It was yet another shootout that decided the final game of this year’s MLS Cup: the Houston Dynamo played the New England Revolution to 90 scoreless minutes, before each team scored in a thrilling overtime period that brought the tie game to a penalty shootout that Houston won 4-3. Brian Ching, who tied the game for Houston in overtime and converted the winning penalty kick, was deservedly named the game’s most valuable player. “This is the best year of my life,” said Ching, who scored 11 goals in the regular season, three in the postseason and went to the World Cup with the U.S. national team. For Dwayne De Rosario, this was his third time he played in MLS Cup on the championship team, as the team formerly known as the San Jose Earthquakes won the tournament in 2001 and 2003. Less than a year after relocating to Houston, the Dynamo has proved to be a welcome addition to the fourth biggest city in the U.S., giving Houston its first professional championship since the WNBA’s Houston Comets in 2000. If you take a look at the MLS season overall, it’s no surprise that the final and so many other playoff games were decided by penalty kicks. This is a league that has no dominant force; the Eastern and Western Conference champions, D.C. United and FC Dallas, respectively, each amassed a little more than half the total points available. After a rousing start to the season, United finished with 55 out of 96 points, or 1.71 points per game. Dallas finished with 52 out of 96 point or 1.68 points per game. Houston, the eventual winner, finished second in the West, with 46 of 96 points, or 1.41 per games. Contrast that with a league like the Premiership in England, where Manchester United is currently top with 31 points from an available 36. Take nothing away from Houston for its victory, but don’t expect the Dynamo to repeat as champion in a league lacking stars and a centralization of power.