Gamba Osaka thoroughly destroyed the Houston Dynamo, 6-1, in the Pan Pacific Championship. Jajajaja!

Other related links:

• Dynamo seeks to validate caliber of MLS (ESPN)
• Dynamo simply no match for Gamba (ESPN)
• Japanese Squad Demolishes Houston for PPC Crown (AFP)
• パンパシフィックチャンピオンシップ決勝 Ｇ大阪 (”Houston, we have a problem…”)
  

3rd Degree’s all a-Buzz over the fact that consummate professional (and total gent) Pablo Richetti didn’t go to Mexico for the Tigres match this week. Hoops Nation (well, not Hoops Nation the supporters group, but Hoops Nation, the collective heart-and-soul of FCD fans everywhere) wants to know why.

Theories abound:

• Is it because Pablo was promised a new contract and didn’t get one?
• Is it because Hitch decided to honor Toja’s coiffure with a wig night — and not poor Pablo’s unibrow?
• Is it because Drew was selected over Pablo for the USMNT?
• Is it because Abe’s upcoming movie is going to be awesome?
• Is it because we’re entering a new era of fiscal responsibility in 2008 after 2007’s year of overpriced busts like Denilson or Shaka or Pescadito?
• Is it because Pablo’s bummed out that the Front Office forced him to have a role in “The Hottie and the Nottie“?
• Is it because Morrow’s an evil mastermind who will tell trialists anything to get them into red-and-white hoops? (Update: I was joking, but someone actually claimed this as one of the comments on 3rdDegree.)

Or does the number of holding mids on our roster have something to do with it? I don’t know. Here’s hoping that there’s not more to this situation than it seems now…