Juan and Danny go to Starbucks [R]

Game Summary:
From NYRB point of view...


Match Stats
Seattle 3 New York 0
Shots (on Goal) 10(6) 6(2)
Fouls 7 5
Corner Kicks 4 4
Offsides 1 2
Possession 57% 43%
Yellow Cards 3 1
Red Cards 0 0
Saves 2 4

Goals Montero 12, 75; Evans 25

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That is the BEST Soccer Specific Configuration I have ever seen, LOOKED like a large soccer stadium, 32000 attendance, great atmosphere.

BAD idea to have a college football band. That is nearly the pukiest green I ever saw on a sport team. I like green but not that green.

Positive side... if Seacups had been in yellow, I'd swear I was watching the Crew.
Sigi knows whazzup!

 

Zakuani got several good mentions. Evans looks the pro he became last year, will be a star.
NY STILL has no D and if they dont get more solid in the back soon Osario is gone before season end.

Seattle is a solid team, but the first to be demoted will be LeToux. He looks and plays like the A Leaguer he was

 

It's an odd shade of green, almost blends in with the pitch on tv. The stadium rocked and the noise was fun to hear during the coverage.

Keller made a couple of nice saves in the last 20, but was otherwise untested. Zakuani was solid in his sub time. All in all, Seattle looked good, and should have a massive home field advantage based upon tonight's showing. But, it's only one freakin' game too.

Sebastian LeToux's name, by itself, will buy him some extra time in the lineup, and I didn't think he was THAT bad, 'fog.

 

That was one of the best MLS atmospheres, and games, that I've seen. With the exception of some of the reffing decisions, I never felt like I was watching an "inferior" product.

Seattle looked really good. Well organized, pressure on the ball; I think they made New York look worse than they actually were.

Montero - won't be playing in the MLS next season. Too young and too good.

Keller - he still has it.

Alonso - Cuban defensive midfielder - was a rock in the middle

Nyasi - very dangerous winger

Zakuani - definite talent there. He's good enough that they may be able to absorb the impending loss of Montero without missing a beat

LeToux - Fog must have watched a different game than I. 80% of LeToux's deliveries into the box were good balls - you can't expect much more than that. He takes their corners for a reason.

Ljundberg - must be in cloud nice. His team, without him, demolished a cup finalist. If anything, he's gotta be concerned about who's going to come out so he can play. Well, not really a concern, but he'll have more pressure to produce than most DPs have.

 

I swear the green jerseys gave them an advantage - defo camoflage. I only saw a bit of the match but Seattle played some very exciting footy. Excellent feeds into space - fun to watch. Alonso was everywhere in the bit I saw.

Crowd was great but that was no soccer specific stadium was it? Isnt that where the seahawks play?

Only downside to me is that damn traitor Drew Carey. Cleveland City is going to kick some Sounder ass if the two ever meet. Why does Garber insist Cleveland build a soccer specific stadium (like we have the money Seattle does) and not Seattle?

 

Mo. I understand your frustration, but what I have heard is that the Qwest was built with soccer in mind; i.e., purpose built as dual purpose, something that can't be said of the Browns stadium.

Look at it this way: Cleveland moving up to USL-1. If they can grow their fanbase, when MLS is forced to expand to a 2nd division, they'll be right there in the running.

 

Because Garber has different standards for teams from the midwest than he does for teams from the PNW. If you are located in the PNW, the need for a soccer-specific-stadium becomes more of a suggestion rather than an actual requirement. Same with the "requirement" that all new teams play on real grass.

For whatever reason, Garber loves the PNW and hates the midwest. Maybe he's got a lumberjack fetish or something.

 

I have to say, the last 30 minutes I was able to, that was entertaining to watch. Not surprising in the least that a new expansion club of thrown together talent defeated last season Championship Runners-Up. And yes, if you are wondering, it takes some of the shine off the Crew's Championship Trophy. But, it is a sobering reminder (along with many other recent reminders) that this league still has a long, long way to go before it can consider itself anywhere near the level of competition in Europe, Latin America, and a few other places. If Seattle keeps that excitement and energy going, they will be a very good example to some of these other teams and their cities.

Cheers Sounders!

 

First - I love that we have a team, and I am spending quite a bit of money and time being a supporter.

That being said - I am in the middle of soccer season so I was not able to attend. Watching the match on TV, I liked the high energy of play, the support, and the overall feel of the stadium (Having been there I wish that the seats were more on top of the field - it is kind of a shallow angle on the bowl.)

BUT - I couldnt kick this nagging question while I was watching:

"So..... what does this game mean anyway?"

It is great we have the team - it is great we have so many people that are supporting it - It is great that the MLS is something I can get into locally...

But I am not sure what matters and what doesnt. I dont religiously watch the NFL, MLB, or the NBA, and to be honest - up to this point I have really not watched full seasons of the MLS.

I honestly dont understand how playing and beating NY makes any difference. It counts toward the final record (I think) but dont the only games that actually 'count' are against only those in your conference? But then you can have teams jumping over and competing in the opposite conference in the post season?

I understand the game, but I dont understand the MLS.

Also - it is strange to be coming into something on the ground floor. Who are our rivals? (No Idea) What kind of football do we play? (No clue) Are we a big club or a little club? (You tell me)

I am not saying I am turned off - just an odd feeling when you are used to dealing with clubs that are 100+ years old.

 

I find your post strangely subdued for that result. It was a huge win for SS, the coach SS and for MLS

Points are points. and the schedule isnt so heavily weighted in-conference that your local opponents can play you out of contention.

The only reason NY won the west last year was because the west generally was not very good, the aggregate W v E team records support that.

Just as in single table, every point counts at the end of the season.

 

At one point in time it was mentioned that the MLS weeknight game would be played on different nights of the week. Don't know if that is what will actually happen or if it was a rumor.

 

As usual.. you cant just stop where you ought'a. You have to throw in some ad hom reference to 'not good enough'.

The MLS glass is always half-empty to the WB! He can throw snark but he cant do anything in the way of suggesting how it can grow or get better faster by short-cut. Other than throw money at it.

I remind you again, MLS is a First Division league, not a premiere league. You gotta grow, and Seattle did it right to grow.
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Other Thoughts:

Columbus just signed Eric Brunner - defender from NYRB. They'd been trying to get him since last summer. Some have ventured that shows NY doesnt recognize talent if it trips 'em in the box.
I wonder...
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Concept changed from THurs Nite Soccer to 'Week Nite', Don. Allows more leeway in programming.

 

It is not that I lack excitement - I honestly do not know how the MLS has the league organized.

For example - we play RSL 3 times. 3 Times? How does that make any sense? I can understand that we play NYRB 2 times - once home and once away. But we play everyone in the Western conference 3 times? 4 would make sense to me - but 3?

Whatever - I am pushing that out of my mind...
So - you say ALL matches count toward your point total. Ok.
BUT - you are only competing against those in your conference for the available allocations to the post season... Right?

(This sounds about right because I remember hearing stuff about how in seasons past a team did not make it into the playoffs even tho they had more points than a team in the other conference that had less points)

I will wait to find out what the crossover play-in, wild card (Whatever) is all about.

 

Following the cue of other major American sports, excluding NFL, the MLS has some bogus idea called "regional rivals", so Seattle plays RSL and SJ three times.

Rather than playing each team twice (home and away) and having things make sporting sense, MLS has to make money and add two more games that screw up the playoff criteria.

 

No.. let's say SS played only eastern teams in their first four games, and they won every one of them. They would be top or tied for first in the west even if none of the other west teams played an eastern team.

NY last year placed 5th in the east but their point total was higher than the 4th place finisher in the west. Because they qualified that way, they were automatically 8th seed, even if they'd had more points than west 3, they would still be bottom seed. And seeds matter.

HAH or AHA for your own conf might seem unfair and subject to luck of the draw but the alt is to only play the other conf A OR H.
Again, luck of the draw... which would you rather?

To be specific, maybe you {seattle} draw both Columbus and Chicago away. Get that?

 

The fog is clearing. I am sure that a year following the MLS will get the remaining confusion sorted.

 

Was Montero that good or RBNY's back line that bad? I guess we'll find out in the future but all 3 goals were a result of defensive lapses. And Cepero, getting nutmegged for goal #2 -- oh dear.

Once Keller had to roust himself from his slumber he had a great second half -- the green back four looked great Shutting out Angel to start the year is worthy of a Seattle's Best Coffee.

Seattle looked good all over the pitch, but I am not yet letting myself get carried away. Fog, the opener to this thread is classic.

Sorry STL but I think your day will come next go around.