MLS Cup Recap

I DVR'd the MLS Cup and got up at midnight Monday morning and watched it.

All in all it was a pretty good game. But from a presentation standpoint I have to say two things: First, Alexi Lalas in the studio does not work. When he shotgunned a can of Red Bull and proceeded to spill half of it all over his suit that was it for me. He had even less substantive to say that Julie Foudy, and that is saying something. He has to go.

Also, since the game was between the New York and Columbus clubs and was held in Carson California, there were too many visible empty seats. MLS simply must stop this "Championship Game Must Be Held at a Neutral Site" nonsense. This game should have been played in Columbus in a packed, loud stadium. That is how you market a soccer league.

The goals were nice. The first was good, but not great. Moreno slows his marker by faking middle, then turns on the jets and beats him into the box, where 'keeper Cepero badly overcomitted to the near post and gets beaten by a well-placed far post bid.

The equaliser by Wolniec was quality. Dane Richards torches three defenders (again) and puts a sweet through-ball to Wolniec which he toes home. That was some nice soccer.

The third goal was great, a thing of beauty, instigated by the dazzling Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who plays on a higher plane than almost everyone else in the league. That chip was just sheer greatness straight from the crucible that is the highest levels of Argentine club soccer. Freddy Hejduk, who is not to be confused with the GEICO caveman, simply had to run under it and gently head over the keeper.

There was little doubt in my mind Columbus would win this game. They are clearly the best side in MLS right now. A BigSoccer analyst and Columbus partisan said Columbus played some of the most elegant soccer ever seen in MLS. Well, I'll give him a pass. Columbus played very well. They won, and by and large they won in workmanlike fashion. If they add more players of Schelotto's quality to their roster, then maybe we can start talking about soccer elegance. But that is for another day. Congrats to the Crew, and here's to hoping now they can start getting more than 13,000 people to show up at their home games.