MLS Cup 2009 - Dear Seattle...

Dear Seattle, it's been quite a year for you all up there. After all, an expansion team is not supposed to do what you all did. I have to give you 'props' big-time! Seriously, the Seattle fans came out and supported a well-designed and well-staffed team, hammering all MLS attendance records. Then, the Sounders took the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 2-1 win against DC United at RFK Stadium in one of the hardest fought and most entertaining games of the MLS season. Finally, the MLS playoffs and two great games against the storied Houston Dynamo. An a amazing opening season from anyone's perspective. Now though, invaders are entering the Sounder's Holy Cathedral of Soccer to play for the 2009 MLS Cup. While it would be best (from a Sounder fan's perspective) if the 42,000 seats at Qwest Field were filed with enraptured Seattleites in full-voice cheering their Sounders on, well... there's always next year. And with the team that Sigi has built, I am sure there will be a next year for the Sounders.

MLS Cup Preview

The thought of writing this post after the opening day game against DC United never entered my head. That was a slightly improved version of the meltdown season of 2008 - defensive breakdowns, not much stability in the middle and an attack that put two in the back of the ...

MLS Cup: RSL and LA Battle for Our Love. Who Wins Out?

MLS Cup! Tomorrow! In our city! Are you excited?
I am, believe it or not. More than I expected to be. Because it's not like the Sounders themselves can ever manage to get not one but two articles on the front page of the Seattle Times.
(Sounders are lucky to even make the front page of the Sports section.)
And on the "this is entertaining" front: The Times reported yesterday that The Powers have had a hard time finishing the MLS Cup painting on the Space Needle because of...wait for it...
Rain.
Yes. Rain. In November. Who could possibly have predicted that?
Also, my buddies over at GoSounders have a link up to buy MLS Cup gear. If you're interested in buying, think about buying through them.
(Warning: It's all gray. I guess they decided that color this time of year would be a shock to our systems that we might not be able to handle.)
And finally, LA and RSL are fighting for our love. LA did it through an ad. In the Times. Signed by David Beckham (oooh! squeal!) and Landon Donovan (oooh! squeal!) and coach Bruce Arena (wait. who?). RSL did it through seemingly-genuine-sounding quotes in a news article.

Oh, What A Surprise!

Our favorite forward/midfielder, Landon Donovan, is this year's MLS MVP! It's actually the first time he has won the award, but after the smokin' season he has had it should come as no surprise.

With all the awards he has been receiving this year, I'm continually reminded of that scene ...

St. Louis, Part 2

Let me first start by thanking everyone for their comments and generous words of advice. It is your comments that make this blog worthwhile. Whether you are complimenting me on a humorous post or telling me to go fuck myself, I cherish every word.

Now, let’s get to my St. Louis ...

Olsen to retire

As was previously stated here (okay, I was off by a little bit), it looks like Ben Olsen is going to hang up his boots. Although it could have been easily guessed that his time was running out, Olsen has decided that either pain or other considerations have made ...

One More Video to Cheer You Me Up

Okay, so we may have recovered from the Sounders loss. (Or not.) But after my beloved Equipe de France qualified for World Cup 2010 only due to a handball goal, I am hugely depressed and in need of a bit of cheering myself.

Wednesday's goal made me think ...

POLL: Yes or No - Guillermo Barros Schelotto

After Warzycha benched the teams biggest threat for the teams biggest match (what a dope!), it should have sent warning shots in the minds of everyone associated with MLS.

Former All Star, MLS Cup Winner, Boca Jrs. Legend and league MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto has just been asked to take a ...

Breaking News: St.Louis Is America's Soccer Capital?

I was reading about the rebel soccer teams and their departure from the United Soccer League's First Division. It seems that St. Louis is about to unleash their soccer prowess upon the nation. This is from the website of the newly formed St. Louis Soccer United.

St. Louis and ...

Anticipating the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft [Part 4]

In the immortal words of Lando Calrissian ...
"Here goes nothing!"
The 2009 MLS Cup is almost upon us, and with the conclusion of that comes an event eagerly anticipated by many of the Union faithful. The league has set the 2010 Expansion Draft rules, which are the same as those that the Seattle Sounders followed last year.
Some of the draft highlights are as follows:
- All teams must submit their protected players lists by 3 PM on Monday, Nov. 23.
- The League will distribute a list of the players available in the expansion draft to media that day.
- The 2009 MLS Expansion Draft will take plan on the afternoon of Wednesday, Nov. 25.
- At the conclusion of the Expansion Draft, results will be posted on MLSnet.com.
- The Union may not claim more than one player from any given team in MLS.
- Five teams will not have a player taken in the expansion draft.
So I've read the tea leaves, met with the oracle, had my palm read, consulted my crystal ball, shook up the Magic 8 Ball, eaten more than my fair share of fortune cookies, and have given my best wild ass guess as to the 10 players I believe may become the core group of the inaugural Union roster for 2010.