Thoughts on Opening Day 2008

By: Sean | March 29th, 2008

Disclaimer: I have not yet watched the Fire game, for reasons I make clear below. I have, due to a strange alignment of circumstance, seen the majority of every other MLS game.

First reaction: A LOT of quality on display today. Exciting games of every description. I am exhilarated by the growing beauty of the contests. MLS is on the rise, and quickly.

Free Advertorial: Let me just say that MLSLive.tv, while not on par with the televisual experience at first viewing, has fantastic flexibility. For example, today I had to go to a party for my mother-in-law’s 50th birthday party at 5 p.m. Now, if I’d had access to Direct Kick (which I do not), I’d probably have to miss the game, or else I’d have no mother-in-law by the simple expedient of being completely alone.

With the MLSLive.tv thingy, my day went like this:
4-4:30 p.m. – watched Columbus-Toronto on the internet.
4:30-7:30 p.m. – 50th birthday party.
7:30-9:30 p.m. – New England-Houston, FSC.
Interspersed with … 8-10 p.m. – KC – DC on the internet.
10-11:30 p.m. - Colorado – Galaxy, FSC.

And now, I’m about to watch the Fire game in Salt Lake on MLSLive.tv. I’m not feeling bad about that $20 now, that’s all I’m sayin’. That 4:30-7:30 blackout (in the heart of the first day of the season) didn’t pierce me through the heart the way it otherwise might have.

Loveliness:

- Christian Gomez and Terry Cooke pulling the spine out of the Galaxy backline with a series of brilliant through balls.
- Ivan Trujillo’s (KC) quick feet in the box outmatching DC United’s Gonzalo brigade in three separate dances.
- Steve Ralston’s evolution as a slippery, cerebral two-footed playmaker.
- Claudio Lopez’s grinning chip to seal the deal for the Wizards.
- Several players working the one-two with Guille Schelotto (who famously claimed that ‘no one knew the wall pass’ to Argentine newspapers after coming to America)

I’m going to stick with the positive and just end there. It’s been a lovely day of football.

Postscript: For the record, I know the Fire drew 1-1 on the road. I also know that it took a Blanco goal in injury time to salvage the point.

I’m going to watch the match now, the idea being I’ll come back and post on whether this was a point gained, two points lost, what have you. When, exactly, that will happen is left to the workings of a remote and unanswerable authority of unspecified nature.