FOR the MLS teams. I have no doubt the fans were enthusiastic, but how many of those folks were going for DCU? Please don't tell me the answer is as many as half...

 

thanx for the report. it's got me pumped.

i hope the players take the coach's warning about dissent.

am excited to see Gomez and Moreno in action. hopefully Emilio will prove worth the trouble.

good stuff.

 

I'd say of that crowd, there were 5,000 Pumas fans, tops. A matchup against Chivas, however, could be an entirely different proposition.

 

"The funniest moment was when Emilio drilled Olsen in the nuts and Benny then said “Oh you ********” and fell down."


Bwahahaha.

 

Some articles in the Houston Chronicle about the game today:

Monday report
Tuesday report
Refereeing note
Joe Conway blog
Glen Davis blog

Be sure to click on the link at the bottom of the Glen Davis blog for "Peaceful warrior blog". That's written by Craig Waibel, one of the Dynamo defenders, and he has an update from this morning.

Go Dynamo and DC United!

 

Pretty standard security for Honduras. AK 47s aren't uncommon sights in the major cities there.

 

Houston game is over. Sadly, no report on the Concacaf site yet.
International Herald Tribune
[result]1-0. Houston is in good shape for the return leg then, IMO.[/result]

 

PFC scored on a deflected shot in stoppage time. Robinson was ejected around 80'

Houston played pretty poorly by their standards, which perhaps is unsurprising given the season. PFC got a bogus PK early on that Wells (replacing an injured Onstad) did well to save

Houston's back line was WAY too physical and they gave up lots of set pieces. Early on it was obvious that Robinson, Cochrane, and Weibull would not be allowed to get away with the stuff that MLS refs let go, but they did not seem to be able to adjust. Although the cameras didn't catch what Robinson did to earn his second yellow, his ejection seemed inevitable. Even before the red card he was having a howler

The field was poor, and Barret and Mullan especially seemed to struggle with it. I thought Clark and DeRosario gave valiant efforts, but the midfield was not quite clicking. Davis was invisible and got yanked early

Houston missed Ching. Moreno was decent. Dalglish was useless, but did have what was probably the best chance for the Dynamo

Houston did not test PFC's defenses much, but if the Ticos try to make the single goal stand up I think Houston will be able to create a lot of good chances. If they can improve their form I see them scraping through

 

I was originally a strong supporter of having MLS in this tourney, but I've changed my tune on this competition after (again) watching outrageous Mexican refereeing yet again determine an outcome somewhere in Central America. This time happened to be Puntarenas and the team getting screwed happend to be the Dynamo, but you could substitute any town you like.

The problem isn't going to get any better, in fact it'll get worse the better MLS gets and the angrier the Mexicans get at the success of the USMNT.

Garber needs to pull the plug on our participation in this tournament because it's clear that even if MLS got good enough to win the whole thing, it would never be allowed to happen now that it actually means something (trip to WCC).

CONCACAF Champions Cup is worse than a Mickey Mouse tournament--it's clearly rigged (see Eddie Robinson's second yellow for being hurt and bleeding) and we should just set our sights on Superliga and trying to get into Copa Libertadores, where we can at least get refs who have no particular reason to want the U.S. team to lose (I thought the Paraguayan guy that reffed the DC leg of United-Catolica was fantastic, one of the best I've seen).

Flush this CCC nonsense, we don't need it.

 

Nope - more like 5000 DCU fans.

Saddest part was all the pro-Mexico (as opposed to pro-Pumas) fans. They really turn it into a Mexico vs US affair

But a great atmosphere and the banner-makers calling for Sanchez as NT trainer have gotten their wish.

 

FYP since many fans of the "big 4" think MLS refs call too many ticky-tacky fouls.

 

Puntarenas 1; Dynamo 0. Puntarenas scored in the 93rd minute after Houston played with 10 men for the final 20 minutes(Eddie Robinson red card). An absolutely horrid affair; Houston could not establish any rhythm and looked generally horrible. Some of it was due to the oppressive heat, but most of it was due to the fact that the game was played on perhaps the worst pitch in the western hemisphere. Even the home team had difficulty with their touches.

Goalkeeper Pat Onstad came off due to injury but backup Zach Wells played extremely well. The Dynamo, despite today's loss, can still advance with a 2-0 victory in the return leg.

 

Can anyone come up with a legitimate reason why Eddie Robinson was sent off? There was nothing. The ref has two choices in that situation--either stop play to attend to a head wound (chosen by 99% of refs), or let play on, then after the ball goes out have the player carted off where he can be attended to on the sideline.

In this day and age, refs are supposed to realize the danger in such injuries and have them tended to immediately.

I've watched FAR too much soccer in my life, too many thousands and thousands of hours, and never have I seen a player yellow carded for having a head injury. It defies belief, but the ref was clearly adamant about Houston losing today. If the bogus penalty in the first half wouldn't work, maybe the bogus sending off would.

 

Yeah I would agree with that. European refs let the little stuff go but really crack down on the major offenses. MLS refs are exactly the opposite. They ruin the flow of the game calling the ticky-tack fouls but then don't have the courage to make the "important" calls

 

Precisely.

I would never defend MLS reffing. But I don't think it's biased like what we saw today, just horribly inept.

 

What is it with MLS teams and letting in stoppage time goals in costa rica. year after year.

Good luck DC please dont let a stoppage time goal in as well it seems to be the trend with all our clubs down there. I hope DC watched the game and are going in with a good game plan.