2007 Houston Dynamo season

Major Events

Offseason

The Dynamo began the 2007 season early as they were part of the 2007 CONCACAF Champions Cup tournament, having qualified by winning the 2006 MLS Cup. After eliminating Puntarenas FC of Costa Rica in a dramatic quarterfinal win, the Dynamo lost the 2007 CONCACAF Champions' Cup semifinal to C.F. Pachuca on 5–4 aggregate after extra time.

2006 Championship Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Changes for the 2007 MLS season

In

Out

Defending the Championship

The Dynamo began 2007 season early as they were part of the 2007 CONCACAF Champions Cup tournament, having qualified by winning the 2006 MLS Cup. After eliminating Puntarenas FC of Costa Rica in a dramatic quarterfinal win, the Dynamo lost the 2007 CONCACAF Champions' Cup semifinal to C.F. Pachuca on 5–4 aggregate after extra time.

Immediately after, Houston began its 2007 league season with consecutive shutouts against Los Angeles and Chivas USA. Thereafter, the Houston franchise began to struggle in the regular season losing shutouts against New York, Chicago, Toronto, and New England. Despite their continuous losing streak, the Dynamo were invited to spend the day at the White House on May 29, 2007 and meet with President George W. Bush because of their success in winning the MLS Cup. Only one other team – D.C. United in 1997 – has visited 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Dynamo also made some significant trades during the 2007 season. Houston traded Kevin Goldthwaite and a first round pick in the 2008 SuperDraft to Toronto FC for Richard Mulrooney. Houston also traded Alejandro Moreno to the Columbus Crew in exchange for Joseph Ngwenya. The most recent trade was Houston sending Kelly Gray to the Los Angeles Galaxy for Nate Jaqua. Rumors also came about that Chelsea's midfielder Claude Makélélé has shown interest in joining the Houston Dynamo. After regrouping and pulling off a win against their inter-state rivals, FC Dallas, the Dynamo began an unbeaten streak of 11 games and a shutout streak of 695 minutes, a new MLS record. During their match against the New England Revolution on July 22, the Dynamo's MLS-record scoreless minute streak came to an end, but not before reaching an astounding 726 minutes en route to continuing their unbeaten streak to 11 matches in a 3–3 tie.

The Dynamo were invited to compete in the inaugural SuperLiga were they dominated the group stage before falling in the semifinals to an old rival, C.F. Pachuca.

After the conclusion of the SuperLiga tournament, the Dynamo went back to focusing on defending their title as MLS Cup Champions. The Dynamo clinched a playoffs spot a couple of weeks before the end of the season and looked to at least clinch the Western Conference top sead, as D.C. United had clinched the Supporters Shield. The Dynamo trailed one point to top seed Chivas USA, whom they faced in the final game of the season. The Western bout resulted in a tie leaving the Dynamo at 2nd place to face their in-state rivals FC Dallas in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

In the first leg of their semifinal match at Pizza Hut Park, the Dynamo fell 1–0, with Clarence Goodson scoring the only goal in the 23rd minute. In the second leg, FC Dallas went ahead early on a Carlos Ruíz goal in the 17th minute. But the Dynamo caught up quickly, with Stuart Holden scoring in the 67th minute, and Brian Ching scoring in the 72nd minute to force extra time. In extra time, Ching scored again in the 97th minute, and Brad Davis kicked in the last goal in the 100th minute, permitting the Dynamo to win the match and advance to host the Kansas City Wizards for the Western Conference Finals.

In the Western Conference Finals on November 10, 2007, Houston defeated the Wizards at home 2–0. Nate Jaqua scored in the 35th minute, and Dwayne De Rosario scored the insurance goal in the 81st minute. Houston advances to the MLS Cup in a row, where they will again take on the New England Revolution. Brian Ching was injured in the game, and will not play in the Cup.

2007 Championship Squad

As of October 21, 2007 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

2007 Team statistics

Stats last updated 8/4/07

Game Winning Goals

Game Winning Assists

Penalty Kicks Made / Attempted

Western Conference Standings

x = Clinched playoff berth
y = Clinched home field for Conf. Champ.

Last Updated 2007-10-21

CONCACAF Champions' Cup

As the 2006 MLS Cup Champions, the Dynamo qualified to compete in the 2007 CONCACAF Champions' Cup.

Quarterfinals

Houston Dynamo advance 2–1 on aggregate.

Semifinals

The first leg match scheduled for March 14, 2007 was postponed due to a weather-induced power outage.

Pachuca advances 5–4 on aggregate after added extra time.

Game 1: vs. LA Galaxy

at Robertson Stadium, Houston, Texas

Houston Dynamo began the defense of their 2006 MLS Cup title with a familiar result, surviving going a man down late in the game to record a scoreless draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy at Robertson Stadium.

Dynamo celebrated their championship before the game, raising the banner commemorating last season's triumph, but both goalkeepers came up solid when tested, especially in the first half. A year ago, Dynamo tied Chivas USA with the most ties in MLS, 13.

Game 2: vs. Chivas USA

at Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX

In a rematch of last season's Western Conference Semifinals, Brian Ching scored Houston Dynamo's first goal of the season and goalkeeper Pat Onstad had five saves to lead the defending MLS Cup champions to a 1–0 win against Chivas USA. Houston finally got its first goal of the season on a header by Ching in the 64th minute. Brad Davis knocked a free kick into the center of the box where an unmarked Ching headed it past Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

The night began with Dynamo receiving their championship rings from a season ago, where the road to the MLS Cup victory started with a victory against Chivas, a 2–1 loss in California followed by a 2–0 victory in Houston to claim the series on aggregate goals.

Game 3: at New York Red Bulls

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

The early-season scoring woes of the defending MLS Cup champions continued at Giants Stadium as Houston Dynamo were unable to solve the 10-man New York Red Bulls, losing to a brilliant second-half goal from teenage star Jozy Altidore.

New York's Clint Mathis might have been Dynamo's MVP in the first half - missing a penalty kick in the 11th minute and getting sent off in the 36th for a studs-up challenge on Houston defender Ryan Cochrane.

New York was clearly the better team during the opening 45 minutes, with Red Bulls captain Claudio Reyna - making his home debut after sitting out last week with a deep thigh bruise - controlling play and repeatedly spraying dangerous balls out to wingers Dave van den Bergh and Dane Richards from his central midfield spot.

Game 4: vs. Chicago Fire

at Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX

The Chicago Fire continued their hot start to the 2007 season, defeating defending MLS Cup champions Houston Dynamo 1–0 on the road at Robertson Stadium. The game's lone goal came from Chris Rolfe in the 60th minute, as the Fire remained unbeaten on the year, while Houston lost for the second time in four games.

A quiet match burst into life after the halftime break, but Rolfe's goal on the hour mark was the only shot to find the back of the net. Taking a pass from Gonzalo Segares on the right side of the area, Rolfe skipped into the box and faked a shot, which caused a sliding Wade Barrett to miss. Having moved more to the center, Rolfe hit a left-footed shot to the left of a diving Pat Onstad.

Game 5: at Colorado Rapids

at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

Houston Dynamo broke out of their early-season scoring slump, spotting the Colorado Rapids an early goal before exploding for three goals in the final 35 minutes for a 3–1 victory Saturday night, handing the Rapids their first-ever loss at their new Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Roberto Brown had given Colorado the lead after just five minutes, but Brian Ching brought Dynamo level then Dwayne De Rosario scored twice within a five-minute span to secure the victory.

Both teams tried to seize the early momentum from the outset. The Rapids were hoping to build on their 2–0 blanking of Real Salt Lake last week with an important home victory, and Dynamo needed to snap a streak of two consecutive games in which they were shut out.

Game 6: at Toronto FC

at BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario

Andy Welsh's first career MLS goal provided the rainbow on a wet night at BMO Field as Toronto FC notched a 1–0 win against defending MLS Cup champion Houston Dynamo. After a quiet start to the game, the TFC offense broke through in the 26th minute. Ronnie O'Brien curled a direct free kick into the Houston goal area, where it was headed in by Welsh.

The goal seemed to stimulate the Houston offense, who held the ball in Toronto's end for the majority of the rest of the half. While they won the possession battle, Dynamo were frustrated by the Toronto defenders and could only manage one shot on goal.

Game 7: vs. New England Revolution

at Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX

Another match, another disappointing loss for the defending MLS champions. Last November, Dynamo clinched MLS Cup in their first season with a victory on penalty kicks against New England at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. But the Revolution spoiled the fun on Saturday with the first regulation win in the all-time series between the teams.

Shalrie Joseph scored the lone goal in the ninth minute - the Revolution's only official shot on goal in the match - sending Dynamo to their fourth loss in seven matches.

Game 8: at D.C. United

at RFK Stadium, Washington D.C.

Houston Dynamo went behind on a pair of first-half goals and clawed their way back to cut the lead, but couldn't capitalize on a number of opportunities and lost a frustrating fifth game of the year by just a single goal, falling 2–1 to D.C. United at RFK Stadium. Christian Gomez and Ben Olsen staked United to a lead in the first half, and while Dwayne De Rosario hit the back of the net for Dynamo in the second half, it wasn't enough to keep the defending MLS Cup champion from dropping a third game in a row.

Game 9: vs. FC Dallas

at Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX

After falling behind in the first half, Houston Dynamo came from behind with two second-half goals—and survived playing the final quarter-hour a man down—ending a three-game losing streak with a 2–1 win against intrastate rivals FC Dallas at Robertson Stadium. FC Dallas took the lead in the 31st minute with a goal by Abe Thompson, but Ricardo Clark pulled Dynamo level six minutes into the second half. Joseph Ngwenya then hit for the eventual game-winner midway through the half, to continue Dynamo's dominance in the battle for "El Capitan." Dynamo have now won four of the six all-time meetings in all competitions.

Game 10: vs. Colorado Rapids

at Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX

Houston Dynamo finally put together back-to-back wins this season, getting a goal from Stuart Holden midway through the second half to break a 1–1 tie and holding on for a 2–1 victory against the Colorado Rapids on MLS Primetime Thursday at Robertson Stadium. The teams had traded goals within the opening 12 minutes before Holden scored mere seconds after coming on as a substitute. With the victory, Dynamo closed to within two points of the second-place Rapids in the Western Conference.

Game 11: at Columbus Crew

at Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH

Houston Dynamo continued their hot streak at Crew Stadium, defeating the Columbus Crew 2–1. The defending MLS Cup champions have now won three in a row after losing five of their six previous matches while extending the Crew's winless streak to six games. Recent Dynamo acquisition Joseph Ngwenya continued his scoring streak, notching his third goal in as many games—this time against the team that traded him away only weeks earlier. Ngwenya and Crew forward Alejandro Moreno both got their first chances Sunday to face their old teams since the players were traded for each other a month ago, and both would prove to be pivotal players in the match. They traded goals three minutes apart midway through the first half before a Chad Marshall own goal proved to be the game-winner, the third goal in a seven-minute stretch.

Game 12: vs. Chivas USA

at Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX

Brad Davis notched his first career hat trick in leading Houston Dynamo past Chivas USA 4–0 at Robertson Stadium. The defending MLS Cup champions continued to stay hot in the month of June, extending their winning streak to a season-high four games, while quieting Chivas, who had entered the rematch of last season's Western Conference semifinal as winners of three in a row and hadn't lost since May 5 against D.C. United, a span of five games.

Game 13: at Kansas City Wizards

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO

Houston Dynamo defender Patrick Ianni picked a great time for his first MLS career goal. He emphatically headed home a corner from midfielder Stuart Holden in the 81st minute, lifting Dynamo to a 1–0 victory Sunday afternoon against the Kansas City Wizards at Arrowhead Stadium. It's the fifth consecutive win for Dynamo, while the Wizards went a third game in a row without a win. It seemed appropriate that Ianni would score in a match marked by defensive lockdowns. Ianni's header was strong and quick off a perfect cross from the corner flag.

Game 14: at FC Dallas

at Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, TX

Houston Dynamo were unable to break through a patchwork FC Dallas back line and FCD were unable to solve backup Dynamo goalkeeper Zach Wells as the two Texas sides played to a goalless draw at Pizza Hut Park. In pregame warmups, the reigning MLS Cup champs got some bad news when starting goalkeeper Pat Onstad twisted his back and had to leave the field. His status will be evaluated further once the team returns to Houston. Wells, who took Onstad's spot in the lineup while he was playing for Canada at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, replaced him in the nets. Wells was 2–0–0 for Houston during Onstad's absence earlier in the month.

Game 15: vs. New York Red Bulls

at Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX

Houston Dynamo stayed the hottest team in MLS as the defending MLS Cup champions extended their unbeaten streak to seven games with a convincing 4-0 win against the New York Red Bulls at Robertson Stadium. Joseph Ngwenya scored two goals, and Stuart Holden added a goal and two assists, while Brian Ching netted his fourth goal of the season in extending the Red Bulls winless streak to four consecutive games.

Game 16: vs. D.C. United

at Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX

Brian Ching redirected a ball into the net in the 33rd minute, and Houston Dynamo held on from there as they claimed a 1–0 victory against D.C. United at Robertson Stadium. In a battle of the two hottest teams in the MLS, Dynamo extended their unbeaten streak to eight, while D.C. United suffered their first loss in three matches and only their second defeat in 11 games.

The shutout was also the fifth in a row for Dynamo, who have now not allowed a goal in 515 minutes, the third-longest shutout streak in MLS history.

Game 17: at Chicago Fire

at Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL

Houston Dynamo continued to use MLS Primetime Thursday as their own personal showcase, soundly defeating the Chicago Fire 4–0 at Toyota Park. Dynamo got a first-half goal from Stuart Holden, then tallies four minutes apart from Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya in the second half. Chris Wondolowski then tucked away the fourth in the 90th minute.

With the victory, the Western Conference co-leaders have now gone nine consecutive games without a loss. They also extended their shutout streak to 605 minutes, the second longest in MLS history, and are within another shutout of setting the league record.

Game 18: vs. Toronto FC

at Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX

Houston Dynamo kept their unbeaten and shutout streaks going, but a visiting 10-man Toronto FC kept their unbeaten streak alive as well as the two teams played to a record-setting scoreless tie Sunday night at Robertson Stadium.

Dynamo extended their winless streak to 10 games, and they set a new MLS shutout record, surpassing the old record of 681 minutes set by Kansas City in 2000. Dynamo now haven't allowed a goal in 695 minutes. Toronto played the entire second half a man down, but they were able to extend their unbeaten streak to four games despite being outshot 16–4 by the Orange.

Game 19: at New England Revolution

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA

After not conceding a goal in league play since June 10, Houston Dynamo fell back into the habit quickly at Gillette Stadium, as the New England Revolution and Houston finished all square at 3–3 after a pulsating contest of the two conference leaders.

Pat Noonan breached the Dynamo's defense for the first time in 726 minutes when he chipped Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad to give New England the lead in the 32nd minute. But the second stanza saw five goals in a whirlwind half of action appropriate for the two conference leaders.

Game 20: at Real Salt Lake

at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT

Houston Dynamo's unbeaten streak was halted at 11 games as they fell to Real Salt Lake on Saturday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The only goal came in the 84th minute after Robbie Findley took advantage of a rare defensive misplay.

Playing their fifth game in two weeks after finishing SuperLiga group play, Dynamo's streak was brought to end by RSL's second win of the season.

Game 21: at Colorado Rapids

at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO

The Colorado Rapids finally put an end to their 10-game winless streak, getting a goal through fortunate circumstances and surviving a very tense final 13 minutes, hanging on to defeat Houston Dynamo 1–0 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

The game's only goal was an own goal, scored when Dwayne De Rosario headed a corner kick past his own goalkeeper in the 60th minute. The Rapids ended the game a man down after Ugo Ihemelu was sent off in the 77th minute, but Colorado held on for their first win since May 26 while handing Houston a second successive defeat after Dynamo had an 11-game league unbeaten streak.

Game 22: vs. FC Dallas

at Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX

With first place in the Western Conference on the line, Houston Dynamo scored just before the half and rode great defense to hold on from there and regain the divisional lead with a 1–0 win against FC Dallas at Robertson Stadium. Brian Ching's goal in the 42nd minute was the difference as the Orange ended a two-game losing streak in MLS play, while also handing the Hoops their first loss in seven league games.

Game 23: vs. Columbus Crew

at Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX

Houston Dynamo remained atop the Western Conference, but increased their lead on FC Dallas by only a single point, while Columbus increased their margin in the battle for the eighth playoff spot in MLS, as the teams battled to a 1–1 draw.

After trailing most of the game after Alejandro Moreno scored for the Crew, the Orange took advantage of having a man advantage for the final 52 minutes of the match and Nate Jaqua knocked in a rebound to knot the score and give Houston a point to increase their lead over Dallas to two in the Western Conference.

Game 24: vs. Kansas City Wizards

at Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX

The Kansas City Wizards put an end to their two-game losing streak, and Houston Dynamo got another point, as the two teams battled to a 1–1 draw in a game marred by yellow cards and missed opportunities at Robertson Stadium. Dynamo picked up a point on FC Dallas, who fell to D.C. United, but for the second consecutive game, they were unable to fully take advantage in extending their lead in the Western Conference.

The Wizards ended a three-game road trip with one point at least, but they will stay put in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and fell farther behind New York, who defeated Chicago on Saturday night.

Game 25: vs. Real Salt Lake

at Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX

Nate Jaqua netted his second career hat trick, and Corey Ashe assisted on all three goals as Houston Dynamo maintained their lead in the Western Conference by holding off Real Salt Lake 4–3 at Robertson Stadium.

With the win, Houston extended its unbeaten streak to four games, while stopping Real Salt Lake's win streak at two games. FC Dallas defeated Toronto 2–0 simultaneously however, meaning Dynamo's hold on first place in the Western Conference is only two points ahead of FCD.

Game 26: at Los Angeles Galaxy

at Home Depot Center, Carson, CA

The Los Angeles Galaxy closed out a difficult week, conceding another three goals in a loss. Houston Dynamo came to town and walked away with three points as they reclaimed first place in the Western Conference in a 3–1 victory against the Galaxy at The Home Depot Center.

Alan Gordon's first-half strike was canceled out by goals from Ryan Cochrane, Dwayne de Rosario and Ricardo Clark. With the victory, Dynamo officially qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs, while the Galaxy drew ever closer to being eliminated. They now have 17 points with eight games remaining, 13 points behind eighth-place Chicago; any combination of 11 points won by the Fire or lost by the Galaxy the rest of the rest will officially rule them out.

Game 27: at FC Dallas

at Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, TX

Though it's been two weeks since they last took the field, reigning MLS Cup champions Houston Dynamo showed no ill effects from their layoff as they defeated FC Dallas 3–0 on Sunday afternoon at Pizza Hut Park. Dynamo got goals from Dwayne DeRosario in first-half stoppage time, Eddie Robinson in the 53rd minute and Stuart Holden in the 84th minute as they recorded their first win ever against FCD in Frisco. In addition, both teams ended the match a player short after Houston's Ricardo Clark and Hoops striker Carlos Ruíz were sent off in the final minute.

Game 28: vs. Los Angeles Galaxy

at Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX

The Los Angeles Galaxy kept their playoff hopes alive with a 2–1 comeback win against Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium, in front of the Dynamo's first sellout crowd in team history. Houston scored the first goal of the game as Nate Jaqua hit home in the 21st minute, but Carlos Pavon tied the score for the Galaxy just before halftime and Gavin Glinton hit for the game-winner in the 77th minute to disappoint the crowd of 30,588.

Game 29: at Real Salt Lake

at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT

Houston Dynamo returned to their good form, beating Real Salt Lake 1–0 at Rice-Eccles Stadium on a Monday night. It was the Dynamo's first victory in Utah and set up a huge game this Saturday for the Western Conference regular season title. Stuart Holden scored the game's lone goal in the 66th minute, as what first appeared to be a cross from the right flank crossed up RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando and sailed over his head into the far corner.

Dynamo moved to within one point of the Western Conference leading Chivas USA.

Game 30: at Chivas USA

at Home Depot Center, Carson, CA

Houston Dynamo were unable to capitalize on a man advantage during the final 50 minutes of the match and were held to a scoreless draw by Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center. The result was costly for Dynamo as it cost them the top seed in the Western Conference—and guaranteed home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The result sets up a first-round playoff match up against interstate rival FC Dallas for Dynamo, who finished in second place in the Western Conference standings, one point behind Chivas.

Western Conference Semifinals

During the Conference Semifinals the Dynamo, 2nd seed, was paired against their in-state rivals FC Dallas, the 3rd seed.

The first leg was lethargic, with Clarence Goodson scoring the only goal for FC Dallas in the 23rd minute to take a 1–0 lead to Houston. The Dynamo took only three shots on goal, while FC Dallas took four.

The second leg began the same, with Carlos Ruíz scoring in the 14th minute to put FC Dallas up 2-0 on aggregate. But at the beginning of the second half, Arturo Alvarez was red-carded and sent off for kneeing Brad Davis in the groin while out of bounds. Playing shorthanded, FC Dallas would eventually falter, with Stuart Holden finally putting the Dynamo on the board in the 67th minute, and Brian Ching following in the 72nd minute to force extra time. FC Dallas only had three shots on goal in the second leg, with two of those in the first half. Ching finally scored the go-ahead goal in the 97th minute, while Davis tacked another one on in the 100th minute to seal the 4-2 aggregate victory for the Dynamo, and clinch their second Conference Final appearance—this time, hosting the Kansas City Wizards.

Western Conference Final

For the second year of the club's existence, Houston Dynamo will be playing for the championship of Major League Soccer after defeating the Kansas City Wizards 2-0 in the Western Conference Championship.

In front of the largest home crowd in their short history, a goal from Nate Jaqua in the 34th minute put the Orange in the lead and Dwayne De Rosario netted in the 81st minute to send his squad to MLS Cup 2007, where Dynamo will also aim to be the first team to win back-to-back championships since D.C. United did it in the league's first two seasons.

The victory sets up the first repeat MLS Cup Final in league history, as Dynamo will take on the New England Revolution at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 18. Dynamo won last year's final on penalty kicks after the teams played to a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes.

MLS Cup 2007

The Houston Dynamo defended their title with a 2–1 win against the New England Revolution. For the second straight year, the same two teams faced each other in the final, the first time that it happened in Major League Soccer. For the first time since 1997, a team became repeat MLS Cup Champions.