2008 Concacaf Champions Cup - We are all DC and Houston fans tonight

The pretending stops tonight as two MLS sides final take to the pitch in games the matter. Both DC United and the Houston Dynamo will represent MLS and American soccer over the next few weeks as they try to earn the Concacaf spot in the FIFA World Club Cup this December.

Last year, both teams looked strong in the Concacaf Champions Cup, but fell in the semifinals to their Mexican opponents.

For the opening round, DC United will play Jamaica's Harbour View while the Dynamo get Guatemalan side CSD Municipal. With both MLS teams still in preseason, these games will not be easy.

DC United at Harbour View
8pm ET/5pm PT
TV: Fox Soccer Channel

Harbour View is in the middle of a very bad run of play, winning just one of their last eight domestic games, plus they might be without striker and former Metrostar Fabian Taylor. I can't tell for sure, but I think he has signed with Norwegian side Notodden FK. The teams website has a news release about Taylor, but sadly my Norwegian fails me at the moment, so I'm not sure what exactly it says. However, I see that there is a poll on the right hand side asking who the team's top scorer will be this season and he is listed as an option.

If it is true that Taylor is gone, United will want to send a big thank you across the Atlantic. Without Taylor, Kavin Byran, who is just back from injury, will need to take over things on top. DC get another break as defender Christopher Harvey is suspended for the match due to a red card from Harbour's qualifier last December.

All of this should allow United time to organize and settle. Their main concern for this match will be stamina as none of them are truly match fit. To combat this, they will need their midfield, lead by designated player Marcelo Gallardo, to control the game. If DC's defense is chasing balls for most of the first half, Harbour will pull out a surprise.

In the end, I think it will be a little bit of a struggle, but DC should get out of Jamaica will no less then a tie.

Predictions: Me DC 1-1 HV, Wife DC 2-1 HV

One last thing, I'm not sure Harbour View coach Lenworth Hyde Sr. fully understands the CCC as he said, "Going out there today we can't give up any goals. The away goal rule is in effect so we have to be very disciplined defensively." The CCC does not use the away goal rule like they do in Europe. Never a good side when your coach doesn't know what type of game needs to be played.


Houston Dynamo vs. CSD Municipal
10pm ET/7pm PT
TV: Fox Soccer Channel

Municipal are also in the middle of a bad streak as they have lost their last two matches 1-0 and have dropped to third in the league, however they still have plenty of class, most of which has spent some time in MLS.

Fredy García spent some time with Columbus, but never really achieved much in their midfield. However, back home with Municipal, he has proven himself to be a threat at any moment. The combination of García with Fred Thompson (not the former presidential candidate) has proven very difficult for teams to break.

But Houston's biggest concern is probably on their own side of the ball. Right now the club is missing a number of midfielders due to injury and Olympic call-ups. Adding to these problems is the lack of cohesion in the back and a bunch of unknowns up top and it might be difficult for the Dynamo to come out of Latin America with anything good.

For this to work, Houston needs an outstanding performance by Dwayne De Rosario with Ricardo Clark picking up the problems before they get to the back line. When they do sneak through, Waibel, Robinson and Barrett will need to watch Bobby Boswell as he is the new man to their lineup.

This one will probably be a bit of a slog as Municipal is very happy to play the foul game. Don't forget Carlos Ruiz played here during his formative days and he still shows what he learned every time he steps out of the pitch (watch out Ricardo Clark).

Predictions: Me HD 1-2 Municipal, Wife HD 2-1 Municipal


So why are we all DC and Houston fans tonight? Simple, if soccer in America ever hopes to gain respect both internationally and locally, we need all teams to win on the international level. If MLS wins the region, they will have a chance to play a major team from Europe or South America in a meaningful competition, which will give the league a chance to catch additional eyeballs. The more people that pay attention to MLS, the better it, and the people that play in it, become.

Full Concacaf Champions Cup schedule here.

2008 Concacaf Champions Cup schedule - Can Houston or DC win the region?

In just two weeks both DC United and the Houston Dynamo will play their first meaningful matches of the year as the final installment of the Concacaf Champions' Cup (CCC) gets underway. The winner of this the CCC will represent the region at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan this December.

The tournament is made up of three stages with each stage being a two leg (home-away) affair. Here is the full schedule (all times Eastern - FSC will air all matches in the US, though some are tape delayed):

Quarterfinals
Leg 1
QF 1 - CD Motagua (Hon) 0-0 Pachuca CF (Mex)
11 March Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino - Att: 35,846
QF 2 - Harbour View (Jam) 1-1 DC United (USA)
12 March Harbour View Stadium, Kinston - Att: 6,985
QF 4 - CSD Municipal (Gua) 0-0 Houston Dynamo (USA)
12 March Estadio Mateo Flores - Att:
QF 3 - Atlante FC (Mex) 2-1 Deportivo Saprissa (CR)
13 March Estadio Andres Quintana Roo, Cancun - Att:

Leg 2
QF 2 - DC United (USA) 5-0 Harbour View (Jam)
18 March RFK Stadium - Att: 12,394
DC United win series 6-1
QF 4 - Houston Dynamo (USA) 3-1 CSD Municipal (Gua)
19 March Robertson Stadium - Att: 14,348
Houston Dynamo win series 3-1
QF 1 - Pachuca CF (Mex) 1-0 CD Motagua (Hon)
19 March Estadio Hidalgo, Pachuca - Att:
Pachuca win series 1-0
QF 3 - Deportivo Saprissa (CR) 3-0 Atlante FC (Mex)
20 March Estadio Ricardo Saprissa, San Jose - Att: 23,000
Deportivo Saprissa win series 4-2

Semifinals
Leg 1
SF 1 - Pachuca (Mex) vs. DC United (US)
01 April Estadio Hidalgo, Pachuca
SF 2 - Houston Dynamo (US) vs. Deportivo Saprissa (CR)
02 April Robertson Stadium

Leg 2
SF 1 - DC United (US) vs. Pachuca (Mex)
08 April RFK Stadium
SF 2 - Deportivo Saprissa (CR) vs. Houston Dynamo (US)
09 April

Finals
Leg 1 - Winner SF 2 vs. Winner SF 1
23 April
Leg 2 - Winner SF 1 vs. Winner SF 2
30 April

The schedule means that if DC United advances to the end, they will host the second leg in all three rounds. Houston, meanwhile, will get to host the second leg only in the first round.

Both MLS sides will face the challenge of meeting teams in the middle of their season, but in the first round, Houston looks to have the tougher opposition. Municipal is a historic club in Guatemalan soccer and their current roster contains a large number of players from their national team, including Juan Carlos Plata. Also, chances are good that their 30,000 seat home stadium will be near capacity for this match.

DC should have an easier time with Harbour View as they are a good club but not a dominant one. However, the Caribbean winner has often given their first round opponent trouble, so United should not look past them.

Last year both DC and Houston had good runs in the CCC, only to fall in the second round to teams from Mexico. This year they have a little easier time of it as the matches start two and a half weeks later then they did in 2007, giving them more time in pre-season training to prepare.

2008 MLS scheduling problems

The 2008 MLS schedule is just a few weeks away from release, but there are a number of problems they need to overcome. Here are the scheduling issues as presented by Steve Davis:

- SuperLiga
- Concacaf Champions League
- US Open Cup
- 2008 Olympics
- ESPN2 Thursday night broadcasts
- World Cup Qualifying (the league will play on international dates)
- No national broadcasts from San Jose
- Stadium scheduling conflicts
- Beckham
- International friendly competitions

That's a lot to cram into a 31-week regular season and no doubt some items (US Open Cup) are going to get the short end of things. This will upset some people (like myself), but instead of going off on why it is more important to support say the oldest team cup competition in the US instead of booking a meaningless game against a pre-season EPL side in July, I will need to remember that MLS is a business and although they are doing much better these past 5-years, they still are not in the position to pass up easy money.

I'll also have to remind myself that when MLS players are called away for international duty and miss a number of important games down the stretch, that the league can't take those weeks off because of their contract with ESPN2 requiring a game. Plus, with a 30-game schedule, if MLS took more then one a weekend off, that would mean there would need to be more mid-week games and we all know what the attendance at those are like.

So I will withhold any anger I might feel when the schedule comes out (provided there is nothing really stupid like a couple weekends with light play early in the season only to cram more games in late) and remember that a number of these problems are the result of the league growing (SuperLiga, TV contract, Beckham).

Now let's see if I can live up to this resolution.

2008 Concacaf Champions' Cup Schedule

The draw is done and teams now know their opposition for next year's Concacaf Champions' Cup (CCC) quarterfinals.

Quarterfinals
1 Houston Dynamo (USA) - Municipal* (Guatemala)
2 Atlante FC* (Mexico) - Saprissa (Costa Rica)

3 DC United (USA) - Harbour View* (Jamaica)
4 Pachuca (Mexico) -Motagua* (Honduras)
* Host of first leg

The quarterfinals are a home-home series with the first leg taking place March 11-13, and the second leg the following week. The winners of series 1-2 and 3-4 will face off in the semifinals. The first leg for the semis will be staged April 1-3 with the second leg a week later. The final will happen April 22-24 and April 29-May 1.

The timing of the 2008 event is a bit more favorable for DC and Houston as it will take place just a couple weeks before the start of the season rather then a full month ahead like it did this year. That said, if either team goes the distance, it is very likely that they will play 11 meaningful matches in a month and a half (6 CCC, 5 MLS).

Winning the CCC earns the team a spot in the 2008 FIFA World Club Cup.

So here are the dates:
Quarterfinals - March 11-13, March 18-20
Semifinals - April 1-3, April 8-10
Finals - April 22-24, April 29-May 1

11 things MLS can do to improve the league

With the Commissioner's state of the league address coming, I thought it would be fun to put forward 11 ways MLS could improve the league. With these ideas I decided to go with things that were actually possible instead of such ideas like relegation/promotion or a drastic increase in the spending cap. Also, these are things that could be put into place by next season. Some of these have to do with image, some with substance and some are just things I like to think about.

Anyway, here is my list of 11 ways to make MLS better.

1. Change the logo - If you want the league to be seen as serious both domestically and internationally, it is time to retire the 1990's Microsoft word stock photo looking logo. In order to help shape the league's image as a world-class division, come up with something that does not involve such a playschool green and is a little more memorable.

2. Mini-designated player rule - Okay, this idea is not named exactly right, but I couldn't think of anything better. Anyway, here is my thought, allow clubs to spend an extra $1 million on salary if they choose, however, this is the club's money not the league's. This money can be spent on one player or a number of players however, if a clubs decides to use this option, they must give all their development players an $8,000 bonus.

The idea behind this is simple, if a team wants to spend some extra money on a player or two, they should be able to as it will make the play on the pitch better. However, if they want to do this, they must share a piece of the pie with the lowest earners. This will help development players focus more on their skill and less on thoughts about how to pay the rent.

3. Allow chartered flights - MLS does not allow teams to charter planes to fly them around, instead they fly commercial. They say this is because they do not want to give any team an advantage over another, however that seems a little stupid. If clubs want to pay to charter a flight (like say from LA to New York), they should be allowed to. This will help the players get where they need to go quicker, which will reduce the travel fatigue on the players, which will make the play on the pitch better. In addition, if they league really wants to start attracting more big names, telling them they will have to fly commercial is not the way to do it.

4. Adjustable fines - Right now if a player gets a yellow card, they are fined $150. This might not seem like much but if you are a development player earning a little over $1000 a month, this is huge. Why not change the rule to reduce the fine to $75 for players making less then $30,000 a year. This will not have a huge impact on the game, however it will make it a little easier for those who earn so little.

5. Improve the YouTube channel - It has only been up for a short time, so I can give it a bit of a break. Still, what is there is basically just highlights. Why not get more player interviews, game explanations, weekly previews and so on? Extra Time is a good first step but it needs to expand. This is the league's chance to push through the media filter and talk right to the fans (and possible fans) so it must be used in a better way.

6. Fan Zone on the web - My favorite part of going to a soccer match is cheering and signing the songs that support the team (or maybe negatively support the opposition). Non-hard core fans are interested in learning this part of the game, but they have no place to go to do so other then the supporters' clubs. Since that is a foreign concept to most average fans, the league should bring the songs to them. A site that explains the match and has recordings of the chants could really bring a new level to the stadium.

7. Better items for sale - Just having the standard jersey, shorts, keychain items for each team is nice, but not very interesting. Where are the rearview mirror pennants or some more interesting t-shirts? Also, why are there not more offerings for women?

8. Advertise - Yes, the clubs need to handle most of the local ads but MLS needs to do more in the form of TV commercials and, more importantly, print ads. National magazines and newspapers are a good option but so are nearby media outlets. For example, say Houston was playing a match on ESPN2, why not run ads in the Austin, San Antonio, and Bryan/College Station newspapers to promote their 'local' club. This is the most expensive of my ideas in terms of MLS money, but something needs to be done to increase the knowledge of the league .

9. Be internationally friendly - MLS should not play on international dates, period. With World Cup Qualifying coming up next year, the league should go out of their way to make those dates free. A team should not be punished for having a good player that plays for their country.

10. Give teams in the CONCACAF Champions Cup a break - Every year the MLS teams in the CCC have the same problem, they are only in their second or third week of training camp when they have to go play teams in the middle of their season. If the idea is to use this tournament to show how much the league has improved, then why tie their arms behind their backs? These two teams should be allowed by the league to start their training camps early to get in game shape. It should be an additional reward for doing so well in the previous season.

11. Change the playoff structure - I would love to see the total number reduced, but I don't think the league will ever reduce the number. So with that in mind, what I suggest is simple, the Supporters' Shield winner does not play a two game series in the first round. Instead, they play one match on their own pitch. The reason for this is simple, home-home series are designed to eliminate the advantage of the home pitch meaning the team that worked hardest over the whole season gets no reward when it is needed most. This keeps the same number of series, it just reduces the number of games. Also, it gives additional value to being the best team in the league.

So there you have it, 11 ways to make soccer the biggest game in the whole US of A. Alright, maybe I'm overstating there. It seems to me that all these ideas would help move the league forward. All of these ideas either reward teams that play strong, allow teams to improve them clubs and/or give the fans more (okay, the logo one doesn't really do that but I think it is still needed). Anyway, there are my thoughts, what do you think?

DC Untied going to Copa Sudamericana

DC Untied has accepted an invitation to South America's second biggest competition the Copa Sudamericana. The draw for games and dates will take place later today.

United won this honor after finishing third in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup this year. Great for them, but does anyone know how did they ended up getting the third spot over Houston? The Dynamo lost to Pachuca who went on to win the Champions' Cup so why did they not get the invite? Was third place decided by goal total/difference during the tournament?

Not trying to take anything away from DC, just trying to figure out why they got third.

Anyway, it is always great to see a MLS side play in meaningful international competition. Go United!

Pachuca rules CONCACAF, KC loves the rain

Chivas de Guadalajara 0-0 Pachuca CF
6-7 on penalty kicks
It took 120 minutes of play and 14 pk attempts, but in the end Pachuca walked away with the CONCACAF crown.

Pachuca deserves this title as they were the best team through out the whole tournament. I was surprised to see Chivas of Guadalajara close down their attack during the match, but in the end, the better side won.

Pachuca will now represent Concacaf in the FIFA World Club Cup this December.

Toronto FC 0-3 Kansas City Wizards
Now to a much less intercepted or watched game. In MLS action, the Wizards continued the tradition of making Toronto FC look like second division rejects as they smoked them 3-0 in the rain. Before I go any further I really have to salute the 7,500 fans who showed up in the downpour to watch this match. For a wet, Wednesday night, this is impressive.

As far as the game, TFC's fatal flaw was their inability to clear balls in box. Time and time again the Wizards would get two or three chances per attack. Greg Sutton is a good keeper but not good enough to stop three or more shots in a 5 second period. That said, even if they had cleared it, KC probably would have won it back quick enough as Toronto's midfield didn't seem to realize there was a game being played on the field.

There was a bright spot for Toronto as Alecko Eskandarian proved he could still unravel a defense. If he had any support, his side would have got their first goal last night.

Kansas City played another great game, but against TFC, that's to be expected. These two face each other again on Saturday and as easy as this win was for them, the Wizards can't let it go to their head. At some point Toronto will win a game and it will probably because the opposition didn't take them seriously and KC is in a great spot to have that happen to them.
Goals: KC: Eddie Johnson 5', Kerry Zavagnin 55', Yura Movsisyan 70'

Real advances; Chivas-Pachuca tied after first leg

Real Salt Lake got their first meaningful victory of the year last night as they downed the Kansas City Wizards 2-1 in their US Open Cup qualifier. I'm sure the fan that was in attendance went wild.

Please don't take this as a knock against the Real faithful because it's not their fault that US Open matches mean so little that their club scheduled a 5pm kickoff time for the match. Then again, who can blame Real's front office for the choice when all you get for winning the oldest cup competition in America is three been and cheese burritos and a two week old gallon of warm milk.

I really like the US Open Cup, but US Soccer needs to figure out if they actually want to support this thing or not. Find a corporate sponsor or come up with some way of making it worth the time. It doesn't have to be much, think if there was a $750,000 prize for the winner with at least half of it promised to the players. I think we would start to see a bit more excitement during these games.

Anyway, enough ranting, Real was able to pull off this victory despite continuing their trend of giving up late, late goals. Jeff Cunningham put them on top in the 12th minute on a penalty kick, but Sash Victorine tied it up in the 88th, sending the match into overtime where Andy Williams had a 15-yard blast smack a post and find its way into goal. The news reports of the game sound like it was a decent 120-minutes of play, but few will ever know.

Real advances to play the Colorado Rapids on May 28th.

Next up for MLS qualifiers sees LA travel to Columbus next Tuesday. Although LA has a strong history in the Cup, I find it hard to believe the club is overly interested in cramming more games into their already overflowing schedule. Proof of that might be their recently added friendly against the Vancouver Whitecaps which will take place on October 3rd or the day after the October 2nd US Open Cup final.


In a completely different tournament, Pachuca CF and CD Guadalajara socked out a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup final last night. Omar Bravo was the man of the night for Guadalajara has he notched both goals including an equalizer right before halftime. But Pachuca would not be denied. Down 2-1 in the closing minutes of the match, Marvin Cabrera was able to give his side the much-needed second goal sending the series back to Pachuca all tied up.

The second leg takes place next Wednesday and if you are a Pachuca fan, you must like the position your club is in.

CONCACAF Champions' Cup Finals start tonight

Okay, a lot of the thrill of the Champions' Cup has gone away since no MLS team will be in the mix, but tonight's match should still be fun to watch.

Pachuca CF and CD Guadalajara will meet in the first leg of the final tonight in Guadalajara. These two are both good sides, but I think the edge goes to Pachuca. They have looked exceptional throughout the whole contest while the goats have stumbled a few times.

The winner of this series will represent CONCACAF in the FIFA World Club Cup in Japan this December.

By the way I was surprised to find out that this is only Guadalajara's second trip to the Champions' Cup final with their first being back in the inaugural 1962 edition. I'm sure that has been mentioned before, but I just didn't catch it.

For those interested in watching these great Mexican sides face off, Fox Soccer Channel will air the game live at 9:30pm ET.

Champions' Cup - Houston Dynamo 2-5 Pachuca CF

The first 15-minutes spelt humiliation, but Houston soon responed and made a game of it. Houston had their chances and finished many of them, but they just could not stop the offensive on-slaught of Pachuca (that and they got a ref that likes to give a few extra seconds even when he should not).

Good work on the night goes to Wade Barrett who had stopped many plays before they became deadly. Another good award goes to keeper Zach Wells. That might seem odd for a game that saw them give up five goals, but there was really nothing he could have done about any of them.

In all, this was a really amazing match.

Houston now has to recover from these 120-minutes at 8,000 ft altitude in less then 72-hours before they start their MLS season against Los Angeles.

Both Houston and DC did the league proud, but again, the American league is left on the outside looking in.

Dynamo look to keep MLS in the Champions' Cup

Houston Dynamo vs. Pachuca CF
9:30pm ET
TV: Fox Soccer Channel

All hope MLS fans have of seeing one of their own represent CONCACAF in the 2007 Club World Cup come down to the Houston Dynamo. However, before they get there, they will need to get past two quality Mexican sides. The good news for the Dynamo, they are going down to Mexico up two goals. This should allow them to play with some confidence and force Pachuca into a very offensive posture. The bad news is Pachuca plays best in a very offensive posture.

Houston has a strong backline, but they will need the midfield to do the heavy lifting tonight. If they can disrupt and distribute, Houston will win the series. With that in mind, Ricardo Clark might just turn out to be the most important Dynamo on the pitch tonight.

Update: Clark is out due to injury meaning Kelly Gray will need to have the game of his life.

Clark has this great ability to get right in the passing lane, steal the ball and quickly sling it out to Brad Davis or Brian Mullan. With Pachuca pushing forward, Paul Dalglish and Dwayne De Rosario (if healthy) will need to quickly move and balls from Davis or Mullan towards goal. If they give Pachuca even a few moments.

Houston needs to make the runs and force fouls or corners. It is from these dead balls that Houston will get their best chances. Pachuca is bad at defending them and the Dynamo are great at exploiting such badness.

The Dynamo need to watch out for Andres Chitiva and Christian Gimenez who have the ability to quickly erase their two goal deficit. Chitiva is an excellent midfielder and loves to run at people. If he let into the area, bad things will happen and more then likely those bad things will involve Gimenez.

This game should be just as good, if not better, then the DC-Chivas match. Houston will play a bit cautious, but since a goal will probably be enough to insure a victory in the series, they will not just sit back and take it. Also, as time goes on, look for the physical play to increase.

Prediction: Houston 1-1 Pachuca
Houston wins series 3-1

By the way, if you are in Houston, there is an official viewing party at the Bull & Bear Tavern and Eatery. I know nothing about this, but since it is listed on the Dynamo site, thought I would pass it along. The Bull & Bear is located at 11980 Westheimer, Suite A, Houston, TX 77077. (281) 496-6655

Champions' Cup - DC United 1-2 Chivas Guadalajara

Tonight was not the night for history as DC United fell in Mexico to Chivas Guadalajara.

Chivas did not play a good game on the night, but thanks to a lucky reflection, they will advance to the CONCACAF Champions' Cup final.

Troy Perkins did not lose this game. The second goal just took an odd bounce off his hand. Far more worrisome was United's inability to shut down the lane on their right side. Most of Chivas's best chances were on the counter attack, but with a constant opening on the side, DC is lucky more attacks did not find their way through.

For United, they just could not finish plays that started off so nice. Their goal by Jaime Moreno was beautiful and one for the highlight reels, however in the end DC just could not make it happen.

Chivas now waits for the winner of the Houston-Pachuca series on Thursday. Houston goes in up two goals, so they will not need to make history to advance. However, until that final whistle blows, don’t count out the Mexican side.

DC United looks for historic win in Mexico

DC United vs. Chivas Guadalajara
CONCACAF Champions' Cup Semifinal
Tonight, 9:30pm ET
TV: Fox Soccer Channel, FSE, North Cone

DC United's quest to be the best in CONCACAF faces a difficult test tonight, as they go to Guadalajara, Mexico, needing a win to advance out of the semifinals.

Although it seems much longer, it was just 17-days ago that DC got a late, late equalizer from the newest United hero Luciano Emilio to send the series back to Mexico on even terms. Now United needs to prove that they learned a lot on that wet March night and bring down the goats in front of, what is sure to be, a rowdy and intense crowd.

The good news for DC, Guadalajara will be without forward Omar Bravo due to yellow card accumulation. Also, there is a chance that new signing Brazilian attacker Fred could see action on the night, but coach Tom Soehn is not counting on that.

But were there is good, there is always bad and in that case it has to do with history. No MLS club has every beat a Mexican side on their home pitch.

For United to make Major League Soccer history tonight their midfield will need to control play. In the first match, Guadalajara disrupted their flow and passing throughout much of the game. This prevented DC from using their skills and running abilities to create openings on attack.

Guadalajara is a great club, but they have a habit of missing marks on crosses. If United can open up a lane down the outside and send in a number of decent balls, they will find net. If they try to hack their way through the middle, they are all but doomed.

Then there is the United backline. Too often it seems lost in confusion. Without strong communication, hello Mr. Boswell, Guadalajara will sneak one in.

In the end, I think this will be a really good match. There will be a lot of cautious play, but someone is going to make some magic happen. History points to Guadalajara being the team with the magic, but I have this tendency to respect but laugh at history, so I'm going to pick United. They have the talent and desire and at some point, a MLS team has to win in Mexico. United, this United, is the team to make it happen.

Prediction: DC United 2-1 Chivas Guadalajara

American night at the Champions' Cup

Just like our Mexican neighbors, America got to celebrate both of their teams advancing in the Champions' Cup. For the first time since 2000 and the first time since the format became a home-away series, both US based teams have made it out of their initial quarterfinal round.

DC had the easier task going into the night, but their backline tried to make it as difficult as possible. There seemed to be a great deal of confusion going on in front of goal for United. Lucky for them, they had some amazing offense up top to counter such problems. They walked out with a 3-2 win on the night and a 7-3 win on aggregate, allowing the over 8,000 fans to have a good ride home.

Houston, who just over a week earlier looked more like a high school team then defending MLS champions, showed what a difference a week can make. Gone was the absorb strategy and pathetic passing. Instead, the team seemed interesting in proving to the 4,300 fans in Aggie Land that they know how to play this game. There was a little weakness at start, but once Paul Dalglish got the aggregate tying goal, it felt like blood in the water. Houston just drove to the net again and again. Had it not been for some great efforts by Puntarenas FC goalkeeper Shane Orio, it could have been a washout.

Even though the match was going Houston's way, they could not find a second goal till Brian Ching came in off the bench in the 71st. For anyone who wonders how important Ching is to the Dynamo, the answer came in just four minutes. Ching was able to get a great head on a corner kick that forced Orio to make a diving save. However, Orio only pushed the ball enough to cause it to hit the goal post, which allowed Kelly Gray to take an easy rebound shot for the series winner. Ching again had a chance on goal off a rebound later in the match, however the ref called the play dead even though Orio reached out and tripped Ching in a final attempt to stop the goal.

A much better showing by the Dynamo, however, they still have trouble giving up free kicks in dangerous areas. Puntarenas almost made them pay late, but luck went a good way for Houston. They should not count on as much when they face Pachuca CF in the semifinals.

Both DC United and Houston Dynamo will host the first leg of the semifinals. Houston will welcome Pachuca CF to town (yes, the game will be played in Houston) on March 14 while CD Guadalajara will travel to the nation's capital on the 15th to play United.

Congratulations to both DC and Houston. Now lets hope they can do us proud and make it an all American final.

Mexican night at the Champions' Cup

Two of the four quarterfinal Champions' Cup series have been decided and in both the team from Mexico came out on top.

Deportivo Marquense was hoping home pitch advantage would allow them to overcome a two goal aggregate deficit, however Pachuca CF put that idea to rest early when they went ahead in the 16th minute. Being down three goals was way too much for the team from Guatemala to overcome, meaning Pachuca advances to face the winner of the Houston-Puntarenas series.

The other match of the night saw CD Guadalajara recover just fine from their surprise defeat in Trinidad & Tobago. W Connection was hoping to hold their 1 goal aggregate advantage or at least force penalty kicks, but the final result was never in any real danger. Guadalajara was dominating on the ball. When Sergio Santana got his and the clubs second goal of the night in the 46th, W Connection's fate was sealed. The Mexicans would add one more in the 74th, giving them a 4:2 win on aggregate and earning them a date with DC United (unless CD Olimpia plays the greatest game ever tonight).

Congratulations to the two Mexican clubs. Now I just hope they will each get to face a MLS side in the semifinals.

Houston looking for big win in AggieLand

The Dynamo will make their stand in the Champions Cup tomorrow, but it will not be made in Houston. Instead the team will travel about a 100-miles north to Texas A&M to try and save their CONCACAF dreams.

Due to a lack of weekday parking, their normal home will not be available, meaning they will need the Aggies to step up and give this game a much needed pro-Houston atmosphere. With A&M being home to the 12th man, this should be an achievable goal.

As far as the game, Houston finds themselves down a goal and without captain Eddie Robinson or star goaltender Pat Onstad. Not to mention that Brian Ching is so only 50% and Brad Davis is hurting as well. Adding to their worries, Puntarenas will have midfielder Michael Barrantes back after missing the first match due to a red card.

This is not the way the Dynamo want to face this game, but you never get the game you want. For Houston to win this thing, they will need to attack, something they didn't do much in the first leg, and hope backup keeper Zach Wells has another fantastic showing.

All indications are that Ching will see time on the pitch, however he might not be a starter. Houston needs him as a target and playmaker up top. If Ching cannot start, they will need Paul Dalglish is actually do something. Dalglish has great talent, but he was absent during last week's leg.

The worst thing that could happen to the Dynamo would be to give up a goal early. With away goals counting as extra, they would not want to be in a situation where they need three goals to win the match. For this reason, the first 15-minutes should be a little low key, feeling out and looking for a break kind of play. Once Houston has settled down, something they really never did last week, they should be able to start finding openings.

As far as advantages, the pitch will be in much better shape, the weather should be a bit cooler and there is a chance two Puntarenas will not be allow to play due to work visas. Houston will need to exploit all three of these things to steal a win in this series.

The game will air live on Fox Soccer Channel starting at 9pm ET. Tickets are still available here.

W Connection 2-1 Chivas Guadalajara

Who would have thought a 10-man W Connection would get a result against CD Guadalajara in last night's CONCACAF Champions' Cup match?

The Trinidad & Tobago club was able to stun the Mexicans even after their goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams was red carded in the 19th minute for stopping a shot outside the area.

A man down and a big absence on defense should have been doom, but Connection was able to hold Chivas till the 60th minute when Omar Bravo headed in a goal.

But Connection did not retreat and in the 78th minute, captain Earl Jean headed in the tying goal. Then, in the 86th minute, to everyone's surprise, Connection was able to take the lead on a goal by Jose Luis Seabra.

These two clubs will meet on February 28th in the second leg of the tournament in Guadalajara. Chivas is still the safer bet, but Connection should not be counted out.

CONCACAF Champions' Cup Quarterfinals start tonight

Houston and DC still have a week till they face their first real matches of the year when they join in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup (CCC) Quarterfinals, but tonight when Mexico's CD Guadalajara and Trinidad and Tobago's W. Connection get the festivities moving.

W. Connection will play host and hope to use their speed and perhaps their stadium's condition to their advantage. Guadalajara will be happy to get out level and force Connection to make something happen back in Mexico on the 28th.

With the long history and success of Guadalajara, it is difficult to see them losing the series. However, Connection is a quick team and has worked hard over the last few weeks to get to the CCC Quarterfinals including a big 1-0 win over San Juan Jabloteh to earn this spot.

Fox Soccer Channel will air the game tape-delayed starting at 11pm ET.

The winner of this series will take on the winner of CD Olimpia-DC United series that begins next Wednesday the 21st in Honduras.

Much like Houston, DC will face the problem of still being in their preseason while the other teams in the competition have been playing meaningful games. Add to it that they have to start on the road and you've got the makings of some real bad possibilities.

However, the good news is they play the final leg of the series at home where their fans can give them a bit of a push, especially if it comes down to overtime or a penalty shoot-out. If United has 20,000 faithful screaming away at RFK stadium on March 1, CD Olimpia will have a much tougher time of it.

For Houston, they will play in a stadium that only holds 5-8,000 on the campus of Texas A&M, so they should be able to fill it up (calling all Aggies).

If you are a fan of soccer in America and you live near either of these sites, you should head out to the game. If we want American teams to be taken seriously around the world, we need to start winning some international competitions and we need to show them that, as fans, we know the importance of these matches.

DC and Houston are going to play against very hostel crowds during their road portion of the quarterfinals, it is only fair that Olimpia and Puntarenas get the same thing when they come to America.

You can find tickets for DC United here.

For Houston's home game at Texas A&M, tickets are available here.

New England's CONCACAF Cup result

If you are planning on watching the Fox Soccer Channel broadcast of the New England - Liga Deportiva Alajuelense match, don't read much further.

Anyway, New England faced off in Costa Rica tonight against Liga Deportiva Alajuelense. The first half, they were in complete control. It looked as if they would make much happen far away from home. Yet, they could not find goal.

The second half was much tougher. Calls were not going the Revs way and they didn't seem to be able to hold the ball as much. Still, they had moments of possibilities, yet they could not find net. Then in the 90th minute, Alajuelense got a free kick right outside the Revs box.

Carlos Hernandez stepped up to take it and wow, what a curve he put on the shot. Right past the wall and out of the reach of a diving Matt Reis. The stadium erupts as they see their home side take the goal that will send the Americans home with nothing.

And that is how New England ended their CONCACAF run. If they had showed this kind of flash two weeks ago in the 'home' match, they might have been the ones celebrating tonight.

New England 0 - 1 Liga Deportiva Alajuelense

New England and Los Angeles ready for CONCACAF glory

Both MLS teams failed to gain the upper hand during the home portion of their CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal series, so they must make something happen on foreign soil. Both teams face difficult opponents, so the odds are very much against them.

New England Revolution play Costa Rica champions Liga Deportiva Alajuelense (9pm EST tonight). As during their home match, New England will take the pitch without a lot of players due to injury. Both Michael Parkhurst and Pat Noonan are out. Stave Ralston is available, but NE's coach is reluctant to use him as a started.

The midfield is going to be questionable for the Revs. Do to this, look for Clint Dempsey to come back more (he will probably be teamed up front with Twellman). The key for both teams will be defense, but look for the Revs to play on their heels more then Alajuelense. Look for the Revs to try to throw as many bodies behind the ball as possible while looking for a couple lucky counter attacks.

LA should have an easier time in their match against Deportivo Saprissa, but only by a little bit (9pm EST tonight). I say this because LA is in better shape then the Revs as far as injuries are concerned. The big return has got to be defender Chris Albright. Without Albright, LA looked a little confused during the first meeting. They might also get to use Brian Dunseth as a defender. Dunseth has got arrived in Galaxy land, but his international experience could be huge.

However, the main person that needs to step up and start creating chances is Landon Donovan. Donovan has been a little flat of late (both with LA and the USA). He needs to force the defense to come at him when he has the ball. This will open things up for Herculez Gomez and Cobi Jones. Saprissa will be watching Donovan, he needs to exploit that.

Both matches will be shown on Fox Soccer Channel, however, the New England match will be tape delayed.

LA Galaxy - Deportivo Saprissa
9pm EST
Fox Soccer Channel

New England Revolution - Deportiva Alajuelense
11pm EST
Fox Soccer Channel