Texas Shootout Adds Another Chapter to Rivalry
April 8th, 2008 . 12:26 pm . By: John CarltonWeek Two of MLS featured a marquee billing for the final Sunday tilt between Texas archrivals Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas. In the return leg of the first round of the 2007 MLS playoffs, Dallas was beaten in extra-time by a Dynamo club that went on to repeat as MLS Champions. Indeed, prior to Sunday, the Red Stripes hadn’t taken a single point from Houston at Robertson Stadium in six attempts, a trend they were eager to reverse. With a midweek CONCACAF semifinal looming, Houston boss Dominic Kinnear elected to rest a couple of key players in Brad Davis and Brian Mullan, although both wingers entered the game late in the second half. Instead rookie midfielder Geoff Cameron and second-year spark plug Corey Ashe patrolled the sidelines for Houston. Getting the start up top alongside Brian Ching was young Argentine forward Franco Caraccio. With three relative newcomers in key positions, Houston looked to its vocal home supporters for that extra lift. Dynamo came out in their standard 4-4-2 Diamond shape, while FC Dallas continued to refine its quasi-3-5-2 configuration. Drew Moor returned to the lineup in the Dallas back three, and Arturo Alvarez started at forward, flanking target man Kenny Cooper. Moor and Alvarez were both back after serving one game suspensions for red cards they received against Houston in last year’s playoff return leg. Blake Wagner got his second start on the left wing and U.S. Olympian Dax McCarty returned the the first XI on the right wing. All in all, a stronger side for the Hoops from week one. The first ten minutes of the match saw neither team get in rhythm. FC Dallas started to maintain a little possession as the first half progressed, but Dynamo struck first and against the run of play when in the 21st minute Franco Caraccio took advantage of a scrum in front of goal and headed the ball in. Dallas keeper Dario Sala may have been pushed on the play, but the goal was well-taken. Moments later at the other end Dynamo keeper Pat Onstad went down hard on his shoulder and had to come out of the game. The Dynamo lead vanished in the 35th minute as Hoops midfielder Andre Rocha volleyed a pass up field to forward Kenny Cooper who let it take two hops then flicked an arcing ball over the head of backup Dynamo keeper Tony Caig. Ten minutes later Cooper would score again, this time off a marvelous centered pass from Juan Toja. Cooper one-timed the Toja feed powerfully through the shaky grasp of the Dynamo keeper and it was Dallas 2-1. Dynamo looked motivated and sharper to start the second half and after a sustained spate of possession notched the equalizer in the 57th minute. Brian Ching received a pass from Frank Caraccio and beat Drew Moor to the ball to tie the match. Faced with a gut-check, the Hoops wasted no time in issuing a response. Pablo Richetti sprung Arturo Alvarez with a perfectly weighted through ball that took the Dynamo back line by surprise. Looking calm and composed, the Houston native Alvarez slotted the ball past the onrushing Tony Caig to give Dallas the 3-2 lead. At this point, Dallas head coach Steve Morrow astutely brought on speedy Ghanaian forward Dominic Oduro to keep the Houston back line honest. Kinnear countered by bringing on Davis and Mullan and moving the rookie Cameron more centrally, with excellent results. Though Oduro – and later Ricardinho – twice got free with superior numbers on counter-attacks, both young strikers opted to shoot rather than pass to wide open teammates. The consequences of those miscues was nothing short of disastrous for the Hoops, when in stoppage time Houston rookie Cameron hit a blast from the top of the box past the stunned, slightly off his line, Dario Sala. The shot tied, and effectively ended, the match. Afterwards, coach Steve Morrow said, “It feels like a loss.” Anyone watching the game from the Dallas cheering section would probably agree. FC Dallas (0-0-2) vs. Houston Dynamo (0-1-1)April 06, 2008 — Robertson Stadium Scoring Summary: FC Dallas – Dario Sala, Drew Moor, Duilio Davino, Adrian Serioux, Blake Wagner, Andre Rocha, Pablo Ricchetti, Juan Toja (Dominic Oduro 74), Dax McCarty, Kenny Cooper (Anthony Wallace 87), Arturo Alvarez (Ricardinho 80). Substitutes Not Used: Ray Burse, Michael Dello-Russo, Aaron Pitchkolan, Abe Thompson Houston Dynamo — Pat Onstad (Tony Caig 28), Craig Waibel, Bobby Boswell, Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett (Brad Davis 78), Geoff Cameron, Dwayne De Rosario, Richard Mulrooney, Corey Ashe, Franco Caraccio (Brian Mullan 70), Brian Ching. Substitutes Not Used: Kyle Brown, Chris Wondolowski, Patrick Ianni, Erik Ustruck
Misconduct Summary: referee: Abiodun Okulaja 6 Comments Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI Leave a comment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The key play of the game was Onstad’s injury yet you apparently missed it. This game goes to Houston 4-0 w/o thay play but you missed it.
Oric, see paragraph 4: “Moments later at the other end Dynamo keeper Pat Onstad went down hard on his shoulder and had to come out of the game.”
Also, assuming Dallas doesn’t score against Onstad, how do you conclude that Houston would have scored 4 with Ostad on the pitch?
While you’re prognosticating, what would the score have been if disaster Abbey had called Ching for taking Sala out of the play?
Last question above should read: “While you’re prognosticating, what would the score have been if disaster Abbey had called Ching for taking Sala out of the play on the first goal?”
Oric, 4-0 if Onstad is in? Besides the obvious point that who knows what would have happened if he stay in, Why do the Dynamo get 4? Yes the injury was key, but Art had a 1v1 with the keeper, how much better could Onstad had done. Despite Caig’s struggles early he did make a few key saves late in the match, not that Onstad couldn’t have made them. I think Onstad COULD have saved at least 2 of the goals and COULD have gotten lucky on Art’s but again, who knows.
Also, I don’t mean to take it out on you specifically Oric bc a lot of people do this, but why do some of the people commenting on 3rd degree articles feel the need to be such. . . Jerks (to use a clean word). I don’t know John Carlton or any of the other writers on this site, but i do know that they do this for free, and bc they enjoy soccer. it is annoying to read so many people trashing the writer bc they disagree with the author, or bc the author was wrong on a detail, or bc the author forgot/missed some point (or didn’t miss it in this case).
Oric, i don’t know you, or if you have ever posted here before, i am just venting my opinion. I guess you caught me on a bad day. But i do get tired of people acting like they know everything about soccer. I have no prob with people disagreeing with the information in the article and having their own opinion (it is what comments are for, and it is always interesting to see contrasting opinions) but there is no need be an a- hole about it.
Well said Conor B.
Completely agreed w/ Conor B.
Not to mention, I personally appreciated the column.