Each year it seems a team surprises everyone and makes the MLS Cup Final. Sometimes they have an easier path, thanks to a flawed MLS playoff system, sometimes they simply get hot, and sometimes they are carried by a couple of players who simply know how to win. For the Houston Dynamo it is probably a combination of all the above. One thing no one is doubting though, is the emergence of goalkeeper Tally Hall has keyed their date with destiny tonight against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
If you’re wondering why the name may sound a little familiar to you, it may be because there is a relatively well-known rock band by the same name. In fact, the musicians still beats the goalie when you enter in the name in a Google search. But that’s okay. Tally has made a living at overcoming the odds and expectations.
Time as a Tide
Tally did not even make his high school’s varsity team until his junior year, something of a rarity who has had a career such as his. Sure he played at Gig Harbor High School, a school with good soccer tradition, but generally future Division One, international, and MLS players star most of their careers at a young age. Not Tally.
But just because he wasn’t a four-year starter didn’t mean he didn’t make instant impact. In fact his high school coach, Todd Northstrom, said he always believed Tally could play at a higher level.
“I felt he always had those post high school ambitions,” Northstrom said, “Whether it was Division Two or One or pro, I wasn’t quite sure at the time, but I always knew he wanted to and had the capability to keep playing at a higher level.”
After racing through a tough league schedule in 2003, having allowed only three goals, the Gig Harbor Tides needed Hall to come up big in their run at a state championship. The run almost ended pre-maturely at districts, but Hall saved the day in penalties, literally. He stopped four out of five penalties, an unheard of number, to send Gig Harbor to state.
After shutting out Edmonds-Woodway 1-0 in the first round, it game to penalties again, this time against Ingelmoor in the quarter-finals.
“I had told my team after the first shootout I didn’t know if I could do it again,” said Hall. But again he did. This time he stopped three out of the five Ingelmoor penalties, sending Gig Harbor to the state semi’s. Seven out of ten penalties, an astonishing number, especially at an art where a goalie is considered a hero if he saves one. Funnily enough, Tally’s club coach didn’t think he would be much of a penalty stopper.
“His club had two pretty good goalies,” said Northstrom “And the coach felt if it came to a shootout he preferred the other guy over Tally.”
Alas the run came to an end in the semi’s against Snohomish, in a shootout too. Tally managed to stop one, but third time was a charm for beating the Tides on penalties. Hall and Gig Harbor managed one more feat though, beating Camas on penalties in the 3rd place game. The career had been kick-started.
Two things that truly stood out to Northstrom was Hall’s work ethic and personality.
“He was a captain from day one,” said Northstrom, “For both years on varsity. And he always worked hard and tried to get better, no matter what.”
It’s these traits that are an underlying theme to Hall consistently making it at higher and higher levels.
San Diego Sunshine
Following Tally and the Tides (nice ring huh?) season Hall went off to San Diego State University. He was well-regarded in his region, one of the best keepers in the Northwest recruiting rankings, but was not a household name across the nation. For the first couple years that remained the same.
Tally mainly sat his freshman year, biding his time behind senior goalie Colin Hanke. He was thrown into the fire in 2004, playing every minute of a 4-13-2 season. He conceded 34 goals, nearly two per game, and posted only two shutouts. But San Diego State head coach Lev Kirshner said the season was vital for Tally’s growth.
“Sure it was a tough season and he really did take a beating,” Kirshner said, “But he learned so much. The thing about Tally is he is always getting better and he learns from his mistakes. He does not repeat a mistake very often.”
Added the Aztecs goalie coach Matt Hall (no relation) “We had to work on his footwork and his consistency, but we always believed in his development.”
And develop he did. His junior year was a shocking advancement, perhaps even by Tally and his coaches stand points. Hall allowed less than half a goal per game and was named third team All-American. As a team the Aztecs thrived under Hall’s improvement, making the first round of the NCAA tournament before bowing out to UC Santa Barbara 2-0. When asked to pick one or two highlights from the year, Kirshner had trouble narrowing it down.
“His whole junior year really,” Kirshner said, “But if I had to choose one, his performance against Cal. They had more corner kicks than we had shots all game, but Tally did a great job keeping us in it and we won 1-0.”
Hall’s senior season was more of the same. Third team All-American and a major factor on a run to the NCAA tournament. Once again SDSU bowed out in the first round to UC Santa Barbara, this time 2-1. But Tally had made his named known well enough to go professional.
Tough Travels
For a brief time it looked as if Tally Hall had turned the corner from being overlooked at first, to overcoming the expectations and wowing all who saw him play. After graduation Hall was called up to the USA U-23 camp, though he did not appear in a game, and was drafted by the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Just a fourth round draft pick, Hall did not make the team and with no reserve league to play in like there is now and Hall opted to head overseas to Denmark, signing with Esbjerg.
The trip overseas was a tough one. In two seasons Hall did not get to make a single competitive start, something that was frustrating.
“When I got to the Dynamo I was at least given the Open Cup and the Super Liga and some Champions League games and I was in the mix and proving myself with a string of decent performances, but I didn’t ever really get to play over there and it was difficult, I don’t think I developed much at all as a soccer player.”
But Tally did find plenty of positives such as living in a foreign culture, getting to experience the passion of European fans, and giving him a new-found appreciation for the talent level of soccer in the United States.
And it was a return to the USA that really got Tally’s career back on track.
Houston is Home
Tally Hall signed with the Houston Dynamo in early 2009 and knew that he would not be the starter. Ahead of him was one of the better goalies in MLS history in Pat Onstad. But as he alluded to when talking about his time in Denmark he was able to make an impact.
In Lamar Hunt US Open Cup play Hall recorded a pair of shutouts in his first two starts, helping the Dynamo to 2-0 and 4-0 wins over the Austin Aztex and Charleston Battery respectively. His efforts got Houston into the Open Cup semi-finals that year. He also gained a bit of notoriety.
In a CONCACAF Champions League game against Isidro Metapan Hall became just the second MLS goalie to ever score in a game.
At the end of 2010 he was given some MLS first-team action and like his time at San Diego State he struggled in his first year. Hall allowed 8 goals on 26 shots on goal and won just once his his five starts as the Dynamo missed the playoffs. Part of the development was adjusting to the speed and the talent level of the game in the MLS.
“I think people underestimate the game here,” he said, “I think the Houston Dynamo is hands down better than the team I played for in Denmark and the MLS is better than that league.”
But Houston saw enough in him and his development that they named him the starter when Onstad retired after 2010.
All-Star in 2011
Tally broke onto the scene in a big way this MLS season. He was between the posts for each and every one of the 34 MLS regular season games that Houston played in and right away his improvement from the end of 2010 was noticeable.
Overall Hall saved 99 of 140 shots on goal against him in league play and shutout six opponents, despite a defense that was at times porous in front of him. A great example of this was in a homecoming of sorts when Hall and the Dynamo visited the Seattle Sounders.
Despite the Sounders dominating the game from start to finish it ended 1-1 thanks to Hall’s heroics. Hall saved seven of eight shots on goal, some of them in spectacular fashion and allowed Houston to hang on to a 1-0 lead for much of the game until Steve Zakuani tied it in the 80th minute after the Dynamo failed to clear a corner.
For Hall’s efforts he was awarded the honor of being an MLS All-Star in his first season as a starter and got to face Manchester United as a reward.
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of his first season however was how Houston finished the season. The Dynamo won their last five matches to not only secure a playoff spot, but to get home field advantage in the first round. Hall said the team really came together down the stretch after a tough loss to Sporting Kansas City and he was pleased how they overcame obstacles.
In the playoffs Hall has been a machine. In three games, all wins, Hall has allowed just one goal on 19 shots and has posted a pair of shutouts. Though the stellar play of Brad Davis and others has been a huge key, Hall’s improvement has been a major factor in the Dynamo’s run to the final.
But Hall would be the last person to tell you that.
Hard Work and Humilty
As Tally Hall’s high school and college coaches alluded to, Tally Hall the person is even better than Tally Hall the athlete. Todd Northstrom, Lev Kirshner, and Matt Hall have all said that Tally had a huge impact on his teammates and is responsible for his own success.
“He is a great kid, always positive no matter what, but he was respected and others knew when to listen to him,” said Northstrom.
“He has a great mental drive to succeed and get better. And he is a great day. Our keeper now committed a lot because of Tally Hall,” said Kirshner.
“He always worked hard and put out effort. It was an honor to coach Tally,” said Matt Hall.
Still Tally is just as quick to deflect his successes onto those who have been around him through the years.
“Matt Hall has always pushed me and took me from a guy with potential and got me to where I could say I had potential as a pro athlete, and my keeper coach now Tim Handley has gotten me ready and has gotten me through some difficult times this year and every step of my path its easy to attribute to someone else. Every step of my career someone was always there helping to lead the way.”
It is that kind of attitude, combined with raw talent and a drive to always get better to succeed that makes Tally Hall such a rare breed to overcome to the odds time and time again and to find himself as one of the stars on a team one win away from a championship.
