FC Dallas have traded Anthony Wallace to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for two future draft picks.

Wallace was acquired by Dallas in the first round of the 2007 MLS Super Draft and went on to make 15 appearances for the club, including 11 starts. The young defender has earned caps with the U-17, U-18 and U-20 U.S. squads.

Philadelphia started the match pressuring the FC Dallas net, forcing keeper Kevin Hartman to make some key saves early in the match. The first scoring opportunity came in the 5th minute off a Kyle Nakazawa free kick. Nakazawa placed the kick in front of the net just outside the 6 yard box, which Alejandro Moreno was able to head on target, but Hartman was up to the task and made the save. A few minutes later, Sebastian Le Toux seemed to have beaten Hartman, but the goal was waived off because Le Toux was offside.

Although the early posession favored the Union, it was FC Dallas who would strike first in the 13th minute. Dallas forward Jeff Cunningham was able to find Atiba Harris just outside the top of the box. Harris beat his defender and found Brek Shea on the left side of the box. Shea took a cut to his left, beat defender Cristian Arrieta and slotted it past Chris Seitz to give FC Dallas the early lead.

The Union would continue to pressure the FC Dallas net, and were able to create excellent opportunities. In the 21st minute, Stefani Miglioranzi sent a ball in to the left side of the box, which Roger Torres was able to head on target, but Hartman made a very nice diving save to his left.

The Union were on the attack once again in the 27th minute. Jordan Harvey was able to send a long ball into the box from midfield, and Sebastian Le Toux beat two Dallas defenders to create a one on one chance in the box. Hartman was able to get a hand on Le Toux’s shot and kept the Union off the board once again and FC Dallas took a 1-0 lead into halftime.

Philadelphia’s pressure on Dallas continued into the second half. In the 59th minute, Miglioranzi sent a cross into the left side of the box, which was headed to the center of the box by Moreno, but Danny Califf’s header just outside the 6 yard box went over the net.

Shea Salinas had an excellent opportunity when he was able to win a ball just at the top of the box, took a first touch to his left and drilled a shot towards goal, but barely missed wide left.

FC Dallas seemed to have their third straight win this season, but Danny Mwanga would have something to say about that. Salinas had sent a ball into the box from midfield, a number of Union players were in the box, but Dallas defender Zach Lloyd was able to get a head on it, but didn’t clear and the ball was left at the top of the box. The #1 overall pick in this year’s MLS Superdraft found the ball at his feet and blasted it home past Hartman to save the Union at the death.

It was only the Union’s second home game of the season, as 9 of their first 11 matches will be on the road due to their new stadium not being completed until late June. A strong crowd of just over 25,000 showed up to support the expansion side at their temporary home, Lincoln Financial Field. The Union have off next week and will head to Houston on May 29th for a battle with the Dynamo. The Union sit in 7th place in the Eastern Conference with 4 points on the season.

Don’t forget to catch the MLS Minute, Monday through Friday at 11AM only on WSR.

Highlights:

In front of 10,000 at Gillette Stadium, the Revolution played their most physical game of the year, earning two red cards and a total of seven cards; Joseph Niouky and Kheli Dube were ejected in the chaos.

Zack Schilawski’s goal in the 41st minute of the first half was as exciting as the offensive attack would prove to be for New England. FC Dallas goalkeeper Dario Sala left the box to play a ball on the touchline, only to lose the ball under pressure from Kheli Dube who fed the ball into the box to the wide open Schilawski for the late first half lead and his fourth goal of the season.

That would be the last action for both strikers as Schilawski was subbed at the begginning of the second half for Khano Smith, and Dube received a very questionable red in the 56th. A high boot aiming to steal the ball was dubbed “serious foul play” and Dube saw the boot of his own.

Niouky followed suit in the 72nd minute with a two-footed tackle of his own, this time undoubtedly deserving a straight red card after he had earned a yellow earlier in the half.

FC Dallas brought the onslaught into the game, forcing Preston Burpo to make ten saves on 22 shots. It was Atiba Harris who equalized in the 66th, heading in a free kick from Dax McCarty into the top left of the net past Burpo.

The Revolution were shut down on a game many expected to turn out high scoring, especially due to the lack of balls fed to Marko Perovic. Perovic only managed to run four miles in the game (a statistic most often underrated, but an average midfielder runs seven to eight), lacking in any real chances to provide for New England.

On Wednesday, the Revolution appropriately play Chivas USA for Cinco De Mayo. The Revolution run into their seventh game of the year with seven points, after earning their first draw of the season. The fourth place team faces Chivas, who has the same record as New England, ironically sitting in sixth in the West.

Chivas earned a point last Saturday against Chicago while the Revolution finish their three game homestand.

Midfielders are the key for New England, as Shalrie Joseph still manages to sit out, resting in the league’s substance abuse program, and Niouky’s red card earns him a suspension. Pat Phelan should be the key for the slumping side, most likely man-marking Chivas dangerman Sacha Kljestan.

The Revolution offense will also need a spark off the bench as Dube’s suspension moves him out of the lineup. Wingers Sainey Nyassi and Smith will likely make up for most of the attacking presence, hoping to feed Schilawski like the only goal on Saturday.

Chivas has never won at Gillette Stadium, and with a mediocre side lacking Michael Lahoud, don’t expect anything different. Look for once again a boring game, both teams trying desperately trying to win the midfield.

Prediction:

New England 1 Chivas USA 1

We started out pretty poorly – we were giving the ball away cheaply and not dealing very well with the pace of Cunningham.  They had a four-on-two early on and somehow failed to score, and Cunningham missed an easy chance inside the six-yard box.  Part of our problem was that we were outmanned in midfield as Kandji moved on to the left side and didn’t tuck in to close down.  However, putting Ibrahim up top with Ángel as he holds the ball much better than Mac does and brings others into the play.  We were very limited, though, by that numerical inferiority in the centre of the park and that’s why we couldn’t get our passing game going.  With only our central midfielders closing down it also gave Dallas a lot of space in midfield, especially early on.

Dallas’ opener was a truly horrendous piece of defending – Pearce was wholly unmolested as he played the ball in and we let a 5′ 5″ midfielder win an aerial ball in the box.  In that case, Petke has to be the one marshalling the defenders.  He has the most experience back there and has to keep track of everybody and ensure they’re marking the Dallas players.  The player of our back five who most distinguished himself was just the same man who I slated so much last week – Bouna Coundoul came up trumps several times.  He kept us in the game for long periods, looked better on set pieces, and seemed generally to have regained the confidence he had against Chicago and Seattle.

The first half, as I’ve said, was fairly poor – perhaps a bit of a mental hangover from last week.  Even more disappointing than the performance, though, was how empty the stands were.  Now I can’t really criticize too many of my fellow supporters for not going as I wasn’t there either (although being four hours away is a pretty good reason), but I think it certainly did no favours for the mentality of the team to see how few people showed up to support them.  That said the atmosphere (at least the way it seemed on TV) was much better than it ever was in Giants Stadium, which is certainly an improvement.  The team did grow in confidence as the first half went on, but they weren’t bringing Ángel into the play as much as they should have.  When he did get the ball he almost created a goal after about twenty minutes, and Ibrahim should have scored from right in front of goal just a minute after.  Right after that we had another excellent chance when Ángel put the ball in the back of the net but it was rightly – barely – chalked off for offside.

As the team grew in confidence, more chances started to come in the second half, and we finally broke through when Lindpere pulled back beautifully for Ángel to slot in.  It was a big minute for us, as Coundoul had just made a spectacular save down the other end.  From that point, things began to look better for us – Kandji had a lovely first touch before he was taken down for the first penalty.  Unfortunately Ángel’s spot-kick was not up to his usual high standards and Sala saved very well from it.  It was not the same performance as we saw in the first two games of the season, but we rode our luck a bit and when Ubiparipovic was taken down, there was no question as to whether the captain would step up again.  It was a slightly questionable penalty when I saw it the first time, but replays showed that it was a trip and it was inside the box.  Ángel showed us exactly why he is the captain and talisman with that penalty.  It was full of confidence, perfectly placed, and utterly unsaveable.  It was vintage Juan Pablo, and I think he’s back on track for this season after that.  So, let’s enjoy being top the league for this week, I’ll be back in a few days with a preview of this week’s game against Philly.

We, too, are vulnerable to pace in attack though, and two key men to watch will be Jeff Cunningham at centre forward and Dax McCarty in midfield.  Cunningham has an excellent strike rate and McCarty has looked very useful with good through-balls from the centre of the park.  Also, Dallas could play a five-man midfield on Saturday like they did against Columbus, which will mean Ubiparipovic has to move more centrally and Kandji will have to drop deeper than usual to prevent our midfield being swamped.  On the other hand, as Dallas have looked much weaker defending on their right hand side, Richards could be switched to the left side and cut in to shoot from that side.

This is, as I’ve said, the second real test (after the Seattle game) of the mental qualities of a team that Backe thinks can win the title by next year.  An ambitious goal it most certainly is, but considering the signings we’ve made and the fact that Red Bull has indicated that we’re likely to purchase a third DP spot (giving us two slots to fill, probably during the European transfer window this summer).  Aside from the Luke Roberts story, the club has said we finally signed Salou and we picked up another young midfielder, this one is 23-year-old Brian Nielsen on loan from Danish side Vejle .  Nielsen has played at every youth international level for Denmark, but aside from that I don’t know anything about him – we’ll just have to see how he does on the pitch. 

The only other small bit of news was Hans Backe denying that we would play a second-string squad against Philly in the Cup – clearly the word has come down from Red Bull that we need to have a good go at winning something this year, and I can’t say I disagree. As a fan, ticket holder and a supporter of MLS in New York, the team needs success of some kind this season to ensure that we keep getting good crowds in the new stadium.  That wraps things up for me today.  Let’s go Red Bulls this weekend and I’ll be back on Monday with the usual match review.

While most people like to do a season preview before the season starts, I thought it would be interesting to do a “preview” piece after the season opener.  With so many unknowns leading up to the first game, sometimes the best way to really examine a team’s season-long potential is to do so after the team plays their first game.

Anyways, the Dynamo opened their season this past weekend against FC Dallas with a 1-1 draw.  The game showed off a few strengths of the team and also exposed some areas of concern.   Both teams were clearly rusty, and while the Dynamo is a perennial slow starter, a tough schedule means that Houston needs to hit full stride as soon as possible.  Here’s a look at Houston’s 23-man roster, player by player, and what you should expect to see from each athlete this season.

Forwards

Brian Ching, Luis Angel Landin (DP), Dominc Oduro, Cam Weaver

While not the most impressive group of forwards, this quartet of players is expected to really step up this season and perform consistently.  Much of the scoring burden will again be shouldered by aging USMNT member Brian Ching, who scored 8 goals in 2009 and contributed 3 assists.   Ching is the anchor of Houston’s offense and spent most of the offseason working to improve his fitness, an area of his game that will have to be strong until Cam Weaver is fully fit.  Until then, Ching will likely play the entire 90 minutes of most games, which could wear the forward down early on this season.   Houston will be in a bit of a bind come the summer when Ching travels to South Africa to play for the National Team, which means that Coach Kinnear will be placing lots of pressure on his other three forwards.

Much of that pressure will be focused on Designated Player Luis Angel Landin.  Landin was signed late last season from Mexican side Cruz Azul and only contributed 1 goal to the Dynamo’s 2009 campaign.  When Landin arrived in Houston he seemed out of shape and a bit unsettled.  It took some time for him to adjust to the physicality of the league and many fans are already judging his as a flop.   Even Coach Kinnear has commented about his lack of scoring and was quick to note that Landin seemed to arrive in camp a bit on the heavy side.  Landin’s lack of fitness has contributed to a rash of niggling injuries and the forward must score some goals early in the season to avoid being labeled a bust.  He came on late in the game against FC Dallas and nearly had the winning goal.  Just like his confidence, his finishing needs improvement.  Maybe then his teammates and Houston fans will start to have some faith when he comes on the pitch.

Dominic Oduro also only scored one goal last season.  While his pace was always an asset, the lack of a quality finish seemed to haunt him.  Like Landin, Oduro needs to improve his finishing, something Dynamo fans saw in the first match in Dallas when he failed to score on a 1 v. 1 against Dario Sala.  If he can start to score goals, Oduro could be a tremendous asset to Houston’s attack.  When not starting, Oduro is a great weapon off the bench when his speed can exploit the tired legs of defenders.  But, unless Oduro cleans up his finishing and scores some goals, then many fans will continue to doubt the forward’s merits.

Cam Weaver may be the key to Houston’s scoring success this season.  The former San Jose striker netted four goals in 2009 but saw his production limited by injuries.  Weaver was influential in Houston’s preseason success and should expect to come into games where his height (6-4) can be exploited.  As long as he can stay healthy, Weaver should score about 9 goals this season.  Unfortunately Cam missed the game in Dallas and is expected to miss Houston’s home opener against Real Salt Lake.  Coach Kinnear will be hoping to have Cam fully fit in time for week three’s match against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Midfielders

Brian Mullan, Corey Ashe, Geoff Cameron, Adrian Serioux, Danny Cruz, Brad Davis, Richard Mulrooney, Lovel Palmer, Francisco Navas Cobo, Samuel Appiah

Most of the questions about this season’s Dynamo team have been focused on the midfield and how Dominic Kinnear will cope with the departure of Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark.  While those two will be difficult to replace, Coach Kinnear has some decent options.

It looks like Houston will play with a diamond-shaped midfield to start the season (part of Houston’s standard 4-4-2).  Fans can expect to see Geoff Cameron playing in a central attacking role as he fills in for the departed Stuart Holden and either Palmer or Serioux in the space behind Cameron as less mobile version of Ricardo Clark.  The wings will be covered by Brian Mullan and Brad Davis, both of who can fill in up top in a more forward role when needed.  The players that will be expected to really step up this season are Corey Ashe and Geoff Cameron.  Ashe has loads of pace but has not been consistent enough yet to be considered dependable.  Cameron is still adapting to his new role and it will take time for him to be comfortable there.  Davis and Mullan are quality and dependable players that Kinnear is comfortable with, so they should be influential in the shape and success of the midfield.

Brad Davis, Houston’s 2009 Team MVP, will need to continue to his top form this upcoming season.  In 2009, Brad had a career year with 12 assists (tied for most in MLS), 5 goals, and was an MLS All Star.  Houston are counting on Brad’s experience and veteran leadership to help anchor the new midfield and Davis may even be called up to fill in as an attacker when needed.

The other outside player in Houston’s midfield is veteran Brian Mullan.  While Mullan didn’t have a huge year in 2009, his tireless work rate helped draw in defenders, opening up the midfield and creating space for his teammates.  Just like Brad Davis, Coach Kinnear will be looking at Mullan to lead Houston’s midfield and guide them through their adjustment period.

It will take some time for Geoff Cameron to adjust to his midfield role, but as one of the league’s most versatile players, he should adapt quickly.  In particular, Cameron will face three difficult issues this season in his new role.  The first is knowing when to hold the ball versus when to pass.  Geoff hasn’t had enough time yet in the preseason and against FC Dallas to learn when and how to control the midfield and when to move the ball down the field.  The second issue relates to Houston’s problem of over-passing versus shooting from distance.  Geoff has a decent strike and already showed his ability to test the keeper from range against Dallas.  The longer Cameron plays this central role the more comfortable he should get with his timing and shooting range.  Cameron’s third challenge this season will be learning when to exploit space as it opens up around the field.  There were times throughout the FC Dallas game where the midfield became congested and Geoff should’ve drifted outside and filled the open space.  This opens up Houston’s game and can allow Geoff to cross the ball back inside when needed or drive the ball in from the outside.  While Houston’s season certainly doesn’t live or die based off of Geoff’s performances, his ability to quickly adapt to his new role is crucial to the team’s success.

The loss of Ricardo Clark has made life difficult for Dominic Kinnear’s line-up selection as he tries to fill in for the departed defensive midfielder.   Coach Kinnear brought in former Houston Dynamo player Adrian Serioux and Jamaican international Lovel Palmer during the offseason to replace Clark but neither have had a chance to play in a non-exhibition match.

Adrian Serioux will likely take the starting defensive midfield position once he is fully match fit.  Serioux is still working his way back to fitness and is fortunate the Kinnear and the Dynamo fans are willing to be patient with him.  Adrian is a former Dynamo player and is familiar with the team’s style and Kinnear’s coaching philosophy, meaning he should be quickly adapt and knows what is expected of him.  Dynamo fans will be happy to have his Predator-like presence back in the midfield and will surely delight from the crunching tackles he clearly enjoys dishing out.

If Serioux needs a breather or has injury issues his replacement will surely be Jamaican international Lovel Palmer.  The former Harbour View midfielder impressed the Dynamo coaching staff so much during a pre-season trial that they offered him a full contract.  Palmer typically plays in a defensive midfield role but showed during his trial that he can move forward and even netted a goal against FC Dallas during a scrimmage.  Palmer should be on Houston’s 18-man game roster as soon as his P-1 visa and international transfer certificate are approved.

Until Serioux and Palmer are fully ready to play, veteran Richard Mulrooney will start for the Dynamo in the defensive midfielder role.  Mulrooney looked decent against FC Dallas but gave up space a few times, giving scoring opportunities.  Questions are being asked of Mulrooney and whether or not he still has enough mobility to be a long-term factor in Houston’s midfield.  Mulrooney is a quality passer, but he is still building back his fitness from his knee injury and remains a bit of an unknown for this season and the future.

Corey Ashe is a bit of a midfield wild card this year.  He hasn’t seen enough consistent playing time lately to be a starter but his pace is incredibly value when coming off of the bench.  If he were to either get in games earlier or start, then it seems like his speed could wear out defenders and open up space for the other attacking players.  For now, though, it seems like Ashe needs more playing time to build consistency but is unlikely to get it as long as there are veterans playing around and above him. He came on late against Dallas and was effective, something the team could have used earlier in the game.  I’d like to see Kinnear find a way to incorporate Ashe into the lineup more and use his pace in a more consistent manner. 

Danny Cruz enters his sophomore season in the league with high expectations on himself and pressure on his shoulders.  All of Cruz’s 2009 MLS appearances (six) came off of the bench, but Danny is keen to work hard and earn a spot in Houston’s midfield.  Cruz opened up the preseason with a blistering performance against Houston Baptist University and continued to impress as the offseason continued.  Danny could be a great asset to Houston’s depth this season and should be encouraged by increased time on the pitch in 2010.

Francisco Navas Cobo should see some time this year, but is too much of a wild card at this time to really factor in the Dynamo’s 2010 plans.  The youngster impressed enough in the pre-season to warrant a contract and a spot on the team roster, but is too raw to consistently see time out on the wing.  Expect Coach Kinnear to work on Navas Cobo’s game in practice sessions and may debut him during one of Houston’s tournament games.

25-year-old, native Ghanaian, Samuel Appiah was Houston’s only SuperDraft pick selected to a full roster spot with the Dynamo.  The midfielder may not be as young as his fellow MLS rookies but he is full of potential and could be a long-term option for Houston.  Appiah typically plays in a defensive midfield role but also is comfortable pushing forward and filling in as an attacker when needed.  Due to his mother’s funeral in Boston, Appiah did not travel with the team to Dallas.

Defense

Mike Chabala, Craig Waibel, Bobby Boswell, Ryan Cochrane, Andrew Hainault, Eddie Robinson

Houston’s back line for 2010 has a solid mix of youth and experience.  The return of Eddie Robinson is a huge boost for the Dynamo.  Robinson’s passion and physicality alongside Bobby Boswell’s size and strength form a great core for Houston’s defense.  Houston’s outside defense positions will be filled by relative youngsters Mike Chabala and Andrew Hainault.

Mike Chabala stepped up towards the end of last season and fought hard for a starting spot and his ability to push forward and play up-field should guarantee him that starting spot this season. Chabala showed grit and a tremendous work rate against Seattle in the playoffs and was key in shutting down Freddie Ljungberg.  Mike already impressed in Houston’s debut against Dallas, scoring his first MLS goal after making a colossal run up the field and slotting it past Sala.  If scoring becomes a habit, though, Chabala will have to work on his celebrations.

Assuming he stays healthy, Canadian Andrew Hainault should continue to start on the right side of Houston’s defense.  After being brought into the team in the middle of the 2009 season, Hainault started in every game for which he was eligible and proved to be a valuable component to the Dynamo defense, eventually earning the Dynamo Young Player of the Year award.  Like Chabala, Hainault is capable of pushing the ball upfield and providing service into the box.  Andrew’s size is also valuable on set pieces and he has shown an ability to hit the target using his head.

Eddie Robinson and Bobby Boswell will anchor the center of Houston’s defense this season.  Eddie’s intensity is always a boost for the Dynamo and his experience and leadership are a great asset.  Unfortunately, his health is always an issue of concern and has already been a factor in Houston’s play.  Eddie was subbed off against FC Dallas after picking up a thigh strain.  Coach Kinnear says the injury isn’t a long-term concern but that Eddie will likely miss the game against Real Salt Lake and could be questionable for the match against the Galaxy.  Bobby Boswell had a quality season in 2009 and was a fundamental part of Houston’s success last year.  His height in the center of the defense and ability to close down defenders is always valuable, but against FC Dallas Bobby showed a few lapses of judgment and either gave the offense too much space or let them get around and behind him.  Let’s hope that these aren’t common issues and that he was just experience some first-game jitters.

If any of Houston’s usual crew is unable to start, expect to see Ryan Cochrane fill in at the back line.  Cochrane looked solid in preseason and came on to replace the injured Eddie Robinson against Dallas.  Ryan is familiar with Houston’s system and has the ability to fit in just about anywhere on the back line.  His talent gives Houston some much needed depth in defense.    Veterans Craig Waibel and Wade Barrett will see time off of the bench and when needed as long as they stay fit.

As long as this group stays healthy, Coach Kinnear should not have too many worries about his defense this season.  Of course, we saw how healthy this defense was last year, so Kinnear has to be hoping that luck is on his side this season.

While Craig Waibel has certainly seen his playing time reduced over the two seasons, his leadership and experience are still bankable off the bench and in tournament games.  Unless injuries become a grave concern to the Dynamo, I wouldn’t count on Craig playing in too many matches this season, though he usually gets a pretty good run during the Champions League games.  Waibel still has a hard-man heart but just doesn’t have the legs to consistently back it up anymore.

Goalkeepers

Pat Onstad, Tally Hall, Tyler Deric

Dominic Kinnear won’t lose sleep over his goalkeeper situation as long as Pat Onstad stays healthy.  Pat has been a staple at the back for Houston over the last few seasons and has provided valuable leadership both on and off the pitch.  Onstad, Houston’s oldest player, has been one of the best keepers in the history of the league, and as long as he can continue to average less than one goal per game (0.97 GAA in 2009), then Houston should be alright.  Pat was in fine form against Dallas and was vital to maintaining the score-line in the 1-1 draw.

Even if Onstad goes down with an injury, back-up goalkeeper Tally Hall is a more than capable replacement.  While Hall didn’t see any MLS playing time last year (he was limited to Open Cup and Champions League appearances) Hall saw about half of the playing time during the preseason and is probably the keeper of the future for this club.  Hopefully the coaching staff will start to give him for time between the sticks to build his confidence for the future.

Academy product Tyler Deric can’t expect to see any time this season as long as he stays with Houston.  It would not surprise me to see him loaned out to a lower-level club for some valuable experience.

X-Factor

Cam Weaver should be Houston’s break out star of 2010.  As long as he is healthy, Cam should see tons of playing time and will likely over-shadow Luis Angel Landin.  Weaver is a dual threat with his height and his ability to finish and his physicality in the box will be crucial on set-pieces.  I fully expect Weaver to score 9 goals this season and to shine for the Dynamo.

The Dynamo’s next game is at 8:00PM (Central) on Thursday, April 1st when they host defending MLS Cup Champions, Real Salt Lake.

With the season starting in a few days there are a few notes on the Houston Dynamo that I wanted to share with you all.

Major Player Announcement
Earlier today the Dynamo front office issued a press release stating that there will be a press conference tomorrow following their training session. While a part of me thinks this may be Landin-related, I believe that if they were releasing their first Designated Player, they would do so quietly with a small press release. Also, with Cam Weaver injured, it would be a seemingly foolish move to release one of only 4 forwards. This leads me to believe that they may be announcing the signing of Vincenzo Bernardo, a 19-year-old American-born attacking midfielder. Bernardo grew up in New Jersey and moved to Italy three years ago to pursue his soccer career. He signed with Napoli in 2006 and primarily played as an attacking midfielder and second striker. In 2009 he was offered a loan with a club in Italy’s Serie C2, but denied the offer becoming a free agent. The signing of Bernardo could strengthen Houston’s midfield and give them a back up option in case more of an attacking threat is needed.

Potential Stadium Deal Reached

An artist rendering of the proposed stadium

Good news for the Dynamo stadium came out of a meeting held on Tuesday between Harris County and the City of Houston. The two sides struck up a potential deal for the new soccer stadium agreeing to jointly pay for infrastructure upgrades as long as the Dynamo pay the remaining cost of the stadium. While this deal is far from perfect and has taken a lot of heat from the public, it is a great step in the right direction for the Dynamo and Major League Soccer. If all goes well and the City Council and Commissioners Court approve the deal, then construction could begin on the east side of downtown in October. For a great read on the politics of the deal take a look here.

Cam Weaver Injured
Dynamo forward Cam Weaver will not play in season opener against FC Dallas after picking up a slight knock in last week’s game against the San Jose Earthquakes. Cam looked decent season last season before getting injured and missing much of the remainder of the year. The Dynamo will be hoping that Cam is fully fit soon as they have high hopes for the forward this season.

The Dynamo open the 2010 season at FC Dallas at 3:00PM (Central) on Saturday March 27th and then have their home opener at 8:00PM (Central) on Thursday April 1st when they host defending MLS Cup Champions Real Salt Lake.

FC Dallas fans, what do you think of the move? Could it raise questions about the future of Dario Sala?

The Dynamo will first play San Jose on Wednesday, March 17, at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. The match against Chivas USA is scheduled for March 20 at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara. Both matches are set to kick off at 7pm local time (9pm Central Time). Tickets for both games are available through local retailers.

A portion of the proceeds from the game against Chivas USA will be given to Direct Relief International, a California-based nonprofit organization focused on providing critically needed medical supplies to healthcare providers worldwide.

The Houston Dynamo is scheduled to take part in three more warm-up games prior to the California trip, with all three fixtures in the next 9 days. The team will first host the Austin Aztex on Sunday, March 7, at 1pm. Houston will then host the Chicago Fire on March 11 at 7pm, before traveling to Austin to face the Aztex once again on March 14.

These warm-up matches should provide strong tests for the Dynamo who are adjusting to life without Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark. While the Dynamo have looked impressive against collegiate sides, the team’s performances against the New York Red Bulls and FC Dallas in last weekend’s tournament in Florida seemed to lack the cohesion that this team will need moving forward. These games will also allow Coach Dominic Kinnear and his staff to continue to evaluate the players who are currently on trial with Houston.

Here is Houston’s remaining pre-season schedule:
March 7 Austin Aztex 1pm Carl Lewis Track & Field Complex (Houston)
March 11 Chicago Fire 7pm Carl Lewis Track & Field Complex (Houston)
March 14 Austin Aztex 5pm Nelson Field (Austin)
March 17 San Jose Earthquakes 9pm Kezar Stadium (San Francisco)
March 20 Chivas USA 9pm Harter Stadium (Santa Barbara)