Welcome to MLS Minute – your summary of what made the news this week from around Major League Soccer.
Footy is filled with fantastical storylines, embellished headlines and completely fabricated news. Football is at a pivotal point in many ways – scandals, match-fixing, rampant racism, rioting, and then there are the on-the-pitch troubles as well. My intent for this column is to present to you the week’s best MLS headlines, along with a little wry, honest and critical commentary, in as compact a manner as I can muster. Here we go…
For those #MikeMageeFacts followers on Twitter, there is one more feather to the player’s cap. The LA Galaxy man has earned himself Player of the Month honors for his work in March. Look out Mikey, Toronto FC’s Robert Earnshaw is nipping at your heels!……Speaking of TFC, they already have more points than they did at this point late last May (or thereabouts). Though the team have not exactly ripped it up, they have shown promise (thank you, Mr. Earnshaw). One area of concern is the GAPING hole at mid, where the Hall-Dunfield combo has fallen apart like a 3-hour old Big Mac……Landon Donovan is back on the pitch for the Galaxy, and seems to be returning to form. He cited mental and personal fatigue for his self-imposed hiatus. Wait, that’s good – I’ll ask my boss for an extended paid break because of mental fatigue. Suck it up, buttercup! (Note: I actually do recognize the serious nature of mental exhaustion in stressful work environments)……It’s been far too long since an MLS side has won the CONCACAF Champions League, and after LA‘s loss to Monterrey (Mexico) the other night in the first leg, the chances of ending that drought look grim. Also consider the Seattle Sounders lost 2-1 to Santos Laguna (also from Mexico) in their first leg. Ouch! We’re getting there – slowly! Former Arsenal and Barcelona striker Thierry Henry scored the winner against Philadelphia Union, but it was his bicycle kick that went just wide that wowed……I’ll leave you today with some good news. Congratulations go out to Sporting KC‘s Peter Vermes and Joe-Max Moore formerly of Everton (EPL), Nuremberg (Bundesliga) and New England Revolution, for having been elected to the US Soccer Hall of Fame. Both are well deserving. Anticipate an influx of quality in the coming years as the effects of MLS start to show……
That does it for today. I’m off to stock my fridge and get back in time for some footy replays. Carpe Diem, mates.
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Photo Credit: BrokenSphere, Wiki Commons, CC
