Houston Dynamo fans will never forget Nov. 12, 2006. MLS Cup 2006 was the culmination of a magical first season in south Texas as the Dynamo and New England Revolution left it all on the field in Frisco, Texas that day.
On a clear, cool day that turned very windy and cloudy after halftime, Houston battled the Revs to a 0-0 draw through regulation time and a first overtime period.
Finally, the Revs broke through and were minutes away from stealing a championship in Houston's home state. Taylor Twellman notched the goal in the 113th minute and Pizza Hut Park, dominated that day by fans wearing orange and white, was suddenly much quieter.
But that is when the magic truly began for the Dynamo, who got a goal from Brian Ching just more than a minute later, sending the match to penalty kicks.
The Dynamo won the shootout 4-3 and had the first of two consecutive championships.
Midfielder Stuart Holden was a big part of that day, entering the match in the 113th minute, replacing Adrian Serioux. He was on the field for both regular goals and converted his try in the shootout when he beat Matt Reis high into the right corner.
Winning the Cup was a wonderful way to cap a great first year by Holden, 22, who joined the team in May 2006. He scored one goal that year when, ironically, he beat Reis when the Revs made their lone visit to Robertson Stadium on July 22, 2006.
Things got even better for him in 2007 when he took advantage of more playing time, subbing for Brad Davis who missed time with an injury. He scored a career-high five goals and got the reputation for being a finisher.
This year, Holden is still looking for his first goal and finds himself once again coming off the bench as a late match substitute. He did get the start against New England in Week 1, but got hurt his left ankle and has been working hard to get back in shape ever since.
"I picked up an injury in the New England match, so I missed two or three weeks there," Holden said. "I wasn't fully fit for the longest, but the last week, week and a half, I feel fully fit. I am ready to go and whether that means I start or come off the bench, I just need to work as hard as I can to impress and hopefully work my way into the lineup."
Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear insists having an asset like Holden ready to come in at any time is only good for the team. Holden, who was born in Scotland yet calls Houston his hometown, is one of the team's better passers and has a rocket for a shot that is highly accurate.
Kinnear says Holden is an important player, and one that he needs fully healthy.
"Stuart has been playing well, he is fine," Kinnear said. "The thing is, he got hurt and then he kind of turned it (again) against LA (April 19), so since then he has been trying to get his full fitness back.
"He has been there for us, he is an important player. But we need all our guys healthy, and injuries have been such a big part of our season so far and unfortunately, he is one of them."
Holden insists that scoring the five goals and adding a team-high tying five assists a season ago has not meant added pressure for this year. If anything, it gives him a chance to shoot for better numbers, a way to motivate him when playing time presents itself.
"My goal, always, is to try to improve," Holden said. "I always have a goal of trying to better the production from the year before. And as a player, I always try to improve every day as a player. I work very hard at each practice, at each training session to accomplish that.
"This year, I want to eclipse last year's total of five goals and get more. If I get the opportunity again, I will do what I can to produce on the field and help the team."
Holden says his best MLS memory is scoring that penalty kick conversion in Frisco. It was a great moment for him and part of a bigger memory for soccer fans in Houston.
Time will tell if Holden is ready to answer the call to play for the U.S. Olympic squad in China. He has a chance to make even bigger dreams come true, and will if asked to represent his country on the soccer field.
But for now, his goal is to get healthy and help the Dynamo any way he can.
Andrew J. Ferraro is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
