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Here's a thing I've decided to do, despite the fact that MFUSA is no longer a viable soccer blog; re-blog things I've written in the distant past. Sometimes they'll be MFUSA pieces from the 3+ years of the site's existence, and sometimes they'll be things I wrote for other outlets. In this case, I'm posting a column I wrote for the defunct (and no longer extant, so there's not even a link) MLS Daily on the Sounders debut in March of 2009. Enjoy, or not. - Jason
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For Major League Soccer, success is often measured in small victories. It’s a few teams in the black, able to claim they are no longer money-hemorrhaging ventures. It’s a player sold to a richer, stronger league for a relatively modest sum. It’s television ratings or attendance numbers that would be disappointing for other American sports products, but represent progress for a league struggling to gain mainstream traction. Often, success for MLS is barely viewed as such by those unwilling to believe that soccer has a future in the United States.
But last night, in a northwestern American city with a long and rich soccer history, success for Major League Soccer was undeniable. It was unqualified, unabashed, and unburdened by any of the usual caveats. The newly minted Seattle Sounders took to the pitch at Qwest Field in front of 33,000 singing, screaming, scarf-wielding fans, all eager to watch their hometown boys pull off a victory in their inaugural match. After weeks of ever-increasing buildup, expectation and talk, the Seattle Sounders and their supporters did something that is so rarely accomplished in American soccer circles: They lived up to the hype.
In the stands, the Sounders fans created a proper soccer atmosphere with a distinctly American feel. Loud, engaged, and enthusiastic, the crowd seemed less trend-following neophytes and more fully committed converts, ready to follow their new team wherever the journey might take them. While one game does not build a reputation, and the Sounders fans will need to prove themselves over the course of time, they have already shown that Qwest Field will have one of the most appealing stadium environments in all of MLS. Last night’s atmosphere, which was undoubtedly more impressive in person, added a palpable buzz to the television broadcast, an element that is so often missing from MLS matches.
On the pitch, the Sounders thrashed the New York Red Bulls, MLS Cup finalists only a season ago, by a score of 3-0 and did so in fully dominant fashion. Columbian wunderkind Freddy Montero put home two of those goals, a performance that is sure to set off wild speculation about the young striker’s potential haul in his rookie season. Ageless goalkeeper and hometown hero Kasey Keller kept a clean sheet, and youngsters like goal scorer Brad Evans and first overall draft pick Steve Zakuani played prominent roles. Everything went right for the boys in Rave Green, and the newest franchise in MLS got off to what can only be described as a "rousing" start.
The most important victory however, despite the Sounders resounding win, had nothing to do with the play on the field. The real triumph, the real parade worthy achievement that everyone should be talking about, belongs to Major League Soccer. Both as a professional sports competition and as a bankable entertainment product, MLS emerges from Seattle’s big night a more polished version of itself. Through innovative marketing, word of mouth, and a community-wide interest in the game that defies the typical American attitude, Seattle Sounders FC and the people of their city have set a new standard for soccer in the United States. Their success is now not only the new bar for the rest of the league's franchises, but also a public relations coup for MLS, a selling point for future endeavors, and a shining example of what can be achieved despite soccer's pauper status on the American sports scene.
Major League Soccer has chosen leverage its moderate success into rapid expansion, a strategy that could easily backfire in a faltering economy. Instead, Seattle’s big night seems to validate the league’s efforts, and only serves to heighten the anticipation that will build for each successive new entry into the league. Philadelphia, Vancouver, and Portland will benefit from the lessons learned and the success achieved in Seattle; if properly marketed as the Sounders were, we’ll be talking about similarly exciting nights in each of those cities when their big moments come. America’s first division soccer league can now move forward with a new pleat in its cape, a new mark in the win column that even the league’s most vocal doubters cannot ignore.
To be clear, last night’s victories, both in the stands and on the pitch, most properly belongs to the city of Seattle, an American city that has wholeheartedly embraced the world’s game on a scale rarely seen within these borders. Still, Major League Soccer, both as a league and as an enterprise, will quite rightly bask in the afterglow, ready to move into its future even more confident that soccer can succeed in America. If the doubters scoff, if the naysayers sneer, if the unconverted claim that the game will never make it and that Americans simple won’t pay to watch it, those of us in the know can point to Seattle’s big night and say, “See?”
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Showing posts with label Seattle Sounders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seattle Sounders. Show all posts
- Ethan Gomberg
SANDY, UT - Both Real Salt Lake and the Seattle Sounders needed desperately to get 3 points on the night. But it was Seattle who did something that hasn’t happened in league play since the Kansas City Wizards came to Utah over two years ago, win at Rio Tinto Stadium. Coach Sigi Schmid, whose team ran out 2-1 victors, said “It is something we're proud of and something we talked about before the game. We wanted to try and be the team that ended the streak, and it was something that was a goal for us as we went into the game."
SANDY, UT - Both Real Salt Lake and the Seattle Sounders needed desperately to get 3 points on the night. But it was Seattle who did something that hasn’t happened in league play since the Kansas City Wizards came to Utah over two years ago, win at Rio Tinto Stadium. Coach Sigi Schmid, whose team ran out 2-1 victors, said “It is something we're proud of and something we talked about before the game. We wanted to try and be the team that ended the streak, and it was something that was a goal for us as we went into the game."
- Jason Davis
John Spencer, the fiery Scottish head coach of the Portland Timbers, is, at the most understated end of the spectrum, expressive. On the sidelines, he's nonstop action; a whirling, cursing, maelstrom of a man alternatively exhorting his charges and berating the referees, adequately meeting every generalized notion of Scottish soccer coaches to which a wide-eyed American soccer public ascribes. Off the field, he doesn't hesitate to let loose with white hot eruptions of pointed commentary invariably tinged Timbers' green and gold. If it didn't seem like he was calculating every word, no matter how sensational they seem, we might call him "volatile."
John Spencer, the fiery Scottish head coach of the Portland Timbers, is, at the most understated end of the spectrum, expressive. On the sidelines, he's nonstop action; a whirling, cursing, maelstrom of a man alternatively exhorting his charges and berating the referees, adequately meeting every generalized notion of Scottish soccer coaches to which a wide-eyed American soccer public ascribes. Off the field, he doesn't hesitate to let loose with white hot eruptions of pointed commentary invariably tinged Timbers' green and gold. If it didn't seem like he was calculating every word, no matter how sensational they seem, we might call him "volatile."
The artificial surface stretched across the floor of Qwest Field in Seattle, the one that offends soccer fans on a consistent basis with its bounce-amplifying, pass-wrecking, speed-increasing properties, is A-OK in the book of the stadium's other tenants. Eighty-eight percent Seahawks players rated the Qwest Field surface as "Excellent/Good" according to an NFL Players Association survey.
Tonight is the opening game of the Major League Soccer season, also known as “Annual Seattle Gets To Be On ESPN Day.”
Two years ago, the Sounders picked up their first MLS win against New York. Last year, Philadelphia visited and became the only MLS club to have a player red carded before scoring a goal. This year, the league decided to test the Emerald City boys by sending in not a basement-dweller or an expansion club, but the reigning Supporters Shield winners, the LA Galaxy.
How did you enjoy the US Open Cup Final? You did watch, right?
If you skipped it, shame on you; not because of any imagined obligation to support American soccer's one open knockout tournament, but because you missed a damn good soccer game. Seattle outlasted Columbus last night in front of 30,000+ engaged and raucous fans at Qwest Field, and almost every moment of the match was befitting of a Cup Final contest.
When the Sounders became an MLS franchise in 2009, they set their sights on winning a trophy - any trophy. With a strong history in the US Open Cup as a USL side, it made sense that they would put an emphasis on the knockout tournament. It didn't matter that the Open Cup was treated as a nuisance by most MLS teams; the title would not only give them tangible success in their first top-tier season, but brought with it a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League.
Don Garber must be a pretty intelligent man to have reached his current station. Former NFL executive, shepherd of Major League Soccer 2.0, leader of men and maker of decisions. Don Garber has got it together.
And Don rarely says anything without weighing out the consequences. He always has his PR conscience on his shoulder, monitoring his words and making sure that nothing is said out of turn. You can ask Don a question, but don't be surprised when the answer reveals nothing; it's Don's job to control the league's image as much as is humanly possible, and information is always embargoed. You'll know when you need to know, or when Don wants you to know.
The Timbers planted their flag in Sounder Land via a billboard this week; the advert in question is the latest shot fired in a rivalry that has everyone with an interest in MLS drooling in anticipation for 2011. Timbers and Sounders fans just plain don't like each other, and their mutual animosity will finally be on display at the top level next year. From a neutral standpoint, the two (presumed) matches between the clubs next year will be must watch events.
They make it hard, don't they? Some of us want to support the US Open Cup - the tournament has history, provides the only tangible evidence that the US soccer "pyramid" is actually interconnected, and gives the sport here a knockout competition in-line with what we see in almost every other serious soccer nation. But when the latter rounds, the most serious rounds after MLS clubs treat the early stages as a training exercise, are not broadcast or are placed in an inaccessible time slot, it's easier to just give up and call the thing a lost cause.
The most obvious discussion point is the first half penalty on Seattle's Tyron Marshall; while attempting to clear the ball from the Sounders' box, Marshall caught a Marathon player with his follow-through. The contact likely merited the call, but Marshall had no intention of kicking the attacker. It seemed unfair at the moment of the incident, but it's difficult to label the call "blown."
Perhaps most frustrating is that Seattle actually played much better in the second half than in the first; chances came more often, Seattle's midfield was finally able to gain some measure of control, but they simply couldn't score. Marathon's runs up the flanks killed the Sounders in the first half, and on balance, probably deserved the lead they took into halftime.
Fredy Montero played well, though I wondered why he found it so difficult to pass the ball on a few occasions. He looked like he intended to take on Marthon by himself, and wasted a few good runs from teammates in the process. Alvaro Fernandez was strong, and his quality is evident. Blaise N'Kufo looked downright old, and I'm wondering if a busy summer has left him without the energy reserves needed for a season-ending push.
Seattle's defense struggled with the speed and quick passing of Marathon, and resorted to some physical play as a result. Tyrone Marshall particularly looked unable to cope, and while the penalty wasn't necessarily poor play on his part, he had several other moments of shakiness. Keller was called on to make important saves and did so; neither the first Marathon goal or the penalty were anything he could have kept out of his net.
Road points would have been bonus points for Seattle. Bonus lost, but Seattle now can't afford to drop points at home.
MLS teams come out of the first round of group games with three wins and a loss, with every home side holding serve. That's a strong enough showing to be positive about the chances of multiple MLS clubs making it to the knockout round next spring; there's a long way to go before anyone can be sure it will happen, but at least things have gotten off on the right track.
MLS teams head back into CONCACF Champions League play tonight and tomorrow with three return leg matches. Both Seattle and Toronto take one goal leads into their away games and have reasonable shots at advancement. Meanwhile, LA is in Puerto Rico looking to salvage a bit of pride after their thumping at the hands of the Islanders last week. Dan Barkley is here to give us his thoughts on the three games.
by Dan Barkley
Motagua v. Toronto FC
Time: Tuesday, August 3, 8pm EST.
Location: Estadio Nacional, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Media: FSC/GolTV
First round: Toronto 1-0
Toronto holds a tenuous advantage heading into the second leg. They looked the better team, but they certainly did not dominate the first game, as Motagua generated some good scoring chances near the end. Motagua drew very big crowds in their last CCL appearance, with 35,000 sellouts in both their qualifying championship game with Saprissa and their first round game against Pachuca. It is hard to say if Toronto will draw that big of a crowd, but the atmosphere should be impressive either way. This will likely spell more trouble for Toronto, a team that is in a bad stretch and does not play well on the road, picking up only one win and four points from eight away matches this season in MLS. Also, with their grip on a playoff spot looking weaker than last week, what squad will Preki play? The good news is with their first leg victory, one goal should get them advanced, as good as their defense has been after the disastrous start to the season.
Metapan v. Sounders
Time: Tuesday, August 3, 10pm EST.
Location: Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador
Media: FSC
First Round: Seattle 1-0
I was impressed with the Sounders first round performance, they outclassed Metapan and should have come out with a big victory, but only came away with Montero's Jabulani goal. They did out shoot Metapan 15-2 and dominate possession, with Metapan playing a very, very physical game. Everything in this match seems to play in Seattle's favor, they have been in great form recently as well as playing well in cup competitions recently, the home field advantage will not be a prevalent as it may seem. Metapan's home stadium was deemed too small, so they are playing a couple hours away in the capital, where they do not seem to have a large fan base. No game in Central America should be taken lightly, but Seattle looks to be a great position to advance.
Puerto Rico Islanders v. Galaxy
Time: Wednesday, August 4, 8pm EST.
Location: Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
Media: FSC
First Round: Islanders 4-1
Jason already wrote up something on the first round debacle, so I'll leave it at a haiku;
To advance, you need four,
dear Galaxy; but at least
save face with a win
by Dan Barkley
CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round, First Leg.
Time: Wednesday, July 28, 10pm EST.
Location: Qwest Field, Seattle
Media: FSC
Seattle begins their international competition history tonight against Isidro Metapán, and it's hard for me to be as excited for this game after last night. It's not fair to the Sounders, but I am crushed after the embarrassment in Los Angeles. I was feeling confident about this game, and in general still am, but everything is a bit tempered. Jason already gave his impressions on the game so I won't say anymore on the topic.
Back to the game at hand, I don't think it contains that dangerous combination of an underdog with a history of over-performing in the competition against a lackadaisical team in an empty home stadium. Metapán was in El Salvador's second division in the 90's, but has established themselves as one of the top two teams in the national league recently. They've won either the Apertura or Clausura each of the past four years. However, the El Salvador league is not particularly strong, no team from the league has done much in the CCL in the past few years. Metapán themselves have not advanced past the round where they entered; they did beat the Dynamo in El Salvador last year, however, their only win in group play. Looking at games between MLS and El Salvador sides the last two competitions, DC United got past Luis Ángel Firpo in the preliminary round last year (but only on penalties), while the Dynamo won once and drew once with the same side the previous year's group stage. That puts MLS at 2-3-1 vs. Salvadoran sides in the past two years. Not exactly awe-inspiring, but at this point I'll take any sort of hope.
I would say Metapán is the weakest of the three sides MLS faces in the prelim, and Seattle will at least have the advantage of a decent crowd on hand (reports of somewhere between 12-22k tickets sold). The Galaxy showed us how hard it can be to play with no home crowd, something Seattle can hopefully avoid. The Sounders have also showed a propensity for playing well in cup competitions in their young MLS history, so I will naively hope for a good effort tonight. Here's to Seattle helping us wash some of the awful taste of last night away with a strong performance.
For more on the game from the Sounder side of things, head over to Sounder at Heart.
In the wake of his new club's loss in Seattle, Peter Nowak cried foul over the "diving" of the Sounders, identifying Freddie Ljungberg as the biggest culprit. The Union were rough, got burned because of it, and were forced to play a man down for more than half the match. Nowak's words come off as whining, even if there is an element of truth to his assessment that Ljungberg and certain other Sounders dive on occasion.
Because of the reputation of those Sounders, referee Ricardo Salazar was in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation; call the game tightly and by the rules (as he did, for the most part), and he's castigated for handing out too many cards or unnecessarily influencing the game. Let more of the Union tactics go, and he'd be called to the carpet for allowing rough play, a characteristic of MLS bemoaned by many of the same fans who criticize the referees for "over officiating" or "losing control of the game".
Pick one, please. And yes, I realize that the plight of the referee is a difficult one, that it's not only MLS were they are harshly criticized no matter their what they do, and that much of the anger directed towards them is due to club loyalty. But there's a hypocrisy on that part of some fans that needs to be identified.
Do you want an open league where passing is actually possible, players aren't hacked down on a regular basis, and the game is more pleasing to the eye? Or do you want the physical, less skillful game that exists now where players too often make illegal challenges simply because the referees fail to penalize for it?
I'm not going to go to the wall for Ricardo Salazar, but I find little reason to criticize his performance last night. Nowak made excuses, something I can empathize with even as I wonder what kind of message it sends to his young team; but Major League Soccer needs an adjustment to the way the game is called, and whether or not Ljungberg and other Sounders dived does not mean that the Union were not guilty of card-able offenses.
Instead of lashing out at referees who may have had poor matches in the past, perhaps fans should applaud Salazar for calling the game as it needed to be and setting a tone for the season. The transition from a loosely-officiated league where overly-physical play is rewarded to one in which players are cautioned for fouls that were previously not called won't be pretty. While the players adjust, there will be ugly matches with an abundance of cards and the (perhaps more than occasional) sending off. If you want better soccer, you must be prepared to take a long view and deal with the repercussions of a fundamental change.
I don't know that the game Salazar called last night is indicative of a directive by MLS or US Soccer. I can't recall any announcements being made on the issue, though it's possible I missed it during the CBA mess. But if the season moves forward and Salazar and his colleagues call tighter matches that end with less than twenty-two players on the field, I hope fans (maybe just those not too blinded by club loyalty) can recognize the end result over time should be a better overall product. If you want to criticize, criticize those players who fail to recognize that there are things they just can't get away with anymore.
As difficult as it is to say, I have a small hope that 2010 sees the most cards in the history of the league because that will indicate to me that something is changing. It's time for Major League Soccer to become less about what players can get away with and more about who plays the best soccer.
Feel free to call me out if you think I've used too general a brush when it comes to fan assessment of the referees; but I know several people guilty of talking out of both sides of their mouths on the issue.
We'll have more evidence after tomorrow's matches to determine if something is changing, or if this will be the same old MLS. If it's ugly, in a way that sees cautions and dismissals in numbers, keep in mind what it might mean.
You can add the Philadelphia Union and its fans to the long list of people who aren't too fond of the Seattle Sounders, and it's not because Sigi's boys beat the newest MLS team convincingly and by a 2-0 scoreline in Major League Soccer's 2010 debut last night.
The defeat, I suspect, they can handle. They are an expansion side after all, and a young one at that; no, the Union will find their reason to despise the Sounders in the post-game comments made by Philadelphia manager Peter Nowak.
"We got to see all this flopping and diving and when you see the stats we have eight fouls and six cards that is too much. There is guys rolling around on the pitch like they got shot. I think we need to recognize there are guys doing this stuff and trying to take advantage of the referee decisions."
Stern words from the MLS veteran player and manager, words that ring true for many around the country decry the actions of certain Sounders players on a regular basis. Though the Union got pushed forward against the Sounders and threatened to make a game of it on a few occasions, Toni Stahl's second booking and resulting ejection in the 40th minute simply handicapped them too much.
The Union collected six cards on the night, the Sounders one. Though the line between a dive and a legitimate foul is often imperceptible, there is room to question; Nowak took that room and made the most of it.
"I expect someone like Freddie Ljungberg who has scored so many goals and played hundreds of games with the national team and won so many trophies would be more honest than he is. He is complaining and whining about missing a goal and trying to push the referee for a yellow card is not up to his standards. I believe and we both played the game and I believe when you play the game you not only try to win but try to be honest with your effort. I think it is below his standards."
MLS refereeing already takes its fair share of criticism, and the opinion of Nowak with a rabid new fan base behind him won't help matters. Make no mistake, the Union were physical, perhaps by strategy, and likely because they knew they would have trouble keeping up with the likes of Freddie Montero and Steve Zakuani; but when a manager chooses to call out players individually for dishonesty on the field, it's going to reverberate.
Union fans were likely to hate almost everyone, mostly because they're from Philly. It's what they do, and it's probably a good thing; the more heat for MLS the better, real, contrived, or otherwise. New York will be at the top of the list purely due to geography, but that doesn't mean Philadelphia's support will hold back in their disdain for others. Seattle, by merit of their win over the Union in the expansion team's debut, the comments of Nowak, and the perception thats pervades about their fans, might take an immediate step into the first tier of Union rivals. Like DC United fans, Philadelphia might not be able to help themselves.
On the field, the Union have a lot of work to do. The team, as mentioned, is extremely young. Nowak's tactics will develop as he learns more about his team, and his players will get better with experience. Though Nowak certainly knows these things, that doesn't mean he won't call things as he sees them. Seattle deserved to win last night, and were clearly the better team. It's just that, well, Peter thinks they weren't exactly honest.
Even as Union fans look forward to their club's next match on the schedule, I'm sure they've already circled June 27th, when the Sounders head to Philadelphia for the return date.
What would the start of a new MLS season be without a live blog? A collaborative effort with Duane Rollins of the 24th Minute (and probably others, too), this live blog will bring you our unique perspectives on MLS First Kick 2010. Or something like that.
One day (presumably), MLS will get to the point where which clubs progress to the MLS Cup final doesn't really matter. By then, it will be all about the competition, and no matter who is playing, the final will receive ample attention and strong casual interest.
As long as the league continues to hold onto the notion that a singular marquee final is needed, ala the Super Bowl (or Soccer Bowl for that matter), the goal of the season, from a marketing standpoint, will be to drive as much attention as possible to the championship match. Drawing in casual fans, or more appropriately soccer fans who have not yet taken to MLS, is a major concern; for that reason, the game is half almost as much about the spectacle as it is about the competition.
After the first legs of the opening round playoff matches, picking out favorites to win it all is difficult. Margins are either nonexistent or razor thin for every match-up, and that means that every club still has at least a reasonable chance to advance. From a intrigue standpoint for fans of the league, it's a wonderful thing; even those whose teams fell short of the playoffs can get some enjoyment out of the tournament. That's why the playoffs exist.
As per the MLS playoff structure, the eight qualifying teams entered the playoffs each on equal competitive footing; any of them has a shot, and while some clubs may have more talent than others, luck is as much a part of things as skill. Fair or not, that's just the way it is.
On the field, things may be level. In the arena of marketing, they're clearly not.
Some, even to the point of conspiracy (I kid, a little), believe that MLS is anxious for a Beckham-Blanco showdown. On the surface, it makes sense; Beckham and Blanco are the league's two biggest stars, each attract large groups of fans from different demographics, and a MLS Cup Final with them involved has the potential for large (by MLS standards) TV numbers. Americans love stars.
But there's another possible match-up that might actually bring the league more in terms of excitement, television drawing power, and ultimate credibility: Seattle Sounders FC against anybody else.
The Sounders making the playoffs, bringing with them their massive crowds and fervent support, was a major coup for the league. TV ratings are better when the Sounders play, casual fans of the league take more notice thanks to their success and attendance records, and one of the new faces of the sport in the United States (for better or worse), Drew Carey, gets to be out in front extolling the virtues of the game while he roots on his club. Both from an on-field and marketing standpoint, 2009 has been a dream start in the Pacific Northwest.
The MLS Cup Final will be played at Qwest Field, home of those aforementioned Seattle Sounders. It would go beyond the point of obviousness to say that the Sounders in the final would be the best case scenario for the league; if Seattle did make it all the way, there could conceivably be 60,000+ in attendance. Ask the average American if they believe it possible (provided they're aware of MLS) that a crowd that large would show up for a domestic league soccer game in the United States, and I bet they'd probably have a hearty chuckle. Pulling off an event that big in the championship final would go a long way towards giving MLS a bit more respectability in the sports marketplace; Americans aren't exactly sheep, but they're certainly more likely to take an interest in something that brings in large numbers of fans.
I have trouble rooting against the Sounders because of the massive potential a home MLS Cup Final could have in Seattle. From a purely competitive standpoint, I cringe at the thought that an expansion side could win the Cup in their first year of existence in the "modern" MLS. Still, it would make for such a great story that as unbiased observer, I find myself hoping to see a sea of "rave green" at Qwest Field on November 22nd.
It won't even really matter who they're playing (but I guess Blanco and the Fire would be the league's preferred choice).
Just to better frame my thoughts on Seattle, I want to point you in the direction of a column I wrote for MLS Daily way back in March. The style is a little different than what I do here, but I don't think the importance of the Sounders success on the long term future of the league can't be overstated, and so I hope you'll read it.
One hell of a soccer match took place in Seattle last night. The MLS playoffs got off to a flying start as the Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders battled to a scoreless draw at Qwest Field in front of 35,000 fans. While the soccer wasn't always pretty and neither side was able to put away their chances when they came, the atmosphere was electric, the competition fierce, and the drama intense.
Both teams left all they had on the field, and there's not a better setting in MLS for a match of that gravity than Qwest Field with it's 35k.
I'm sure Don Garber and the leadership of MLS wish they could bottle what we saw last night. Imagine if every playoff match, hell, every match period, was like that one; MLS would jump from fringe league with a solid core of support but little real relevance to a major part of the American sports scene in a matter of a few years.
Alas, Seattle's playoff atmosphere is unique. Although there are other clubs around the league that have fantastic support and might even fill their stadiums, no one can match the number we saw in Seattle last night. That doesn't mean, of course, that they can't be just as electric and fun to watch; I fully expect the Dynamo faithful to represent next week, and Robertson should have a intense feel all it's own. If the two side put on another show (perhaps with finishing this time) like they did last night, the league will be better for it.
Last night was a perfect example of how a nil-nil draw can be incredibly entertaining; while I doubt many did, I really hope more than a few American sports fans, perhaps looking for something to watch after the World Series game has finished, flipped over to ESPN2. There's reasonable chance, if they were either open-minded or misplaced the remote, that they found themselves the enjoying the game. Wouldn't that be nice?
Although it's not really about those average-joe American sports fans. The goal should be to attract confirmed soccer fans, people who watch the game on a regular basis but are still ignoring MLS. Last night's game was far from pretty, and I'm sure many a snob turned their nose up at it last night for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was that it just didn't look like an EPL match; but if you are a fan of soccer, a fan of sport, and don't have a "beautiful game" label stick shoved you-know-where on a regular basis, then you should have thoroughly enjoyed Sounders-Dynamo in front of a proper crowd.
Here's to hoping that last night's match set off a trend of highly-competitive, enjoyable, and well-attended playoff matches around MLS. RSL-Columbus, LA-Chivas, Chicago-New England; all of the first legs of those series have potential, with the "SuperClasico" being the most intriguing of the batch. I can't think of any reason that all of those matches won't be sold out (it would be terrible if one or more wasn't), so atmospheres should be good. It's up to the clubs to follow the example of Seattle and Houston and play like it's, well, a playoff series.
If the first match of the 2009 MLS playoffs is a harbinger of what the 2009 playoffs will be, there's reason to be excited.
