Houston: A Fitting Champion

I know it comes with a big asterisk, but it pleases me that the Houston Dynamo becomes the third team in MLS history to win the MLS Cup in their first year of existence. First, it definately draws a line between this team and San Jose, allowing San Jose to keep their history while letting Houston begin their own tradition of excellence. Second, unlike our champions from one year ago, this team is one MLS can accept as a legitimate representative of top quality american soccer. Finally, it may be immature, but it's nice to see Jay Heaps be the goat (and I say this knowing our prospective owner may be a Duke alum).

As for the game, an entertaining opening fifteen minutes faded into a humdrum affair for the next one hundred ten minutes or so. Yet the ending of that game was truly stunning. This was not the greatest MLS game ever played, but it may well be the greatest finish to an MLS Cup (yes, even more so than Eddie Pope's header in extra time.) When Twellman scored, I didn't think for a moment that Houston would be able to counter in the time they had remaining. I, and most of the New England back line, was wrong. Ching's goal was stunning, and the penalties that decided the match full of tension. I know that most penalty shoot-outs feel like a cheap way to decide a game, but this time, for me, it felt right.

I'll say this though: Anyone that thought Clint Dempsey looked fine to play was wrong. After the initial rush of coming onto the pitch, Dempsey seemed to fade quickly. Arena and Wynalda both made a big deal about him seeming to be fine in training, which just goes to show the relationship between training and an actual game. The fact that Noonan, Heaps, and Joseph were all higher on the PK list than Dempsey (who shot 6th in the Eastern Conference Final, if I recall correctly) says that his ankle was not 100%.

Regardless, congratulations to Houston, a worth champion and fitting compatriot for international play.