Dynamo need "aggressive, strong approach" vs. Hoops

Soccer Betting Lines

11/02/2007 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Houston coach Dominic Kinnear is sure Dallas is expecting the defending champions to come out strong in the Western Conference Semifinals on Friday and "we shouldn't disappoint them," he said.

Second-seeded Houston dropped the first leg of the two-game, aggregate series at Dallas last week, 1-0, and needs to rally in the second leg for the second year in a row if it hopes to retain the MLS Cup.

Houston also fell behind by a goal after the first leg of the opening round of last year's playoffs to Chivas USA, but rebounded for a 2-0 victory at home in the second leg.

"Friday can't come fast enough. We need to just go out there and play a game and win. At the end, we need to win," Kinnear said. "Probably we need to come out from the get go with a nice aggressive, strong approach."

Although Houston is a more defensive-minded team (it allowed an MLS record of just 23 goals during the regular season), it's also a team loaded on offense.

United States national team forward Brian Ching and forward Joseph Ngwenya had a team-high seven goals apiece during the regular season. Ching needed just 20 games to score his seven goals and also register three assists.

Dwayne De Rosario, a Canadian national team player and last season's MLS MVP, chipped in six goals. Nate Jaqua also had six goals for Houston - in just 15 games - after being acquired during the season in a trade with Los Angeles.

Midfielders Stuart Holden (five goals and five assists in 22 matches), Brad Davis (three goals and three assists) and Ricardo Clark (two goals and three assists) are also dangerous weapons.

Clark, another U.S. national team player, did his damage in just 19 games.

That's why Houston goalie Pat Onstad, who posted 11 shutouts during the year, knows a comeback won't be that hard if the Dynamo can avoid falling behind by another goal to the third-seeded Hoops.

"One goal is definitely not insurmountable. It's not hard to come back from that, but if you make it two or three, then you are in big trouble," Onstad said.

Houston also knows it can beat Dallas, since it posted a 3-0-1 mark against its in-state rivals during the regular season and allowed just one goal in the four matches.

"We're going back home and know exactly what we want to do. On the road, we did well," Davis said. "We went down one but that's all we let in. Our heads are up going back home and we look forward to working hard and trying to win."

Dallas is still in a great position to advance, thanks to Clarence Goodson's goal in the first leg last week. Although Dallas doesn't need to beat Houston, a draw would be enough, it has never had much success at Robertson Stadium. Dallas has never beaten Houston on the road and managed just one tie.

"I think we've proven to ourselves this season in places where we haven't been able to win before," FCD defender Bobby Rhine said. "We know that none of that really matters. All that matters is playing on Friday."

Dallas coach Steve Morrow doesn't plan to play for a draw, either.

"We're 100 percent confident that we're going to go there and win the game," Morrow said. "We're not going there to get a tie. We're going there to win the game and to attack. We need to possess the ball better than we did the other night and play with as much intensity and fully intend to go there and win like we've done at other places this season."

It remains to be seen what lineup Morrow uses, but after not playing Denilson last week, the Brazilian told The Dallas Morning News, "I didn't sign here to be on the bench."

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Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.

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