Game #91-Houston Dynamo

Houston Dynamo vs Seattle Sounders BBVA Compass Stadium April 10th, 2016 I am headed back to Indianapolis for work but I thought I would get back on the horse and fly to Houston to get in a soccer game. It has been months since I piggybacked a game with a work trip and this one was supposed to knock out the two remaining teams in the area: the Dynamo and Rockets. Unfortunately the Rockets were playing the Lakers and it was one of Kobe Bryant’s final NBA games so not only were the ticket prices outrageous but they moved the tip off to exactly the same time as kick off for a bigger national audience. Tis’ life I guess. So I landed in Houston at 1:30pm leaving me two full hours before the game started. The airport is only 15 miles from my hotel, and the hotel is about 5 from the stadium…no problem, right? Wrong! I forgot how bad the traffic is in Houston. I can’t imagine why on a Sunday afternoon the freeways would be pack but this happened last time I was in town. Therefore I went straight to the hotel to drop off my bags and right back into my Uber to head to the stadium. BBVA Compass Stadium is really nice, a true soccer stadium like in Portland, Columbus or LA. It seats about 30k spectators and there isn’t a bad seat in the house. I also like when stadiums cater to their home teams. Both the Dynamo and Dash (women’s soccer) are bright orange and white so the stadium is that color as well. As with all new stadiums, not just soccer, there is little to see or interact with in terms of fan experiences. I did walk through a beer garden and DJ area outside of the stadium, but no pictures, jerseys, play areas for kids. This is not really surprising but they have won the MLS championship so I would expect more in terms of celebrating the team. The game was entertaining. Both programs sport some big names on the rosters including Clint Dempsey (US national team, leading scorer in international play), Ricardo Clarke (US national team), DaMarcus Beasley (US National team) as well as some great international players. Although the play in MLS is not as crisp as their European counterparts it is increased dramatically over the past few years. Pulling in superstars albeit after their prime has provided legitimacy in the program. I liken the MLS to college basketball. Yes, there will be more errors on the field but that often ends in exciting results like last minute heroics. Today was no exception! The first goal came at the feet of Houston’s Giles Barnes in the 35th minute of the game beating the Sounders goalie Stefan Frei. The place went nuts, orange streamers flying in from every direction, the supporters sections banging away on their drums, good times for the home fans. It looked to be the game winner as the second half provided few opportunities for either team, that is until extra time. Stoppage play was supposed to last for 3 minutes. Right at 3 minutes the Sounders grabbed control of the ball and got it deep into the Houston goal box and at the last second of play Chad Marshall put in the tying goal all but devastating the Dynamo supporters. For me it was the perfect ending, another goal and neither team is catching up to the LA Galaxy.