So after 3 preseason matches, Houston is 3-0 and has scored 10 goals, while allowing 3. It sounds like yesterday against Chicago, the projected starters played together 62 minutes, and the Chicago starters played the first half. In the other 2 matches, it sounds like the starters were mixed up with rookies and reserves. Of the 10 goals, here's the scoring breakdown: Wondo - 2 DeRo - 1 Mullan - 1 Dalglish - 1 Moreno - 1 Cochrane - 1 Ustruck - 1 Ashe - 1 Hatzke - 1 All of the assists were not reported, but for the ones that I can find information about here's the breakdown: Mullan - 2 Sambursky - 2 Wondo - 1 Ching - 1 Davis - 1 Hayden - 1 Ashe - 1 Unknown - 2 The good news is that Houston's offense is more in gear than it was last year in the preseason (the team lost their first 3 preseason matches, and scored 3 goals while letting up 6 in those matches. For the full preseason last year, the team scored 12 goals, while letting up 8 in 9 matches (I didn't count unofficial scrimmages from last year). Obviously, a lot of the preseason is just about getting match fit, looking at the rookies and bench players and seeing who to keep on the roster. And it's too early to reach any conclusions about the team this year. I would say that it's encouraging that the team is scoring more goals, and by a variety of the players. It's also encouraging that the team has only given up one goal per game. And, most of the goals are being scored in the run of play, not off set pieces. And they're being scored by forwards and midfielders. Last year during the regular season, 1/4 of the goals scored were by defenders. Anyway, hopefully this is a good omen that the team has some offensive weapons this year and will be able to finish better. And that even with the loss of Serioux, there are enough quality players on defense to fill in. We'll see as the next month unfolds and the starters get more of the minutes what the team does.
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? That the've been kicking butt so far Even with the reseves Oh,well to be honest,and even if I liked Serioux. he really was a non-factor.,we are not missing a beat. IMHO.
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? I think Cochrane will fill in nicely for Serioux, but when he'll really be missed is when we have injuries, callups, or suspensions. Rico will most likely miss time for Gold Cup or Copa America and at this point we don't have anybody with game experience to fill in. And Eddie will most likely miss some time due to red cards.
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? He just needs some anger management But, now that I think about it, nah...he's good. That anger makes forwards loose some sleep the night before. They have nightmares about him elbowing them in the face and tripping them up, not to mention the swearing....at least we know where he learned it from. Ever seen Pat "talk" to his D-line last year? He's scary sometimes....
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? Looking at that i relize Ching hasnt scored or has he even played any.not good
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? It's pre-season. I wouldn't worry about Ching not scoring yet. I'm sure he hasn't forgotten how to do it since last November. Right now, all we know about Dynamo is that they will be a similar team as last season (all starters return but one). We will find out more on Wednesday, although that game won't be a great indicator either, considering how early in the pre-season it is.
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? Preseason games don't mean anything. We will see Feb. 21, just how good we actually will be this year. I think we will be fine, but we never know until the games are played. I think our depth is going to come in handy this year with the frequent NT callups and the massive schedule we are going to have. Holden, Wondo, Sambursky, Goldthwaite....willl all have a chance to prove themselves this year.
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? For some reason i keep thinking Wondo is going to have a break out year, maybe be a constant starter by seasons end. Maybe we wishfull thinking i dont know
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? Ching played the first half of the UCF game and the Red Bull game. He had an assist to Mullan for the first goal in the UCF game. It looks like he didn't play in the game yesterday against Chicago (lineup for both teams is included in a match report on the Chicago mlsnet site....although there's no report yet on the Houston site or the Houston Chron...) I would say Ching not playing last night is not a surprise, I would think that Dom would want to give him a rest and have him as fresh as he can be for Wed. The other good news from the lineup is that Onstad played, and Gray and Goldthwaite played the second half. Although the lineup is a bit suspicious: Dynamo Lineup (4-4-2): GK-Pat Onstad (Zach Wells 62); D-Craig Waibel (Kelly Gray 55), D-Ryan Cochrane (Justin Douglas 62), D-Eddie Robinson (Mike Chabala 17), D-Wade Barrett (Kevin Goldthwaite 62); M-Brad Davis (Nick Hatzke 62), M-Ricardo Clark (Erik Ustruck 62), M-Dwayne De Rosario (Patrick Ianni 62), M-Brian Mullen (Corey Ashe 62); F-Paul Dalglish (Mike Sambursky 62), F-Alejandro Moreno (Chris Wondolowski 62). Discipline Summary HOU - Eddie Robinson (caution) 23 First, I really doubt that Pat Ianni played in the second half since he's in Japan. Second, how could Eddie be substituted out at the 17 minute mark, yet get a yellow card at the 23rd minute? I assume that Eddie played the first half, just like everyone else, but you never know.
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? I believe the Dom thinks like you too. he will get his chances this season,we'll have to watch and see. Last year they would bring him in,and bring him right out due to someone getting a red card or something.
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? 17 min of the second half = 62nd minute, same time as the other starters came out. Just a guess...
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? That makes sense! YOu win the prize for figuring that out. Now, can you figure out how Ianni can be in Japan and Florida at the same time
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? Perhaps he is controlling a Disney version of himself from Disney Tokyo that plays at Disney Orlando. Sort of like the ghosts that dance around in the Haunted Mansion ride.
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? I saw this show, Heroes, in which this guy could transport himself from Japan to Times Square by just thinking really hard about it. Maybe Ianni has special powers. Anyway, I'm glad to see Ashe getting an assist and a goal in pre-season. It's only pre-season, but he was also very highly regarded when he played on various US national youth teams.
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? I wonder if they meant Chaballa? He and Ianni look a little alike.
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? My question would be, how do we grade the rookie class and reserve squad? Hayden is making the Puntarenas trip, so that's a vote of confidence. Sambursky sounds like a winner, too. Wondo's going for a break-out year, and Ashe seems to have lived up to expectations so far. So, let the stay/go/showcase for other teams debate begin.
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? Way too early to assess the rookies. Even with Ashe and Sambursky contributing on the scoring front, since none of us has seen them play we don't know what they contribute overall to the game. I guess the good sign is that Dom is playing some of them and he hasn't cut anyone yet (last year he cut 2 or 3 of the draft picks by about this point in the preseason....supposedly based on them not working hard or fitting in with the team). As for the other guys, still too early to tell. I don't think any of them have shown enough to be trade bait for anything. It will really be a case of who gets playing time from Dom, and how they do with that playing time. Ironically, the place where the team is almost certain to lose a guy during the summer - Ricardo Clark - is the place where there is not a clear backup. Will that be Ianni? Hayden? Someone else? At defender, there are experienced backups on the wings with Gray and Goldthwaite, not much experience in the middle. At forward, there is probably the most depth, with Ching/Dalglish/Moreno, followed by Wondo and Nash who both have had some playing time. At midfield, there's Holden, and possibly Moreno or Wondo who can also play midfield. And then there's a lot of young guys who may get some shots. And Wells is a solid backup keeper. As has been noted many times, Dom is very reluctant to play rookies, so most of these guys will have to make their mark with the reserve team and just bide their time.
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? The question of Ianni's availability had come up in the Post-Puntarenas game 1 thread. Someone had noted he was on the CCC roster. As I understand it, you can register 30 players total per CCC season, roster 23 (of those 30) players 48 hours before each game, and then dress 18 (of those 23) players for each game. Someone had noted who was "making the Puntarenas trip" as a laurel of sorts, but considering the CONCACAF roster has implications and limits through the April final, which is during the MLS season, one might go even further and see the CONCACAF roster as a sign of whom of the younger players will most likely "stay around", as registering them for a tournament that lasts into the MLS season hints they might be around that long, whereas leaving them off the roster hints at keeping one's options open, or perhaps even cutting them. That is to say, while we may have spots left open on the "30" to add kids, we also have chosen not to commit ourselves to such kids when we leave them off the "30" at present. However, if they are on the "30" that hints at long term commitment, as they have "permanently" filled that roster spot for this CONCACAF campaign. Hayden's rostering hints he alone is worthy of such a longterm commitment at this juncture. Houston Dynamo No. - Name - Pos. 1 - Zachary Wells - GK 2 - Eddie Robinson - DF 3 - Kevin Goldthwaite - DF 4 - Patrick Ianni - DF 5 - Ryan Cochrane - DF 6 - Kelly Gray - MD 7 - Chris Wondolowski - MD 8 - Paul Dalglish - AT 9 - Brian Mullan - MD 11 - Bradley Davis - MD 12 - Julian Nash - AT 13 - Ricardo Clark - MD 14 - Dwayne DeRosario - MD 15 - Alejandro Moreno - AT 16 - Craig Waibel - DF 17 - Mike Chabala - MD 18 - Patrick Onstad - GK 19 - Johnathon Michael Hayden - MD 22 - Stuart Holden - MD 23 - Mpho Moloi - MD 24 - Wade Barrett - DF 25 - Brian Ching - AT 26 - Jordan James - MD TD: Dominic KINNEAR http://www.concacaf.com/competitions/champscup/viewArticle.asp?id=3722 To this list, I'd add Ashe, who signed a developmental deal the other day. That's a total of 24. Someone with a more thorough knowledge of MLS rules than I might be able to sort out the 28-man roster meaning of the 24 guys plus draftees and whoever else we have left. But I think the 23 man roster for CONCACAF, because it binds us to certain people through April, begins hinting at the players who are roster locks.
Re: So - What do we know about the Dynamo so far this preseason? You could be right about the thinking on the CONCACAF roster, but I"m still a bit surprised that Houston didn't add some of the other rookies to the list. If they don't ever sign them to a contract, it's no skin off Houston's back if they never get on the roster for a CCC game. But if they start playing well during March, they could be available for consideration for a second or third leg of the CCC if Houston makes it that far. Clearly, including Hayden on the roster showed some level of confidence in him, or maybe just the worry that the options at defensive midfield are pretty limited! But why not include Ashe, Sambursky, and the other draftees? They could have included everyone and still been under the 30 limit. Houston only has 29 total guys in camp, so why not roster everyone? Now, by not putting them on the 30 man original roster, there's not the flexibility down the road. Interesting that they've signed Ashe to a developmental contract, but there's been no news about what kind of contract Hayden has signed. I'm guessing he has to be on some kind of contract to play in the CCC, although that may not be correct. If they do need to be under contract, then Jordan James has to be on a contract as well. James is almost certainly going to be on a developmental contract, but Hayden could take a senior roster spot or a senior developmental spot. As I understand the MLS roster rules, by March 1, all MLS teams need to have no more than 18 guys on the roster on senior contracts, and no more than 10 guys on the roster on developmental contracts. They can still be trialing guys and can make changes after March 1. They can have less than 18 and 10 (Houston did that last year, they never signed 10 developmental contracts). What I'm not sure of is what they have to do to any guys beyond the 18+10. I know they can't have a contract, but does the team have to give up the rights to a player and basically waive them? For rookies I know they don't have to have a developmental contract in place by March 1, they can still be trying out. For Houston, since they only have 29 guys in camp, and only 17 guys who have senior contracts (unless they signed Hayden), the March 1 deadline is not a big deal. For teams that have more guys 25 years old who are not eligible for developmental roster spots, they may have to waive players by March 1.
Where did you get that from? I don't think he's Gen Adidas - he was a senior in college this year, which means he would not be Gen Adidas.
For those interested in the roster rules and what it means to Houston, read on. I just went back and read through the roster rules for MLS (off the MLS website), and here's what I came up with. For Houston, by March 1 they just need to make sure that the don't have more than 18 senior roster players under contract, or more than 10 developmental roster players under contract. Since Houston only has 17 senior roster players under contract now (or 18 if Hayden got a senior contract), that means they don't have to make any changes. And since they have well under 10 guys on developmental contracts (at most, they have Nash, Moloi, James, Ianni, and now Ashe and perhaps Hayden on developmental contracts), they don't have to do anything with their rookies. They can keep any unsigned rookies in camp as long as they want, there's no "drop dead date" when they have to sign them by. The only other restriction would be that any guys who play in an MLS game have to be under contract, including guys who pay in Reserve matches. But that gives Houston until well into April to finalize any rookie signings. And they can sign rookies (or anyone) to "guest contracts" for a weekend to allow them to play in a Reserve match. So, basically, Houston is already in compliance with the roster regulations and they can take their time on figuring out what they want to do with any of the unsigned rookies (or Nash, Moloi for that matter). For those who want to know the actual rules behind this, I've summarized the key points below: -- College players who are drafted but not signed still "belong" to the team that drafted them until Dec 31 the year after the draft (so for guys like Sambursky, Houston owns the rights even if he never gets signed to a contract, until Dec 31 2008). So, Houston can keep their draft picks in camp as long as they want and don't have to sign them to a contract. They have to be on a contract to play in a MLS match, or to play in a Reserve match. But they can be signed to a "guest contract" for a weekend to play in a reserve match -- Guys who have had MLS contracts must be waived if they are not resigned to a contract. So, by March 1, anyone who had a valid contract last year either has to be resigned and count against the 28 roster count, or else be waived. If they're waived, they can be claimed by any other MLS team. If not claimed then the original team still owns their rights for 12 months after the waiver date -- For a player out of contract who is not resigned, the team retains the first right of refusal to that player ONLY if the team made a good faith effort to try to resign the player. -- Developmental contracts are not guaranteed and can be terminated any time, unless a player is injured -- Senior roster contracts may be guaranteed or not guaranteed. But in either case, a player can be waived anytime. -- If a player on a guaranteed contract is waived, he still gets paid and the salary counts against the salary cap for the team -- If a player on a non guaranteed contract is waived, he's not paid and his salary does not count against the salary cap for the rest of the year. This is true up to July 1; if a player is waived after July 1, then his salary counts against the salary cap for the rest of the year whether he's guaranteed or not.
During the MLS draft he was mentioned as a Generation player. It was also mentioned on the main MLS news section during the draft.
Here's the MLS article announcing the Gen Adidas players, and Hayden is no listed. And here's the list on 3rd degree, and he's not mentioned. And one more link here I can't see how he could be Gen Adidas, he was a senior not an underclassman.
Well, after one more game, I'm at least glad to see that Wondo is getting some time. I'm sure that Dom has subbed a bit more out of necessity these last two games, but I also hope that he makes earlier (and more frequent) use out of his subs once the MLS season gets underway.