BC Pangie

With DC United losing to Chivas on Tuesday the Houston Dynamo were MLS’ last chance of having a finalist in this years CONCACAF Champions’ Cup.

Houston went in with a two goal lead that was, unfortunately, not enough to see them through to the finals. It was a game that saw some nice goals from either side, but it was also a game that showed some questionable refereeing.

The Dynamo started without stand out Ricardo Clark who had damaged his knee in their previous encounter. This forced Kelly Gray to move out of the defense and into the middle, while Alejandro Moreno dropped back a bit to help cover for Gray. This changed things up for the Dynamo, but I don’t think it was what caused them to fail. They came out and it was clear they had a two goal lead that they were looking to preserve, that or they were incredibly lazy to start. Covering the defensive end, and banging balls upfield for someone to chase every chance they had.

This technique seldom works, and it wouldn’t work for the Dynamo as Pachuca struck in the fourth minute from a Christian Giménez free kick. Giménez whipped the ball in and it was flicked on to Gabriel Caballero on the back post. Unfortunately it looks that Caballero was offside. He was on when the ball was initially kicked but the flick on put him in an offsides position. This was only the first of a few semi-questionable calls.

Pachuca would bring the game back to level terms only eleven minutes later when Craig Waibel had a nasty hack in the box. The penalty was rightly given and Giménez converted to the right side. Zach Wells, the stand-in goalie who blocked a penalty earlier in the quaterfinals was able to get his hand to it, but not enough to keep it out of his net.

You would think two goals in a quarter of an hour would wake a team up, and maybe it did as Houston was to score next, although it wouldn’t come until the next half. Houston played the remainder of the first half on their heels. Giving Pachuca too much time to trap a pass and turn. While Pachuca gave Houston no time to control the ball at all. Due to this slacking defense, Pachuca were able to move the ball freely into the box and create plenty of chances. It was a surprise that the two sides went into the half even on aggregate.

The second half didn’t look much different with Houston really playing back on their heels while Pachuca played to win. However, Houston found the back of the net in the fifty-fourth minute after another questionable call by the referee. Brian Ching was chasing the ball out of bounds with a Pachuca defender in front of him. The defender went down and in retrospect it looks as if he fell without contact, and this was a good call from the referee, however, the ball looked to cross the line completely into the out of bounds. Ching continued playing it, as he should, and crossed it to Dwayne DeRosario who touched it on to Brian Mullan who converted. At this point Houston was back in the lead on aggregate (there are no away goals in CONCACAF).

Houston’s lead wouldn’t last long as yet another questionable call was given leading to a goal. Brad Davis was working one on one in the box near the end line with his back to the referee. He half-stepped into get the ball, but realized he wouldn’t get it and so pulled out. Unfortunately the Pachuca forward knew this would be a good time to take a dive and won yet another penalty. Should it have been a penalty? Maybe, but the referee was in a really poor position to see what had happened. The penalty was taken by Giménez again. Wells dove the same direction as the first but Giménez went left and converted easily. Once again the teams were on level terms.

The rest of the game was rather bland. Houston didn’t provide many chances, and Pachuca couldn’t convert despite their running at the goal all game. It looked to go into overtime, but then Houston magically got their second of the game. Once again it was Brian Ching involved in another goal. A free kick was taken Kevin Goldthwaite, who had just came on as a sub, ten yards outside the box. Unfortunately for Pachuca only two of their three back line pulled up for the offside trap. The remaining defender left Ching wide open with a free header that he did well to convert. This goal took the wind out of the fans. They looked as if they had resigned themselves to defeat. Dominic Kinnear, the Houston coach, looked down at his watch. Houston went into a shell. Ten minutes left in the match and they were going to hold on for the win. Or were they…

Pachuca would score a phenomenal goal in the eighty-sixth minute. Houston once again allowed for too much space when they were defending. Allowing passes in and out of the box, and attackers to turn and cross. Leobardo López got a pass in the box, dribbled towards the edge of the box, turned and crossed it in to Gabriel Caballero, the man with the first goal who had a beautiful touch off his head into the back of the net. There was no question on this goal. One of three legit goals in this game of seven.

Regulation time finished with the teams even on aggregate, and so it went to overtime. Pachuca had the momentum from the second half, and they had the fans behind them. Houston still had a chance, but it would be a tough battle if they were to win it.

DeRosario looked to get the first of extra time, but a phenomenal save from Miguel Calero kept the teams even. The game continued with Houston looking slow and tired, while Pachuca just kept hammering. It was amazing that this game even went to overtime. To most, it was no question who the better team was. Finally Pachuca picked up another goal - another questionable goal.

The first half of extra time went smoothly, there wasn’t any stoppages, and injury time didn’t look to be a factor. There was no clock held up by the fourth official, and everyone expected the whistle on fifteen. This was not to be the case. At about fifteen-twenty, Houston looked to clear the ball and the referee looked to blow his whistle. But he didn’t, he only put it in his mouth ready to blow it, but the ball landed at the feet of Giménez who took a few touches and sent his hat trick rocket home into the upper ninety. Zach Wells just stood there, unmoving, watching the ball find the back of the net. There was really nothing he could do about it. Should the referee have blown his whistle? He had it in his mouth, he was ready to blow it, but poor clearance and a Pachuca chance saw him take the whistle out of his mouth. Once the ball was in the back of the net, he blew the whistle. Of course this caused some hard feelings between Houston and the referee at this point.

The refereeing for this game was rather poor. He missed an obvious handball a few times, once in the box that would have given Pachuca their third penalty of the game. Houston came out slow, and finished slow. It was obvious Pachuca was the better team and deserved to win. Their were times it looked like Houston was a pub team that had no idea how to play against such skill. Giménez was easily the man of the match. He was in both ends of the field, showing skill, power, and intelligence. Also it should be noted that the Pachuca keeper seemed to try to get into it with the Houston coach at the end of regulation time. A rather interesting talking point if anyone saw it.

First Leg: Houston 2 - 0 Pachuca
Second Leg: Houston 2 - 5 Pachuca
Aggregate: Houston 4 - 5 Pachuca
Houston: 5/10 | Pachuca: 8/10

After the last three matches Puma’s fans are left with a rather interesting feeling. Should we be excited? Should we be upset? We’ve drawn six of our matches this season, three of them coming in the last three matches. The first may have been acceptable when we held Chivas to a nil - nil draw. The next two came from matches against bottom dwellers which we should have taken three points from. The first was a one – one draw with Necaxa, the third came today
against Querétaro.

(more…)

Unfortunately I didn’t get to see either of these games in their entirety.  I was able to catch the first half an hour of  Houston - Pachuca, and the second half of D.C. United - Chivas.  Neither of my predictions were correct, but I warned you of that, and, the Houston - Pachuca game was relatively close.

 Houston 2 - 0 Pachuca

I didn’t really think much of the Houston - Pachuca game. Houston had it’s moments of  dominance, while Pachuca aslo appeared to have runs of dominance moving the ball cleanly around the pitch.  This Pachuca team is a pretty good one, and prior to this game, I would have thought they could handle the Dynamo with ease.  After this game, I’m not so sure.  Granted I didn’t see the whole game, but this second game will be rather interesting.  Pachuca down to goals from Ching, and his sub - Wondolowski.  However, the second game will be at Pachuca’s home stadium, in Mexico City, a place where American teams have traditionally found it difficult to perform well.  Typically two goals would be a bit of a hole to climb out of, but it’s a feat that can be easily accomplished by this Pachuca team given the conditions.  Of course, the Dynamo will probably play a defensive game that could be difficult for Pachuca to penetrate.  Look for the second leg on FSC on April fourth.

If my previous prediction for the second game is to stand that still puts Pachuca into the finals.  But with a two goal lead, I see Houston  buttoning up  tight  and really forcing Pachuca to  work.  Revised Prediction: Houston 1 - 2 Pachuca or Houston 0 - 2 Pachuca: Houston wins on penalty kicks.  One of the things I failed to recognize is how well Zach Wells has been playing since he was brought on early on in the first leg against Puntarenas.

Chivas Guadalajara 1 - 1 D.C. United 

I thought D.C. would really take it to Chivas considering how Emilio and Gómez have been looking upfront as of late.  I was wrong.  Chivas popped the first goal early on in the second half, and D.C. didn’t claw back until into injury time.  I thought D.C. for the most part looked disjointed and forced.  Perhaps this was becaue once again it was pouring out and I picked the match up in the second half.  Chivas looked okay with Bravo and Bofo upfront, but nothing to pin the title on.  Overall, Chivas looked the better team, and although it was a nice set piece that led directly to yet another Emilio goal, I don’t see D.C. United coming through as I did earlier on.  Revised Prediction: D.C. United 1 - 3 Chivas.  Unlike my previous prediction I think Chivas will go through to face Houston.  This match can be seen on FSC on April third.

Pumas will be thanking their doorman, Rogelio Rodríguez tonight, while Guadalajara will be thanking the right hand post as the game ended in a goalless draw. Chivas was the favorite coming into this match as they sat atop their group. Surely Pumas fans, and players alike will approve of picking up a point off of Chivas.

Pumas began the game looking somewhat equal to Chivas creating chances, and moving the ball skillfully about the pitch. Pumas began attacking early in the sixth minute when they had a shot deflected back into the box that couldn’t be finished. At this point no one realized this was how much of the game would look. Ignacio Scocco showed his determination early on when he stripped the ball from a Chivas defender off a goal kick. Unfortunately his touch was a little heavy and the Chivas portero Luis Michel came out to scoop it up cleanly.

The chances continued to favor Pumas until the forty second minute when Rodríguez got his first real test of the game from a long shot that caught him diving backwards. The deflection stayed in and was moved around by Chivas until Sergio Santana headed over the bar. In injury time of the first half, the cross bar would come to the aide of Pumas as Rodríguez got caught a bit out and the ball was headed over him only to catch the cross bar.

Both teams looked equal in the first half creating viable chances, and moving the ball comfortably. It appeared as if the fouls were favoring Chivas as their players were always on the ground, although not always due to a foul.

The beginning of the second half saw some amazing saves from Rodríguez as Chivas began to dominate. The first fifteen minutes Chivas forced Rodríguez to perform with through balls that found unmarked strikers. Rodríguez came up big multiple times saving from point blank range with nothing behind him but open net. If it weren’t for Rodríguez Pumas would undoubtedly have lost the game in the second half.

In the sixty-seventh minute it looked like Pumas’ defense had finally allowed Chivas to put one in. Rodríguez made a phenomenal first save but the rebound went to the same Chivas striker who gently put it in the back of the net. Luckily for Pumas – he was offsides. No goal.

The rest of the game really looked to be in Pumas’ favor with most of the shots going their way. Chivas was forced into some saves that sent the ball sprawling back into the box, but the follow up shots from Pumas were either deflected or sent wide.

One of Pumas’ better chances came in the final minutes of play when Israel Castro (I think) ripped a long range shot that beat the keeper and knocked the same post that kept Pumas from going one nil up earlier in the half.

Although Pumas will be happy with a point, it was a game against a top team that could have seen Pumas walk away with three points. Rodríguez was an all-star in the net for Pumas and Scocco looked good as well. In fact, most of the Pumas players appeared to be playing decently, with the exception of Paco Palencias whom I thought should have left the pitch at half-time or shortly after. Of course this probably has something to do with the suspension of Parejita.

Pumas: 8/10 | Chivas: 8/10
Final Score: Pumas 0 - 0 Chivas