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HISTORY EDITION

Somewhere a copy editor is pissed. Everything this MLS season is historic. “A historic double header,” as it was continuously described on Fox Soccer Channel, culminated the pre-season hype and put a fitting cap on the media hyperbole heading into Saturday’s games. Thing about it was, though, the games didn’t want to be left out. Some quick hits from an exciting opening weekend after the jump.

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photo credit: Bouna Coundoul by ISI Photos—-

15 goals in six games. Does that seem like a lot to anyone else? could it be a HISTORIC offensive year?—-More people watched Blanco—20,272 at a 45,000-seat college football stadium–than Beckham–18,713 at a HISTORIC sell-out in soccer-specific Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. While I (optimistically) wonder if down the road MLS will wish they built soccer stadiums larger, a 20K seating capacity seems just about the right size for intimacy and the occasional sell-out.

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Gambians Sainey Nyassi and Abdoulie (Kenny) Mansally, who I’ve been talking up to anybody who will listen the last few months, did me a solid on opening night. Capping the coming out party was Nyassi’s 50-yard race and goal. Taylor who?

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Brian Ching, since his injury last year, depresses me. Once my preferred striker for the US MNT, Ching appears worlds away from that player. Let’s hope he can put himself back on track to becoming the Hawaiian Brian McBride (who by the way might play for the U23 Olympic Team!!!).

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I don’t get it when every professional athlete isn’t muscular. I mean, c’mon it’s your job. Last week I saw Eddie Johnson’s rippled physique exchange jerseys with some flabby pudge from Poland. Young Atlanta Brave outfielder Jeff Francoeur supposedly put on 17 pounds of muscle this off-season (without steroids of course).Soccer may need less power than any sport, but I couldn’t help but notice that Galaxy goalkeeper Steve Cronin could easily add 20 pounds of muscle, though his 6’1”, 175-pound frame (according to Soccer Times) didn’t need any extra weight to be the elephant in the room. The Galaxy defense, one game in, lived up to just about everybody’s dire predictions.

Cronin’s national team potential equaled Ching’s last night, while the Galaxy’s offense fit my national team nightmare: push the ball outside always, have no fluidity through the middle of the field, and depend on crosses into the box for your entire offense. Never thought I’d say it, and this isn’t a knock on the bending-ball Brit, but the Galaxy might be better off without Beckham, at least if all they plan to do with him is sit him (and Donovan?) on the flank and force everything in his direction. But of course, it was all the fault of referees and altitude. It had nothing to with the Rapids and their former NYC resident and MLK graduate Bouna Coundoul who was stellar in goal, holding the visitors scoreless. And no, no, nothing to do with Manchester United reject and MLS Player of the Week Terry Cooke and his one goal, two assist performance.

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As late as 10:36am on Sunday morning at New York Times’ website there wasn’t a single mention of the previous day’s slate of 5 MLS games. The top headline was a Reuters’ story about whether or not former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho was in Milan to talk about taking over Inter, while their GOAL blog was sitting with a two-day-old link to some clichés from Liverpool owner George Gillettt. Totally unacceptable from the nation’s paper who clearly has the talent – Jack Bell, among a few hundred others – but refuses to use it.

Monday extras:

Swag purveyor Soccer Pro—considering my closet, it kind of blows my mind that I’ve never ordered something from them (more on that in the future)—are holding another round of blog awards. To encourage participation two lucky voters will walk away with a pair of the all new Nike Vapor Soccer Shoes. Every voter gets a coupon.

And last but best, The Offside Rules has the best idea I’ve heard in a while: “Ever wanted to call BS on some unscrupulous hack who’s “reporting” that your favorite player is getting traded because their “source” is a phony post on Bigsoccer? This is your chance to do so.”

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