he's very composed in the box for someone so young."
• But Kheli Dube impressed with his goals against Marathon, and Adam Cristman is also an option after scoring four goals in 28 games (14 as a starter) in his rookie season last year.
• "What we have to remember is that Taylor played with Pat Noonan for so long and they were almost telepathic," said Mariner. "To try and make an instant impact as a front two is difficult. It takes time for most partnerships. It's an adjustment for Kenny and for Taylor as they get to know each other."
HOUSTON DYNAMO
What was a dream first season in Houston for the Dynamo became even better last year, as the club became the first since D.C. United in the first two years of MLS history to repeat as MLS Cup champions. Dominic Kinnear is in his third season in charge of the Orange and fifth overall in MLS, having held the reins of the San Jose Earthquakes for two seasons before the club left for south Texas.
• The Dynamo began their 2008 campaign in good form, advancing out of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory on aggregate against CSD Municipal of Guatemala. After a scoreless draw in Guatemala City, Dynamo opened up the tie after the break in the second leg, getting goals from Dwayne De Rosario (47, 69 pen) and Chris Wondolowski (75) for the victory at Robertson Stadium.
• "Dwayne got us off to great start in the second half with persistence on the first goal," Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear said. "We gave them a lot of pressure and created crosses, especially off the corner kicks. We played just a tiny bit better and got sharper in the second half."
• Here's Kinnear's team: Pat Onstad - Craig Waibel, Bobby Boswell, Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett; Richard Mulrooney, Ricardo Clark, Dwayne De Rosario (Brian Mullan 77), Corey Ashe; Brian Ching, Chris Wondolowski (Franco Caraccio 75)
• After winning a second consecutive MLS Cup, Dynamo had to deal with a few losses in the offseason. Strikers Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya both moved to Europe, while defender Ryan Cochrane went to the San Jose Earthquakes in the expansion draft.
• As the preseason has continued, Chris Wondolowski has moved into a starting role as Brian Ching's strike partner. The club also moved to fill the hole by signing 21-year-old striker Franco Caraccio, last with Arsenal de Sarandí of Argentina's Primera Division. Caraccio also played with Argentina's under-20 national team.
• Over the preseason, first-choice wide midfielders Brad Davis and Brian Mullan have been overcoming hamstring and knee issues respectively. Davis did not figure in either Champions' Cup match; Mullan came on as a late substitute in each. In addition, Stuart Holden was not available while away with the U.S. under-23 national team.
• In both matches, Corey Ashe and Richard Mulrooney played as the wide midfielders, and worked to improve their service from the flanks. "We'll be looking to getting a little bit more balls into the box," said Ching. "... That's something that I need to do better, getting other opportunities if I'm not getting balls from wide."
• Ricardo Clark will miss the first two games of the MLS regular season, finishing out the nine-game suspension he received for an incident in the match against FC Dallas last Sept. 30. Clark missed the final three games in the 2007 regular season, and the four matches in the Dynamo's run through the MLS Cup Playoffs.
• Ching and Clark were both called into the U.S. national team for Wednesday's friendly against Poland, along with Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy) the only MLS-based players brought into Bob Bradley's team. Ching played just more than an hour in the USA's 3-0 victory, while Clark played the entire 90 minutes.
• The Dynamo will take on Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. The Orange will host the first match at Robertson Stadium on April 2, playing the return match in San Jose on April 9.
