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Category Archives: Houston Dynamo

Major Sponsors Announced by Houston Dynamo and Galveston Pirate

It was a banner week for soccer sponsorships in the great state of Texas.  Both the Houston Dynamo (MLS) and Galveston Pirate (NPSL) announced major sponsorship deals that put them in the forefront of their respective leagues.

The Houston Dynamo announced a long-term sponsorship agreement with Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) on Thursday. The agreement will make Mazda the official vehicle of the Houston Dynamo as well as a founding partner of BBVA Compass Stadium, which will open May 12.

The agreement signals Mazda’s first sports sponsorship in Houston and provides automotive exclusivity with regard to sponsorship rights for the Houston Dynamo. As part of the agreement, for each Dynamo home game this coming season, there will be a Mazda preferred parking area for select fans at BBVA Compass Stadium. The first four Mazda cars that enter the specified lot will be able to park free of charge. The exact location of the lot will be announced at a later date.

“Mazda is proud to be the official car of the Houston Dynamo Soccer Club. Our dealers have been serving the Houston-area for more than thirty years and are committed to their community,” said Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO, MNAO. “We look forward to a long relationship with the Houston Dynamo and congratulate them on their new stadium.”

When BBVA Compass Stadium officially opens, customers will have the opportunity to test drive the newest Mazda cars at a two-day Mazda Test Drive Experience event to be held at the Dynamo’s new downtown soccer facility.

“We are pleased and honored to introduce Mazda as a founding partner of BBVA Compass Stadium and a team partner for the Houston Dynamo,” said Dynamo Senior Vice President for Business Development Steven Powell. “Mazda is a strong, international brand and we look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with one of the world’s most innovative automotive manufacturing companies.”

The Galveston Pirate made a huge splash in the NPSL, signing a five-year sponsorship deal with Admiral Sportswear.  Admiral is a brand once worn by some of the biggest names in the world of soccer, including Manchester United, the New York Cosmos, the Vancouver Whitecaps, and the English national team.

Today the brand has made a resurgence in North America and is being worn by champions like the Minnesota Stars (NASL) and Kitsap Pumas (PDL).  Admiral is also worn by numerous other USL-Pro, NPSL, MISL, and WPSL clubs such as the Puerto Rico Islanders, AFC Cleveland, Norfolk SharX, and the LA Vikings.

Galveston Pirate is excited about playing in the NPSL in 2012 with a major sponsor like Admiral in tow.

“I believe Admiral will take Galveston Pirate SC to a new level of professionalism with the players running out on the field in style with top quality apparel for the upcoming NPSL season,” Galveston SC President Brendan Keyes stated. “I look forward to working with Paul Hamburger and his staff for many years, building a trusting relationship between both organizations.”

Admiral Sportswear is excited about breaking into a new market like the Southwest.

“The USA is a really important market for Admiral. There are more soccer players here than in England, Germany, Italy and Spain added together,” Admiral CEO Paul Hamburger commented. ”It’s the right partnership for a team and a sports brand both going places.”

Dynamo Powers Past Kansas City for MLS Cup Berth

To say that the Houston Dynamo has been anything less than impressive in the last few months of MLS play would be unreasonable.  To have expected the team to dip below its proven potential when it trekked to Kansas City for the Eastern Conference Final would have been equally as absurd.

Gone are any affiliations between mediocrity and the Houston crew.  The Dynamo sent Sporting KC and the sellout crowd of over 20,000 supporters home in disappointment as Houston collected two second-half goals to complete the 2-0 shutout victory.

The match certainly didn’t pan out as most would have predicted, especially after Sporting KC attacker Kei Kamara forced Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall into a manageable save in just the game’s second minute.  However, while Kansas City pressured the visitors with a steady offensive tempo, the Dynamo opted to forgo cruise control for what better represented a blitzkrieg.

Swift, effective, and downright overwhelming, the Dynamo punched its ticket to the 2011 MLS Cup using surprising counterattacks that penetrated and disassembled Kansas City’s defensive posture.  Brian Ching was the first to glide past the Sporting KC backline when Luiz Camargo threaded a fine through ball into space in the eighth minute; however, Aurélien Collin’s slight contact with Ching was enough to force the striker’s chip to land just high of the goal frame.  Calen Carr followed Ching’s effort ten minutes later, but his attempt fell short too as he darted a bullet right at Kanas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen.  Ching and Carr combined for the third legit effort, yet Ching’s header across the six-yard box was just out of Carr’s reach as he lunged at the far post.

Houston’s optimism soon hiccupped when go-to player Brad Davis left the game in the 35th minute after the MLS MVP candidate knotted with Sporting KC’s Graham Zusi in the midfield.  Davis tore his right quadriceps and will likely be sidelined for the MLS Cup.

The injury would be a problem for the Dynamo to ponder at a later date because the second half of play was nothing shy of a highlight reel for Houston.  Adam Moffat stepped up to fill Davis’s shoes and delivered a free kick service to the back post in the 53rd minute, which found a streaking Jermaine Taylor.  Although Taylor’s header was batted away by Nielsen, the rebound fell to a lurking Andre Hainault who knocked in the chance for the 1-0 Houston advantage.

Had it not been for the defensive heroism of Sporting KC’s Matt Besler, Houston would have doubled its lead just two minutes later.  Corey Ashe attempted to link with a charging Camargo at the back post, but Besler’s last-ditch sliding effort was enough to tip the ball safely to Nielsen.  Still, the Dynamo wasn’t content to sit pretty with its one-goal lead.  Sporting KC players and fans cried foul when Roger Espinoza hit the ground just inside the Dynamo penalty area only to have the penalty plea waved off by the referee.  Soon after, Houston gave the home side a true reason to moan when it jumped to an irreversible 2-0 lead in the 87th minute.  Camargo’s through ball gave Carlo Costly a golden opportunity on goal, and the Honduran made no mistake in beating a stranded Nielsen.

Houston’s season will come to a climax in the MLS Cup on Nov. 20.  The two-time champions will meet a formidable Los Angeles Galaxy squad at the opponent’s unfriendly Home Depot Stadium.  The Galaxy earned its rights to the final with a 3-1 victory over Real Salt Lake.  Los Angeles has also collected two championship crowns, meaning that the 2011 MLS Cup victor will climb to second place in all-time MLS Cup titles behind four-time winner D.C. United.

Dynamo Discards Union, Writes Invitation to KC

There’s an Eastern Conference Final Party in Kansas City and the Dynamo is invited courtesy of a Brian Ching header that lifted Houston to a 1-0 victory and maintained its aggregate goal advantage over the Philadelphia Union on Thursday night.

Houston resorted to what it does best to drive home the game’s lone goal in first-half stoppage time.  Brad Davis collected his 18th assist in all competitions this season and fifth assist in his last six outings when he whizzed a cross from the left flank across the Union goal box.  Davis’s delivery found a charging Ching, who aimed his header inside the far post past Philadelphia goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon.

The game-winning goal would stand as Ching’s eighth MLS playoff tally in his 10-year career, putting him second among active players in this category.  The 1-0 score line marked Houston’s 100th club victory in all competitions (100-72-75) and extended its unbeaten streak to eight matches (6-0-2).

Aside from these few fine figures, however, the second leg of this MLS playoff series between two of the league’s most skilled sides was in fact a yawn.  There were few edge-of-the-seat scenarios and little in the line of offensive menace.  Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall and Philadelphia’s Mondragon recorded four saves apiece, while the two teams combined for nine shots on target.  Although the Union edged the Dynamo in possession, Danny Cruz and Davis put the visitors on their heels to earn numerous set-piece opportunities.

Sensing desperation, Philadelphia opted for a unique triple substitution in the 66th minute, bringing on Justin Mapp, Freddy Adu, and Roger Torres.  The move pushed Philadelphia closer to the Dynamo defensive third, but the Union just couldn’t crack the goal line.

Instead, the ‘boring’ match ended in much excitement for Houston fans who celebrated their hometown team’s fourth trip to the conference finals in its youthful six-year existence.  The Dynamo will put its eight-game unbeaten streak on the line when it travels to LIVESTRONG Sporting Park on Nov. 6.  Houston’s last defeat was a 3-0 tumble on Sept. 10 at the hands of none other than Sporting KC.

Dynamo Finds New Niche in Playoff Victory at Philadelphia

There are many things that the 2011 Houston Dynamo does well, yet the team’s Achilles’ heel was as exposed as ever entering PPL Park to take on the Philadelphia Union in the first leg of the Eastern Conference semifinal round.

Instead of adding salt to the squad’s open wound, however, the Dynamo’s 2-1 victory over the Union merely added fuel to its already blazing fire.

After clinching the second seed in the Eastern Conference with its 3-1 triumph over the Los Angeles Galaxy last weekend, Houston made the trek to Philadelphia as the higher-ranked club, an advantage moderated by a sea of snags.  First off, the Dynamo had never beaten its Union nemesis.  Secondly, Houston managed to muster just two road wins all season, while Philadelphia stumbled in just one home loss.  Thirdly, and surely this would drive the nail in the coffin, the Dynamo had never won a road playoff match in its five-year existence prior to the 2011 campaign.

Normally, this would be enough to freeze a team in its tracks and chill the Dynamo into doubt and disbelief.  However, it is definitely not freezer burn that Houston has been feeling lately.  Instead, the club has been on fire, ending the MLS regular season on a six-game unbeaten streak.  Sunday’s match against the Union cautioned the host that it is dangerous to mess with a lineup so hot.

Philadelphia came out aggressive on its mission to delight the 18,539 fans in attendance for the franchise’s first playoff match.  The Union’s Gabriel Farfan picked up a yellow card in just the fourth minute for what could have been a red-card offense against Houston’s Danny Cruz.  This set up Brad Davis to deliver upon his free kick expertise.  Davis bent a low lofted ball into the Philadelphia box from the right side of the field, which connected perfectly with the head of defender Andre Hainault.  Hainault directed the delivery past a frozen Faryd Mondragón in the Union goal for his second converted header in the last three games.

The quick 1-0 advantage for the visitors surprised everyone including the Dynamo players, whom were too busy reveling in the ensuing ecstasy to spoil Philadelphia’s immediate attack. Sébastien Le Toux added a playoff goal to his highlight reel when he caught a lucky deflection from Union teammate Michael Farfan and one-timed his chance past Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall from well-inside the box.

The seventh-minute equalizer would only serve to foreshadow the drama and tension that became the mood of a match that saw six yellow cards, five of those before halftime.  The Union played with five defenders in the first half in an attempt to squelch the scorching Dynamo attack.  Nevertheless, Houston generated numerous chances and maintained 70% of the possession in the first half an hour.  This spell was capped off by forward Calen Carr’s collected finish past Mondragón inside the right near post.  Brian Ching delivered a deft ball that sent Carr into space past the Union backline, where he tucked away his second goal since being traded from Chicago earlier this season.

Houston held the 2-1 advantage heading into halftime, and the visitors clung on for dear life to that narrow lead for what felt like an eternity-long second half.  In contrary to its first-half style, the Union employed an offensive blitz out of the locker room that contributed to the team’s 23 attempts on goal and forced Hall into a career-high 10 saves.  Houston may have dodged a ‘no-call’ handball in its box early in the half before nearly sealing a critical third goal against the run of play in the 86th minute; however, Mondragón made a strong save as Davis looked to capitalized.  In see-saw fashion, Philadelphia’s Jack McInerney almost tied the game two minutes later when his header nicked off the crossbar.

Try as they might, the discouraged Philadelphia players never salvaged the elusive game-tying goal, which leaves the Dynamo with a one-goal aggregate advantage heading into the second leg of the conference semifinal series.  Houston will play host to Philadelphia at Robertson Stadium on Nov. 3 with the winner slated to face the victor of the Sporting KC and Colorado Rapids series.

Houston Reaches New Heights

With several playoff scenarios on the line, it was a night for the spectacular that saw the Houston Dynamo put away the Los Angeles Galaxy with a compelling 3-1 victory.

The three-point triumph was celebrated and cherished by the Dynamo, while the Galaxy could have quite frankly cared less.  Having already clinched the Supporters’ Shield, Los Angeles rested nearly all of its starters, which paved a much easier route to victory for Houston against the league’s most feared opponent.  None of that mattered, though, as the Dynamo concluded the MLS regular season with a rather satisfying second-place finish in the Eastern Conference.

Over 30,000 fans in attendance, the Dynamo’s sixth-largest crowd in franchise history, watched the team cap off an impressive 7-2-4 streak in its last 13 games.  A sluggish start was suddenly offset when Houston’s Adam Moffat buried a first-rate finish from 38 yards deep in the 27th minute.  Moffat found a sliver of space and unleashed a bullet into the upper 90 past outstretched Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, one of two Galaxy regulars featuring for the team.

The 1-0 Dynamo lead was doubled just minutes after halftime.  Brad Davis lined up a free kick, which Moffat headed down to the feet of Bobby Boswell.  The Dynamo defender rocketed a shot into the right side of the net to tally his career-high fifth goal of the season and bring him into a four-way tie for the team’s top-scorer nod.

Flash forward to the 74th minute when the real magic would occur.  Like he has done all season, Davis delivered a fine-looking cross for his teammate to snap into the goal.  This time, however, that teammate was Carlo Costly, the Honduran international who soared over Dasan Robinson to flick a header past Ricketts on the far post.  The goal was Costly’s first as a Dynamo player and welcomed him into the company of his 16 other teammates whom have tallied for Houston this season.  Davis charted his 16th assist on the play to lift him above David Beckham to secure sole ownership of the MLS assist title.

Before the night was over, the Galaxy managed to salvage a quick tick of success when 16-year-old Jack McBean drove a shot past Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall inside the 18-yard box after a skilled setup from Chad Barrett.  In his MLS debut, McBean became the youngest player to play, start, and score for the Los Angeles franchise.

Still, the conceded goal could do little to dampen the night, especially for Houston’s headman.  Coach Dominic Kinnear notched his 100th career MLS regular season victory, a feat achieved by only four other coaches before him.  Kinnear’s 100-67-81 record earns him the fourth-highest winning percentage (.567) of any coach in MLS history.

The Dynamo’s victory also marks the team’s first triumph over the loaded Galaxy club since October18, 2008.  Los Angeles had previously showed off a 5-0-1 advantage over Houston in the three-year gap that elapsed the Dynamo’s winning performances.

For Houston, the playoff compass will point East to a date against the Philadelphia Union on Oct. 30th.  The Dynamo will return home on Nov. 3 to close the series.  Meanwhile, Los Angeles will benefit from a break while the team awaits the lowest wildcard seed for a conference semi-final match at its home ground.