Stoke City, with it's pair of Americans grabbing the attention of at least of few of their countrymen across the pond, head to Loftus Road on Saturday to battle QPR in a crucial game for both sides. Stoke's recent form leave them perilously close to the drop zone in 16th, just three points clear of 18th place Wigan. Tony Pulis is under pressure, Stoke's brutal style of play is starting to wear thin with frantic supporters, and only a win against Harry Redknapp's club will do anything to lighten the load.
The most pressing problem is that Stoke hardly score these days, and they've hardly scored away from the Britannia all year. Hence the word at Betfair, with Stoke a 3.65 wager to win. It wouldn't be in character for Pulis to let his charges loose against QPR, even if getting a goal that can bring three points is crucial. On the other side, Harry Redknapp will have every reason to take the game to Stoke at home in London. QPR's situation is dire with the club 10 points adrift of safety, and only a rampant run of form down the stretch of the season will keep the Hoops up for another year in the Premier League.
Of Stoke's American contingent, only the trusted Geoff Cameron will be expected to play a part. Whether due to lack of fitness or because of his liabilities on the defensive side of the ball, Tony Pulis hasn't yet seen fit to give former FC Dallas man Shea much of a look. This is the case enough though Stoke is without winger Matthew Etherington due to injury. Shea's move to Stoke remains a bit of a head-scratcher for that reason; if Pulis had no intention of using Shea (and his attacking abilities) this season, the transfer during the dying hours of the January window makes little sense. Nothing else has worked for Stoke lately--would it be so wrong to give the young American with the funny hair a run out against one of the league's worst teams?
Notes:
The chances of a set piece goal, for either side, are notable. Stoke is both the league leader in percentage of total goals scored from set pieces (57%) and conceded (46%). QPR's Loic Remy is hot, with goals in four of his last six Premier League appearances. Stoke City has just five points in 2013, and just one in their last seven games. Stoke hasn't picked up a point away from home in their last six trips. QPR has scored first a league low nine times this season, but when they do, they're good at protecting a lead.
Prediction:
Considering Stoke's trouble putting the ball in the net and QPR's greater comfort at home, Harry Redknapp's side looks like a winner, 1-0.
MLS presents a veritable smorgasbord of tasty match-ups this weekend as part of a day-long celebration of the league's best rivalries. On Saturday alone, rivals clash across a 10-hour block, starting with the Red Bulls v. D.C. United at Red Bull Arena and climaxing with Seattle v. Portland from a packed house in Seattle. NBC Sports will provide live look-ins at several games via a "whiparound" show called "The Breakaway."
Really, for those into who use things like Unibet to do something by the name of online betting, the crush of action, action, action is like a dream wrapped inside a fantasy covered in pixie dust. Even if you're not the type, nonstop American soccer action could be the high point of your month. I know it will be of mine. Do not judge my life.
But which game is the best of the lot from a competitive standpoint? Which game pits the most even teams against one another while also bringing the added element of heated (or, in some cases, lukewarm) rivalry? Which game rises above its rivals to become the rivalry of rivals? Ahem.
From my perspective, New York hosting D.C. United holds the most potential. Obviously the rivalry (and outside of Cascadia, it might be the league's fiercest) is part of what makes the game potential firecracker, but the talent on the field and the quality of the team's overall puts it above the rest of the slate. D.C. United comes in on the back of their first win of the season, a 1-0 defeat of Real Salt Lake in Washington. That win brought Ben Olsen's team their first points of the young season--they opened the campaign with a loss in Houston, a place they never win.
New York opens their home schedule after a West Coast trip they'd probably rather forget. Up two goals on the Timbers in their first game of the year, they left with only a point after failing to hold the lead. Last week in San Jose, it happened again--only this time, they took home no points after Roy Miller's epic meltdown in the final ten minutes (in less time than it takes to boil an egg, Miller lost his mark on the back post for the equalizer, committed a handball offense in the box, then encroached during the penalty so blatantly that it led to Chris Wondolowski getting a second chance to convert after his first show was saved--he did).
So one team is building off a win, while the other is looking to recover from a disastrous result. Let's see how this shakes out.
Key Players:
Thierry Henry (Red Bulls) - Yes, pointing to Henry is hardly difficult analysis, but the Frenchman sets the tone for the Red Bulls. If he comes out surly and disinterested, it could submarine New York's efforts from the start. Watch Henry closely; his body language tells half the story. The other half is in the lack of it when the mistakes start to flow. If he doesn't care, it will be up to Fabian Espindola and others to make goals happen.
Dwayne DeRosario (D.C. United) - Another obvious selection. But this one is different, mostly because DeRosario has yet to play in 2013 after a suspension stemming from a preseason headbutt. DeRo shouldn't have much trouble integrating to the team, and his presence will undoubtedly help wing threats Chris Pontius and Nick DeLeon.
Key Questions:
How good is United's defense?
Last week's performance gives United plenty of confidence heading into Red Bull Arena, but New York presents a stiffer challenge than Real Salt Lake. The Red Bulls should have Juninho Pernambucano back in their lineup after the Brazilian missed a week through injury, so United's defenders will have to careful not to give up any fouls in the general vicinity of their own goal. And by that, I mean within 30 yards. This means you, Perry Kitchen.
The Red Bull response
It's worth mentioning again--the Red Bulls loss to the Earthquakes on Sunday has the potential to derail their season before it gets started. United will certainly know that, and would be happy to send their chief rival spiraling into the abyss. New York can prove a lot to the league and themselves if they put in a god showing. Mike Petke can go a long way towards proving he's a different kind of Red Bulls coach.
Will Roy Miller start?
Because the boos. Oh the boos.
Prediction:
It's hard to picture the Red Bulls being fully recovered after the two trips out west in two weeks and the loss in San Jose, but they will be at home. United's strength lies in their defensive commitment and the threat of DeRosario and Pontius. New York has more weapons, and that's even if Thierry Henry isn't fully engaged. United...eh, that's enough. New York 2-1 United.
Really, for those into who use things like Unibet to do something by the name of online betting, the crush of action, action, action is like a dream wrapped inside a fantasy covered in pixie dust. Even if you're not the type, nonstop American soccer action could be the high point of your month. I know it will be of mine. Do not judge my life.
But which game is the best of the lot from a competitive standpoint? Which game pits the most even teams against one another while also bringing the added element of heated (or, in some cases, lukewarm) rivalry? Which game rises above its rivals to become the rivalry of rivals? Ahem.
From my perspective, New York hosting D.C. United holds the most potential. Obviously the rivalry (and outside of Cascadia, it might be the league's fiercest) is part of what makes the game potential firecracker, but the talent on the field and the quality of the team's overall puts it above the rest of the slate. D.C. United comes in on the back of their first win of the season, a 1-0 defeat of Real Salt Lake in Washington. That win brought Ben Olsen's team their first points of the young season--they opened the campaign with a loss in Houston, a place they never win.
New York opens their home schedule after a West Coast trip they'd probably rather forget. Up two goals on the Timbers in their first game of the year, they left with only a point after failing to hold the lead. Last week in San Jose, it happened again--only this time, they took home no points after Roy Miller's epic meltdown in the final ten minutes (in less time than it takes to boil an egg, Miller lost his mark on the back post for the equalizer, committed a handball offense in the box, then encroached during the penalty so blatantly that it led to Chris Wondolowski getting a second chance to convert after his first show was saved--he did).
So one team is building off a win, while the other is looking to recover from a disastrous result. Let's see how this shakes out.
Key Players:
Thierry Henry (Red Bulls) - Yes, pointing to Henry is hardly difficult analysis, but the Frenchman sets the tone for the Red Bulls. If he comes out surly and disinterested, it could submarine New York's efforts from the start. Watch Henry closely; his body language tells half the story. The other half is in the lack of it when the mistakes start to flow. If he doesn't care, it will be up to Fabian Espindola and others to make goals happen.
Dwayne DeRosario (D.C. United) - Another obvious selection. But this one is different, mostly because DeRosario has yet to play in 2013 after a suspension stemming from a preseason headbutt. DeRo shouldn't have much trouble integrating to the team, and his presence will undoubtedly help wing threats Chris Pontius and Nick DeLeon.
Key Questions:
How good is United's defense?
Last week's performance gives United plenty of confidence heading into Red Bull Arena, but New York presents a stiffer challenge than Real Salt Lake. The Red Bulls should have Juninho Pernambucano back in their lineup after the Brazilian missed a week through injury, so United's defenders will have to careful not to give up any fouls in the general vicinity of their own goal. And by that, I mean within 30 yards. This means you, Perry Kitchen.
The Red Bull response
It's worth mentioning again--the Red Bulls loss to the Earthquakes on Sunday has the potential to derail their season before it gets started. United will certainly know that, and would be happy to send their chief rival spiraling into the abyss. New York can prove a lot to the league and themselves if they put in a god showing. Mike Petke can go a long way towards proving he's a different kind of Red Bulls coach.
Will Roy Miller start?
Because the boos. Oh the boos.
Prediction:
It's hard to picture the Red Bulls being fully recovered after the two trips out west in two weeks and the loss in San Jose, but they will be at home. United's strength lies in their defensive commitment and the threat of DeRosario and Pontius. New York has more weapons, and that's even if Thierry Henry isn't fully engaged. United...eh, that's enough. New York 2-1 United.
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Back in the summer, when Clint Dempsey’s future hung in the balance of a transfer market that undervalued Americans (we were sure of it) and the future of American soccer (read: our World Cup hopes) hung with it, there wasn’t much concern that whatever happened wouldn’t work out for the Texan. He’s Clint Dempsey. “Badass” where you start with the descriptors, moving up from there.
Clint proved himself at Fulham. He deserved to move on to a bigger club in the Betfair Premier League. Naturally, he wanted Champions League soccer, and had said so many times, so the expectation was that he would garner interest from a team in the English top four. Until the drama had played itself out, however, we didn’t know that he’d land at the one club in the English top four not playing Champions League football. Good enough to qualify in any other year, Tottenham had the misfortune of finishing fourth just as Chelsea decided to win the European title with a decidedly underwhelming team.
Still, Tottenham. Not bad, right? Hardly a disappointment to be there and not say, Liverpool, who is not only not a Champions League club at the moment, but looks to have a hard road ahead back to their former lofty status. Spurs has a new coach in Andres Villas Boas, and Clint would have to prove he could play in a team featuring a significantly higher level of talent than he was used to at Craven Cottage, but he’s Clint, remember? “Badass” is his baseline. Badasses don’t ride the bench. Badasses get on the field, and badasses score goals.
Sitting here, a handful of months later, it looks like Clint is facing another battle to prove himself on all fronts. There are rumors that AVB didn’t necessarily want him, that the club panicked when other deadline deals fell through, and a club legend is questioning Dempsey’s talent. Clint’s still a badass, but the degree of his badassery has taken a hit or two. There is no grace period here; Tottenham has aspirations and spent a lot of money to turn near-misses into establishing themselves among the Premier League elite. Sitting fifth through just more than a quarter of the season, Spurs has much more work to do if they hope to challenge for a place in next year’s Champions League.
It is early. But Clint will find, along with his millions of American fans sitting here hoping for him to continue his uninterrupted run of year-over-year improvement in production since his move to England, that the clock moves faster at a bigger club. Fulham’s dreams mostly consisted of staying up, with any finish above 18th place a bonus. Mid-table is massive. A Europa League run is gravy. Clint’s goal-scoring was important at Fulham, but the microscope was much kinder to his flaws. That won’t be the case at White Hart Lane, where every player is open to rampant—and sometimes unfair—criticism because Tottenham’s goals are much bigger.
Dempsey has dealt with plenty of personal pressure over the course of his career. Constantly proving himself to manager is old hat at this point. But this kind of larger pressure, the kind that will follow him into the lineup as Spurs fans and the English media bear down on a new coach (with his history of failure at Chelsea) and a team from whom fifth place is failure, is new.
We don’t have any real reason to doubt that Clint can handle it. He’s badass, after all. But it might be a little rougher going than both he and his fans are used to for awhile.
Clint proved himself at Fulham. He deserved to move on to a bigger club in the Betfair Premier League. Naturally, he wanted Champions League soccer, and had said so many times, so the expectation was that he would garner interest from a team in the English top four. Until the drama had played itself out, however, we didn’t know that he’d land at the one club in the English top four not playing Champions League football. Good enough to qualify in any other year, Tottenham had the misfortune of finishing fourth just as Chelsea decided to win the European title with a decidedly underwhelming team.
Still, Tottenham. Not bad, right? Hardly a disappointment to be there and not say, Liverpool, who is not only not a Champions League club at the moment, but looks to have a hard road ahead back to their former lofty status. Spurs has a new coach in Andres Villas Boas, and Clint would have to prove he could play in a team featuring a significantly higher level of talent than he was used to at Craven Cottage, but he’s Clint, remember? “Badass” is his baseline. Badasses don’t ride the bench. Badasses get on the field, and badasses score goals.
Sitting here, a handful of months later, it looks like Clint is facing another battle to prove himself on all fronts. There are rumors that AVB didn’t necessarily want him, that the club panicked when other deadline deals fell through, and a club legend is questioning Dempsey’s talent. Clint’s still a badass, but the degree of his badassery has taken a hit or two. There is no grace period here; Tottenham has aspirations and spent a lot of money to turn near-misses into establishing themselves among the Premier League elite. Sitting fifth through just more than a quarter of the season, Spurs has much more work to do if they hope to challenge for a place in next year’s Champions League.
It is early. But Clint will find, along with his millions of American fans sitting here hoping for him to continue his uninterrupted run of year-over-year improvement in production since his move to England, that the clock moves faster at a bigger club. Fulham’s dreams mostly consisted of staying up, with any finish above 18th place a bonus. Mid-table is massive. A Europa League run is gravy. Clint’s goal-scoring was important at Fulham, but the microscope was much kinder to his flaws. That won’t be the case at White Hart Lane, where every player is open to rampant—and sometimes unfair—criticism because Tottenham’s goals are much bigger.
Dempsey has dealt with plenty of personal pressure over the course of his career. Constantly proving himself to manager is old hat at this point. But this kind of larger pressure, the kind that will follow him into the lineup as Spurs fans and the English media bear down on a new coach (with his history of failure at Chelsea) and a team from whom fifth place is failure, is new.
We don’t have any real reason to doubt that Clint can handle it. He’s badass, after all. But it might be a little rougher going than both he and his fans are used to for awhile.
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Despite the pleasant moniker bestowed upon these contests by FIFA, international “friendlies” between the United States and Mexico are usually about as chummy as a night out with Drake and Chris Brown at a New York City night club… meaning you’re pretty much guaranteed to see more than the necessary share of testy exchanges and hostile attitudes.
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In light of today's news that the revived New York Cosmos will be joining the NASL in 2013, it seems appropriate to repost this piece from November of 2010. In it, I attempt to capture some of the angst fell by Red Bulls fans as the Cosmos revival picks up steam and draws attention away from their club.
Originally posted November 4, 2010.
by Jason Davis
In the universe that is New York City's soccer culture, gravitational pull is not a matter of new stadiums, flashy signings, or success on the field. It's a matter of history.
Originally posted November 4, 2010.
by Jason Davis
In the universe that is New York City's soccer culture, gravitational pull is not a matter of new stadiums, flashy signings, or success on the field. It's a matter of history.
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At one point, there was a half-assed plan to repost old posts, both in a transparent bid to keep MFUSA going, and because I honestly believe there are things worth revisiting in the archives. This is one of those, a post by Jason Kuenle about a USMNT fan base at odds with itself. It's more than relevant as Jurgen Klinsmann attempts to make a hard right turn with the team and program, so I present to you now.
This was originally published on June 16, 2011.
By Jason Kuenle
In two weeks time, we’ve seen opposite ends of the US fan base. We saw this piece by Chris Ballard on this site while nearly simultaneously seeing an uptick in the usual twitter vitriol as the US has struggled in the Gold Cup. Perspective is a funny thing.
I’m not going to pontificate on changing perspectives. People believe what they believe because of the values that they hold shaped by what they have experienced. Changing values is an exercise in futility and no person has experienced what another has. But the contrast between two opposite viewpoints deserves a bit of attention.
Those who have followed US soccer over the last twenty years have really only seen two true tournament failures in the US’ ascent in the footballing world, the 1998 and 2006 World Cups. Both of these instances were followed by coaching changes that coincided with the US “getting back on track” on their inevitable rise toward the top. Or at least that’s the narrative that is often told. The struggles here and elsewhere in Bob Bradley’s tenure make it easy to make his departure the beginning of the next upswing of the USMNT.
That narrative influenced part by increasing US success in soccer and part by general success of the US in everything else is a powerful one that rings true for most American fans. There is a manifest destiny aspect to it all; with the right player selection, the right tactics, and the right manager the US would have…choose your expected level of international success.
Contrast that with this quote from Chris’ post: “I had been keeping an eye out just to see how she was doing, but even though so far she’s not reached the levels of achievement as some, I just find that I have more fun with her than I ever did with you [England]. I see great potential, and I’d like to be along for the ride.”
But commonality may also be found in Chris’ words, “Every two or three years you say that you’re going to change; that this time it will be different, that this time you’ll repay my faith in you, but each time I’m let down badly. I don’t really think this is your fault – I’m sure you genuinely believe that this time, things will be different – but I feel like I need to protect myself from the constant disappointment.” He, of course, was talking about England, but two see those words from a US fan would not be out of place.
Results often determine the narrative. Opportunities taken or lost determine results. In a game as fickle as soccer, drastic swings in narrative can come from an inch here or there. In my perspective, almost all US successes and failures can be attributed that way. Without the right scorelines in matches that the US wasn’t even involved in, the knockout round successes in the 2002 World Cup and the 2009 Confederations Cup don’t happen. By finishing routine chances in the Gold Cup, the US could have drawn Panama 2-2 and beaten Guadeloupe 3-0 or 4-0. When those inches fall our way, the US does well, when they don't, red flags rise.
Potential is a dangerous thing. It presumes the ability to do great things, but without the guarantee or even probability of success. For those who see the US' potential but are unsure of when or how it will be fulfill, the first quote from Chris is most fitting, but for those that expect US success now, Chris’ second quote rings truer. The choice between the two is one of perspective.
The world loves to place a bet, with football being one of the biggest sports that people put bets on. It only makes sense that while there is no football to place a bet on many of these same people like to play at online slots at places like www.bellerockentertainment.com in order to get the same thrill of watching a game with money lying on it.
This was originally published on June 16, 2011.
By Jason Kuenle
In two weeks time, we’ve seen opposite ends of the US fan base. We saw this piece by Chris Ballard on this site while nearly simultaneously seeing an uptick in the usual twitter vitriol as the US has struggled in the Gold Cup. Perspective is a funny thing.
I’m not going to pontificate on changing perspectives. People believe what they believe because of the values that they hold shaped by what they have experienced. Changing values is an exercise in futility and no person has experienced what another has. But the contrast between two opposite viewpoints deserves a bit of attention.
Those who have followed US soccer over the last twenty years have really only seen two true tournament failures in the US’ ascent in the footballing world, the 1998 and 2006 World Cups. Both of these instances were followed by coaching changes that coincided with the US “getting back on track” on their inevitable rise toward the top. Or at least that’s the narrative that is often told. The struggles here and elsewhere in Bob Bradley’s tenure make it easy to make his departure the beginning of the next upswing of the USMNT.
That narrative influenced part by increasing US success in soccer and part by general success of the US in everything else is a powerful one that rings true for most American fans. There is a manifest destiny aspect to it all; with the right player selection, the right tactics, and the right manager the US would have…choose your expected level of international success.
Contrast that with this quote from Chris’ post: “I had been keeping an eye out just to see how she was doing, but even though so far she’s not reached the levels of achievement as some, I just find that I have more fun with her than I ever did with you [England]. I see great potential, and I’d like to be along for the ride.”
But commonality may also be found in Chris’ words, “Every two or three years you say that you’re going to change; that this time it will be different, that this time you’ll repay my faith in you, but each time I’m let down badly. I don’t really think this is your fault – I’m sure you genuinely believe that this time, things will be different – but I feel like I need to protect myself from the constant disappointment.” He, of course, was talking about England, but two see those words from a US fan would not be out of place.
Results often determine the narrative. Opportunities taken or lost determine results. In a game as fickle as soccer, drastic swings in narrative can come from an inch here or there. In my perspective, almost all US successes and failures can be attributed that way. Without the right scorelines in matches that the US wasn’t even involved in, the knockout round successes in the 2002 World Cup and the 2009 Confederations Cup don’t happen. By finishing routine chances in the Gold Cup, the US could have drawn Panama 2-2 and beaten Guadeloupe 3-0 or 4-0. When those inches fall our way, the US does well, when they don't, red flags rise.
Potential is a dangerous thing. It presumes the ability to do great things, but without the guarantee or even probability of success. For those who see the US' potential but are unsure of when or how it will be fulfill, the first quote from Chris is most fitting, but for those that expect US success now, Chris’ second quote rings truer. The choice between the two is one of perspective.
The world loves to place a bet, with football being one of the biggest sports that people put bets on. It only makes sense that while there is no football to place a bet on many of these same people like to play at online slots at places like www.bellerockentertainment.com in order to get the same thrill of watching a game with money lying on it.
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Despite the 2011-12 season just drawing to a close and Euro 2012 and the Olympics on the horizon, a raft of leading European teams are planning their warm up games for next term. With an increase in popularity in the game across in North America, it has been the trend for pre-season friendlies to be played in the United States and Canada, and this summer it will be no different. Despite the fact that Barcelona and Manchester United will not be heading stateside in the build up to the 2012-13 season (see the latest football odds), plenty of other European giants are.
Chelsea American chairman Bruce Buck will have had a say in deciding to take the Blues back across to North America this pre-season, and the Stamford Bridge club will play four games in USA in July. Starting on the west coast in a game against the Seattle Sounders, Chelsea will also play big-spending Ligue 1 outfit Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and the MLS All-Stars team.
Chelsea American chairman Bruce Buck will have had a say in deciding to take the Blues back across to North America this pre-season, and the Stamford Bridge club will play four games in USA in July. Starting on the west coast in a game against the Seattle Sounders, Chelsea will also play big-spending Ligue 1 outfit Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and the MLS All-Stars team.
- 18th July - Chelsea vs Seattle Sounders, CenturyLink Field, Seattle
- 22nd July - Chelsea vs Paris Saint-Germain, Yankee Stadium, New York
- 25th July - Chelsea vs MLS All-Stars, PPL PArk, Chester
- 28th July - Chelsea vs AC Milan, Sun Life Stadium, Miami
- July 18th - Aston Villa vs Philadelphia Union, PPL Park, Chester
- July 21st - Aston Villa vs Chicago Fire, Toyota Park, Chicago
- July 24th - Aston Villa vs Portland Timbers, Jeld-Wen Field, Portland
- July 24th - Tottenham vs LA Galaxy, The Home Depot Center, Carson
- July 28th - Tottenham vs Liverpool, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
- July 31st - Tottenham vs New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Arena, Harrison
- July 21st - Liverpool vs Toronto, Rogers Centre, Toronto
- July 25th - Liverpool vs Roma, Fenway Park, Boston
- July 28th - Liverpool vs Tottenham, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
- August 3rd - Real Madrid vs LA Galaxy, The Home Depot Center, Carson
- August 5th - Real Madrid vs Juventus, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas
- August 8th - Real Madrid vs AC Milan, Yankee Stadium, New York
- July 28th - Juventus vs DC United, RFK Stadium, Washington
- August 5th - Juventus vs Real Madrid, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas
- 28th July - AC Milan vs Chelsea, Sun Life Stadium, Miami
- Two games in Philadelphia - information yet to be released
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The MLS has another chance to show its pedigree and monitor its progress when the division’s best take on English Premier League powerhouses Chelsea in the All-Star game on July 25.
This free bet site backs the west London outfit as favourites to show their class and win the fixture at PPL Park, however the hosts will look to take inspiration from their 1-0 victory over the Stamford Bridge club six years ago, and win oncemore.
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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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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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The first few months of the Jurgen Klinsmann era certainly had its ups and downs, but that should be expected. When a new coach is brought in, he needs time to see what he has to work with, to implement his philosophies, and to see what works and what doesn’t, and as impatient as some are to see instant results, that process is still very much in its infancy for Klinsmann.
But after ending 2011 with an away win against 2010 World Cup foe Slovenia, there is positive momentum, and with 2014 World Cup qualifying and a slate of friendlies that’s already set to include matches against Brazil and Italy, two ties that are sure to attract a lot of football betting, we’re going to learn a lot this year about where things are headed and who’s in Klinsmann’s plans for now and for the future.
But after ending 2011 with an away win against 2010 World Cup foe Slovenia, there is positive momentum, and with 2014 World Cup qualifying and a slate of friendlies that’s already set to include matches against Brazil and Italy, two ties that are sure to attract a lot of football betting, we’re going to learn a lot this year about where things are headed and who’s in Klinsmann’s plans for now and for the future.
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The first few months of the Klinsmann era weren’t as successful as many might have hoped in terms of wins and losses, but after ending the 2011 calendar with a respectable 1-0 defeat in France and a solid 3-2 win in Slovenia, there’s definite positive momentum heading into 2012.
The slate for next year is far from finalized, but it will give fans an opportunity to gauge just how much progression is being made and who will play significant roles going forward, as along with multiple friendly matches, the U.S. will begin their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign in the summer.
The slate for next year is far from finalized, but it will give fans an opportunity to gauge just how much progression is being made and who will play significant roles going forward, as along with multiple friendly matches, the U.S. will begin their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign in the summer.
- Jason Davis
There’s a piece of accepted truth in the blogging world, one of those bits of conventional wisdom impossible to verify, that the average blog’s lifespan is three years. I’m not sure if this is meant to apply to all blogs, sports blogs, or specifically to soccer blogs, but it’s a “fact” I’ve heard repeated more than a few times during the span of Match Fit USA’s existence, and by extension, the time I have been penning my overwrought missives on the state of American soccer.
Match Fit USA turns three years old today.
And it won’t live to see four.
This, in fact, is the final post here at Match Fit USA, as I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time to turn off the lights. There are many good reasons to do so, but it mostly comes down to a gnawing sense that I just can’t do the place justice anymore. The blog started out as a place for me to spew my obsessive ramblings about topics that I’ve come to think of since as the American soccer blogger’s introductory hobby kit. Topics like promotion and relegation, soccer’s struggles on TV, Eurosnobs and the battle for their hearts and minds, why Americans are hesitant to fully adopt the sport, etc. This blog was specifically started to address big picture items about which I had too many thoughts and no attractive outlet at which to pontificate about them. At the time, having only scratched the surface of soccer-related web content, I was naive enough to think I could do something good, completely on my own, and have it launch me into something approaching a “career” writing about the sport.
I started this blog for the same reasons anyone anywhere has started a blog, with allowances for my being in the smaller segment of people who one day hope to earn a bit of money doing something they love. There was a clear goal in mind, and the blog was simply a vehicle with which to reach it. MFUSA wasn’t intended to be the ends, but the means. I can honestly say that I’ve reached that goal by any reasonable measure, and it’s a significant reason for the blog’s end. When faced with a decision on how to spend the free time I have remaining in light of regular writing gigs and a twice-weekly podcast, there was never any doubt that I would defer to saving just a little bit for my family.
Perhaps if I was still single and didn’t have a toddler to pass my love of soccer on to, there would be time to continue updating the site. In a parallel universe, there’s probably a parallel unattached Jason Davis doing a podcast, writing for three outlets, and maintaining his original blog.
I never expected to become attached to something that has no physical existence. This and every blog is a nothing but a collection of ones and zeros interpreted by a computer and then displayed through the cunning use of excited electrons. It doesn’t have a smell, a texture, or a weight. If and when the blogging service that allows it to live ceases to exist, there will be nothing left for anyone to know it was ever here at all. Somehow though, it has a feel, because the people who used its structures to express themselves--be it as writers, commenters, or both--gave it one. That’s an amazing and humbling thing.
I was tempted to relive the past three years, reminiscing (as much as one can about something only three years old) over the ups and downs of MFUSA, the various directions and tones the blog took (inconsistency which is completely down to my own aimless search for what type of writer/blogging/whatever I wanted to be), and how posting here not only made me a better writer, but how being part of the soccer blogging community (both American and transatlantic) enriched my life in ways I could not have imagined when I tapped out my first nonsensical post on December 14, 2008.
Reliving it all would be naval-gazing of the highest order, would surely devolve into an examination of pained existential questions of interest to only me, and probably end up spoiling whatever good feelings you have for this blog or me, so I’ll spare you.
Instead, I’ll keep it brief and to the point and thank everyone that came here, everyone that wrote here, everyone that nominated the blog for awards it was never good enough to win, and everyone that thought of Match Fit USA--even if only for a brief moment in time--as an asset to soccer writing in America. I cannot begin to frame the sense of astonishment I still feel a ramshackle blog started by a blogging neophyte grew into something to which people paid attention.
This is the blog’s end as a living, breathing outlet for “Examining the State of American Soccer” (my admittedly pretentious mission statement-slash-tag line), but there’s no reason not to leave it up as an archive. All of my typo-laden wordiness will be here (not to mention the dead images - thanks a lot Picapp), waiting for the random Google search or a sudden pang of personal nostalgia. Many others did excellent work here (like Jason Kuenle, Chris Ballard, Keith Hickey, Kevin McCauley, Ben McCormick, et al), and it’s not my place to blink their contributions out of existence.
So that’s it. Find me doing things at KCKRS, writing for US Soccer Players, podcasting on The Best Soccer Show, and just generally bouncing around the world of America soccer internet tomfoolery.
RIP MFUSA. Let it be said that it lived an appropriate amount of time, served it's original purpose beautifully, and had a few insightful things to say about the sport of soccer in American. Can't do much better than that.
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There’s a piece of accepted truth in the blogging world, one of those bits of conventional wisdom impossible to verify, that the average blog’s lifespan is three years. I’m not sure if this is meant to apply to all blogs, sports blogs, or specifically to soccer blogs, but it’s a “fact” I’ve heard repeated more than a few times during the span of Match Fit USA’s existence, and by extension, the time I have been penning my overwrought missives on the state of American soccer.
Match Fit USA turns three years old today.
And it won’t live to see four.
This, in fact, is the final post here at Match Fit USA, as I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time to turn off the lights. There are many good reasons to do so, but it mostly comes down to a gnawing sense that I just can’t do the place justice anymore. The blog started out as a place for me to spew my obsessive ramblings about topics that I’ve come to think of since as the American soccer blogger’s introductory hobby kit. Topics like promotion and relegation, soccer’s struggles on TV, Eurosnobs and the battle for their hearts and minds, why Americans are hesitant to fully adopt the sport, etc. This blog was specifically started to address big picture items about which I had too many thoughts and no attractive outlet at which to pontificate about them. At the time, having only scratched the surface of soccer-related web content, I was naive enough to think I could do something good, completely on my own, and have it launch me into something approaching a “career” writing about the sport.
I started this blog for the same reasons anyone anywhere has started a blog, with allowances for my being in the smaller segment of people who one day hope to earn a bit of money doing something they love. There was a clear goal in mind, and the blog was simply a vehicle with which to reach it. MFUSA wasn’t intended to be the ends, but the means. I can honestly say that I’ve reached that goal by any reasonable measure, and it’s a significant reason for the blog’s end. When faced with a decision on how to spend the free time I have remaining in light of regular writing gigs and a twice-weekly podcast, there was never any doubt that I would defer to saving just a little bit for my family.
Perhaps if I was still single and didn’t have a toddler to pass my love of soccer on to, there would be time to continue updating the site. In a parallel universe, there’s probably a parallel unattached Jason Davis doing a podcast, writing for three outlets, and maintaining his original blog.
I never expected to become attached to something that has no physical existence. This and every blog is a nothing but a collection of ones and zeros interpreted by a computer and then displayed through the cunning use of excited electrons. It doesn’t have a smell, a texture, or a weight. If and when the blogging service that allows it to live ceases to exist, there will be nothing left for anyone to know it was ever here at all. Somehow though, it has a feel, because the people who used its structures to express themselves--be it as writers, commenters, or both--gave it one. That’s an amazing and humbling thing.
I was tempted to relive the past three years, reminiscing (as much as one can about something only three years old) over the ups and downs of MFUSA, the various directions and tones the blog took (inconsistency which is completely down to my own aimless search for what type of writer/blogging/whatever I wanted to be), and how posting here not only made me a better writer, but how being part of the soccer blogging community (both American and transatlantic) enriched my life in ways I could not have imagined when I tapped out my first nonsensical post on December 14, 2008.
Reliving it all would be naval-gazing of the highest order, would surely devolve into an examination of pained existential questions of interest to only me, and probably end up spoiling whatever good feelings you have for this blog or me, so I’ll spare you.
Instead, I’ll keep it brief and to the point and thank everyone that came here, everyone that wrote here, everyone that nominated the blog for awards it was never good enough to win, and everyone that thought of Match Fit USA--even if only for a brief moment in time--as an asset to soccer writing in America. I cannot begin to frame the sense of astonishment I still feel a ramshackle blog started by a blogging neophyte grew into something to which people paid attention.
This is the blog’s end as a living, breathing outlet for “Examining the State of American Soccer” (my admittedly pretentious mission statement-slash-tag line), but there’s no reason not to leave it up as an archive. All of my typo-laden wordiness will be here (not to mention the dead images - thanks a lot Picapp), waiting for the random Google search or a sudden pang of personal nostalgia. Many others did excellent work here (like Jason Kuenle, Chris Ballard, Keith Hickey, Kevin McCauley, Ben McCormick, et al), and it’s not my place to blink their contributions out of existence.
So that’s it. Find me doing things at KCKRS, writing for US Soccer Players, podcasting on The Best Soccer Show, and just generally bouncing around the world of America soccer internet tomfoolery.
RIP MFUSA. Let it be said that it lived an appropriate amount of time, served it's original purpose beautifully, and had a few insightful things to say about the sport of soccer in American. Can't do much better than that.
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