With three blows of the whistle to end the match, the Houston Dynamo earned their first trip to the Major League Soccer Championship game, otherwise known as the MLS Cup, in their inaugural year in Houston. The Dynamo have etched themselves into Houston sports history. This marks only the fourth time that a major sports franchise has reached the final round of the postseason in Houston history.
The Rockets reached the NBA finals in 1994 and 1995 defeating the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic, respectively, to become champions of the basketball world.
More recently, the Houston Astros reached their pinnacle, the World Series, in 2005 only to lose to the Chicago White Sox.
The Dynamo, formally known as the San Jose Earthquakes, are looking to make noise not only among the MLS community, but in Houston as well.
Perhaps, they are looking for a little respect too. Franchises like the Rockets, Astros and Texans dominate the Houston sports scene leaving little room for coverage of the Dynamo, especially in a country that has yet to embrace the sport that the world has come to love.
Maybe the success of the Dynamo should warrant more attention. Within the past year, the Texans have finished 2-14, the Astros failed to make the postseason, and the Rockets were 34-48 and missed the playoffs in a league where more teams make the playoffs than teams that don’t qualify.
There are those soccer junkies that love soccer because it is ‘the beautiful game.’ The Dynamo have been embraced by this soccer community.
This passionate group of soccer fans known as the Texan Army complete with songs, chants and drums are sure to be heard in full force on Sunday for the MLS Cup. The game will be televised on ABC at 2:30 p.m.