SHOCK AND AWE: Red Bulls 3 – Dynamo 0

By: Dave Martinez | November 10th, 2008

Hey, I can eat crowe all day if you want me to – but who saw this coming? The Red Bulls played an extremely physical game against the defending MLS champions, and came out on top in a commanding three nil performance. All doubters? You are silenced.

Featuring the same lineup two weeks in a row, the Red Bulls pulled off the impossible; a win in Houston. That’s right folks – the Bulls are within reach of the finals. They now advance to the Western Conference Final against Dema Kovalenko and his Real Salt Lake. Wow.

Dane Richards and Danny Cepero took command of the game from either side of the field. Richards once again undressed Wade Barrett to the point of embaressment, breaking the defender countless times. Danny Cepero, meanwhile, looked more like Patrick Roy with kick saves, punch outs, and grabs that a cat would envy. Houston pressured, and the Bulls countered. By the time the 90 minutes were up, the Dynamo were simply out of answers.

Congratulations to Coach Osorio who has found himself under everyones microscope for his late season changes. He obviously knows the team better than the rest of us.

Congrats are also in order for all the ESC / Red Bulls fans who made the trip out to this historic game, and made their voices heard throughout the night. It is not every day you get to witness the greatest playoff upset in MLS history.

Enjoy your day Bulls fans – and if you want a permanent smile on your face, just think of good old Wolyniec doing the Thriller dance! Leave your thoughts below:

MAN OF THE MATCH

Though it was a tight race between Richards and Cepero, I am prone to lean towards the Jamaican side on this one. Lets face it – it was Richards abuse of Houston captain Wade Barrett that began all of this. He was able to expose one of the most obvious mismatches in the game, Mike Tyson style. Knockout blow after knockout blow, Barrett was forced to take a complimentary role, until he was finally subbed out in the 2nd. Richards made that happen.

TURNING POINT OF THE MATCH

Whether Ricardo Clark did or did not put his hand on the ball in the box is irrelevant; Angel sunk in the PK and there went the hopes of the Orange machine.

WHAT THE &$!&* MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Jon Wolyniec does Thriller. Classic.

SPECIAL ED PLAYER OF THE GAME

Eddie Robinson, yet again. Without Barrett in the lineup, the Dynamo were led out of the back by the fiery defender, and his “leadership” in the back didn’t exactly win them any points. As loud and obnoxious as ever, Robinson was taken out of his game early, and never found his way back in.