Sounders FC Reward Seattle Weekly's Defense of 0-0 Ties With Miserable, Season-Ending 0-0 Performance
Just days after this blog leapt to defend Sounders F.C.--and soccer in general--from a know-nothing P-I sports columnist (who called the team's recent 0-0 playoff match "ninety minutes of nothing"), the Sounders delivered yet another scoreless 90 minutes of regulation play against the Houston Dynamo yesterday. But "nothing" would be a too-kind way to describe what went on at Major League Soccer's Western Conference Semi-Final. 
Evenly matched--in lameness.
After an hour and a half of botched passing, terrible shooting and wild, pointless kicking, the Dynamo finally scored during the first 15-minute overtime period, ending the Seattle expansion team's inaugural season, and sparing all lovers of the game another quarter-hour of misery. If this is how the Sounders are going to respond to the Daily Weekly's support, we're going to stay seated with our team scarf tied around our mouth.
At a certain point yesterday, it appeared that each team might actually stand a better chance of retaining possession of the ball if they deliberately tried to pass it to the opposing players. Attempting to pass to members of their own squad sure wasn't working. The game perhaps reached its lowest point when the two goalkeepers, in succession, launched the ball so wildly down the field, it just ended up being collected by the other. When the goalkeepers are playing catch over the heads of the other 20 players, it's generally a sign of a game that's not big on ball-control.
The Sounders did a ton of things right in their first season, especially in the realms of marketing and fan appreciation. But yesterday, unfortunately, was emblematic of everything that's often gone wrong on the field. Failure to finish at the goal. Failure to change game plan when one corner kick after the next (after the next) misses the same mark. Failure to string together more than two passes at a time. How sad to see the team's worst flaws on continuous display during what turned out to be the season's final game. This was the kind of 0-0 match we'd happily live without.
4 comment(s)
Stephen Heisler says:
Mark,
You seam like a reasonable guy, but scoring is just a fraction of the game. While the Sounders did not score, they also held one of Major League Soccer's strongest attacks in check for 186 minutes over two games.
I was at the game yesterday, and was very impressed with the tactical play and commitment of the Sounders. In this game, coaches have to make a choice. Seattle decided on defense, and the players bought into it. Often such defensive pressure will come at the expense of the attack.
Ching's goal was one for the ages, and I doupt he could duplicate such a strike with 20 like attempts. He is a great player, and acknowledged that it was of the greatest goals he has ever scored.
It is high time that you see this team for what it really is. A powerhouse on the frindge of something special. Embrace them, they deserve your support.
Posted On: Monday, Nov. 9 2009 @ 10:08AM
watchthematch says:
I think the play yesterday was the result of the 1st game's ref failing to enforce the rules. Onstad earned himself a red card. He should have been out 16 minutes into the first leg, Houston would have had to play a man down, and Onstad would have been out for yesterday's leg. It's confusing, especially for young players, when the rules aren't enforced. It makes the players apathetic. Well done, MLS officials. You are keeping the sport down.
Posted On: Monday, Nov. 9 2009 @ 10:26AM
Mark Fefer says:
Stephen, I appreciate your point of view and obviously someone who was in the stands in Houston has a better perspective. I just don't think playing a defensive game excuses being unable to connect two passes. In fact, keeping the ball is one of the best ways to play defense, is it not?
I wasn't saying that Houston clearly deserved to win (though, in the end, I think they did), or that the winning goal wasn't a fluke of sorts. Both teams, in my view, played poorly. As you'll see from my previous post, I have no problem with scoreless games. But I do have a problem with bad games.
Just as fans of the Seahawks and Mariners are willing to say when the team blows, I think Sounders fans need to be willing to do the same some days. Distinguishing good soccer from bad is the best way to promote the sport, in my view. That's how we show soccer's all growed up--and not a charity case in need of uncritical support.
Posted On: Monday, Nov. 9 2009 @ 10:28AM
watchthematch says:
If anyone watched the Chivas/Galaxy match yesterday and Beckham's service, you can see what the Sounders are lacking.
Posted On: Monday, Nov. 9 2009 @ 10:39AM