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Friday's Major League Soccer Western Conference final between the Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo at the Home Depot Center comes down to a single question:
Can the league's most dangerous player outwit the league's best team?
Landon Donovan is the player. Houston is the team.
"He's always a threat to change the game when he's on the field," Houston Coach Dominic Kinnear, the former U.S. international who led the Dynamo to MLS titles in 2006 and 2007, said of Donovan.
"He's probably the guy who is most dangerous in MLS as far as stepping up when it matters," said Houston forward Brian Ching, Donovan's teammate on the national team. "We're going to be constantly aware of where he is on the field and hopefully try to make things difficult for him."
Donovan, who already has scored twice in the 2009 playoffs, has an added bit of incentive to grab another goal or two. His most recent goal -- a penalty kick against Chivas USA on Sunday -- brought his playoff total to 16 and put him in a tie with former Galaxy standout Carlos Ruiz for the MLS playoff record. One more will make the record his own.
"You can't say enough good things about him and all he's accomplished over the years, especially at playoff time," Kinnear said. "He always seems to score important goals. Hopefully that doesn't happen against us on Friday."
Houston presents a difficult challenge for the Galaxy. Rather than relying on one stellar player in the Donovan or David Beckham mold, Kinnear has built the Dynamo into a squad that is strong throughout.
"Houston is arguably the best team in MLS and probably has been over a number of years," said Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena. "I just think they're an outstanding team, balanced all over the field.
"They have one of the top goalkeepers in the league in Pat Onstad and one of the top forwards in the league in Brian Ching. Their midfield has two national team players in Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark, and veterans of real quality in Brad Davis and Brian Mullan on the flanks. [They also have] what many feel is the best defender in the league this year in Geoff Cameron.
"They're going to be tough to beat, but we look forward to the challenge."
Statistically in 2009, Houston holds an edge over Los Angeles. The Dynamo scored more regular-season goals than the Galaxy, 39 to 36, and allowed fewer, 29 to 31. Fifteen players found the back of the net, led by Ching with eight goals, Holden with six and Davis with five.
That said, Los Angeles defeated the Dynamo, 1-0, in Carson in June, a result that ended Houston's club-record 11-game unbeaten streak, and tied the Dynamo, 0-0, in Texas in October.
"We're a little disappointed with that," said Ching. "They're playing well right now. We had a good matchup a couple of weeks ago, a feisty affair, and we're expecting the same intensity coming into Friday's game."
Houston reached the conference final by tying the Seattle Sounders, 0-0, on the road and then defeating them, 1-0, in overtime in Houston on a Ching goal.
Los Angeles advanced by tying Chivas USA, 2-2, and then winning, 1-0, on Donovan's goal.
Donovan said after Sunday's victory that he expected a similar sort of match against Houston.
"My expectation is it's going to be like tonight but harder," he said. "It was physical tonight, it was tough. There weren't a lot of chances and there wasn't a lot of space. I think we're going to go back and forth, and whoever can make a couple of plays is probably going to win the game."
Beckham, who could be the key that helps Donovan unlock the Dynamo defense, said a spot in the Nov. 22 MLS Cup final in Seattle is not yet secure.
"We still haven't won anything," he said. "We've done well to be in the position we are, but we can't get carried away because we want to go further. One more win, it's true, and we'll be in the final, but it's a tough game first."
grahame.jones@latimes.com
Can the league's most dangerous player outwit the league's best team?
Landon Donovan is the player. Houston is the team.
"He's always a threat to change the game when he's on the field," Houston Coach Dominic Kinnear, the former U.S. international who led the Dynamo to MLS titles in 2006 and 2007, said of Donovan.
"He's probably the guy who is most dangerous in MLS as far as stepping up when it matters," said Houston forward Brian Ching, Donovan's teammate on the national team. "We're going to be constantly aware of where he is on the field and hopefully try to make things difficult for him."
Donovan, who already has scored twice in the 2009 playoffs, has an added bit of incentive to grab another goal or two. His most recent goal -- a penalty kick against Chivas USA on Sunday -- brought his playoff total to 16 and put him in a tie with former Galaxy standout Carlos Ruiz for the MLS playoff record. One more will make the record his own.
"You can't say enough good things about him and all he's accomplished over the years, especially at playoff time," Kinnear said. "He always seems to score important goals. Hopefully that doesn't happen against us on Friday."
Houston presents a difficult challenge for the Galaxy. Rather than relying on one stellar player in the Donovan or David Beckham mold, Kinnear has built the Dynamo into a squad that is strong throughout.
"Houston is arguably the best team in MLS and probably has been over a number of years," said Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena. "I just think they're an outstanding team, balanced all over the field.
"They have one of the top goalkeepers in the league in Pat Onstad and one of the top forwards in the league in Brian Ching. Their midfield has two national team players in Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark, and veterans of real quality in Brad Davis and Brian Mullan on the flanks. [They also have] what many feel is the best defender in the league this year in Geoff Cameron.
"They're going to be tough to beat, but we look forward to the challenge."
Statistically in 2009, Houston holds an edge over Los Angeles. The Dynamo scored more regular-season goals than the Galaxy, 39 to 36, and allowed fewer, 29 to 31. Fifteen players found the back of the net, led by Ching with eight goals, Holden with six and Davis with five.
That said, Los Angeles defeated the Dynamo, 1-0, in Carson in June, a result that ended Houston's club-record 11-game unbeaten streak, and tied the Dynamo, 0-0, in Texas in October.
"We're a little disappointed with that," said Ching. "They're playing well right now. We had a good matchup a couple of weeks ago, a feisty affair, and we're expecting the same intensity coming into Friday's game."
Houston reached the conference final by tying the Seattle Sounders, 0-0, on the road and then defeating them, 1-0, in overtime in Houston on a Ching goal.
Los Angeles advanced by tying Chivas USA, 2-2, and then winning, 1-0, on Donovan's goal.
Donovan said after Sunday's victory that he expected a similar sort of match against Houston.
"My expectation is it's going to be like tonight but harder," he said. "It was physical tonight, it was tough. There weren't a lot of chances and there wasn't a lot of space. I think we're going to go back and forth, and whoever can make a couple of plays is probably going to win the game."
Beckham, who could be the key that helps Donovan unlock the Dynamo defense, said a spot in the Nov. 22 MLS Cup final in Seattle is not yet secure.
"We still haven't won anything," he said. "We've done well to be in the position we are, but we can't get carried away because we want to go further. One more win, it's true, and we'll be in the final, but it's a tough game first."
grahame.jones@latimes.com
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