The best soccer in America is being played RIGHT NOW. ZACH DUNDAS wonders, why aren't you watching?
Freddy Adu, one reason to watch soccer. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)
Dwayne DeRosario of Houston shows his footwork. (AP Photo/John Todd)
Baseball commish Bud Selig may privately gnash his teeth at the television prospects of the Tigers/Cardinals World Series (and so far, ratings suggest he would be right). But so what?
If the masses can't get into the psychodrama of the Pastime's autumnal thriller -- please see The Question of What Kenny Rogers Had on His Hand -- they don't know what they're missing. And the diamonds of St. Louis and Detroit aren't the only stages for knuckle-whitening, leave-it-all-on-the field sports sagas this week.
In eight cities -- from New York to Houston to Los Angeles -- Major League Soccer's playoffs pit cleat-wearing gladiators against each other in the best futbol action -- yes, the other kind -- north of the Rio Grande.
Over the last 11 years, MLS has doggedly bulled its way into the crowded sports landscape. But the league remains a quiet affair, neglected even by many hardcore soccer fans who prefer fancier competition in Mexico, England, Italy or Spain. Like the philistines who can't be bothered by the World Series if the Yankees or Red Sox aren't involved, though, those who ignore the MLS playoffs miss out.
On what? Try leg-buckling tackles; individual performances that make or break potential big-money careers; and the exquisitely wrought desperation of teams facing oblivion. Want specifics? Not a problem. Without further ado (see No. 3, below, for the oh-so-obvious pun), we give you:
FIVE REASONS TO TUNE IN AS MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER CROWNS ITS CHAMPION
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1) ONE OF THE MOST VENOMOUS RIVALRIES IN AMERICAN SPORTS
It may not be Bronx Bombers vs. Bosox quite yet. But go to YouTube and search something like "DC UNITED + NEW YORK," and you'll get an eyeful of the nastiest feud in MLS. DC United -- MLS' perennial powerhouse -- and the New York Red Bulls do not like each other, and neither do their respective fans. The proximity of the two East Coast clubs allows supporters to hit the road with their teams, creating the closest thing MLS has to a Euro-style "derby" rivalry.
United and the Red Bulls face off in a two-game, total-goals series with a berth in the Eastern Conference Final on the line. Last Saturday, United snagged a 1-0 win in the first game -- and gave ample credit to the DC fans chanting in the Giants Stadium mezzanine level.
"They can put our fans on the lower bowl, on the high bowl or maybe outside the stadium," D.C. coach Peter Nowak told the league's Web site. "They can put them in the parking lot, we're still going to have a presence."
New York's loss means the Bulls must win by two when the teams square off at RFK Stadium next Saturday, Oct. 28 (6 p.m. EST, ESPN). DC's maniacal fans are guaranteed to give hated New York a vocal welcome. Meanwhile, this series showcases two of the more interesting MLS subplots, namely ...
2) CAN BRUCE ARENA REDEEM HIMSELF?
When Team USA bombed in this summer's World Cup, head coach Bruce Arena's once-burgeoning reputation deflated like a torpedoed zeppelin. Promptly fired from his national team post, the pugnacious Long Island native turned to a new job with his hometown club. Arena vows to turn the Red Bulls -- owned by the cash-flush energy-drink company, based in one of the world's best potential soccer markets -- into something of a super-team over the next few years. For now, though, he's struggled to turn New York's lousy season into a playoff run.
ADDED INTRIGUE ALERT: Back in the '90s, Arena was the first-ever coach of ... that's right ... DC United.
3) HOW LONG WILL FREDDY ADU STAY STATESIDE?
When DC United signed 14-year-old soccer prodigy Freddy Adu three years ago, the move was a cross between a long-term investment and a publicity stunt. The Ghana-born, US-reared teenager suffered some unflattering press for underwhelming performances early on. But his increasingly silky skills now spark rumors linking him to big-money European clubs. Though he's technically not eligible to take the field in Europe until he turns 18 next summer, soccer's global gossip mill won't shut up about a possible pre-emptive winter transfer to England, Spain or Parts Unknown.
4) DOES MLS FACE A MASS EXODUS OF STARS ... OR IS IT ABOUT TO GO GLAM?
MLS may be the best soccer league in the US, but it's a financial minnow compared to Europe's most lucrative circuits. Thus, many of the league's top players -- goal machines like Clint Dempsey of the New England Revolution and Dwayne DeRosario of the Houston Dynamo -- may use the playoffs to audition for multi-million-dollar overseas contracts.
On the other hand, will David Beckham (you may have heard of him) play in MLS next year? And will he lead a procession of pedigreed European superstars to the league? The behind-the-scenes buzz is growing.
And, finally, there's the small matter of ...
5) WHO WILL WIN THE CUP?
The league's playoffs are a notoriously brutal, compressed summation of a nine-month season -- a chaotic knock-out joust in which a bad call, a blinding goal or a tragic blunder can wreck a season or king an underdog. Last year, the bottom-seeded LA Galaxy came from nowhere to win it all. This year, LA didn't even make the playoffs. So when the MLS Cup Final unfolds in Dallas on Nov. 12 (3:30 p.m. EST, ABC), it's anyone's trophy.
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asap contributor Zach Dundas is a freelance writer in Portland, Ore.
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