MLS Watch

Major League Soccer is a league that is an ongoing project. A project that American soccer fans should
be very proud of. I have always said it is and maybe always will be very hard for a domestic soccer league in the United States to thrive...I should know I did my college thesis on the very topic. Competition from other sports; your basketball, baseball and  ice hockey will vie for America's attention and they more often than not will get it. This is known and it pains me to say will probably never change.The MLS doesn't need to be told what it can't do rather it should be praised for it's effort so far. Led by current MLS commissioner Don Garber, who has made wonderful steps in trying to lasso the attention of the American public. Soccer specific stadia has been popping up all across the nation, European teams make yearly ventures the country, television revenue is looking promising and most importantly an infant academy for player development is starting to shape.
 Professional sports teams in the United States is fueled by colleges and a draft system and this is where teams grab the bulk of their players. Soccer is no different there either. Unlike other parts of the world where youth academies are pretty much the sole player producers,in the USA that kind of thing just wasn't happening. Major League Soccer is starting to align itself with the rest of the world by creating these club youth academies and some wonderful players are starting to emerge.
 From all of that one wouldn't actually believe that this post is actually about now New England Revolution starlet Diego Fagundez but I try to educate as well as entertain.  Fagundez is a talent that came into the MLS via New England Revolution's youth system. Born in Uruguay the forward came to the United States as a child. The son of a former professional soccer player, Fagundez took advantage of the grassroots soccer programs that Massachusetts had to offer having been on the books at FC United and FC Greater Boston Bolts, teams that prepped the player for the sterner MLS. 
 The Revolution's home-grown player if he continues to do well may have a heavy decision on his hands in the future. Fagundez has represented his native Uruguay at the U-20 level but having American citizenship also allows him play for the CONCACAF side if he may chose to do so and let's be honest has solid as the United States Men's National Team is right now as I speak every soldier is a plus for "Uncle Sam's Army," Fagundez is a lad I have already earmarked as a very viable option for America...again that's if he wants to play for them.   
  Even at the early stage at this career there is some magic moments on the highlight reel just with Diego Fagundez's name on it. A lot of young players are overhyped and everybody hopes they find a prodigy and I have to admit I do it too because of the promise youthful prospects hold. The player has the same stigma attached but what makes the Uruguayan poacher special to me is that he isn't a guy snatched up by the league from another talent pool , he is a kid thought how to play soccer not football, making him savvy to the ways of the how the game is played in this country. The "home-grown," tag as I said before is a new working concept. Sure young players have been attached to clubs for a while now but not many have actually infiltrated their first teams as yet.
 On a personal level I think Fagundez is just nifty. A very quick player and never wastes energy and he makes smart plays constantly and I stress "constantly." I don't know if he will be a poster boy for Major League Soccer but I think definitely he will be an asset to the league one day...providing he stays.  

Diego Fagundez

MLS Watch

I'm telling you this Major League Soccer thing starting to actually get good and being the man that I am, I solely attribute it to players. Don't get me wrong I still have my issues with the league but at the end of the day I know no one really cares about  Don Garber (MLS Commissioner) or these other suites and ties, they might add structure but none of them kick the ball around. Think of all the talent the MLS has spawned over the years. Freddy Adu, Landon Donovan and Tim Ream. I want to shy away from the Prekis and Eddie Popes of the game, although they had a hand to play in the crafting of North America's premier soccer league let's not kid ourselves they are a different generation.
 Now that I have gotten all the serious analytical things out of the way I can get to why I'm here on the interweb (I don't think that was a word). Have you seen Brek Shea play soccer. I will say this now, if he is not the poster boy for American soccer I will burn something. I mean it. Could be the house, could be a blunt or could be the walls of Troy and when I'm done there use Troy's embers to emblazon the walls of Jericho with flame but I'm sure that has already been done. I think this guy is seriously someone the US National team should thrust into the spotlight. Very classy player. He is like a golden Dimitar Berbatov. Super silky but here is the jaw dropper, from what I can see the young man actually has a strong work ethic. Crazy right? Someone from my generation who actually likes to work hard almost unheard of. He clearly is a player that puts in the extra work in training. Even if you don't like Shea as a player his laid back persona is very endearing which kind of contradicts what I just said in the previous stanza but let me make it clear Brek Shea the player and Brek Shea the man are two completely different men. It's like when he plays he is like the Hulk just smashing anything in his path but off the field he is like Hulk's alter ego Dr. Bruce Banner who is ultra chill. Just watch him play he is just fun to watch. 


Mr. Shea

MLS Watch

This has been the day I have been waiting for. On May 14th 2011 at 11 PM Eastern Time, ask me what that is Pacific I couldn't tell you I'm really bad with numbers. So I'm sat there in my New York home and I decided watched a MLS game between the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers. I don't ever say this about a Major League Soccer match up but I couldn't take my eyes of it. I know I have a ton of issues with the league which I won't get into. I just did a thesis recently about the ails of American soccer and I really don't feel like regurgitating all 30 odd pages of it but if the rest of the league can duplicate what the Timbers and Sounders showed me the other night I will definitely follow more studiously.

 I have never seen such an atmosphere at any professional sporting event in America. Your Superbowl may have a ton of people in the stadium but apart from the odd boo and cheer their virtually silent. The Sounders fans at their home ground in Qwest Field really had the rafters shaking. They had banners, obscene chants and were raising their voices as well as their feet in unison to try to lift their side to victory. I have to say the Timber Army is my favorite fans in the world. Their loud, they don't care and I think they all carry baby axes on their persons. I can't get over the atmosphere the place. Sure they was a game going on for those who cared but I just sat there listen to every can't and cry. Even if I didn't have a T,V I would be more than satisfied with an 8-bit radio if there was such a thing. For the overall play, it was a bit downgraded because of the weather but the players really fought hard. I'm super impressed with Jack Jewsbury and Kenny Cooper on the Portland side of things both huge men who were really taking to the Sounders and I think Fernandez the Uruguayan really shone of the Sounders. That is enough from me just watch the highlights if you can. You won't be disappointed I promise. 


Seattle Sounders vs Portland Timbers (Qwest Field)