Houston Dynamo, Dynamo Houston -- whichever way you want to look at it, the MLS Cup champions are the team dressed in orange. I can't say it was a great final -- and to be honest, it wasn't -- but the last ten minutes sure were dramatic. I apologize to Revs fans for saying that their team would win, but I really thought that Ricardo Clark's suspension would give the New England midfield an advantage. It didn't work out that way; New England had difficulty taking control of the center of the field and took a long time to generate goal-scoring chances. Twellman did his part, so did Dempsey to a lesser extent, but it still wasn't enough. Even so, they had to like their chances with Reis in goal during the penalty shootout. And he performed great, making an important save to keep the shootout 2-3, but Noonan and Heaps took nervous shots and those made the difference.
You have to feel for the New England Revolution. Three trips to MLS' final match, and losses in all three. It was great to break that scoreless drought (346 minutes!), but in the end it's an empty satisfaction. And now, the team awaits what will almost certainly be the breakup of their talented core. Dempsey is almost certain to go to Europe, Joseph might follow, could Twellman, Reis and Noonan stay?
Dynamo's triumph will be celebrated in Houston, and in San Jose as well. Yes, the colors, the name, and the history stay in California, but the players are the same, and this is for the most part the same bunch that ran away with the Supporters' Shield in 2005. They combined the midfield talent of DeRosario, Clark, and Davis with the striking prowess of Ching and Dalglish, the defensive experience of Mullan and Barrett, and the goalkeeping reliability of Onstad. Dynamo will join DC United in CONCACAF's top competition, a just reward for a side that has played some of the best soccer in the USA over the past 18 months.
So the soccer season in the USA comes to a close, and in five months a new MLS season will be upon us, with a new club in a new country, a new stadium in metro Denver, and perhaps some new high-profile players - Becks perhaps? See you then.
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