Usually a high profile match at this point in the season should get the hype it deserves. On paper Chicago and LA have some major star power for ESPN to get all giddy about but when MLS made their schedule they forgot one thing, that FIFA would be doing their dates in the midweek for World Cup qualifiers.
Yup, take a look at those Fire and Galaxy rosters because you won’t see most of those players on the field tonight in MLS Primetime action.
David Beckham? No, he’s doing the soccer version of being the Pope in China at the Olympics this week. Blanco? Probably a no as well, at least starting wise since Mexico played last night in Mexico against Honduras. Landon Donovan? He’ll probably come off the bench at best if he gets back from Guetamala in time. Carlos Ruiz? Haha, nope he got traded to Toronto but he is probably still home in Guetamala. Eddie Lewis? No word on if his deal has even come through officially for LA, so no. Gonzalo Segares? Nope, he was in Costa Rica last night. Marco Poppa? No Poppa in this one since he was too in Guetamala for last night’s qualifier.
You get the point right. The only two left are Edson Buddle and Brian McBride. While those two certainly have the chance to make things happen for their clubs, it just doesn’t pack the same luster as it would have if all the parties were good to go here.
I’m not upset over the scheduling error on the league’s part but not seeing the full A-team for each club will definitely hurt tonight on the week’s showcase game. And I have sympathy for the schedule-maker, probably one of the hardest jobs in American soccer.
So speaking of the game. Continue Reading…