I'm going to the MLS CUP tomorrow... the championship of American professional soccer.. while this may not seem like a big deal to most American sports fans, I think it is important to support the growth of soccer in this country... if for no other reason than it connects us to the rest of the world, where soccer is the most popular sport by far...
Oh, there is one more reason... I happen to enjoy soccer...
I not a big "USA, USA!!!" blowhard... in fact I abhor that type of jingoistic fervor... but the other day I came across a piece written by some wanker in the UK press spouting off about how David Beckham is a loser and how our soccer is crap...
First of all, in defense of Beckham, he has been nothing but an absolute gentleman and fine ambassador of the game despite the glaring spotlight and the ridiculous expectations placed upon him... (not to mention the wife... EEEK!!!) While the Galaxy have been pretty disastrous on the field, the stadiums are packed wherever they play... so one could argue that despite the Galaxy's lack of success, Beckham has been pivotal in increasing the popularity of the game here in the United States.
Secondly... Yeah I get it... I've heard the snobby argument that the MLS is not as good as the English Premier League, Serie A, the Bundesliga, La Liga etc...
Ok... of course its not... but soccer in North America has gotten to the point where at least it is watchable, which is more than I can say for ice hockey in Great Britain, or baseball in Italy, or American football in Germany...
Agreed, our soccer is inferior compared to the top European leagues, but one must also consider that soccer is fifth in popularity in terms of American team sports... and yet, despite this handicap, the United States still puts a competitive national team on the field for international competitions...
It'll be New York Red Bulls vs. Columbus Crew tomorrow... (one thing I cannot stomach is the RIDICULOUS names they've given most MLS teams... for instance, Real Salt Lake? good god...)
Both teams feature outstanding South American players, Colombian Juan Pablo Angel of New York, and Argentine Guillermo Baros Schelotto for Columbus... which brings me to another point... if one were to scan the starting lineups of the top four English clubs, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal... how many of those players carry UK passports?
So there...
In my life/journalistic career I have had the pleasure of attending a World Cup Final, the Stanley Cup Finals, the World Series, the Super Bowl, and the NBA Championship Series... after tomorrow I'll still have a Champions League Final, College Football Championship and an F1 race to go... (and for some odd reason I'd love to go the Grey Cup as well...)
My amigo Mik (of the fabulous New York Alcoholic Anxiety Attack - MySpace here) has promised me the spectacle of a proper English football match when I visit the UK in February... mmmmmmm... eating meat pies and baked beans, while slurping strong ale and singing hateful songs about the opponents' many inadequacies... I simply cannot wait...
Late Edit: For those who care about such things, Columbus won a rather sloppy game 3-1...
GO ON... LEAVE YOUR "THOUGHTS" IN THE COMMENTS SECTION...
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