Chicago Fire defender Brandon Prideaux (6) and Real Salt Lake forward Yura Movsisyan (14) battle for the ball during the first half of the Eastern Conference Championship MLS soccer playoff game Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009, in Bridgeview, Ill. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)
MLS Cup 2009 in Seattle: LA v. RSL
Pardon my Sounders fan bias, but yuck.
It is kind of hard to watch as the fifth place club in the Western Conference, the 8th and last club to make the MLS post-season, a club whom the Sounders beat twice in the regular season, is rewarded for their barely making the playoffs by being seeded in the weaker East bracket, and then makes the Final.
Oh sure, you still have to make something of good fortune, and the Utah club has, upsetting Columbus and tonight taking the Chicago Fire 0:0 to extra penalty kicks before advancing to their first-ever MLS Cup. Still, this is not the dream match-up the league and many locals were hoping for. Even fans in Utah haven't been paying to see RSL 'playoff soccer.' (They drew 11k to a first-round match).
Now Seattle soccer fans will see Beckham, Donovan and Los Angeles of the West against Beckerman, Mathis and Real Salt Lake of the West. Color me less than enthused.
Oh, I am going, because it still is history to see a league final, but this match-up does absolutely nothing for me at all. It is just more fire for the 'regular season should crown the champion' crowd. Sort of like last year when New York Red Bull made the final against Columbus. Then the best team over the season won the Final. Can you imagine it going to a club that finished 5th in the West behind LA, Houston, Seattle and Chivas USA, tied with Colorado, and also behind Chicago and New England in the East, and tied with DC United? Well, we are just one more nil-nil draw and penalty kicks away at Qwest from seeing it happen...
I normally pull for the underdog, but this time I will have to pause and consider. Real Salt Lake no more deserve to be Champions of MLS than DC, Colorado (who also earned 40 points on the season), Kansas City or any of the other clubs around them that barely missed getting in.
They are one "All-American Underdog' story that I am having a hard time getting behind.
Comments
Sour grapes...
Only if you consider RSL fermented fruit. :) Do you?
It all comes down to who plays better ball. If Houston and Chicago were that great, than that should show through consistency. Well, RSL is in and so is Galaxy. Don't discredit teams for barely making playoffs and then playing their best after making it. It happens in every sport. Y los que van a prevalecer son RSL.
RSL would not be 'proper champions' anymore than New York would have been last year. RSL fans should understand THAT sentiment, since many of you felt that way 12 months ago...!
Well, I see RSL and LA drew 2:2 in Utah and RSL won 2:0 at LA this year. So...maybe the Galaxy are the underdogs, and perhaps we'll see some goals...and hopefully a nice Final. :)
I'm disagreeing with you here. I thought RSL played a very attractive game when they could have bunkered in and made it boring. That they won while doing it is even more reason to be happy. Plus Blanco is OUT! A victory for players everywhere who somehow manage to stay on their feet.
Plus RSL will be up against Goldenballs, which gets the game (and Seattle) international exposure.
Now if RSL can continue their fine run of form next weekend to keep LA from tarnishing the experience, my life will be complete.
RSL beat the Sounders in Salt Lake during the regular season. We beat them at home in the regular season, and then another win at home in a USOC play-in game.
Deserve? Just what does all this have to do with deserving anything? 8 teams make the playoffs after playing by the rules, and the team that's left standing is the champion. Unless you are suggesting that RSL was gifted its playoff spot on a technicality, or worse, cheated to get where they are, they have just as much of a right to the title as any team that qualified. We have a playoff system that works just fine. If you don't qualify, then tough. If the higher seeded teams can't beat lower seeded teams it's their own fault.
That sour taste in everyone's mouth is the stark realization that Seattle had as much of a chance as any team in the playoffs to make it to the Cup Final at home, but didn't get it done. One stinkin' goal in 180 minutes of regulation would have done it. No need to make up any other reason why we're all mad now.
Ariaga2: I actually agree with you for the most part. The playoffs are what they are. It's American and that his how we crown are champions. My opinion is not Sounders-based as much as it is league-based. Clearly Seattle was not championship-calibre in 2009, with our lack of ability to score crucial goals.
My end thought is the main point. Usually I love the underdog. Why not now? I'll try to 'convert' to the RSL side this week...
so glad I did not waste my $$$ on MLS Cup tickets to watch this. I'll watch on TV or catch SportsCenter.
Nailed it! So, what sort of reforms is MLS considering for it's playoff format? "Half the league progressing" to the playoff round is an idea wrought with horrible potentials (like this match); should the league just limit the final to the top two? The top four?
Did you cheer for the Pittsburgh Steelers when they made their run to the Super Bowl Title in 2005, becoming the first 6th seed to do it? How about the LA Galaxy when they upset the San Jose in the first round and then beat out every one else for the Cup in 2005 as the 4th seed from the East? What about the Golden State Warriors upsetting the Denver Mavericks, becoming the first 8th seed to advance out of the NBA playoffs first round?
Upsets happen - that's the magic of the playoffs. Teams that work hard are rewarded. Those that don't go home.
Maybe you should cry to Sigi - tell him to play some goal scorers and perhaps Seattle would have a home game to decide the Cup!
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