Talkin' Bout Balls: New York Red Bulls @ Houston Dynamo

- The game took place at the University of Houston’s football stadium, which is the closest thing they have to a soccer specific stadium in Houston. I was surprised because it’s actually a lot smaller than the Jayhawk’s Memorial Stadium which seats over 60,000 (Robertson Stadium seats around 30,000). But it’s a good size for a soccer stadium in the U.S.

- It was a doubleheader with the first game being Houston Dynamo vs. New York Red Bulls and the second game Chivas Guadalajara vs. CD Motagua (a club team from Honduras). There were Chivas fans everywhere, holding up signs and decked out in their red and white striped shirts. Chivas isn't as popular in Houston as their bitter rivals in the Primera División de México, Club America, though. Matt said that last year he went to the Barcelona vs. Club America game and they sold out Reliance Stadium for that. Chivas is big among the Los Angeles Mexicans though.

- Outside there was some sort of festival going on hosted by some of the Spanish radio stations and television outlets. There was a band, a giveaway, a booth where you tried to score free kicks for prizes and several other attractions. Also, I believe there was a low rider competition. I don’t know if this happens normally for the Dynamo, but I think it’d be pretty safe to assume this was all Chivas-related.

- Matt hates Mexican soccer and the Mexican national team (as do I cause of the U.S./Mexican rivalry) so we didn’t stay for that much of the second game, but we saw enough to notice there was a little bit more skill involved in that game than the MLS game.

- Regardless, it was cool to see the supporters group for the Dynamo. There was a Mexican and a Gringo contingent. The white people were the Texian Army and the Hispanic group was called the El Batallon. Throughout the game we were surrounded by different bands playing cultural music (there was a Jamaican band making some noise close to us). It was all and all pretty festive.

- As for the game, it was a rout. The Dynamo tore the Red Bulls up, which was a big deal because New York is a really good team. They have Juan Pablo Angel, who is the leading goal scorer in MLS. I was expecting him to come out with guns firing, but New York couldn’t really put anything together.

- The Dynamo use a silver ball in their home games because they’re the reigning MLS champions. Hilarious.

- Bruce Arenas, former U.S. Men’s National Team coach and current Red Bulls coach is the most dour presence on any sideline in the world.

- For a while I looked at the field and realized that soccer didn’t have much of a mystique when witnessed live. It looks a lot more important on television. This may have been a little post-modernism on my part, but then I thought about baseball games I’ve been to and it was the same way. It’s very different seeing a game live than on television. When I came to that realization I enjoyed the game more.

- When the ball goes into the stands during a soccer game you have to throw it back. Too bad.

- During the Mexican national anthem (which they played before the Chivas game) I noticed that Mexicans, instead of holding their hands over their heart, hold their hands parallel to the ground over their heard, like their karate chopping their chest. It looks more menacing than adoring and may be the key to unlocking the differences between our two cultures.

- When Brian Ching scores, you yell “Cha-Ching!” as loud as you can.

- Claudia Reyna fouled a Dynamo on our side of the field and I loudly heckled him. “You SUCK Reyna! Go back to ManCity!” Overall it was a pretty tame crowd. They needed a few more loudmouths like me out there.

- The Dynamos are on a pretty incredible hot streak, they’ve taken Kansas City and New York (two top of the table teams) and face D.C. United on Sunday at home. They were horrible a month ago, but looks like they’re rounding into form quite nicely.

- I can’t wait to get back to Kansas City to see Eddie Johnson score another meaningless hat trick in person.