2008 Houston Dynamo season

Houston Dynamo

2008 season
Chairman	Philip Anschutz
Manager	Dominic Kinnear
Major League Soccer	1st, West 2nd, Overall
MLS Cup	Playoffs
U.S. Open Cup	Third Round
CONCACAF Champions' Cup	Semifinals
CONCACAF Champions League	Quarterfinals
SuperLiga	Runners-up
Pan-Pacific Championship	Runners-up
Texas Pro Soccer Festival	Winner
Top goalscorer	Brian Ching (13)
Home colours Away colours
← 2007 2009 →

The 2008 Houston Dynamo season was the third season of the Houston club franchise. The Houston Dynamo were the defending back-to-back MLS Cup Champions, and sought to become the first club in Major League Soccer history to win three straight MLS Cups.

The Dynamo were expected to have an even busier year than in 2007. In addition to defending their MLS Cup in MLS regular-season play, they participated in the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the final 2008 CONCACAF Champions' Cup, the inaugural 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League and the 2008 North American SuperLiga, were invited to play in the inaugural Pan-Pacific Championship and the Texas Pro Soccer Festival 2008.

Major events

Team news

• Houston's City Council on January 30, 2008 approved the purchase of over 80 acres (320,000 m²) of land near State Highway 288 and Almeda-Genoa Rd. for the development of an amateur sports complex—the first of its kind in the history of the city. The new complex will provide 18 fields for local soccer organizations and will also afford the area the opportunity to host amateur tournaments of state, regional and national stature. Once completely developed, the complex is expected to attract well over 500,000 visitors per year.^[1]
• On February 26, 2008 Houston Dynamo President Oliver Luck revealed the planned negotiations to the media stating that the Houston Dynamo would be managed in majority by original owners Anschutz Entertainment Group (who will hold 50% of ownership) along with newfound partners Gabriel Brener, head of Brener International Group, and multiple World and Olympic boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya (each with 25% ownership each).^[2]

Club appearances

• The inaugural Pan-Pacific Championship debuted on February 20, 2008 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Houston qualified to participate in the tournament via their win as MLS Cup Champions.^[3] The Houston Dynamo won their first match against Sydney FC,^[4] before finishing second place after their 6-1 loss to Gamba Osaka in the final match.^[5]
• The first Texas Pro Soccer Festival presented by Touch-Tel featured four Major League Soccer teams, including the two-time MLS champion Houston Dynamo, during an electrifying week of double-header exhibition games, events and daily practices.^[6] The Houston Dynamo were declared winners of the tournament after a tiebreaker in goal difference was needed between them and D.C. United.^[7]
• The Houston Dynamo qualified to participate in the final version of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup via their win in the 2007 MLS Cup.^[8]
• The Houston Dynamo finished the 2007 Major League Soccer season with the 3rd best overall regular season record. As a result, the Dynamo qualified to participate in the second annual SuperLiga.^[9]

Squad

First-team squad

As of August 8, 2008.^[10] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Tony Caig 2 DF Eddie Robinson 3 MF Johnny Alcaraz 4 DF Patrick Ianni 5 FW Kyle Brown 6 MF Erik Ustruck 7 FW Chris Wondolowski 8 MF Richard Mulrooney 9 MF Brian Mullan 10 FW Kei Kamara 11 MF Brad Davis 13 MF Ricardo Clark 16 DF Craig Waibel

No. Position Player 17 MF Mike Chabala 18 GK Pat Onstad 19 MF John Michael Hayden 20 MF Geoff Cameron 21 MF Nick Hatzke 22 MF Stuart Holden 23 DF Stephen Wondolowski 24 DF Wade Barrett (captain) 25 FW Brian Ching 26 MF Corey Ashe 27 FW Nate Jaqua 30 GK Corbin Waller 32 DF Bobby Boswell 99 FW Guy-Roland Kpene

Transfers

In

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

No. Position Player 1 GK Tony Caig (Free Agent[11]) 5 FW Kyle Brown (from 2008 MLS Waiver Draft[12]) 10 FW Franco Caraccio (from Arsenal de Sarandí, Loan[13]) 10 FW Kei Kamara (from Trade, from San Jose Earthquakes[14])

No. Position Player 20 MF Geoff Cameron (from 2008 MLS SuperDraft, 3rd Round Pick[15]) 27 FW Nate Jaqua (from Free Agent[16]) 32 DF Bobby Boswell (from D.C. United, Trade[17]) -- MF Jeremy Barlow (from 2008 MLS SuperDraft, 4th Round Pick[18])

Out

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

No. Position Player 1 GK Zach Wells (to D.C. United, Trade[19]) 5 DF Ryan Cochrane (to San Jose Earthquakes, Expansion Draft[20]) 8 FW Paul Dalglish (Released[21]) 10 FW Franco Caraccio (Released)

No. Position Player 20 MF Kenneth Hoerner (Waived[22]) 21 FW Nate Jaqua (to SC Rheindorf Altach, Free Agent/European transfer window[23]) 29 GK Jordan James (Waived[22]) 33 FW Joseph Ngwenya (to SK Austria Kärnten, Free Agent/European transfer window[24])

Statistics

Last updated on May 14, 2013.

MLS stats from H. Dynamo website

No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Total		Major League Soccer		MLS Cup Playoffs		U.S. Open Cup		Champions Cup/Champions League
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1	GK		Tony Caig	9	0	6+1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
2	DF		Eddie Robinson	29	0	19+1	0	2	0	1	0	6	0
3	MF		Johnny Alcaraz	1	0	0	0	0	0	0+1	0	0	0
4	DF		Patrick Ianni	24	0	10+7	0	0	0	0	0	6+1	0
5	FW		Kyle Brown	5	0	1+3	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
6	MF		Erik Ustruck	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0
7	MF		Chris Wondolowski	15	3	1+7	0	0	0	1	1	6	2
8	MF		Richard Mulrooney	32	0	22+1	0	2	0	0	0	4+3	0
9	MF		Brian Mullan	39	3	28+2	3	2	0	0	0	5+2	0
10	FW		Kei Kamara	17	5	6+4	2	1+1	1	0	0	4+1	2
11	MF		Brad Davis	31	1	20+6	1	2	0	0	0	2+1	0
13	MF		Ricardo Clark	36	2	25	2	2	0	0	0	9	0
14	MF		Dwayne De Rosario	35	10	22+2	7	2	0	0	0	5+4	3
16	DF		Craig Waibel	21	2	14	0	0	0	0	0	7	2
17	MF		Mike Chabala	5	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	3+1	0
18	GK		Pat Onstad	33	0	24	0	2	0	0	0	7	0
19	MF		John Michael Hayden	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0
20	MF		Geoff Cameron	31	1	8+15	1	0+1	0	1	0	6	0
21	MF		Nick Hatzke	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
22	MF		Stuart Holden	35	4	18+9	3	0+2	0	0+1	0	5	1
23	DF		Stephen Wondolowski	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0
24	DF		Wade Barrett	35	0	26	0	2	0	0	0	7	0
25	FW		Brian Ching	33	14	24+1	13	2	0	0	0	5+1	1
26	MF		Corey Ashe	35	1	8+16	1	0+1	0	1	0	9	0
27	FW		Nate Jaqua	21	0	11+3	0	1+1	0	0	0	5	0
30	GK		Corbin Waller	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
32	DF		Bobby Boswell	38	1	29	1	2	0	0	0	7	0
99	FW		Guy-Roland Kpene	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
			Own goals for	0	3	0+0	2	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	1
Players who left the club during the season: (Statistics shown are the appearances made and goals scored while at Houston Dynamo)
10	FW		Franco Caraccio (Released)	15	2	8+2	2	0	0	1	0	4	0

Club

Other information

Chairman	Philip Anschutz
Ground (capacity and dimensions)	Robertson Stadium (32,000 / N/A)

Source: Houston Dynamo

Competitions

Overall

Competition	Started round	Current position / round	Final position / round	First match	Last match
Pan-Pacific Championship 2008	Semi-Finals	—	Runner-up	20 Feb 2008	23 Feb 2008
Texas Pro Soccer Festival 2008	—	—	Winner	5 Mar 2008	9 Mar 2008
CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2008	Quarterfinals	—	Semifinals	12 Mar 2008	9 Apr 2008
2008 Major League Soccer season		Quarter-finals	29 Mar 2008	{{{dlm}}}
2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup	Third Round	—	Third Round	1 Jul 2008	1 Jul 2008
2008 North American SuperLiga	Group Stage	—	Runner-up	12 Jul 2008	5 Aug 2008
CONCACAF Champions League 2008–09	Group Stage	—	Quarter-finals	23 September 2008	3 March 2009

Last updated: April 15, 2008
Source: Competitions

Major League Soccer

Classification

• 1st in Western Conference
• 2nd in MLS table

Results summary

Overall								Home						Away
Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
30	13	12	5	45	32	+13	51	10	4	1	30	14	+16	3	8	4	15	18	−3

Last updated: 2009-06-29.
Source: Major League Soccer

Results by round

Round	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30
Ground	A	H	A	A	A	H	H	A	A	A	H	A	H	H	A	H	A	H	H	H	A	H	H	A	H	A	A	H	H	A
Result	L	D	D	D	L	D	W	W	L	D	W	W	L	D	D	D	W	W	W	W	L	W	W	D	D	W	D	W	W	D

Last updated: 2008-11-07.
Source: Houston Dynamo
Ground: A = Away; H = Home. Result: D = Draw; L = Loss; W = Win; P = Postponed.

Matches

Pre-season

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Pan-Pacific Championship 2008

Semi-Finals

Final

Texas Pro Soccer Festival 2008

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CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2008

Quarterfinals

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Houston Dynamo advance 3-1 on aggregate.

Semifinals

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Deportivo Saprissa advances 3-0 on aggregate.

Major League Soccer regular season 2008

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SuperLiga 2008

Group A

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Semifinals

Final

References

External links

• 2008 Schedule