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Houston Out After New York Romp
In a match that surely most go down as one of the biggest upsets in MLS playoff history, the New York Red Bulls downed the Houston Dynamo 3-0 to advance to the Western Conference finals.
Nov 9, 2008 6:08:24 PM
There are a couple pieces of good news for the Houston Dynamo. First, the players who were opting to go with the playoff beard, they can go ahead and opt out of that now. Second, there is no longer anything to distract the team from the last CONCACAF Champions League match with LA Firpo. That's because the class of the West got spanked in the return leg of the MLS quarterfinal 3-0, giving New York a 4-1 aggregate, and giving MLS and new champion.
First Half
Within the first minute Bobby Boswell and Juan Pablo Angel got a stern talking to from referee Baldomero Toledo after their legs got tangled on NY's first trip down Route 1.
The Dynamo almost opened their account shortly thereafter when Red Bull keeper Danny Cepero mishandled a corner and the ball lingered in the box for a few nervous second until it was cleared. Then Houston regained possession with Dwayne De Rosario making a run along the left end line where another poorly played ball by Cepero almost gifted the Dynamo a second chance at a cheapie. After that Wade Barrett came from the left edge just slotted his shot outside the right post. Woulda, coulda, shoulda for the Dynamo.
New York got its first chance of the match when Angel got open at the back post from a feed on the other side of the 18. He had Onstad beat, he just couldn't get it inside the woodwork.
Both teams had been playing long balls back and forth, and, with almost no attempt by either side to possess the ball through midfield, there was little rhythm to the match. But the lack of flow became irrelevant when Dane Richards made a nice run to split the last two Dynamo defenders on a through ball than ran across about 25 yards. Just shy of the six, Richards poked it over Pat Onstad's left shoulder and the Red Bulls had a 1-0 lead.
Houston almost leveled in the 33rd. Dwayne De Rosario got a redirect with a header in the box, but he couldn't get enough behind it and Cepero was able to collect. De Rosario was also a good yard and a half offside, so it was just as well.
The game turned on the ensuing Red Bull attack when Dane Richards got free down the right side and, as he tried to cross, Ricardo Clark committed a hand ball in the box. Penalty. And Angel buried it. Onstad guessed right and still had no chance.
Cepero almost gifted the goal right back. He came out to play another long ball and play it badly he did. He half kicked it and Brian Ching got a touch to it, pushing it back to goal. But Ching couldn't settle it to finish before Cepero recovered and pulled it out of the air from it over Ching's head. But the Dynamo were clearly pushing and clearly anxious. Seconds before half they almost pulled one back, Ching either missed or just glanced his head on the ball played in. In either event it rolled past the right post and harmlessly past the end line.
Second Half
Much like the first half ended, the second half continued with the Dynamo carrying much of the possession, only now with less pressure resulting. And, as an aside, who hangs a Liverpool banner at an MLS match? And hot tip there genius, they usually do that on an English flag, not a Union Jack.
In the eighth, Cepero made a gamer of a save. In fact as shaky (and lucky) as he looked in spots in the first half, he was that monstrous in the second half. Here, Kamara made a nice slip feed to Ching. Cepero ended up on his back and made a kick save (and a beauty) to deflect the ball out for a corner.
In the 14th, Cepero came up huge again. Eddie Robinson put a header off a corner right at goal, but Cepero got enough finger on it to deflect it off post, Then the rebound came to Ching, but with the keeper on his ass, he headed it wide right.
That was pretty much the pattern for the remaining half hour. It was either Cepero coming up huge, or the Dynamo failing miserably. Sometimes both in the same sequence. With about 15 minutes left the Dynamo appeared to be tiring of chasing the game.
In the 35th, Dane Richards made another deep run on the right—and man, that guy has some nice wheels—and John Wolyniec split the defenders to beat Onstad to the back post. 3-0. And game over. Although, Wolyniec might want to shelve the "Thriller" victory dance.
Houston failure was utter and complete as even in the dying moments Jaqua couldn't slide it past Cepero, or slide it through to Ching, or whichever. Either would have worked, but neither came to pass.
The final numbers show that Houston only had 51% of the possession but it seemed like they were putting the game on their feet most of the afternoon. They pushed and pushed but they couldn't crack Cepero. New York had far fewer chances but they made them count. Tough to fluke into a 3-0 win on the road.
So New York wins a date with Real Salt Lake—and really, when you think "royal" does anything but "Salt Lake City" come to mind?—with a chance to advance to MLS Cup on the line.
Michael Bertin, Goal.com
First Half
Within the first minute Bobby Boswell and Juan Pablo Angel got a stern talking to from referee Baldomero Toledo after their legs got tangled on NY's first trip down Route 1.
The Dynamo almost opened their account shortly thereafter when Red Bull keeper Danny Cepero mishandled a corner and the ball lingered in the box for a few nervous second until it was cleared. Then Houston regained possession with Dwayne De Rosario making a run along the left end line where another poorly played ball by Cepero almost gifted the Dynamo a second chance at a cheapie. After that Wade Barrett came from the left edge just slotted his shot outside the right post. Woulda, coulda, shoulda for the Dynamo.
New York got its first chance of the match when Angel got open at the back post from a feed on the other side of the 18. He had Onstad beat, he just couldn't get it inside the woodwork.
Both teams had been playing long balls back and forth, and, with almost no attempt by either side to possess the ball through midfield, there was little rhythm to the match. But the lack of flow became irrelevant when Dane Richards made a nice run to split the last two Dynamo defenders on a through ball than ran across about 25 yards. Just shy of the six, Richards poked it over Pat Onstad's left shoulder and the Red Bulls had a 1-0 lead.
Houston almost leveled in the 33rd. Dwayne De Rosario got a redirect with a header in the box, but he couldn't get enough behind it and Cepero was able to collect. De Rosario was also a good yard and a half offside, so it was just as well.
The game turned on the ensuing Red Bull attack when Dane Richards got free down the right side and, as he tried to cross, Ricardo Clark committed a hand ball in the box. Penalty. And Angel buried it. Onstad guessed right and still had no chance.
Cepero almost gifted the goal right back. He came out to play another long ball and play it badly he did. He half kicked it and Brian Ching got a touch to it, pushing it back to goal. But Ching couldn't settle it to finish before Cepero recovered and pulled it out of the air from it over Ching's head. But the Dynamo were clearly pushing and clearly anxious. Seconds before half they almost pulled one back, Ching either missed or just glanced his head on the ball played in. In either event it rolled past the right post and harmlessly past the end line.
Second Half
Much like the first half ended, the second half continued with the Dynamo carrying much of the possession, only now with less pressure resulting. And, as an aside, who hangs a Liverpool banner at an MLS match? And hot tip there genius, they usually do that on an English flag, not a Union Jack.
In the eighth, Cepero made a gamer of a save. In fact as shaky (and lucky) as he looked in spots in the first half, he was that monstrous in the second half. Here, Kamara made a nice slip feed to Ching. Cepero ended up on his back and made a kick save (and a beauty) to deflect the ball out for a corner.
In the 14th, Cepero came up huge again. Eddie Robinson put a header off a corner right at goal, but Cepero got enough finger on it to deflect it off post, Then the rebound came to Ching, but with the keeper on his ass, he headed it wide right.
That was pretty much the pattern for the remaining half hour. It was either Cepero coming up huge, or the Dynamo failing miserably. Sometimes both in the same sequence. With about 15 minutes left the Dynamo appeared to be tiring of chasing the game.
In the 35th, Dane Richards made another deep run on the right—and man, that guy has some nice wheels—and John Wolyniec split the defenders to beat Onstad to the back post. 3-0. And game over. Although, Wolyniec might want to shelve the "Thriller" victory dance.
Houston failure was utter and complete as even in the dying moments Jaqua couldn't slide it past Cepero, or slide it through to Ching, or whichever. Either would have worked, but neither came to pass.
The final numbers show that Houston only had 51% of the possession but it seemed like they were putting the game on their feet most of the afternoon. They pushed and pushed but they couldn't crack Cepero. New York had far fewer chances but they made them count. Tough to fluke into a 3-0 win on the road.
So New York wins a date with Real Salt Lake—and really, when you think "royal" does anything but "Salt Lake City" come to mind?—with a chance to advance to MLS Cup on the line.
Michael Bertin, Goal.com
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