{"id":1259,"date":"2010-10-09T21:00:49","date_gmt":"2010-10-10T01:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/?p=1259"},"modified":"2010-10-09T21:00:49","modified_gmt":"2010-10-10T01:00:49","slug":"scouting-the-opposition-a-look-at-the-houston-dynamo-with-glenn-davis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/?p=1259","title":{"rendered":"Scouting the Opposition: A Look at the Houston Dynamo with Glenn Davis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prior to\u00a0each match, New England Soccer Today will invite a reporter from the other side to provide insight\u00a0regarding the Revolution\u2019s next opponent.<\/em><\/p>\n

This week, Houston Chronicle writer<\/a> and host of the Soccer Hour, Glenn Davis<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong> <\/a>shared his thoughts on the state of Houston Dynamo and what the Revs\u00a0can expect when they face them at Robertson Stadium in Houston on Sunday Night.<\/p>\n

What is Houston\u2019s current form? How have they been at home lately?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Glenn Davis: It\u2019s the first time they\u2019ve won a game and tied a game consecutively. They haven\u2019t won two games in a row. They are probably much like New England, just trying to finish off the year on a positive note and figuring out what\u2019s going to occur in the future, who is going to be retained and start rebuilding for next year. Their form has been indifferent at home and I think they go back to [May 29th<\/sup>] where they played Philadelphia and the Union beat them in stoppage time. I think at that point it was sort of that feeling that this was a difficult team to beat at home, but they\u2019ve had tough games at home this year and they haven\u2019t been particularly good.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The New England Revolution travel to take on the Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium in Houston, TX. on Sunday at 8:30PM.<\/p><\/div>\n

I think the last couple of games they had good first half against teams like Toronto and San Jose and then followed that with a less than stellar second half and lost those games actually. I think they are much like New England; they\u2019ve had a hard time putting 90 minutes together.<\/p>\n

What line-up will Houston likely play? Should the Revs expect to see their starters?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Davis: Everything I hear with [Dynamo head coach] Dominic Kinnear is they want to go out this year winning games. I don\u2019t think there is any question they want to go out of the season winning. I wouldn\u2019t expect many changes from Philadelphia. Obviously up front something is going to happen with Brian Ching being injured, so the option there is most likely Cam Weaver.<\/p>\n

(Starting Line-up Prediction based on Davis\u2019 information: Pat Onstad, Andrew Hainault, Richard\u00a0Mulrooney,\u00a0Adrian Serioux,\u00a0Ryan Cochrane, Brad Davis, Corey Ashe,\u00a0Lovel Palmer,\u00a0Geoff Cameron,\u00a0Cam Weaver,\u00a0Dominic Oduro\u00a0)<\/p>\n

Are there any other key injuries outside of Ching?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Davis: Anthony Obodai, who came to the Dynamo from the Dutch Eredivisie tore his meniscus, so he\u2019s out. Back-up goalkeeper Tally Hall is out. He turned his ankle. That pretty much covers it.<\/p>\n

What are the key changes from the 2006-07 Dynamo squads that faced the Revs in the MLS Cup final two consecutive years?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Davis: I think a lot of things have changed. Sometimes you have to understand that in this league these things do happen, but saying that, when you lose a Ricardo Clark and you lose Stuart Holden, you\u2019ve lost two of the top players in the league at that position. Two U.S. Internationals that\u2019s not easy to replace and the Dynamo currently haven\u2019t been able to replace that although Lovel Palmer has shown some signs. But those two guys, they were the fulcrum of this team as far as controlling the middle third of the field, protecting the back four. Everybody points to Holden and even going back to Dwayne De Rosario, but Clark, I think we all know, is a guy that covers a ton of ground, not only up and down, but laterally in front of the defense. I think you\u2019ve got to look at his lose as well.<\/p>\n

Also, players have gotten older. I don\u2019t think you can sugarcoat that unfortunately. Athletes are not like musicians, you decline in years and you lose some things. Some guys are able to nurture their careers out longer than others. I think that\u2019s a part of it.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure there is a piece in there where they have not been lucky in certain games. I think with some good fortune they might have had another nine points right now and be fighting for that final playoff spot. Geoff Cameron getting hurt earlier in the year probably didn\u2019t help a whole lot, but they haven\u2019t been able to put 90 minutes together. There is nobody who can say they\u2019ve had better than a mediocre season on this team.<\/p>\n

What have been Houston\u2019s weaknesses that other teams have been able to exploit?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Davis: I think they\u2019ve had a hard time during the year, first and foremost, just building off good possession, penetrating and getting good wide play and then I think they\u2019ve been punished for self-inflicted mistakes. I don\u2019t think there is any question, individually or collectively. They\u2019ve had nights where individuals have made mistakes that have been punished severely.<\/p>\n

What have been Houston\u2019s strengths? What will they need to do to beat the Revs?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Davis: If they are going to win this game, coming in with confidence [is important]. They won a game in D.C., they drew in Philadelphia and quite frankly were the better team I thought. The whole playoff scene is out and over with. Sometimes that drops pressure. Nobody\u2019s thinking \u2018we can make it\u2019 and doing the math and all this. Now it\u2019s just about playing and playing for jobs and futures and leaving a positive impression on people and winning games as you close it out.<\/p>\n

What Houston players should viewers keep an eye on Sunday?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Davis: I think one of the great areas to look at in this game is probably with Geoff Cameron and Lovel Palmer in central midfield probably banging heads there like two immovable objects with [the Revs\u2019] Shalrie Joseph and Pat Phelan. I don\u2019t think this is going to be a very pretty game. I think it\u2019s going to be an extremely physical game and I think lots of teams have the attitude at Robertson Stadium that we\u2019ll get in there and get the ball in the penalty area as much as possible on a smaller field.<\/p>\n

Glenn<\/em> Davis\u2019 coverage of the Houston Dynamo can be seen on his site http:\/\/www.glenndavissoccer.com\/<\/a> as well as in the Houston Chronicle, http:\/\/www.chron.com\/sports\/soccer\/<\/a>. <\/em>Follow Glenn twitter @SoccerMattersGD<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Davis is a nationally recognized broadcaster, writer, and radio host.<\/p>\n

He currently is a play by play announcer for HDNET\/ESPN\/FOX calling the last two World Cups for ESPN, an MLS game of the week for HDNET, and hosts the \u2018US Youth Soccer Show\u2019 for Fox Soccer Channel.<\/p>\n

Davis also hosts the popular \u2018Soccer Hour with Glenn Davis\u2019 on 790 AM radio in Houston, Texas. Previously his show ran on public radio at 90.1 KPFT radio for 3 years.<\/p>\n

His popular columns in the Houston Chronicle have helped grow awareness of the sport in one of America\u2019s great soccer cities.
\nHe recently received a Lifetime Achievment award at Davis and Elkins College in West Virginia for his dedication and service to soccer at all levels. He was nominated by former U.S. Soccer President Hank Steinbrecher also an alumnus.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Prior to\u00a0each match, New England Soccer Today will invite a reporter from the other side to provide insight\u00a0regarding the Revolution\u2019s next opponent. This week, Houston Chronicle writer and host of the Soccer Hour, Glenn Davis, shared his thoughts on the state of Houston Dynamo and what the Revs\u00a0can expect when they face them at Robertson […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nesoccertoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/houstondynamofeature.jpg?fit=490%2C225&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1259"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1259"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1259\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1270,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1259\/revisions\/1270"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1262"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nesoccertoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}