Matchnight reports: 92,650 at the LA Coliseum Sunday witnessed a doubleheader of 1-1 draws between Chivas USA/New England and FC Barcelona/Chivas de Guadalajara. 77,550 at Reliant Stadium saw Barcelona tie Club America Wednesday. And despite only three weeks to sell tickets, 66,830 turned out at Qwest Field in Seattle to see #1 ranked [in the US] DC United draw world titan Real Madrid Wednesday night. Give Americans a spectacle and they will come.
While Ives Galarcep reports on the challenges faced by Major League Soccer to bring 'Eurosnobs' into the fold. A little tip: referring to them as 'Eurosnobs' probably won't help the cause.
In a related note, there was a big stir caused when an MLS Select XI (all-star team) upset the world all-star team known as Chelsea 1-0 during a friendly in Chicago.
Most MLS fans realized the mitigating circumstances surrounding the game. It was only Chelsea's second match of the pre-season and they were integrating several new players into their squad. MLS players were in the middle of the season and had much better match fitness.
So the MLS bashers within the US soccer community did what they always do whenever an MLS team gets a win or draw against a big European visitor: makes excuses.
But the whiners ignore other facts. For example, MLS was missing several of its best players for various reasons: Landon Donovan, Ante Razov and Clint Dempsey would've been sure starters against the London side. For example, I suspect that Chelsea pays more in salary to their star midfielder Michael Ballack than MLS spends not only for the 11 all-star starters, but on every player in the entire league combined. And also bear in mind that Chelsea wasn't facing a team, but a collection of individuals who'd never played together before. So while admitting that this doesn't prove that MLS has eviqualent quality to the English Premier League, can't one concede that it was a good result on the day?
No MLS fan pretends that DC United's 1-1 draw with Real Madrid proves that the two sides are equal. But can't you say that it was a great result for the MLS leaders? If you do, then the MLS bashers will accuse of you of claiming that DC and RM are at the same level.
It's obnoxious.
Strangely enough, whenever the big European side beats an MLS team, that PROVES how terrible MLS is. But when the MLS side wins, it proves nothing. Talk about trying to have it both ways.
And at the end of the day, who cares what it 'proves' in the mythical world of reputation?
The DC United-Real Madrid game was a hugely entertaining match to watch. Isn't that enough?
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