Thursday: A Million Little Fibers

First off, the Houston Dynamo made their 2008 CONCACAF Champions Cup debut last night, taking on CSD Municipal in Guatemala City. The game resulted in a 0 -0 draw, and while the Dynamo would have liked a win and the away goal it would bring, this is the first time that the Dynamo have not lost an away leg in the CCC. The Dynamo looked good, but not great, and between luck and the steller goal tending of Pat Onstad, Municipal could have easily had a win. On the whole the defense looked much improved since the Osaka Gamba game in the PPC, much of that was due to the presence of Craig Waibel and Eddie Robinson. Once again the midfield had a good game, but it was up front that the Dynamo were soft. The second leg of the tie will be held at Robertson Stadium in Houston on Wednesday night.

More news about the Dynamo's international play was released today. The Dynamo have been grouped with Atlante, Chivas Guadalajara, and DC United in the 2008 SuperLiga. Houston will host Atlante on July 12 and Chivas on July 15, then play at D.C. on July 19.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/soc/5617193.html

http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20080313&content_id=143146&vkey=pr_mls&fext=.jsp

http://superliga2007.com/

The Dynamo at FC Dallas drama continues, due to accomodating a concert (so much for the Slice being a soccer specific stadium), that leg of the Texas Derby will be held on Wednesday May 28, 2008. Yet another blow to the concept of fostering a great atmosphere within the stands, its a school night and the Houston SGs will be represented, but not in the numbers that would have been there on a Saturday or Sunday.

http://web.mlsnet.com/mls/schedule/index.jsp?year=2008&month=05

http://blogs.chron.com/soccer/archives/2008/03/dynamo_escape_g.html

On to Italy and Serie A: the Gazzetta dello Sport reports that A.S. Roma's Francesco Totti is very postive about Roma's prospects in the Champions League and Serie A:

http://english.gazzetta.it/Football/Primo_Piano/2008/03_Marzo/13/totti.shtml

In the will he or won't he bin, Inter President Massimo Moratti has indicated that Roberto Mancini will not be leaving at the end of the season. I suspect that Mancini will be gone, but Moratti is trying to stop the disintigration in the locker room, disintigration that could give Roma a leg up in closing the 6 point gap with Inter.

http://english.gazzetta.it/Football/Primo_Piano/2008/03_Marzo/12/english_moratti.shtml

And speaking of Mourinho (you know what I mean), gotta share this clip and the laughs it brings:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwbu59aDtbo