MLS Houston Dynamo FC

Houston Dynamo kick off CONCACAF Champions League participation

Published on August 13, 2009 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Houston Dynamo FC News Release


HOUSTON, TX (Thursday, August 13, 2009) -- The Houston Dynamo kicked off their participation in the 2009-10 CONCACAF Champions League on Thursday with a press conference at Lucky's Pub in downtown Houston.

Dynamo president and general manager Oliver Luck, head coach Dominic Kinnear, and players Pat Onstad, Brad Davis, and Andrew Hainault were in attendance to talk about the tournament to determine the regional club champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The winner represents the CONCACAF region at the FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in 2010.

The Dynamo are competing in their fourth consecutive regional championship tournament, having reached the semifinals in the old Champions' Cup in 2007 and 2008 and the quarterfinals of the first Champions League in 2008-09. No team representing the United States advanced farther than the Dynamo in those seasons.

Houston's first home game in the four-team group stage will take place on Wednesday, August 19, at Robertson Stadium when the Dynamo host Salvadoran champion Isidro Metapán at 7:00 p.m.

"We're pleased to have the first game at home, so hopefully we'll get a good win to start us off on the right foot," Kinnear said. "Looking at that group, it's a tough group. There are no easy groups when you get to this stage of competition."

Houston will also host Panamanian club Arabe Unido on September 22 (9:00 p.m.) and Mexican power Pachuca on September 30 (9:00 p.m.). The top two teams from the group will advance to the quarterfinals, which will take place in March 2010.

"It's always an honor to represent Major League Soccer and our country in this tournament," Kinnear said. "When you look at the group phase, there are no easy games, home or away. The one that probably stands out for everybody would be the match against Pachuca. I think the players really enjoy the little rivalry we've built up over the years. They enjoyed the game away from home [in 2007] and really enjoy the games we've had at home."

The Dynamo and Pachuca have already met four times in international play. While Houston has a 2-1-1 advantage in official record, Pachuca won an aggregate series and a penalty shootout to eliminate the Dynamo in Champions' Cup and SuperLiga play in 2007. The Dynamo responded with a 2-0 win in SuperLiga 2008.

The Dynamo will next be in action on Saturday, August 15, when they face Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sanday, Utah.

ABOUT HOUSTON DYNAMO

The Houston Dynamo are a Major League Soccer franchise that won two MLS Cup championships in its first three seasons and qualified to represent the United States in four consecutive regional championships. For more information, log on to www.HoustonDynamo.com or call (713) 276-7500.

ABOUT CONCACAF

CONCACAF (The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) is one of six continental confederations of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) and serves as the governing body of football in this part of the world. It is composed of 40 national associations, from Canada in the north to Guyana, Surinam and French Guyana in the south.

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Major League Soccer Stories from August 13, 2009


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