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		<description>RUWT? News for Houston</description>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:34:48 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Galaxy headed to MLS Cup after 2-0 win over Dynamo]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[CARSON, Calif. (STATS) - After three seasons of losing,
melodrama and internal turmoil, the Los Angeles Galaxy will play
for Major League Soccer's championship.

Gregg Berhalter and Landon Donovan scored in overtime to put the
Galaxy into MLS Cup final with a 2-0 victory over the Houston
Dynamo on Friday night.

The Galaxy will play in their first MLS Cup final since 2005 in
Seattle on Nov. 22 against the winner of Saturday's Eastern
Conference final match between Chicago and Real Salt Lake.

Los Angeles will make its sixth MLS Cup final appearance since
the league began in 1996. The Galaxy won championships in 2002
and 2005.

But after that, the Galaxy had to endure three successive losing
seasons, the media frenzy surrounding David Beckham's arrival
and his public feud with Landon Donovan.

"It hasn't been easy," Donovan said. "It's been a lot of hard
work. But the reality is that this is a real team. You don't win
games with only two, three players. You win with 11, 14, 18, 22
players throughout the year."

If the Galaxy's recovery wasn't easy, neither was defeating the
Dynamo.

"It was a game that could've gone either way," Galaxy coach
Bruce Arena said. "But our concentration was great. Our center
backs (Berhalter and Omar Gonzalez) were terrific against three
forwards who are a handful."

Houston had other problems to deal with.

"There were a lot of gaps out there and I think we were trying
to get the ball forward too fast," Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear
said. "It was just bad decisions on the ball."

Beckham's free kick set up Berhalter's goal in the 102nd minute.
The Dynamo's Eddie Robinson tried to clear Gonzalez's header off
the free kick but Berhalter poked the ball into the net from 7
yards.

"I saw Omar go up and I was waiting for something," Berhalter
said. "It just popped to me and that's when you just go to the
ball."

When did Berhalter last score?

"It was awhile ago," he said. "It probably was a penalty kick
for 1860 Munich."

Donovan then converted a penalty kick in the 109th minute to set
the MLS record for career playoff scoring with 17 goals.

Houston's Ricardo Clark tripped Alan Gordon in the penalty area.
After goalkeeper Pat Onstad dove to his left, Donovan scored his
third goal in this year's playoffs.

The Dynamo's Brian Ching had the best chance to score during
regulation. He headed a 7-yard line drive off Brian Mullan's
right-wing cross but goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts used his right
hand to deflect the ball off the crossbar.

Houston's Andrew Hainault scored on a header off Brad Davis'
ensuing corner kick in the 80th minute but Luis Angel Landin's
foul before Hainault's shot nullified the goal.

"I'd like to see a replay of our goal," Kinnear said. "If you
can call a foul on that, you can pretty much call a foul on
every set piece that's been in Major League Soccer this year."

Play was suspended twice after the stadium lights went out
because of power dips, a release from the Home Depot Center
said. The game was stopped for a 18 minutes in each half.

The Dynamo's Wade Barrett made his first appearance since Aug.
30 when he started for Mike Chabala at left back. Chabala was
suspended for receiving yellow cards in each of the two
conference semifinal games against Seattle.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/133798-Galaxy-headed-to-MLS-Cup-after-2-0-win-over-Dynamo</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/133798-Galaxy-headed-to-MLS-Cup-after-2-0-win-over-Dynamo</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:27:28 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Dynamo-Galaxy Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By CHRIS DUNCAN
AP Sports Writer

Houston (13-8-9) at Los Angeles (12-6-12), 11:00 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON (AP) --  David Beckham's immediate future is settled,
Landon Donovan is having an MVP-caliber season and the Los
Angeles Galaxy are two wins from another Major League Soccer
championship.

Bolstered by a revamped defense and renewed sense of unity, the
Galaxy face two-time MLS champion Houston in the Western
Conference final on Friday night.

Los Angeles' mere presence in the game is remarkable,
considering the Galaxy tied for the league's worst record in
2008 and started this season with 11 ties in their first 13
games.

And that happened before the real crisis even arrived.

Beckham played the first half of the year with AC Milan, then
got stuck in testy negotiations between the Italian club and the
Galaxy, with whom he agreed to a five-year contract in January
2007.

The English star stayed with the Italian team four months beyond
the end of his original loan. He faced harsh criticism from
Galaxy's fans when he returned in July and also had to mend his
relationship with Donovan, the team captain, who questioned
Beckham's commitment to the MLS team in a book.

Coach Bruce Arena organized a summit for the stars to air their
grievances and the two said publicly they were moving on.

Three months later, it's all good.

Beckham will return to AC Milan in January after an agreement
was reached between the Italian club and the Galaxy, and Donovan
is a finalist for the league's Most Valuable Player award.

The Galaxy gave up only 31 goals in 2009 after allowing 62 in
2008. They shut out seven of their last nine opponents in the
regular season to earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

"Even in the beginning part of this year, we went a bunch of
games without winning and it became frustrating," Donovan said
in a conference call. "Once we got that taste of victory and
realized what it took, everybody grabbed a hold of that and
we've maintained that the rest of the year. Now, I think we're
playing as well as we have all year."

Fittingly, Beckham sent one of his trademark crosses to Donovan
to set up the winning goal in Sunday's 1-0 win over Chivas USA
that propelled the Galaxy into the West final. Donovan
controlled the perfect pass, then fed Mike Magee, who was fouled
in the penalty area. Donovan then buried the penalty kick, tying
an MLS record with his 16th postseason goal.

After three losing seasons, Donovan and the Galaxy are back in
the West final for the first time since winning the MLS Cup in
2005.

"The rut we got into was that losing became a habit for this
franchise," Donovan said. "Now, this year, winning has become a
habit and you realize the things you have to do to be
successful."

While the Galaxy are completing a stark resurgence, the Dynamo
are back in their usual spot as championship contenders.
Houston, MLS champion in 2006 and '07, eliminated Seattle on
Sunday on Brian Ching's overtime goal.

Ching said the playoff-proven veterans saved their best for the
two games against the Sounders, who reached the postseason in
their inaugural season.

"We knew that going into the end of the season, we needed to
pick up our game a little bit," Ching said. "That's one of the
benefits of having a team with so much experience is that you
know when you need to step it up and raise your game."

The Galaxy beat the Dynamo 1-0 in June before the teams played
to a scoreless draw on Oct. 18, a match that Ching termed "a
feisty affair." Beckham earned a yellow card and Ching was
cautioned by the referee after a heated exchange with the
English midfielder.

"We're expecting the same kind of a matchup, the same kind of
intensity," Ching said.

Ching said the Galaxy were a much improved team the second time
around, and Donovan credits coach and general manager Bruce
Arena for spurring the turnaround. Hired in August 2008, Arena
brought in trusted assistant Dave Sarachan, along with former
U.S. national team members Gregg Berhalter and Todd Dunivant and
other veterans to strengthen the leadership on the roster.

Donovan is impressed by how quickly things changed.

"You always hear the term 'buying in' to what the coaches are
telling you, and everyone buys in," Donovan said. "I can't
remember a time this year where a player has complained or
brought the team down because they weren't playing. Everyone has
respected what Bruce and Dave have done, they respect their
decisions, and they're ready when called upon. That's a really
important part of being a good team."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/133036-Dynamo-Galaxy-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/133036-Dynamo-Galaxy-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:42:19 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Beckham only a part of Galaxy's resurgence]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By CHRIS DUNCAN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON(AP) -- David Beckham's immediate future is settled, Landon
Donovan is having an MVP-caliber season and the Los Angeles
Galaxy are two wins from another Major League Soccer
championship.

Bolstered by a revamped defense and renewed sense of unity, the
Galaxy face two-time MLS champion Houston in the Western
Conference final on Friday night.

Los Angeles' mere presence in the game is remarkable,
considering the Galaxy tied for the league's worst record in
2008 and started this season with 11 ties in their first 13
games.

And that happened before the real crisis even arrived.

Beckham played the first half of the year with AC Milan, then
got stuck in testy negotiations between the Italian club and the
Galaxy, with whom he agreed to a five-year contract in January
2007.

The English star stayed with the Italian team four months beyond
the end of his original loan. He faced harsh criticism from
Galaxy's fans when he returned in July and also had to mend his
relationship with Donovan, the team captain, who questioned
Beckham's commitment to the MLS team in a book.

Coach Bruce Arena organized a summit for the stars to air their
grievances and the two said publicly they were moving on.

Three months later, it's all good.

Beckham will return to AC Milan in January after an agreement
was reached between the Italian club and the Galaxy, and Donovan
is a finalist for the league's Most Valuable Player award.

The Galaxy gave up only 31 goals in 2009 after allowing 62 in
2008. They shut out seven of their last nine opponents in the
regular season to earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

"Even in the beginning part of this year, we went a bunch of
games without winning and it became frustrating," Donovan said
in a conference call. "Once we got that taste of victory and
realized what it took, everybody grabbed a hold of that and
we've maintained that the rest of the year. Now, I think we're
playing as well as we have all year."

Fittingly, Beckham sent one of his trademark crosses to Donovan
to set up the winning goal in Sunday's 1-0 win over Chivas USA
that propelled the Galaxy into the West final. Donovan
controlled the perfect pass, then fed Mike Magee, who was fouled
in the penalty area. Donovan then buried the penalty kick, tying
an MLS record with his 16th postseason goal.

After three losing seasons, Donovan and the Galaxy are back in
the West final for the first time since winning the MLS Cup in
2005.

"The rut we got into was that losing became a habit for this
franchise," Donovan said. "Now, this year, winning has become a
habit and you realize the things you have to do to be
successful."

While the Galaxy are completing a stark resurgence, the Dynamo
are back in their usual spot as championship contenders.
Houston, MLS champion in 2006 and '07, eliminated Seattle on
Sunday on Brian Ching's overtime goal.

Ching said the playoff-proven veterans saved their best for the
two games against the Sounders, who reached the postseason in
their inaugural season.

"We knew that going into the end of the season, we needed to
pick up our game a little bit," Ching said. "That's one of the
benefits of having a team with so much experience is that you
know when you need to step it up and raise your game."

The Galaxy beat the Dynamo 1-0 in June before the teams played
to a scoreless draw on Oct. 18, a match that Ching termed "a
feisty affair." Beckham earned a yellow card and Ching was
cautioned by the referee after a heated exchange with the
English midfielder.

"We're expecting the same kind of a matchup, the same kind of
intensity," Ching said.

Ching said the Galaxy were a much improved team the second time
around, and Donovan credits coach and general manager Bruce
Arena for spurring the turnaround. Hired in August 2008, Arena
brought in trusted assistant Dave Sarachan, along with former
U.S. national team members Gregg Berhalter and Todd Dunivant and
other veterans to strengthen the leadership on the roster.

Donovan is impressed by how quickly things changed.

"You always hear the term 'buying in' to what the coaches are
telling you, and everyone buys in," Donovan said. "I can't
remember a time this year where a player has complained or
brought the team down because they weren't playing. Everyone has
respected what Bruce and Dave have done, they respect their
decisions, and they're ready when called upon. That's a really
important part of being a good team."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/132804-Beckham-only-a-part-of-Galaxys-resurgence</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/132804-Beckham-only-a-part-of-Galaxys-resurgence</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:39:30 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Sounders 0, Dynamo 1]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By CHRIS DUNCAN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) --  Naturally, the top two defensive teams in the MLS
fought to a scoreless tie for 90 minutes with their seasons on
the line.

Brian Ching broke the deadlock with what he called one of the
greatest shots of his career.

Ching scored six minutes into overtime and the Houston Dynamo
advanced to the Western Conference final for the third time in
four years with a 1-0 win over the Seattle Sounders on Sunday.

The teams both allowed only 29 goals in the regular season, the
lowest in MLS. They tied 0-0 in the first leg of their two-game
semifinal on Oct. 29, setting up the winner-take-all match in
Houston.

Houston defender Mike Chabala set up the winning shot with a
high cross from the left. The ball deflected off midfielder
Brian Mullan and right to Ching, who beat goalkeeper Kasey
Keller with a shot to the top left corner.

"I just kind of turned and hit one of the best shots of my
life," Ching said. "I was happy to see that go in."

The Dynamo advances to the single-game West final to face the
winner of the Chivas USA-Los Angeles match later Sunday. Houston
improved to 5-1 at home in the playoffs and 9-1-6 at home this
season.

Houston won the MLS championships in 2006 and '07, and Ching
said the team drew on that experience as Sunday's game wore on.

"We've put expectations on ourselves," said Ching, the
franchise's all-time leader in playoff goals (6). "Every year,
we're one of those teams that realistically feels like we're one
of those teams that can win the MLS Cup. The proof is in our
results."

The Sounders, an expansion team, wrapped up their inaugural
season by losing to Houston for the first time in five games
(2-1-2).

"We attributed ourselves really well, and the city was
phenomenally behind us," Keller said. "Now we have to take the
pill of not winning this time and we have to go out and spend
the offseason thinking about how we're going to make it better."

Seattle defender James Riley earned a red card in the final
minute of overtime after tripping Ricardo Clark. The teams
exchanged words at midfield before referee Jorge Gonzalez got in
the middle of the crowd.

Houston outshot Seattle 15-10.

Dominic Oduro had three of Houston's nine first-half shots,
including a drive off the left post in the 23rd minute. The
24-year-old forward from Ghana caught up to a long pass from
Stuart Holden in the 30th minute, but his shot crossed just in
front of the goal.

"I don't think we panicked," Ching said. "We were just a little
unlucky on a lot of opportunities in the first half."

Seattle's best chances in the first half came on counterattacks,
before the Dynamo's defense could get set.

Fredy Montero ran past a Houston defender, but his close range
shot went into the side of the net. Steve Zakuani sent a cross
into the goal area in the 36th minute and Houston's Geoff
Cameron nearly deflected it into the net for an own goal.

Pat Onstad made a diving stop on Montero's shot in the 57th
minute, one of the few scoring chances for either team in the
second half.

"We knocked on the door a few times," Keller said, "but we just
couldn't sustain enough pressure."

The Dynamo were back in the same position as they were last
season, hosting a decisive game in the West semifinals. They
tied New York 1-1 in the first game last year, then lost 3-0 in
Houston.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/132407-Sounders-0-Dynamo-1</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/132407-Sounders-0-Dynamo-1</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:11:15 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Sounders-Dynamo Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
STATS Senior Writer

Seattle (12-7-11) at Houston (13-8-9), 3:00 p.m. EDT

The Houston Dynamo got a good result in the first leg of their
Western Conference semifinal series with the Seattle Sounders.
Based on their experience from last year, they know that coming
home with that advantage won't guarantee them anything.

A testy series concludes Sunday at Robertson Stadium when the
Dynamo and Sounders determine which club advances to the
conference championship.

Houston was the two-time defending MLS Cup champion when it
earned a 1-all draw at New York in the semifinals last year. The
Dynamo's bid for a third straight title went awry in the return
leg with a stunning 3-0 loss to the Red Bulls.

This year, Houston survived the hostile environment of the
first-ever playoff game at Qwest Field for a scoreless draw in
the first leg. The Dynamo hope to be better prepared to complete
the job done at home this time.

"We did the same thing last year and we didn't win," Dynamo
coach Dominic Kinnear said. "If you depend on playing and
winning at home then you're looking at something that might not
happen."

Houston got a positive result in the first leg, and also appears
to have angered Seattle. The Sounders were critical of the
referees as the Dynamo committed 18 fouls to six for Seattle.

"It's not rugby. It's still soccer," Seattle star Freddie
Ljungberg said.

The defense-oriented style of play isn't a surprise. Both teams
allowed the fewest goals in the league with 29 and know that
scoring chances come at a premium.

"I think we just have to move the ball," Seattle forward Steve
Zakuani said. "Against that kind of team, if you keep the ball
too long they get on you, they get guys back and you lose it.
They are physical, they're strong, but if the ball is moving
they commit a lot of fouls. Move the ball, keep the game flowing
and we should be fine."

There could be some bad blood lingering from an incident in the
first leg in which Houston's Ricardo Clark kicked former Dynamo
forward Nate Jaqua above his left eye, resulting in blood
trickling down Jaqua's face.

"That's what I expect," Jaqua said of the Dynamo. "They've been
good in the playoffs because they are physical."

Another former Dynamo player - Patrick Ianni - started in the
first leg for the Sounders because defender Tyrone Marshall was
ruled out with a sprained knee right before kickoff. It's
unclear if Marshall will return.

"Even though we have complete confidence in Patrick Ianni, and
Patrick played very well, still it's a last-minute change,"
Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said.

Houston went 8-1-6 at home, and is 4-1 at home all-time in the
playoffs. The Dynamo announced they sold out the lower bowl for
Sunday's match.

"I heard it's sold out, so it's going to be a great atmosphere,"
Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller said. "We are looking forward to
going and disappointing a lot of people in Houston."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/132071-Sounders-Dynamo-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/132071-Sounders-Dynamo-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:57:32 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Sounders, Dynamo play 0-0 draw in playoff opener]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By GREGG BELL
AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE(AP) -- Sounders part owner Drew Carey wasn't cracking
jokes. He was spewing anger in an elevator.

Freddie Ljungberg said he didn't know what the referee was
doing. Teammate Nate Jaqua played with blood gushing down his
face. And the largest opening-round crowd in MLS playoff history
roared incessantly, as if it was a freewheeling shootout - not a
0-0 draw.

Blood, noise, yellow cards and a disputed whistle outnumbered
scoring chances as expansion Seattle made its MLS postseason
debut with a scoreless tie against the more experienced and
bullish Houston Dynamo on Thursday night.

"It's not rugby. It's still soccer," said an annoyed Ljungberg,
the Swedish star and veteran of England's Premier League.

The fourth scoreless tie for each team this season means this
home-and-home, aggregate-goals round and berth in the one-game
conference final will be settled by a simple, most-goals-wins
match Nov. 8 in Houston, where the Dynamo are 4-1 in the
playoffs. They also have the league's best home winning
percentage over the last four seasons.

"We'll see how the game gets interpreted differently down
there," said Seattle's Sigi Schmid, the MLS leader in career
coaching wins with 19 in his time with Los Angeles and Columbus.
"Maybe things will be different a little bit."

"I'm puzzled," an angry Schmid said of the calls by Ricardo
Salazar, noting the referee gave Seattle three yellow cards for
six fouls and Houston three for 18 fouls.

The upstart Sounders missed an opportunity against the tired
Dynamo, who were playing their fourth game in 12 days. Seattle
couldn't take advantage of dominating possession, or the energy
created by 35,807 fans at Qwest Field. It was the largest crowd
for a conference semifinal playoff match in MLS' 13-year
history.

Most of the rowdy fans were standing, singing and chanting and
waving signs such as "Welcome to Green Hell" throughout the
chilly night.

Lead owner and Hollywood filmmaker Joe Roth attended, and actor
Carey wore a white team cap and one of the green-and-blue team
scarves that were everywhere in the stadium and atop freeway
overpasses around the city.

"We feel the tie benefits us more," Houston All-Star Brad Davis
said. "Our plan was to match the intensity of their team,
especially coming into a crowd with 35,000 people, and not give
them much room to operate. We knew we were coming into a hostile
environment."

Houston, seeking its third league title in four seasons, brought
its own hostility.

The two stingiest defenses during the regular season - 29 goals
against each in 31 games - bulled through 60 minutes. There were
only two prime scoring chances in that span.

Former Dynamo player Patrick Ianni, who started because Tyrone
Marshall had a sprained knee, headed a shot off the crossbar in
the 43rd minute on long free kick by Ljungberg. In the 58th
minute, Davis had his shot from the top of the penalty area
poked away with a right hand by diving goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

In the 16th minute, Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad bulled Fredy
Montero, Seattle's top scorer, to the ground in front of the
goal after a whistle.

"It was a bowling ball and a bowling pin," Schmid huffed.

Onstad received a yellow card, and later said he deserved it.
Montero, who was playing ill, got carded for racing up off the
turf and charging at his 41-year-old opponent.

Ljungberg, who missed on numerous passes early in his first MLS
playoff game, told Onstad at the end of the skirmish, "You know
better than that." Houston's Brian Mullan then yanked Seattle's
Jhon Kennedy Hurtado away from the scrum with his arm around
Hurtado's neck.

The raucous crowd lustily booed Onstad each time he touched the
ball after that.

Eleven minutes later, Houston's Ricardo Clark kicked former
Dynamo forward Nate Jaqua above his left eye. Blood trickled
down his face into the second half, when the most impressive
player in the match summoned trainers to wrap the circumference
of his head. Seattle's 2008 expansion draft pick from Houston
also had to change his bloodstained jersey, into one with no
name or number on the back.

"That's what I expect," Jaqua said of the Dynamo. "They've been
good in the playoffs because they are physical."

Jaqua broke free on Onstad in the 77th minute and put the ball
in the net, but Salazar had whistled Mullan for a foul behind
the play, on Ljungberg near midfield.

"I don't know what the referee was doing," Ljungberg said. "He'd
let that go before. If you want to give the yellow card, you let
that play go and then give the card. I can't say too much. I
need to play the last few games."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/129971-Sounders-Dynamo-play-0-0-draw-in-playoff-opener</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/129971-Sounders-Dynamo-play-0-0-draw-in-playoff-opener</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:12:36 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Dynamo-Sounders Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Houston (13-8-9) at Seattle (12-7-11), 10:00 p.m. EDT

Seattle Sounders FC have been a rousing success in their
inaugural season. Facing the Houston Dynamo in the Western
Conference semifinals, however, could provide their stiffest
test yet.

The Sounders will try to gain some inspiration from another
sellout crowd at Qwest Field and carry momentum from an
impressive regular season into the playoffs Thursday night when
they face the two-time MLS Cup champion Dynamo.

Seattle (12-7-11) is the second expansion team to reach the
postseason in its inaugural year, and the first since Chicago
won the MLS Cup in 1998. The club also set new league records
for attendance, including an average of 30,943 fans at Qwest
Field, which will host the Cup final Nov. 22.

The large crowds gave the Sounders one of the best home-field
advantages in the league, going 7-2-6 while outscoring opponents
21-10.

That success at Qwest continued in Saturday's regular-season
finale, when Seattle got second-half goals from Nate Jaqua and
Brad Evans to rally for a 2-1 victory over Dallas, eliminating
the West rival from contention and clinching the third seed in
the conference playoffs.

"I've said all year long that our best soccer is still ahead of
us," said coach Sigi Schmid, who has won two MLS Cups, including
last season's with Columbus. "Our best soccer is going to come
in the playoffs."

Jaqua, who lost the 2003 MLS Cup final as a rookie with the
Fire, is entering the playoffs in strong fashion. He's scored
goals in his last two games to finish with a career-high nine,
second on the team to forward Fredy Montero's 12.

The 6-foot-3 Jaqua's recent scoring surge has come after Schmid
moved him from forward to the right side of midfield, a position
he played sparingly during his first four seasons with Chicago.

"A lot of people thought 'what's Sigi doing playing him out
wide?' Well, he's got a couple of goals now," Schmid said. "I
just think it creates matchup problems for the opponents, it
gives us a little bit of a different look and it seems to fit
our team and how we're playing."

Seattle, though, has been hit by ailments to Montero (illness)
and goalkeeper Kasey Keller (ankle). Montero's status is
uncertain for Thursday, while the 39-year-old Keller is expected
to play.

Keller's ranked second in the league in wins (12), goals-against
average (0.92) and shutouts (10) during his first MLS season.

The Sounders went 1-0-1 against Houston (13-8-9), including a
2-1 win at home July 11.

"When you start the playoffs, no matter who you play against,
you start all over again," Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear told the
team's official Web site. "No matter how you did against the
team in the regular season, there are guys that come in and
change the team. There are some things that went on that
possibly carry over, but if you look at the three games you
played previous you are focusing on history instead of how you
are going to play."

The Dynamo enter the postseason looking to avoid another early
exit after tying the Crew and Chivas USA for most wins in the
league. They won the West last year after winning the previous
two MLS Cup titles, but were upset in the opening round of the
playoffs by New York.

Houston secured the second seed and home-field advantage for
this round Sunday, beating Chivas 3-2.

Forward Brian Ching, the Dynamo's leader with eight goals, is
expected to be in the lineup after serving a one-game suspension
Sunday for a red card he received in a scoreless tie with Los
Angeles on Oct. 18. He's been ejected in each of his last two
games.

Houston will host the second leg of this total-goals aggregate
series Nov. 8. The winner of this series will meet either Chivas
USA or the Galaxy in the West final the following week.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/129678-Dynamo-Sounders-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/129678-Dynamo-Sounders-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:05:18 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Dynamo beats Chivas to finish second in West]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By LUIS BUENO
STATS MLS Writer

CARSON, Calif. (STATS) - The Houston Dynamo closed the regular
season with a big win but didn't get rewarded for it.

Houston scored two goals in a three-minute span midway through
the first half Sunday, then held off Chivas USA 3-2 to finish
second in the Western Conference.

The Dynamo (13-8-9) have 48 points along with Los Angeles, which
held the tiebreaker over Houston for the top spot in the
conference. The Dynamo will play the expansion Seattle Sounders
FC in the first round, with the first leg likely to be played
Thursday in Seattle.

Andrew Hainault, Dominic Oduro and Abe Thompson scored for
Houston, which improved to 6-1-5 against Chivas in the regular
season.

The Dynamo's playoff scenario, however, did not please coach
Dominic Kinnear, who said his team would have to deal with
fatigue and travel concerns ahead of the playoff opener.

"I'm not worried about their fitness, I'm worried about how many
games they've played," Kinnear said. "Now we're playing on
Thursday and the league didn't take into account that we played
in CONCACAF on Wednesday. It's unfair."

Houston, which played a CONCACAF Champions League match in El
Salvador on Wednesday, will stay in Southern California until
Tuesday before heading north to Seattle.

Chivas USA (13-11-6) dropped to fourth in the West with 45
points and will play archrival Los Angeles at The Home Depot
Center in the postseason for the first time. Chivas will be the
home team for the first match Nov. 1, with the Galaxy hosting
the return leg Nov. 8.

For Chivas, though, its playoff position is far from ideal.

"We definitely didn't achieve our goals. The Western Conference
championship would have been the first goal we'd set out for,"
defender Jonathan Bornstein said. "Even with five games left to
go, if we... would have beaten New York and San Jose, we would
have done it but we tied both games and we had so many chances
and we don't put away goals."

Failing to capitalize on its chances hurt Chivas again Sunday.
The club had three shots in the first 22 minutes but two of the
attempts - by Justin Braun and Maicon Santos - went right to
Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad.

Instead, it was Hainault who opened the scoring for Houston in
the 26th minute after Ryan Cochrane headed a corner kick to the
front of the net.

Three minutes later, Brad Davis slipped a ball in the middle of
the field as Oduro raced into the penalty area unmarked. He beat
Zach Thornton from 15 yards to make it 2-0.

"We got the goal and it kind of gave us some confidence and a
boost of energy," Kinnear said. "We get a second goal and the
confidence grows from there."

Thompson padded the lead in the 52nd minute before Chivas
answered in the 59th, when rookie Michael Lahoud scored his
first MLS goal.

Chivas got within a goal on Eduardo Lillingston's penalty kick
in the 88th minute but could not find an equalizer down the
stretch.

Chivas USA coach Preki Radosavljevic said his team was
unfortunate not to walk away with something from Sunday's match.

"The way we played, the way we fought, our energy, hopefully
they will get rewarded because there was only one team on the
field who played soccer, there was only one team on the field
who had chances and that team lost," he said. "Quite a few times
the game can be cruel. We are not putting our head down."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128932-Dynamo-beats-Chivas-to-finish-second-in-West</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128932-Dynamo-beats-Chivas-to-finish-second-in-West</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:09:26 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Dynamo-Chivas USA Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Houston (12-8-9) at Chivas USA (13-10-6), 3:00 p.m. EDT

CD Chivas USA and the Houston Dynamo wasted key chances to gain
an edge in the Western Conference title race. As a result,
instead of competing for that championship Sunday, the
conference rivals will battle for playoff seeding as they
conclude the regular season.

A win for either Chivas USA (13-10-6) or the Dynamo (12-8-9) on
Sunday would give that club 48 points - matching first-place Los
Angeles - but the Galaxy hold both tiebreakers and secured the
conference title with Saturday's 2-0 win over San Jose.

While Los Angeles clinched home-field advantage throughout the
West playoffs, Seattle beat Dallas 2-1 on Saturday to move two
points ahead of Chivas and Houston for second place. A tie
Sunday would give the third seed via tiebreaker to the Dynamo,
who beat Chivas 1-0 on June 10. That scenario would pit Chivas
against Los Angeles and Houston versus the Sounders in the
two-legged opening round of the playoffs.

"It's going to be a battle," defender Carey Talley told Chivas
USA's official Web site. "We've played against them in
preseason, and once earlier this year. Any time we play these
guys, it's a fight. But we're ready for it."

One week ago, Chivas appeared to be in prime position to win the
West, holding a game in hand on Houston and Los Angeles amid a
three-way tie for first.

Chivas, however, suffered a major letdown in tying the
last-place Earthquakes 2-all Oct. 17, while the Dynamo and
Galaxy played to a scoreless draw the following day. The club
then squandered its extra game Thursday, losing 1-0 at Chicago
on an own goal by forward Eduardo Lillingston to set up the
Galaxy's West-clinching victory Saturday.

"We need to take care of business and we haven't," Chivas coach
Preki said. "We lost that chance, but hopefully we regain our
form on Sunday and put ourselves in a good spot to get
home-field advantage, at least in the first round."

Chivas' defeat Thursday also gave Columbus its second
consecutive Supporters' Shield, awarded to the team with the
best regular-season record.

Houston is mired in a 1-2-4 stretch that has seen it fall out of
contention for a second consecutive West crown.

The Dynamo will have to endure another one-game suspension to
Brian Ching, the team leader with eight goals. The forward was
issued a red card for an altercation with David Beckham last
Sunday - the fifth consecutive game Houston had a player sent
off, with Ching accounting for two of those ejections.

"It's not because it is Brian Ching," Houston coach Dominic
Kinnear said. "It's because it is a player who plays, who is an
important player. And if you look at the guys who have been
red-carded, they are all important players. They are guys that
play significant and important minutes for us. And (last week),
it's not just about the six minutes that he missed. It's 90
(against Chivas USA). We've talked about it, but I can't put an
ear piece in their ear and tell them to just walk away from
situations."

Houston is also coming off Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Isidro
Metapan of El Salvador, which eliminated the Dynamo from the
CONCACAF Champions League.

The Dynamo could use a strong performance from midfielder Stuart
Holden, who is second to Ching on the club with a career-high
six goals, but hasn't found the back of the net in his last
seven league games.

Holden scored the lone goal against Chivas USA in June, giving
Houston a 4-1-5 advantage in the all-time series. Although, the
Dynamo are 0-1-3 at the Home Depot Center.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128803-Dynamo-Chivas-USA-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128803-Dynamo-Chivas-USA-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 05:23:14 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Galaxy, Dynamo draw, create 3-way tie atop West]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEREMY RAKES
STATS MLS Correspondent

HOUSTON (STATS) - Separation was what Los Angeles and Houston
were looking for entering Sunday's Western Conference match at
Robertson Stadium.

The end result, however, was more of a logjam than at the
beginning of the game.

The Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston Dynamo played to a scoreless
draw Sunday, creating a three-way tie atop the Western
Conference.

Donovan Ricketts made four saves for Los Angeles (11-6-12), and
Pat Onstad had three for Houston (12-8-9) to help their teams
match Chivas USA with 45 points. Both the Galaxy and Dynamo have
one match remaining, while Chivas has two.

Chivas plays at Chicago on Thursday before hosting the Dynamo
next Sunday, and the Galaxy complete their schedule at home
against San Jose on Saturday.

Los Angeles had a chance to break the scoreless draw in the 52nd
minute after Edson Buddle pulled Onstad off his line. The
goalkeeper, though, deflected Buddle's blooper from 7 yards, and
Houston's Geoff Cameron cleared it off the line with a bicycle
kick.

"It was a tough game. Houston is a real difficult team to play,
when they are at home, with the tight field, their physicality,
their quality on set pieces, it wasn't easy," Los Angeles coach
Bruce Arena said. "It was a battle for 90 minutes.  I liked the
mentality of our group and the concentration we showed tonight.
I think we have to be pleased with at least leaving with a
point."

Houston's best scoring chance came in the 77th minute after
Stuart Holden got a pass inside the goalkeeper's box. Holden's
point-blank shot was stopped by Ricketts.

For the fifth straight match and sixth time in seven games,
Houston finished with 10 men after Brian Ching was ejected in
the 83rd minute for a red card, meaning he will not play against
Chivas.

David Beckham was given a yellow card for tripping up Ricardo
Clark to start the altercation, but Ching exchanged words with
Beckham, earning a caution. Ching then was given the red card
for apparently pushing a Galaxy player in the head.

"It had nothing to do with me. He pushed someone in the face,
but it wasn't me that he pushed, but you can't do that in the
game," said Beckham, who was making his first trip to Houston.
"Like I said, it had nothing to do with me, I wasn't involved
(in the incident)."

Ching admitted his mistake afterward.

"I touched a guy in the face, and the refs saw it and gave me a
red card," he said. "Stupid play on my part, but it was an
intense game.

"It was a stupid play on my part and two red cards in the last
two (home) games doesn't look good. I let my team down, but
better now than come playoff time."

Houston now has a red card in five straight games and six out of
seven, but Kinnear was more upset about his striker missing the
next match.

"It's not because it is Brian Ching," said Kinnear. "It's
because it is a player who plays, who is an important player.
And if you look at the guys who have been red-carded, they are
all important players.

"They are guys that play significant and important minutes for
us. And today, it's not just about the six minutes that he
missed. It's 90 next week."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/127336-Galaxy-Dynamo-draw-create-3-way-tie-atop-West</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/127336-Galaxy-Dynamo-draw-create-3-way-tie-atop-West</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:54:40 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Galaxy-Dynamo Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MIKE LIPKA
STATS Writer

Los Angeles (11-6-11) at Houston (12-8-8), 3:00 p.m. EDT

Both the Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston Dynamo have already
secured postseason spots, but neither club has given up on its
hopes of earning the top seed in the Western Conference.

If one of the teams can earn three points from Sunday's matinee
in Houston, it could dramatically improve its chances of
home-field advantage in a potential West final.

Last-place San Jose helped both clubs' quest by earning a 2-all
draw at Chivas USA on Saturday, leaving Los Angeles and Houston
just one point behind first-place Chivas with two games left in
the regular season.

Seattle is also tied with the Galaxy and Dynamo with 44 points,
but the Sounders have just one remaining match.

Houston (12-8-8) controls its own destiny, as it closes the
season at Chivas next Sunday, but while Los Angeles would also
be in good position with a victory, Galaxy coach Bruce Arena
downplayed the importance of the top seed.

"We sure as heck want to win the games that we have remaining,"
Arena told the league's official Web site. "But at the end of
the day it seems like everyone is going to be playing each other
anyway. The biggest factor is certainly whoever makes it to
their conference final, then they'll have home-field advantage.
I'm sure not looking that far ahead."

The Galaxy (11-6-11) haven't played since beating Chicago 1-0 at
home Oct. 2, when Landon Donovan's 11th goal of the season
provided the difference and helped the team eventually clinch
its first postseason berth since 2005.

They beat the Dynamo 1-0 on June 28 - without Donovan and before
David Beckham's return to MLS - and Houston will have to be wary
of the productive duo.

"Landon is the best player in this league, and I don't think
anyone is going to dispute that," Dynamo defender Eddie Robinson
said. "And I think when David Beckham is taking it serious, he
is right there behind him."

Los Angeles would love to prove it can win in Houston, where the
Dynamo are 8-1-5. If the clubs finish second and third in the
West, they'd face off in the first round of the playoffs.

While Houston has been busy with CONCACAF Champions League and
Dynamo Charities play, the team has played just one MLS match
since Sept. 19 - a 1-all home draw with Kansas City on Oct. 4.

That point clinched a fourth straight playoff berth, an
impressive achievement considering the Dynamo played the
majority of the match down a man after forward Cam Weaver
received a red card.

Weaver, the sixth Dynamo player to be ejected in the last eight
games, will be suspended for Sunday.

"It is not helping us, and I talked to the guys," Houston coach
Dominic Kinnear said. "... Some you can't control. But some are
not good, and it is not fair to the guys that are still on the
field and playing. I am disappointed in that."

The Dynamo will also be without midfielder Corey Ashe, who was
injured against the Wizards.

While Houston will certainly be trying for the West's top spot,
the team was eliminated from the playoffs in the first round
after winning the conference crown in the regular season last
year. The previous two seasons, the Dynamo settled for the
West's No. 2 seed but went on to win back-to-back MLS Cups.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/127230-Galaxy-Dynamo-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/127230-Galaxy-Dynamo-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:58:56 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Wizards 1, Dynamo 1]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[HOUSTON - The Houston Dynamo clinched a playoff berth. They were
just disappointed by missing a chance to get more.

Houston settled for a tie atop the Western Conference after
blowing a second-half lead Sunday in a 1-1 draw against the
Kansas City Wizards.

Luis Angel Landin's goal put the Dynamo ahead in the 26th
minute, but Kansas City's Zoltan Hercegfalvi scored in the 73rd
minute against a Houston team that was down to 10 men.

"It's a good point," Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear said. "We're
happy that we qualified for the playoffs. It was a tough game,
and obviously, playing with a man down really hurt us.

"We are disappointed obviously, but considering that was going
on, and playing down a man for 70 minutes, it was a great
effort."

Instead of taking over sole possession of the top spot in the
West, Houston (12-8-8) tied Los Angeles for the lead with 44
points. Each team has two games left, including Oct. 18 when the
Galaxy play in Houston.

The Dynamo wrapped up a spot in the postseason for the fourth
time in as many years since moving from San Jose.

Kansas City (8-11-8) remained in sixth place in the East, six
points out of a playoff spot after increasing its unbeaten
streak to four games (2-0-2).

"We knew what was at stake coming into the game," Wizards
midfielder Davy Arnaud said. "Three points would have been nice,
but we have three games left and we are going to try and go and
win all of those."

Houston played a man down starting in the 18th minute when Cam
Weaver was red carded for a hard tackle from behind. Eight
minutes later, however, Landin scored his first career MLS goal
off Brian Mullan's cross.

"It was a nice goal, and I hope it is the first of many more to
come," Landin said. "It is always difficult to play against
teams that are playing desperate to get into the playoffs. Their
defenders are very physical and with the ejection that we had
very early on, that really complicated things. That was very
disappointing.

"I would have liked for my team to win today. That would have
made for a complete day."

The Dynamo were playing without leading goal-scorer Brian Ching,
who was serving a one-game suspension.

Kansas City tied the game when Hercegfalvi took Claudio Lopez's
pass behind the Houston backline on the right box, hitting it
off goalkeeper Pat Onstad and into the right side of the net for
his first MLS goal.

"Obviously we came in here wanting to get three points," Arnaud
said. "We went a man up early, and we didn't push the game like
we should have and they got the goal. After that, their main
priority is to defend and so it's tough to break them down at
times. That being said, we got the goal and gave ourselves a
chance and just couldn't get that second one."

Kevin Hartman made three saves for the Wizards, who likely need
to win out and get some help to make the playoffs.

"Every game that we've played we've used as a measuring stick to
see where we're at as a team," Kansas City coach Peter Vermes
said. "Today we fell short and it's a team you have to measure
yourself against because it's a consistent, well-organized,
successful team and we had to measure up today."

---=

Story from: STATS LLC, http://www.stats.com]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/124497-Wizards-1-Dynamo-1</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/124497-Wizards-1-Dynamo-1</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:40:54 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Wizards-Dynamo Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA
STATS Senior Writer

Kansas City (8-11-7) at Houston (12-8-7), 3:00 p.m. EDT

The Houston Dynamo finally ended their scoring woes in their
last contest. They didn't even need Kei Kamara to do it.

With a chance to take the lead in the Western Conference, the
Dynamo face a desperate Kansas City Wizards team and a driven
former teammate Sunday.

Houston (12-8-7) returns from a week off trailing first-place
Los Angeles by one point in the West with three games remaining.
In their last contest, the Dynamo beat Real Salt Lake 3-2 on
Sept. 19 to take the lead in the conference and end a scoring
slump.

After being held to two goals in its previous four games,
Houston scored as many in the first five minutes versus RSL and
Brad Davis scored the game-winner in the 81st minute.

It was the seventh time in MLS history that two goals were
scored by a team in the opening five minutes of a game. Davis
assisted on a score by Brian Ching in the second minute and set
up Geoff Cameron's goal three minutes later.

"My job is to just put the ball in there and give them a
chance," said Davis, who has five goals and a team-high 10
assists on the season.

Davis is part of an offense that has found the back of the net
35 times this year. Kamara had five of those goals before being
traded to Kansas City (8-11-7) for little-used forward Abe
Thompson and cash Sept. 15.

Kamara had the game-winning header in the Dynamo's 1-0 road
victory over the Wizards on July 4.

Kamara has not scored in two games for Kansas City, but he has
taken four shots and has been active in the Wizards' attack.
Kansas City is trying to keep its slim playoff hopes alive, so
Kamara certainly has incentive enough to play hard, but he
expects to have an extra edge against his old team.

"I have to be honest about the situation," Kamara said. "I was
surprised I was getting traded. I didn't want to leave Houston -
the position that we were in. I wanted to play with the team.

"For them to say that's what they wanted to do, that's saying
they didn't want me on the team anymore. I was shocked,
surprised, but I just have to let that go, look forward."

Kansas City will take all the motivation it can get. The Wizards
may need to win their final four games and get some help to make
the postseason.

A scoreless tie with Colorado last Saturday gave Kansas City a
3-1-1 record since losing its previous four.

Kevin Hartman had three saves against the Rapids for his seventh
shutout of the year. He had four saves in July's contest with
Houston, which put five of its nine shots on goal.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/124155-Wizards-Dynamo-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/124155-Wizards-Dynamo-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:41:49 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Davis lifts Dynamo over Real Salt Lake]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEREMY RAKES
STATS MLS Correspondent

HOUSTON (STATS) - It took five minutes for Houston to score as
many goals Saturday night as the Dynamo did in their last four
games.

But, it took Brad Davis' tally in the 81st minute to lift
Houston a 3-2 win over 10-man Real Salt Lake.

The win helped the Dynamo (12-8-7) take the MLS lead over
Columbus by a point and broke a four-game league winless streak.

"Good hard fought win. Difficult game. Spectacular goal to win
it for us," said Houston head coach Dominic Kinnear. "I'm happy
that we won to extend our lead in the West and to get back to
winning.

"We started out great and then we took our foot off the pedal. 
They crept back into the game and they are just chunking guys
forward because they have to and they need points, so its
important for us to remain discipline and at times we were not."

RSL (9-10-7), meanwhile, had its three-game unbeaten streak
snapped and missed a chance to climb into a tie for fourth place
in the Western Conference.

"We came into a tough place to play against one of the best
teams in the league, and you always want to get a point, but I
think it shows a lot of character what we did tonight, and it
gives us some confidence heading into our next couple games,"
said RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando. "Obviously, we wanted at least
a point and three points would have been great, but we have four
games left. That leaves 12 points for us to get."

Off a free kick by Davis, Brian Ching got his left foot on the
ball in the middle box and scored 68 seconds into the game to
give Houston a 1-0 lead.

Geoff Cameron followed with a goal off a corner kick by Davis in
the fifth minute that extended Dynamo's lead to 2-0.

"Our team's been struggling of late, so to get a win feels
good," Davis said. "Credit to those guys for making good runs,
my job is to just put the ball in there and give them a chance."

Houston was outscored 4-2 during its winless streak.

Kyle Beckerman cut Dynamo's lead to 2-1 in the 27th minute with
a goal from the upper middle box, and Yura Movsisyan made it 2-2
in the 60th minute after controlling the ball in the upper right
box and firing a shot into the left side of the net.

"I was extremely proud of my guys to show that kind of fight in
those kinds of circumstances tonight," said RSL head coach Jason
Kreis. "I think there's not a whole lot to feel good about, I
think we have to feel very good about that game and match next
week and the next three matches after that."

Jamison Olave was sent off in the 32nd minute for a hard tackle
to put RSL down a man, but Ching was also shown a red in the
82nd minute for a hip check to even the sides.

The game also featured five yellow cards and the ejection of
Dynamo assistant coach John Spencer.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120989-Davis-lifts-Dynamo-over-Real-Salt-Lake</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120989-Davis-lifts-Dynamo-over-Real-Salt-Lake</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:42:22 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Real Salt Lake-Dynamo Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BECKER
STATS Senior Writer

Real Salt Lake (9-9-7) at Houston (11-8-7), 8:30 p.m. EDT

The Houston Dynamo lost their lead in the chase for the
Supporters' Shield with another loss last weekend.

Not owning the league's best record could be the least of their
concerns, as they might end up out of the playoffs altogether if
this slump continues.

The Western Conference-leading Dynamo look to bounce back from
one of their most disappointing defeats and avoid their worst
league losing streak in more than two years Saturday night when
they host Real Salt Lake.

Houston (11-8-7) seemed like a lock to make the playoffs two
months ago, but that's not the case anymore.

The Dynamo are winless in four straight and are 3-6-4 since June
20 after winning eight of nine. They've scored only two goals in
their last four MLS matches and are in danger of losing three in
a row for the first time since May 16-26, 2007.

Despite all these struggles, Houston is still atop the West, but
four teams are right on its heels within four points.

"We're fighting for points. We've got 40 points but we want to
get ahead of the group. It's important to create a gap between
the teams behind us," defender Geoff Cameron told the Dynamo's
official Web site after Sunday's 2-1 loss to East-leading
Columbus.

Cameron was in the middle of a controversial call in the final
minutes of Sunday's defeat, which allowed the Crew to move ahead
of Houston for the best record in the league.

After the Dynamo's Cam Weaver scored in the 80th minute to tie
the game at 1, referee Jorge Gonzalez called a penalty on
Cameron for knocking over Crew forward Alejandro Moreno in the
penalty box in the final moments of regular time.

Columbus' Eddie Gaven scored on the penalty kick and several
Dynamo players confronted Gonzalez following the match as the
Crew celebrated.

"These points all matter," said Brian Ching, who leads Houston
with seven goals. "For it, in our eyes, to be unfairly taken
away from you, it's not hard to have that emotion bubble over."

Points also are important for Real Salt Lake (9-9-7), which is
trying to make a last push for the playoffs.

Salt Lake is unbeaten in its last three games (2-0-1), but to
have any chance for a postseason berth it will need to play well
on the road - something it has struggled to do.

RSL plays three of its final five games on the road and is 2-8-2
away from Salt Lake City this season.

"It's do or die at this point on the road," defender Tony
Beltran told the team's official Web site following last
Saturday's 1-1 draw with Chicago. "We know we can do it, so
we'll go out there and give it our best. We got nothing to
lose."

RSL played the Dynamo to a 1-1 draw in Houston on June 20 and to
a scoreless tie in Salt Lake City on Aug. 15.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120634-Real-Salt-Lake-Dynamo-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120634-Real-Salt-Lake-Dynamo-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:43:03 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Gaven's late PK gets Crew by Dynamo 2-1]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BOB STEIN
STATS MLS Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio (STATS) -- Very little separates the top two
teams in the MLS.

Eddie Gaven scored on a penalty kick in second-half stoppage
time to give the Columbus Crew a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo
in a chippy game between the MLS Eastern and Western Conference
leaders on Sunday.

Referee Jorge Gonzalez called for the penalty after Dynamo
defender Geoff Cameron knocked over Crew forward Alejandro
Moreno in the penalty box in the final moment of regular time.

Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad dove to his right as Gaven struck
the ball the opposite way, giving the Crew their sixth win in
seven matches.

Several Dynamo players confronted Gonzalez following the match
as the Crew celebrated their last-minute victory.

"I think some guys feel (the penalty kick) wasn't a proper
call," said Houston coach Dominic Kinnear.

Crew coach Robert Warzycha obviously had a different take as his
team remained unbeaten at home this season.

"We won, so I think the referee was fine," he said. "I think it
doesn't matter if it's the first minute or the 90th minute, if
it's a foul, it needs to be called."

Columbus (11-4-9) regained sole possession of the East lead with
an MLS-best 42 points. The Crew lead Chicago by three points and
have a match in hand on the Fire with six to play.

Houston (11-8-7) has 40 points, two better than Los Angeles.

The Dynamo tied the match in the 80th minute when Cam Weaver had
an easy finish on Brian Ching's athletic crossing pass for his
fourth goal of the year.

Crew defender Frankie Hejduk scored his first goal of the season
in the 34th minute for Columbus, which hasn't lost at home in an
MLS-record 23 matches (17-0-6), including two playoff wins last
year.

Hejduk's goal followed tough play from Crew defender Gino
Padula, who battled for possession on a long corner kick and
forced Houston to concede a second corner.

League MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto sent the corner into the
penalty area, where Dynamo defender Andrew Hainault lunged in an
effort to head the ball clear, but instead deflected it into the
path of Hejduk.

The tempers of players on both teams seemed to fray as the game
wore on, culminating with the Crew's Adam Moffat and Houston's
Ricardo Clark being shown red cards following an encounter near
the center line in the 82nd minute.

"I think the emotions spilled over with the red cards, and then
the penalty kick," Kinnear said.

Ching narrowly missed tying the game two minutes before setting
up Weaver's goal when Ching headed the ball wide of an open goal
from 6 yards.

The Crew travel to Costa Rica for a CONCACAF Champions League
match against Saprissa on Wednesday and face tough league
matches against rivals Chicago, Los Angeles, and expansion
upstarts Seattle over the next three weeks.

"We're starting a stretch with regular season games and
Champions League games, and it was important for us to have a
good start," Warzycha said. "We're very happy we took the first
step and won the game."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/119370-Gavens-late-PK-gets-Crew-by-Dynamo-2-1</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/119370-Gavens-late-PK-gets-Crew-by-Dynamo-2-1</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:07:30 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Dynamo-Crew Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Houston (11-7-7) at Columbus (10-4-9), 5:00 p.m. EDT

The Columbus Crew won their first MLS Cup last year after the
Houston Dynamo took the previous two. Both clubs are considered
favorites to meet in November's final, but they haven't looked
the part recently.

The Crew and Dynamo hope long layoffs can help them rebound from
losing performances Sunday night when they conclude their season
series.

Columbus (10-4-9) and Houston (11-7-7) are vying for their
respective conference titles while trying to improve their
chances at the Supporters' Shield and home-field advantage in
the playoffs.

The Crew are coming off a 13-day layoff following a surprising
1-0 loss at league-worst New York on Aug. 30, halting their
five-game MLS winning streak. That defeat came four days after a
5-0 loss to Mexico's Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions League.

"We're going to throw those games in the trash can and move on,"
midfielder Eddie Gaven said. "We didn't play our best. We can
play so much better. It's a long season. It's nice to be able to
take a week where guys can rest their bodies. It's also just as
important to rest their minds as well."

Columbus will play 11 games in the final six weeks of the season
with four coming in the Champions League.

"It's going to be very hard, a really grueling time for us but
we have a very deep team," Gaven said.

The Dynamo also haven't played since Aug. 30, when they lost 1-0
at Colorado to fall to 3-5-4 following an 8-0-2 stretch.

"We have slipped up and it's been disappointing," defender
Andrew Hainault told the Dynamo's official Web site. "Especially
(against the Rapids), it was a game where we really felt we
should have gone there and gotten some points, but we didn't
play well.

"If we can get our heads right and play our best, the ball is in
our court and if we take care of what we need to do, we can
still win the Supporters' Shield."

Houston is also participating in the Champions League and has 10
games in six weeks leading up to the playoffs. Despite the
difficult schedule, coach Dominic Kinnear has made the team's
priorities clear.

"First goal is to make the playoffs, second goal is to try to
finish as high as we can," Kinnear said. "We control our own
destiny because we play a lot of these teams face to face and
that is the way you want it."

The Dynamo could use some improved production from forward Brian
Ching, who hasn't scored in his last five games after netting
all of his team-leading seven goals in his first 11.

A member of the U.S. national team, Ching has four goals in
eight games against Columbus, scoring in a 1-all tie at Houston
on March 21.

Guillermo Barros Schelotto scored for the Crew in that meeting,
and he's expected to be back in the lineup Sunday. The reigning
league and Cup final MVP has been hampered by a strained left
hamstring which caused him to miss four games before being used
as a late substitute in the last two.

The Argentine international leads Columbus with 10 goals after
scoring seven with a league-high 19 assists last year.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/119066-Dynamo-Crew-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/119066-Dynamo-Crew-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:51:47 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Baudet's goal lifts Rapids over slumping Dynamo 1-0]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By DALE BUBLITZ
STATS MLS Correspondent

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (STATS) - The Colorado Rapids were
momentarily discouraged by the loss of one player. That gave way
to elation by the unexpected return of another.

After losing defender Cory Gibbs to a thigh injury in the 13th
minute, replacement Julien Baudet scored his first goal of the
year in the 55th to lead the Rapids to a 1-0 victory over the
slumping Houston Dynamo on Sunday.

"We were feeling pretty down when Gibbs had to come out,"
Colorado coach Gary Smith said. "At the same time, I thought
there was no way Baudet would get into the game - unless there
was an injury to a defender. And then it happened."

Playing in his first game since breaking his left forearm last
month, Baudet was standing in front of an open net when he
received a corner kick from Mehdi Ballouchy and buried a header
past goalkeeper Pat Onstad.

"I remember sitting on the ground after I went for a header,
landed, heard a crack somewhere, looked at my forearm figuring
it was broken in several places and knew it would take me time
to get back," Baudet said of his injury, suffered in a 4-0 win
over New York on July 25. "The medical people did a job and got
me back in five weeks."

Onstad, who had been screened on the play more by teammates than
by Colorado forwards, could only shake his head in disgust.

"I could see (Baudet) was running in front, but there were
bodies in front of me," Onstad said. "He just flashed into the
corner and there was not much I could do about it."

Smith could only wink in delight at Onstad's misfortune.

"That was our first goal off a corner kick all year," Smith
said.

Goalkeeper Matt Pickens posted his sixth shutout of the season
and 17th of his career for Colorado (9-7-6).

Houston (11-7-7) extended its winless skid to three. The Dynamo
have a two-point lead over Los Angeles in the Western
Conference.

"Our team looked a little tired today," Houston coach Dominic
Kinnear said. "We were fatigued and could only come up with a
couple of chances."

Scoring chances were at a premium in the first half. A shot by
Houston's Stuart Holden barely missed the right post two minutes
into the game. Moments later, Colorado's Nick LaBrocca sent a
weak header into Onstad's stomach.

Onstad easily caught Jacob Peterson's shot from 25 yards in the
24th minute and came out of the crease to take the ball off Omar
Cummings' right foot in the 41st.

Play opened up briefly at the start of the second half. Pickens
came out to stop Kei Kamara on a breakaway in the 49th minute.
Seconds later, Onstad batted away a shot by Peterson.

Pickens also stopped a shot by Kamara in the 68th minute. A
header by Kamara from inside the crease brushed the outside of
the right post in stoppage time.

"There wasn't much to it out there today - a corner kick and a
goal," Kinnear said. "It wasn't an entertaining game."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/116071-Baudets-goal-lifts-Rapids-over-slumping-Dynamo-1-0</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/116071-Baudets-goal-lifts-Rapids-over-slumping-Dynamo-1-0</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 22:49:35 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Dynamo-Rapids Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN FERGUSON
STATS Writer

Houston (11-6-7) at Colorado (8-7-6), 3:00 p.m. EDT

A pair of ties in the past two matches hasn't helped the Houston
Dynamo feel comfortable as they continue to sit atop the Western
Conference.

The Dynamo hope Sunday's matchup with the inconsistent Colorado
Rapids will help pad their advantage and end a brief winless
streak.

Houston (11-6-7) couldn't hold a lead last week against visiting
Seattle as former Dynamo forward Nate Jaqua scored in the 70th
minute left to force a 1-1 draw.

"We wanted to come out with three points tonight, so that's
disappointing. There was miscommunication on their goal and that
is what it comes down to," said defender Geoff Cameron, who
scored his first goal of the season. "I think we are a better
team overall, but they really put on the pressure and they
create havoc for us."

That followed a scoreless deadlock with Real Salt Lake on Aug.
15.

The Dynamo will try to get back into the win column against a
team they've handled since moving to Texas in 2006.

Houston is 7-2-1 all-time against the Rapids (8-7-6) and beat
them in the playoffs during that inaugural season en route to
winning consecutive MLS Cup titles. The Dynamo are also 3-2-1 in
Colorado, posting a win and a scoreless draw there last season.

The Rapids have also alternated wins and losses in their last
six games and come off a disappointing 3-2 defeat in Chicago on
Aug. 23.

Omar Cummings scored twice early in the second half, and
Colorado still held a 2-0 lead with less than 20 minutes to go.
The Rapids, however, gave up three goals including the go-ahead
score two minutes into stoppage time.

"It's a 90-minute game," Colorado coach Gary Smith told MLS'
official Web site. "If you don't play for 90 minutes then it's
the punishment you get."

Despite his team's struggles, Smith's club has scored 10 goals
in the last four games including a pair of 4-0 victories. Along
with the two goals, Cummings has four assists in those contests
and leads the league with 10.

He also has a career-high eight goals this season and is second
on the Rapids behind Conor Casey's 11.

The Dynamo's sagging offense could get a boost from forward Luis
Angel Landin, who made his much-anticipated MLS debut with 15
minutes remaining against the Sounders.

Houston acquired the 24-year-old on loan from Cruz Azul on Aug.
20 and the Mexican national team member is the team's first-ever
designated player.

"I am not coming here to be a superstar," said Landin, who is on
loan through the end of 2010. "I am just coming here to play, to
be one of the guys, and to contribute in any way possible."

Brian Ching leads Houston with seven goals, but hasn't scored
since a two-goal performance Aug. 1 against D.C. United.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/115873-Dynamo-Rapids-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/115873-Dynamo-Rapids-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 29 Aug 2009 20:45:29 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Sounders' Jaqua delivers 1-1 tie at Dynamo]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEREMY RAKES
STATS MLS Correspondent

HOUSTON (STATS) ??? Nate Jaqua continues to haunt his former team.

The ex-Dynamo forward scored in the 70th minute to give Seattle
a point in Houston and move the Sounders into a tie for third
place in the Western Conference with a 1-1 draw against the
Dynamo on Sunday night.

Jaqua tied the score after taking a cross from Steve Zakuani and
hitting it into the right side for his first goal since scoring
two against Colorado on June 28.

"We created a lot of good things," Jaqua said. "It would have
been tough if we didn't get out of here with at least a point,
and we almost got out of here with three points. They're a good
team, and it shows a lot for us to come back and battle back
from a goal down.

"It helps on the road and we have to keep going. It's nice to
get a point, but we need to get some wins and we need to get
some points to get us up in the table a little ways. So the next
game is a big game for us, but every game is a big game for us."

Jaqua also scored the tying goal against Houston on July 21 in
the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup to send the game to extra
time where Seattle eventually won 2-1. This year Jaqua has two
goals and an assist in three contests against Houston. He made
29 appearances for the Dynamo before Seattle took him in the
expansion draft.

Geoff Cameron scored his first goal of the season in the 36th
minute, but the Dynamo couldn't hold off their former teammate.
Cameron scored on Brad Davis's direct kick from 35 yards out,
heading the ball in from the top of the box.

"We wanted to come out with three points tonight, so that's
disappointing, but there was miscommunication on their goal and
that is what it comes down to," Cameron said. "I think we are a
better team overall, but they really put on the pressure and
they create havoc for us.

"I thought we controlled the game, more opportunities, more
combinations plays, but one relapse in the game, and you see
what happens. You just can't have those mistakes against them,
and that is what it comes down to."

Houston (11-6-7) extended its unbeaten streak to three and
regained sole possession of the MLS lead over Columbus by a
point. The Dynamo also extended their lead over Los Angeles in
the West to five points.

"It was a tough game, and I think a draw is pretty fair,"
Houston coach Dominic Kinnear said. "We have a lot of respect
for how they play, they make it really difficult and they close
down the space pretty well. I think if we were a little sharper
in the final third, we really could have helped ourselves out.

"They kind of caught us napping on the goal, but Zakuani missed
a decent chance. We've played them three times, and they have
all been closely contested games. They are a tough team to play.
Getting a point is nothing to be disappointed about, but it is
tough to lose the lead."

Seattle (8-6-9) is even with Chivas USA at 33 points.

The Sounders, though, missed several chances to possibly get a
win. Freddie Ljungberg had what looked like a sure goal in the
fourth minute kicked out by Houston's Wade Barrett at the goal
line.

Jaqua had a goal called back in the 47th minute for being
offsides, and Zakuani had a shot at a wide open net go over the
cross bar just minutes before Jaqua's equalizer.

All that aside, Seattle was happy to get the point.

"For us, I was really proud of our team from the standpoint of
coming down here and playing a really good team and missing
those chances, even the first one with Barrett saving
Ljungberg's shot off the line and going down 1-0, and missing
chances, and not losing heart and continuing to battle," coach
Sigi Schmid said.

"Then a goal called back offsides and then still continuing to
fight and eventually getting the equalizer so that is something
I am really proud of."

---=

Information from: STATS LLC, http://www.stats.com.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/114720-Sounders-Jaqua-delivers-1-1-tie-at-Dynamo</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/114720-Sounders-Jaqua-delivers-1-1-tie-at-Dynamo</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:17:37 GMT</pubDate>
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