Bloggers love to use clever devices to express their thoughts; while I often try to avoid them, sometimes it just makes sense to present things in a format that neatly categorizes what I'm trying to say. Today, I'm using one of those devices to tackle the issue of MLS match quality.

By "match quality", I essentially mean the "watchability" (which is not actually a word) of a given match. Because MLS is still a young league, rapidly expanding, and working on a budget, quality is a continuing concern. Not just for the players themselves, the teams individually, or the league collectively, but also for the entertainment value of each match.

This past week (with two games still to be played today) is MLS in microcosm: uneven, ugly, and mostly unwatchable matches juxtaposed against well played, engaging, and entertaining games.

Just to take my point one step further, I've chosen three matches from the past week to illustrate the range of quality that exists in Major League Soccer.

Bad

Kansas City Wizards 1, New York Red Bulls 0

This game was flat out plain ugly. An early red card given to New York's Carlos Johnson sucked all of the energy out of what could have been an entertaining match up.

After Kansas City converted the penalty that resulted from Johnson's transgression, the home side seemed content to sit on their lead, daring New York to attack. Unfortunately, the Red Bulls were never able to breakthrough, and the game bogged down. The next eighty-five minutes passed without so much as an intriguing moment (or so it seemed), an unfortunate circumstance made all the more disheartening because the game was ESPN's Game of the Week. Although extenuating factors abounded (the red card, Curt Onalfo's pregame accident) that could be responsible for the poorness of play, it doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

Better

Real Salt Lake 6, New England Revolution 0

I suppose that New England fans would vehemently disagree that this was a "better" game. But I've chosen it for a reason; although completely one-sided (although that's really only true for the second half), the match produced quality chances on both sides. New England seemed to play well enough in the first half, and RSL looked dangerous on multiple occasions before the put six in the net. Attacking soccer is most often equated to quality soccer, so this game gets the seal of approval. Its entertainment value clearly vastly exceeded that of KC-NY, despite the blowout. It's unfortunate that all of the goals were scored by one side, but the quality of some of those goals (Mathis's volley was world-class) made the match a fun one to watch. "Wow" moments make for "better" match quality.

Best

Columbus Crew 2, Chicago Fire 2

This match was the obvious choice for "best". Two strong teams (despite Columbus' early struggles) playing a highly contested, playoff type match in front of a passionate crowd. Columbus showed why they were MLS Cup winners last year, though Chicago always had the look of a team that just wouldn't go away. Even after the Crew's Gino Padula received a slightly controversial red card in the fifty-seventh minute (it didn't appear to me that he made contact with Blanco, and I don't know if the intent was there), Columbus was the better team. Chicago turned on the pressure, the tension ratcheted up, and the Fire finally broke though on a quality goal by Brian McBride. Columbus reeled, time ticked away, and the Fire continued to press for the equalizer. Chris Rolfe's determination and a beautiful shot by Gonzalo Segares sealed the draw, a result that seemed to do the match justice. The Crew and the Fire put on a show that exhibited the best MLS has to offer: an entertaining match that sits on the opposite end of the spectrum from Thursday's depressingly boring Kansas City victory over the Red Bulls.

So there you have it: three matches on three different levels, all in the same league and within just a few days of each other. Although it's admittedly a crap shoot, MLS needs more of the latter type of clash to appear on the national showcase that ESPN provides (FSC is fine, but it's no ESPN).

Give me your choices for bad, better, best.