Hey gang, I hate to distract you from this very lively conversation (and thank you all for commenting by the way. I mean that) but wanted to make sure you had read the preview piece for tomorrow's big game:
http://dynamo.american-soccer-news.com/?p=347
Enjoy!

Be honest: the mls is more like rugy or wrestling than like true soccer. unfortunately, unknowledgeable fans like the ones in houston, don't recognize this. and until garber and the ussf get a spine and do something about the worst officials on the planet, the mls won't evolve, and players like FL and beckham will stop coming here.

To n brooks, no I didn't catch beckham... I was generally speaking when I included him. I don't car much for him as a player, his celebrate circus, or just him in general. ljungberg and henry though are exactly what this league needs. they bring world cup, epl, champions league experiences that are far more valuable than mom and dads backyard. Another thing tho which you brought up, if the LEAGUE is protecting beckham it will never seem credible. I don't care what underwear he wears, when he's on the pitch he's just another player.

I think Freddie is a very astute player, and critic of the game. It certainly appears that Mullan had a handball. He even does one of those guilty shrugs....I am SOUNDERS Till I die, but have to say Ching had an amazing one touch goal. It is the beautiful game!

Freddie is the best designated player out there. He serves up amazing crosses like ihop serves pancakes! He is the ultimate playmaker! It is a bit ironical that he is the reason Fredy won the newcomer award. Love the guy. He is passionate, smart and turf savvy!

Any supporter of a team with Brian Ching and Mike Chabala should not be calling anyone a "whiner."

Second, I think Ljungberg has had some culture shock at the hackiness of MLS when compared to the English or Swedish game. While it might not compare to an important international match against Mexico in Azteca or the Azzuri almost anywhere, it does indeed seem like some of the teams playing Seattle have instructed defenders to be willing to give up a "professional foul" or two in order to take Ljungberg out of his game.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. This time it did. Hats off to Houston.

Pretty common for coaches and players (not to mention fans) to be upset over calls or non-calls when an important game doesn't go their way. Classy? Not even. Passionate? You bet!

Freddy is pissed because he wanted to win, badly. He's not phoning it in. I love that.

But I think he'd like the weather in Northern California better than Seattle

At least Ljungberg is being honest. I hate the PC crap usually delivered by players in the post-game.

Game 1: Ching fouling Gonzalez is obvious yellow. Game 2, start of 2nd half, Ljungberg through free to the goalie and I think heinault clipped his ankles... Red in any other league. I don't know about the handball, but he should be calling out Levesque for botching the clearance. What do you expect from a USL player subbing on in a playoff elimination game, getting the ball in his own box on D in overtime? Any other player on the field heads that ball out.

Hey Houston fan - did you see how Beckham "did it " to Rico at the last Hollywood Galaxy Dynamo game?

As a houston fan I think he's right. I also think that the mls is going to get a bad rep worldwide for overly rough (dirty) play & bad officiating. In order for the league to be successful we have to be able to somewhat compete with leagues over in europe in terms of bringing in players. I think its good for the young guys too see how ljungberg and beckham do it. next year hopefully thierry henry. Houston won on the day, but we didn't play good football, it was scrappy & I think that was his point.

Who is nutmegged? Why should we care what he thinks?

there's actually three nutmeggeds. There appears to be a lot of overlap between them and Dynamo Planet? But what do I know...

Ljungberg just needs to get over himself. The foul on him from Chabala shouldn't have been a yellow, but he lounged on the pitch long enough to persuade the ref to issue Mike a card, especially when he took the worse fall.