HOU-LA, 2nd half

The music in the stadium is better for the Red Stripe Champions Cup final on FSC. Hooray Beer! Boo Large Headed Friend! The announcers are talking birthday parties and their dance moves. I really, really hope DOB and Stoner aren't taking notes.

Pretty even first half, both teams had some good chances, neither really had much of an advantage. About what you would expect out of two quality teams...

Chingy comes close, but goes over the top with a header.

Houston come like the proverbial "house of fire" in the second half.

Good to hear that the hardcore Houston fans have been watching Mexican league games, their goal kick commentary sounds a little familiar. I wonder if the TeleFutura gang mentioned it.

Awesome chip over the top to Donovan, but he shanks the shot. If only he had stayed at Leverkusen, he would've made that. Damn you Bianca!

Portmore United has equalized in Jamaica, the Red Stripe is flowing plentifully.

Jaqua goes for a looping header, but Onstad gets across to push it wide. Now it's LA that's starting to look dangerous.

Cobi ends his night after an hour of play, Robbie Findley comes in. The announcers say that Findley goes up top and Jaqua moves out wide right. I don't like that at all. What is the deal with MLS coaches lately, moving big target forwards into wide midfield positions? I don't get it at all. Besides, I was liking the Donovan/Jaqua pairing.

Paul Dalglish comes on for Houston, he's in for Moreno. I start throwing things, I don't like that guy. I think both teams have downgraded with their subs.

Albright blasts a semi-dangerous chance wide. Lots of energy, but the play in the attacking thirds is not that sharp.

Ian Russell just cleaned DDR out with a great tackle. Didn't think I'd see that happen... He redeems himself, DDR steals a deflection, but shoots wide. Albright took a clearance off the face to set up the chance.

Albright fouls Brad Davis, and he nearly loses his shorts. I guess that's payback for the TeleFutura cameras showing some many shots of lovely ladies in the crowd. There you go, female Houston fans!

Houston is keeping LA stuck in their own half with tons of pressure. Just as a type that, Findley gets behind a Houston defender and is dragged down right outside the box. Adios Ryan Cochrane, that's a RED CARD, the first of the MLS season. It wasn't a hard foul, but Cochrane was torched. He made absolutely no attempt to play the ball and just grabbed him. Good call.

Wow, Dalglish is already subbed out. WTF? I guess they want to strengthen the defense. You know I support it. Santino Quaranta comes in for LA, they sacrifice a defender to go for the win.

Findley gets decked again, this time by DDR, but there's no call. Albright gets a takedown on Ching, and a yellow card for his trouble. I'm feeling a LA red card coming to even this up.

Findley earns a corner, he's starting to look really dangerous. Houston isn't packing it in, Brad Davis sends in a nasty cross that is pushed wide for a corner.

Well, it's looking like both teams can't find a way to get a winner. Three minutes of stoppage time coming up.

Cannon makes a nice play to deny a through ball for the sub Goldthwaite. And that's all she wrote...

Same scoreline, but a much better game than the one in Columbus last night. Two really good teams battled pretty evenly. A draw is a fair result.

That wraps up the first weekend of MLS action in 2007. We'll have our thoughts on it, and previews of next week, in the coming days.