Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo – Watch out for the Orange Crush…it’s the Houston Dynamo!
Someone who never tires and never gives up – that is what the Houston Dynamo exemplifies.
This professional soccer club makes its home at the BBVA Compass Stadium located in Houston, Texas, and this stadium the first soccer-specific stadium in MLS that is in a city’s downtown district. They are owned by the group Anschutz Entertainment (AEG), along with the group Brener International and Oscar La Hoya, the boxing champion.
The team’s head trainer is Dominic Kinnear, who was a US international formerly. He is now entering his 9th season as the head coach this year. Former team captain Wade Barret, who is entering his third season as an assistant coach in 2012 after transitioning from player to coach in 2010, assists him. Steve Ralston, the all-time MLS assist leader, joins these two in his second full season as assistant coach.
The orange, black and white crest, accented with Space City blue, defines the Men in Orange.
These colors serve as a nod to another sports team in Houston history, the Houston Oilers of the National Football League. Further, the teach is represented by an orange haired fox called “Dynamo Diesel”, who not only cheers the team on but joins the Houston Dancers, the Dynamo Girls to promote the team as well.
They were not always the Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo team was officially made on December 15th, 2005 due to the fact that San Jose Earthquake players and head coach had to be relocated, due to the fact that the AEG, were not able to get a stadium that was soccer specific. Despite the move to Houston however, the history, logo, statistics and their name wasnt transferred and as such, they were born under a new identity.
Following this dilemma a survey was held online, so the fans themselves could choose a new name for the team, with the options being the Eagles, Apollos, Bulls, Gatos, Stallions, Lonestars, Americans, Toros, Buffaloes, Houston 1836, Generals, Stars and Mustangs. On January 25, 2006 the survey ended and it was announced that they would be called Houston 1836 because the numbers 1836 referred to that year in which Houston itself was founded.
This marked the first bit of controversy surrounding the team, as the original name quickly became a big political issue. Locals of Hispanic descent took offense to the name, as to them, the year 1836 represented the year of Texan Independence from Mexico. Protests soon began and eventually the team name was changed to the Houston Dynamo after Houston’s industrial economy that was energy based. The name “Dynamo” was given to the team in relation to its meaning “someone who never would give up. The name refers to the hardworking and lively town Houston.
With the name decided, the Houston Dynamo started anew, originally playing their games at the Robertson Stadium, and continued to play there for the next five seasons after their creation. However, eventually an agreement with Harris County and the Houston Sports
Authority was reached for the construction of a soccer-specific stadium in the downtown area. As of April 2012, the Houston Dynamo moved to their new home at the BBVA Compass Stadium.
The Houston Dynamo Achievements
Under the guidance of head coach Dominic Kinnear, the Houston Dynamo were led to 2 MLS games titles (for 2006 and 2007), 3 MLS game finals (20011, 2007, 2006), 2 semifinal appearances for the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup (for the year 2007 and 2008), 1 appearance for the finals (in 2008) and 2 appearances for the semifinals (in 2007 and 2010) of the SuperLiga, 2 1st level regular-season games for the Western Conference (in 2008 and 2009-tied) etc.
They also have a fair share of other victories, such as winning the Texas Derby 4 times (in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011), the Carolina Challenge Cup twice (2006, 2007), the Texas Pro Soccer Festival (2008), the MLS Reserve Division (2008), and the Dynamo Charities Cup (2009, 2010).
Houston Dynamo’s New Home
As mentioned before, the team has officially moved to their new home at the stadium, BBVA Compass. It is a 22,000 seat stadium that was promised to give fans a world-class soccer viewing experience. While the Robertson Stadium was a good place to call home, it cannot be compared to that of the BBVA Compass. The design is detailed and tactful, giving it an international flavor and making the experience match those of European Soccer games.
The inaugural match was held against D.C. United on May 12, 2012. The match shows off that the Dynamos are definitely on the right track this season as they won their first match on national TV 1-0. Everything went better than expected for the team as players and most importantly, the fans and staff were thrilled with the opening match.
It is a sign of things to come, as the team made a promise that their fans can look forward to more victories in their new home. After the six-year wait they had to go through to get a place to call their own, the Houston Dynamo made sure to deliver.
Tags: assistant coach, bbva compass, bbva compass stadium, dominic kinnear
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