The Dynamo start their international career this Wednesday when they travel to Costa Rica to take on Puntarenas FC. This game is part of the CONCACAF Champion's Cup. The game will be shown live on Fox Soccer Channel at 1:30 PM and will be rebroadcast later that day at 11:00 PM. The Dynamo have been training in Orlando the past week and have had preseason wins against University of Central Florida (4-1), New York Red Bulls (3-1), and the Chicago Fire (3-1).
The game will be shown live on Fox Soccer Channel...as will be the DC United game vs. Olimpia (Honduras) at 8 pm central. In case you've never seen it before, damn near every soccer game, show, etc on tv is listed on www.soccertv.com
Going to have to take a late lunch to catch some of it. Sounds like it should be quite an expierence for them... Pitched Battle Awaits Dynamo in Costa Rica PUNTARENAS, COSTA RICA - It was one of those scenes that can be experienced only outside the United States. There it was: an old Suzuki minivan with two home theater-style speakers secured on its roof, making its rounds through the narrow streets of this former port town-turned tourist hot spot. "Come join us for this Wednesday's transcendental match. ... Ooolé, olé, olé, olá, Puerto, Puerto." The message blared from the speakers for the better part of four hours Tuesday. Consider it a call to arms for the locals. The Dynamo make their international debut today when they face Puntarenas FC in the first leg of a home-and-home quarterfinal series of Champions' Cup, a tournament that crowns the top club of the North and Central American and Caribbean region. The Dynamo's experience couldn't get more international. Don't mind the aging stadium, a scorching tropical sun or the hard, bumpy pitch. When the Dynamo take the field at Lito Pérez Stadium, they'll face not only a complicated foe but one of the most hostile crowds they've experienced. "We're going into a lion's den," coach Dominic Kinnear said. That might be the best way to describe it. Puntarenas FC's stadium can fit no more than 8,500 fans, with steep stands placing the farthest no more than 40 feet from the field. But like any small-town team, Puntarenas FC attracts a passionate crowd. The team is pushing for a sellout, which might be a hard sell because the game is close to midday in midweek. Fans are a key ingredient to its home dominance. "They call this place the olla mágica (a type of pressure cooker)," said Rodrigo Murillo, a soccer writer for La Prensa Libre newspaper. "You have the fans, and then you have the heat. The saying goes that everything that comes here gets cooked." In part because passion often escalates into hostility at Lito Pérez. The team has been fined multiple times in recent months because of its inability — or listless attempts — to curtail rowdy crowds that are the terror of opponents and even game officials. A lineswoman was injured a few months back when a fan threw a piece of cement onto the field. Electric atmosphere For the Dynamo as well as any other domestic or international team, it comes with the territory. "If that happens, we'll look for the ref to take care of it," Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis said. "But if the fans are into it, it's awesome for us, too. It's not going to feel like we're on the road and it's another lazy game. If there's a lot of people in the stands, we're going to want to come out and play, too." Davis and most of today's Dynamo starters are no strangers to hostile crowds. As a member of the U.S. under-23 team in Mexico for an Olympic qualifier in 2004, Davis had to stomach chants of "Osama, Osama," in reference to Osama bin Laden, during the Americans' 4-0 loss. Keeper Pat Onstad was spat on — in the face. Craig Waibel and Brian Ching were laughed at and cursed endlessly as they exited the stadium following stinging defeats in previous CONCACAF matches. "Playing internationally, away games are away," said Waibel, a veteran of the competition who won Champions' Cup with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2000. "There's no such thing as a fan in another country; that's what I've learned over the years. You come in and keep your head down and try to get it done." Some Dynamo players embrace the challenge. "You're playing in a very hostile environment and very tough conditions," Ching said. "It kind of shows you what you're made of. It's our first real game, first competition. It will be a difficult game against a difficult opponent." Unpleasant memory Although almost all of the Dynamo veterans have had a chance to play in international competitions, their experience as the current group is limited to one game in the 2004 Champions' Cup as the San Jose Earthquakes against Alajuela of Costa Rica. It wasn't pleasant. "We got smoked," Ching said. Now, as the Dynamo and Major League Soccer's top team last year, most are looking at a second shot. But the circumstances are unfavorable. Aside from a tough crowd, they face the Central American champion, a team that's close to attaining midseason form and is in second place in its group in domestic competition. "The game is going to come down to, are we mature enough at this point to manage a game this early in the year?" Waibel said, making reference to the team's three weeks of training. "That's the challenge. "It's good to play before a crowd that likes what they're watching. Playing away, you hope the crowd is all over you, and that's what you get." Not that they'll enjoy the abuse, but at least it can be seen as a learning experience. "If you look at our squad, many play for their national team or will play for their national team one day, so any time you get a chance to experience, you know, not-so-perfect circumstances — the fans aren't for you; the field is not so great; the weather is a little bit tough — it makes you a better player, helps you build memories and experience," Kinnear said. Trying to stay calm Kurt Bernard, Puntarenas FC's star midfielder/forward, expects the crowd to be of limited help against the Dynamo. "It's 11 versus 11," Bernard said. "The fans can't enter the field, so I think the Dynamo have enough experience. "And Americans have the reputation for being calm." Kinnear agrees. "Sometimes (the crowd) works against you, but the crowd doesn't play," he said. The Dynamo never will admit they're playing for a tie, but that likely will be the strategy against Puntarenas with a home match March 1 on the table. The conditions and short preparation period probably won't allow the Dynamo to aggressively attack an unknown opponent for 90 minutes. They'll more likely play a defensive-minded game that will attempt to cash in on the counterattack. Regardless of the result, playing in Puntarenas will be an experience they likely won't soon forget. "It's one of those things you look back on and enjoy," Waibel said. "You admire your experiences outside the country." Makes you wonder what Puntarenas will think when they come to College Station for the 2nd leg.
I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't much of a crowd for the game. They are averaging under 5,000 a game for their league games, and the game being in the middle of a weekday won't help.
Can you all please hold off all the "YES!!! A GOAL!!!" posts...? I'd like to watch it tonight. EDIT: Don't mean to sound like an a-hole... of course I can keep from reading this thread. Sorry. You guys carry on posting here... never mind.
I am watching the Champions League game but switched over at half time. 0-0 after 45 mins. They were showing the fans and man there were some hot looking girls there. The field looks terrible and the pace is much slower then the CL, I'll check out the replay later 2night. Why is the return leg being played in College station? This is Houston's team dammit. We should get to see them in int'l competition first!
UH wouldn't let Dynamo play the game at Robertson because it's on a Thursday night and they said it would interfere with student parking.
Watched the first half at home before having to come back to work. The ref was a little quick on the 2 yellows, IMO. The PK should have never been. It was clearly a dive and the ball was no where near playable. The field is pathetic. It makes Bear Creek look like a professional ground. The Dynamo are clearly getting back into shape and were not looking sharp. Daglish had a terrible half. He had 2 chances to set up or score himself and did nothing with them. One was what could have been an easy breakaway for Moreno if he didn't put the pass 5 yards behind Jaime. Wells made a fantastic save on the pk. The Puntarenas players have played well but have also showed themselves to do a hell of a lot of crying and even more diving.
CONCACAF refs are a complete joke. That being said, the return leg is Thursday, March 1, at 8:00 p.m. in College Station. Tickets are still on sale and are either 20 or 25 dollars for general admission seating. There is no reserved seating. If you can go, please do. We need to fill that place up with Dynamo supporters.
I just upgraded my Dish Network to make sure I have Fox Soccer. I have a friend from Scotland who lives here. I've never been to his townhome when it WASN'T on.
yeah MLS/CONCACAF is really doing itself a ton of favors when it puts its wannabe- Champions league knockoff at 1:30 on a weekday - at the same time as the actual Champions League.
There was a bizarre play around the 70th minute were Robinson either got punched in the head by Wells on a clearance or hit by a Puntarenas player, either way he's on the ground with a head wound and yells something at the ref. He then gets his second yellow and is ejected. After that we slowly switched to bunker mode and didn't even get the ball into their half in the last 10 minutes or so. In the 92 minute a Puntarenas player takes a shot and Wells dives to his left to stop it and Rico deflects it to the right. The field and ref were both terrible. There were times when a player would just be dribbling down the field and the ball would pop up into the air. CONCACAF shouldn't allow games to be played in such poor conditions. Anyway, I'm not that worried about being down just 1 goal with the home leg left to play. This team has battled back enough times to prove they can do it.
The reason this game was on at 1:30 is because Puntarenas' stadium doesn't have good lighting. The other games are all scheduled for night including the return leg next Thursday in Aggieland. If anyone can go (Thursday night and all) please do!!
