It was a disappointing result settling for a draw against LA Galaxy, but the sell-out crowd and the performances by both teams made it another memorable night at BC Place.
There are lots of reasons to be excited for the remainder of the season, as the ‘Caps last 13 MLS games are all against Western Conference foes. There were complaints about the league’s conference-based schedule early on, but I have to say that this format makes each and every game very very important, as a win or loss is a six-point swing in the standings. So buckle up, it’s going to be a wild ride the rest of the way.
When you look at some of the teams in the west – LA Galaxy, San Jose, Real Salt Lake, Seattle, Portland – you find players like David Beckham, Robbie Keane, Landon Donovan, Chris Wondolowski, Kyle Beckerman, Alvaro Saborio, Fredy Montero and Kris Boyd. With top talent, the quality of each remaining match promises to be exceptional, just as it was last night against the Galaxy.
On top of that, we find a key to any sports culture – tradition.
Big teams with big players bring back happy memories of playing in the North American Soccer League (NASL). Aside from Real Salt Lake, each of those markets were a part of the old NASL, with all but the Galaxy retaining their traditional name and legacy.
Today’s LA team have Beckham as their main attraction, but the old LA Aztecs had a certain Dutch player by the name of Johan Cruyff, one of the best soccer players the world had ever seen. Cruyff won the European Footballer of the year three times (1971, ‘73 and ‘74). He scored 33 times for Holland in 48 matches and the Dutch never lost a game that he scored in.
San Jose Earthquakes also had world-class talent, with a player by the name of George Best who I grew up watching at Manchester United. Best, from Northern Ireland, was also considered one of the best soccer players in the world. He helped Manchester United become the first English team to become European champions. While at San Jose, he scored one of the best goals in NASL history when he beat six players inside the box before smashing the ball into the net.
Of course, the Seattle and Portland rivalry with Vancouver already had the fans in a fever every time they played. Adding fuel to the fire was the fact that both teams had quality international players on their roster. Portland had defender Willie Donachie (Scotland) and striker Clyde Best (Bermuda) while the Sounders could trot out midfielder Bruce Rioch (Scotland captain) and midfielder Alan Hudson (England).
As we saw last night with the Galaxy stars against our own players such as Barry Robson, Gershon Koffie, Young-Pyo Lee, Jay DeMerit and Darren Mattocks – not to mention the addition of Kenny Miller – there is once again some very talented players plying their trade in North America.
We’ve had a number of memorable matches already this season, and playing conference rivals with top talent on both teams will only make the rest of the schedule more meaningful and more exciting. We're set to witness mouthwatering games nearly every week, with playoff spots and trophies still very much up for grabs.
Let the rest of the western games begin.
