Closing the books on MLS Cup 2009 in Seattle

by Steve Davis on Nov 23, 2009 11:50 AM EST Comment 3 comments

Real Salt Lake put the exclamation point on the end of Major League Soccer's 14th season.

SEA-TAC AIRPORT, Seattle – I’ll be back later today with closing thoughts from the Major League Soccer’s dramatic and encouraging conclusion to the 2009 season. Why “encouraging?” You’ll have to check back, but you can bet it involves the teeming scene in Seattle, which set the gold standard for how MLS should award and arrange league finals.

I’ll have some thoughts on the under appreciated Kyle Beckerman, on the overly criticized Landon Donovan (you just know the Donovan detractors, and they are inexplicably legion, are all foamy frothy about his penalty kick miss in Sunday’s tiebreaker), on halftime comments from league commissioner Don Garber and more.

For now, I’ve got a full day’s travel ahead.

Meanwhile, you can check out colleague Jeff Carlisle and his overall report on Sunday’s MLS Cup final, my ESPN Soccernet piece that focused on Real Salt Lake, my MLSnet.com piece on how the tactics unfolded or Steven Goff’s good work in Sunday's Washington Post on Seattle as MLS Cup Shangri-La.

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The Pot is Near a Boil

The fans in Seattle were great, and like Chicago, I think what we’re beginning to see is the type of support for our sport that is now beginning to bubble up to the surface. Last night was a good game, not a great game, but a good one.

Rimando keeps impressing me. I love that guy’s attitude! I thought Beckerman had a really good game. He was everywhere. I think there’s more good things ahead for him.

Donovan played just okay, and of course he had that beautiful cross. I’m gaining a new respect for Beckham. As the pain meds wore off you could see his level of play drop off, but the more I see and hear Beck the more I begin to see a real football class act.

The future of soccer in the US is beginning to burst out. It’s just a matter of time now.

"I'd like to play for an Italian club, like Barcelona."

by Obadiah on Nov 23, 2009 3:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Beckerman

I don’t know how that guy covers that much ground. I guess there’s not a good spot for him on the national team since he basically plays the same role as Bradley, but I’d like to see him make the trip to South Africa anyway.

Not mediocre. Right about average

by trza on Nov 23, 2009 6:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

the problem with Beckerman

as it relates the US National side is that he’s basically had one go in an important match. He played about 15 minutes against El Salvador with the match still in the balance. It was in his home town, at Rio Tinto. And honestly, I was surprised at how nervous he looked. It’s understandable, of course. Still, a guy like that just isn’t going to get very many looks, and he didn’t look to good in his look. Having said that, I still don’t think he’d be a bad addition to the roster for South Africa, if only for his spirit and good team attitude.

by Steve Davis on Nov 23, 2009 7:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs