For the first time in 11 years, an expansion MLS team is making the playoffs. I couldn't be happier. After securing a berth with a 3-2 win on the road against Kansas City, the team gets to come home and bask in the home confines of Qwest Field as they play against Dallas FC. It wasn't an easy game, as the Sounders had to overcome a 2-1 deficit early in the second half. But plugs by Roger Levesque and (ugh) Nate Jaqua sent them to their second tournament in a matter of months (after winning the US Open Cup in September). Its about time the city had something to celebrate, after 2008 culinated in utter disaster for the Seattle reigon. The Seahawks had their first losing season in over a decade while missing the playoffs for the first time in five years, the Mariners became the first team to lose 100 games with a payroll of over 100 million, and the Huskies went winless. Worst of all, the NBA packed up and left on the way to Oklahoma city, removing the only major pro sports title since the defunct Seattle Metropolitans Hockey team won the original Stanley Cup. Thankfully, 2009 seems to be a year of rebirth for the city. The Mariners rebounded to compete for a playoff spot, the Seahawks are in the race once again despite another bunch of injured players, the Huskies were ranked earlier this year after knocking off USC, and now it has all culminated in a playoff spot for the expansion Sounders. The team has overcome injuries, flopping, and a rash of red cards earlier in the season to be tied for second in points in the league, all while setting records for attendence in MLS. The 30,000+ they've drawn per game would rank high even in the EPL. Now the hope is that the team can make it to the MLS cup. They'll have to survive a few weeks of playoffs, but the final game will be held in Seattle regardless of their participation. With their performance in the Open Cup earlier in the year, it's not out of the realm of likelyhood that they could be playing in front of 67,000 on November 22.
For the first time in 11 years, an expansion MLS team is making the playoffs. I couldn't be happier. After securing a berth with a 3-2 win on the road against Kansas City, the team gets to come home and bask in the home confines of Qwest Field as they play against Dallas FC. It wasn't an easy game, as the Sounders had to overcome a 2-1 deficit early in the second half. But plugs by Roger Levesque and (ugh) Nate Jaqua sent them to their second tournament in a matter of months (after winning the US Open Cup in September). Its about time the city had something to celebrate, after 2008 culinated in utter disaster for the Seattle reigon. The Seahawks had their first losing season in over a decade while missing the playoffs for the first time in five years, the Mariners became the first team to lose 100 games with a payroll of over 100 million, and the Huskies went winless. Worst of all, the NBA packed up and left on the way to Oklahoma city, removing the only major pro sports title since the defunct Seattle Metropolitans Hockey team won the original Stanley Cup. Thankfully, 2009 seems to be a year of rebirth for the city. The Mariners rebounded to compete for a playoff spot, the Seahawks are in the race once again despite another bunch of injured players, the Huskies were ranked earlier this year after knocking off USC, and now it has all culminated in a playoff spot for the expansion Sounders. The team has overcome injuries, flopping, and a rash of red cards earlier in the season to be tied for second in points in the league, all while setting records for attendence in MLS. The 30,000+ they've drawn per game would rank high even in the EPL. Now the hope is that the team can make it to the MLS cup. They'll have to survive a few weeks of playoffs, but the final game will be held in Seattle regardless of their participation. With their performance in the Open Cup earlier in the year, it's not out of the realm of likelyhood that they could be playing in front of 67,000 on November 22.
Freddy Montero is the most frustrating player I have ever watched. He blows the easiest chances and then hits a few amazing shots a year. He can't piss, hold the ball, or play defense. However a fantastic win and we wouldn't have been here without him.
" SOUNDERS!! Freddy Montero is the most frustrating player I have ever watched. He blows the easiest chances and then hits a few amazing shots a year. He can't piss, hold the ball, or play defense. However a fantastic win and we wouldn't have been here without him. "
controlling the ball is certainly an issue, but todays game was just one of those nights for him. He has some games where he is a constant threat, then he has games like tonight. Sigi made the right move putting Levesque in for him. That said, I'll take a team with Montero any week over a team without. Read more about my thoughts on the team here and here. @Symphony said:
" The reporter in you shone through in that blog post. I felt like I was reading a newspaper. ;) Go local sports team! "
Not to throw oil on the fire or salt on the wound... but your hallucinatory wife said she's been cheating on you for over a year, with the weatherman. >.>
Does anybody care about MLS or Soccer for that matter in the US???
"
I dunno, ask the people that commented before you and in this or that thread whether people in america care about soccer.
Or ask the 30,000 people that have been to every Sounders game this year. Or the 67,000 that went to the Sounders friendlies against Chelsea and Barcelona.
Does anybody care about MLS or Soccer for that matter in the US???
"
I dunno, ask the people that commented before you and in this or that thread whether people in america care about soccer.
Or ask the 30,000 people that have been to every Sounders game this year. Or the 67,000 that went to the Sounders friendlies against Chelsea and Barcelona. "
I think that Seattle gives a crap about the Sounders is that all there other sports teams suck or left.
@zkilla: Considering the Seahawks also routinely sell out, and the Mariners are among the better teams in attendence, that statement doesn't make much sense. Besides, even a reason as silly as that doesn't draw 30,000 people 15 times a year. The original Sounders drew big attendence as well when they played in the kingdome.
@AgentJ: I don't know about the seahawks but the marines attendance was under the AL average and believe me a reason that silly does make 30000 people go to soccer game in the US 15 times a year. When a city is down on sports and a team does good people will come even it is cricket.
@zkilla: The Northwest (including Oregon and British Colombia) is historically strong in Soccer. Portland is actually called Soccer City USA. Washington State has the most recreational soccer members of any state in the union. When the original Sounders were in the NASL, the squad was in the top 5 in attendence every year from inception to collapse. Soccer isn't big everywhere, but it is in certain places, like D.C., the west coast, and a few places in the Midwest. Oh, and please remember that they are only as low as 32,000 for games now'n days because they've closed off the whole upper deck of the stadium. They'd probably get another 8,000 if they opened up more of the stadium.
And even if none of that was the case, the fact still is that the team is getting record attendence. The people going to those games most certainly care about how the team does.
@AgentJ: Wait you're gonna tell me that soccer is popular in certain parts but when the national team gets in to the world cup it isn't even on basic cable. Man thse certain parts defineatly are CRAZY for soccer. Everywhere else in the world football it's real name is on basic channels but in America it can't even get on basic cable most of the time, face it soccer will always be a second tier sport in America kind of like WNBA and Hockey I guess. Oh and another thing these supposdely great Sounders will be eaten alive in the Concacaf Champions league against the mexican teams which are not even close to the level of play in Brazil or Argentina much less Europe so I think that really speaks volumes of how good soccer is in USA also maybe if MLS spent money and scouting in brazil and argentina they could be very popular in usa and have a very high level but until then soccer is a second tier sport
" @AgentJ: Wait you're gonna tell me that soccer is popular in certain parts but when the national team gets in to the world cup it isn't even on basic cable. Man thse certain parts defineatly are CRAZY for soccer. Everywhere else in the world football it's real name is on basic channels but in America it can't even get on basic cable most of the time, face it soccer will always be a second tier sport in America kind of like WNBA and Hockey I guess. Oh and another thing these supposdely great Sounders will be eaten alive in the Concacaf Champions league against the mexican teams which are not even close to the level of play in Brazil or Argentina much less Europe so I think that really speaks volumes of how good soccer is in USA also maybe if MLS spent money and scouting in brazil and argentina they could be very popular in usa and have a very high level but until then soccer is a second tier sport "
There is obviously a lot of room for improvement for soccer in america, no question, but that doesn't change that there is a very fervent fanbase behind the game in America. It's not up to the level of baseball or football yet, but that doesn't mean that no one cares about MLS or soccer in the USA as you claimed. The talent level is always getting better. Just look at the Sounders for a second. They hold claim to at least five players that get attention from Europe: Ljungberg, Keller, Montero, Alonso, and Gonzalez. Montero and Gonzalez were both scouted out of latin america, so things are improving.
Oh, and the Sounders are on basic cable. All the games are on channel 6 every week, unless they are on ESPN.
My facebook is pretty much spammed with people celebrating the news. "
it's good to reply to someone who isn't a troll every once in a while. I know I've been spamming the news on mine : P Photo courtesy of the Seattle PI I'm in this photo. Kudos to whoever can find me first.
@AgentJ: I think first they have to make people care more about the national team and then move on to improvements in the MLS . I mean why are Baseball, Basketball and Football so popular? because they have the best players of each of those sports in the world. Now MLS understands that but they don't know how to do it, they get or try to get washed up stars like Beckham and Ronaldo instead of going to latin america and giving just a little bit more than european clubs to young prospects. now that's the way they would make soccer actually important and interesting in the US but it also depends a huge ammount on the american public. Hopefully the world cup will push soccer but once there is no World cup it the mls's responsibility and they have to be up to the task if they want to survive because not every place is like seattle the economy is bad and believe it or not but in bigger market cities people prefer to see a bad team in bad seats playing a sport that they totally enjoy instead of a good team in good seats playing a sport they kind of enjoy but not as much as the other sports that is not good for the MLS but if they recruit the future from latin america interest could be very high for soccer because of it's appeal of the best in the world right in the good ole US of A
@zkilla: Also, if it was only about having crappy sports teams (even though the Seahawks have one of the best records of the decade) then wouldn't our WNBA team, the Storm, be getting a decent attendence? The Keyarena is the smallest arena in the league and they still don't sell out, even in the playoffs which they have been to each of the last 5 years. Your logic just doesn't make any sense at all. The fact is that Soccer has been popular in the northwest for decades, and Seattle is doing MLS right. Like I already said, they have been going into latin America to scout for players, but of course you missed that part. Thats how they got Montero, who is second in the league in goals. Thats how they got John Kennedy Hurtado, one of the best young defenders in the league. I understand that you don't know much about MLS, but the fact is that some people are doing it right. I guess all the numbers I give you won't matter much though, since you keep saying the same thing no matter how many times I prove you wrong.
" @AgentJ: You're the chick in the bottom right who looks like she wishes she wasn't there, right? "
Lol, if only I had a different set of chromosomes :P @zkilla: Also, if it was only about having crappy sports teams (even though the Seahawks have one of the best records of the decade) then wouldn't our WNBA team, the Storm, be getting a decent attendence? The Keyarena is the smallest arena in the league and they still don't sell out, even in the playoffs which they have been to each of the last 5 years. Your logic just doesn't make any sense at all "
" @AgentJ: You're the chick in the bottom right who looks like she wishes she wasn't there, right? "
Lol, if only I had a different set of chromosomes :P @zkilla: Also, if it was only about having crappy sports teams (even though the Seahawks have one of the best records of the decade) then wouldn't our WNBA team, the Storm, be getting a decent attendence? The Keyarena is the smallest arena in the league and they still don't sell out, even in the playoffs which they have been to each of the last 5 years. Your logic just doesn't make any sense at all "
5 words: It's the WNBA expect layups "
Weren't you just comparing MLS to the WNBA though? If they are really on the same level, why are the Sounders drawing so much better than the Storm?
@AgentJ: Because the Sounders are an expansion team while the Storm is a team that has already been in Seattle for 9 years Did you read my post about how MLS can make soccer bigger in the US
" @AgentJ: Because the Sounders are an expansion team while the Storm is a team that has already been in Seattle for 9 years Did you read my post about how MLS can make soccer bigger in the US "
Attendence isn't going anywhere but up next year, there is no doubt. Thats forgetting though that the Sounders have been around since the 70s in one form or another, including the now-defunct NASL. Yes, I did read it, and I commented on it as well. The Sounders have been recruiting big time players out of latin america like Montero and Hurtado, and that has contributed to their success.
" @AgentJ: Because the Sounders are an expansion team while the Storm is a team that has already been in Seattle for 9 years Did you read my post about how MLS can make soccer bigger in the US "
Attendence isn't going anywhere but up next year, there is no doubt. Thats forgetting though that the Sounders have been around since the 70s in one form or another, including the now-defunct NASL.Yes, I did read it, and I commented on it as well. The Sounders have been recruiting big time players out of latin america like Montero and Hurtado, and that has contributed to their success. "
But what about the problems of the national team? Another thing attendance is not ever over 20 000 outside of Seattle what do you think of that?
" Guy in front? Can't be guy in front. Guy in front looks like a normal human being. "
I can only wish :{ he's a hot one alright @zkilla: The national team needs better coaching for one. The guys they've had at head the last few years have been worthless. Maybe they could use a little Sigi Schmid? The group has been playing better the last year or so though. As long as they don't meet any truly impossible opponents early on, I expect a deep run in the world cup. Most of the arenas couldn't hold 20,000 anyway, so in some cases its not their fault. I have already said though that the league does have work to do, but as more teams try to replicate the success of the Sounders, attendence and success will go up
@AgentJ: Also please don't call me a troll I(a big soccer fan) am just voicing my opinions from an outside looking in standpoint. Oh and thank you for a good conversation about where US soccer is going and where it should go
" @AgentJ: Also please don't call me a troll I(a big soccer fan) am just voicing my opinions from an outside looking in standpoint "
Considering you have ignored all the logic and hard numbers I have given you and insulted my city, I'm going to call it as I see it. People do pay attention to MLS, and Americans do pay attention to soccer.
A great win last night, coming back from being down 1-2. It showed heart and determination. Was a great game and we clinched a playoff berth as an expansion side. Huge for us, Seattle and also the league.
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