I’m watching, on WUTF, one of Boston’s Spanish language networks, catching the starting minutes of the game.

Its not always fun watching the USMNT menos Landycakes, Altidore, Dempsey, etc…Yet i find myself spending my precious free time following an often amateurish match AND its not even in English. This is the burden of the American soccer fan.

It is not enough for us to follow Barcelona and Manchester United’s Champions League runs. Nor is it enough to get hopeful every 4 years as the World Cup comes and goes. For soccer to really take off in the States, soccer fandom must get to a point where we support local teams even if the level of play is not the best. We must do more than sign our children up for youth teams and soccer camps. We must attend professional games, and watch even the B team take on Honduras on a Wednesday evening on Spanish TV.

PMIII writes,

“…soccer isn’t “traditional” in the US. Every kid plays soccer from ages 5-7, yet we didn’t grow up with the sport. We don’t sit with our fathers and watch on TV. People don’t talk about it. It’s just not a tradition.

Shit, I barely like baseball nowadays, but I enjoy the experience. I enjoy going to the ballpark, getting peanuts, and caring about that one game. I like going to baseball games now primarily because I used to like it when I was a kid. I remember eating peanuts at Fenway with my dad, watching baseball games. Americans are all about nostalgia and tradition. Until soccer becomes ingratiated into some sort of tradition, it’ll play second fiddle to every sport here.”

And Los Estado Unidos goes ahead 1-0 on a Clarence Goodson header in the 45′. Go USA!

In England or Europe, even in South and Central America, gossip of this sort seems to rule the soccer world, both on- and off-season, and the MLS needs more of it. Real Salt lake is fined for improper conduct during signing, and warned for mentioning our very own Shalrie Joseph when asked about the type of player they might pursue.

Is it really worth a warning? What’s a better answer RSL could have given? “Yeah, well, we want someone who’s about six-two, tenacious and kind of gangly in his stride, but really good at holding a ball up in midfield. Oh, and he should have dreaded ponytails, too. Yeah. That type of guy would be perfect for our organization.”

It doesn’t bother me that Joseph is mentioned by name, because there aren’t any other players out there like him in the MLS. Period. Celtic knows it, hence the offer, and now RSL is acknowledging it. The question is, really, how will the Revs organization react? Silence? A press release defending (their interest in) Joseph? Might they pay the guy the money he deservers?

Following and will report as I can …

I’m glad their getting the press now, because this Thursday they’ll be playing ESPN2’s favorite team, D.C. United. I don’t actually know if they really are ESPN2’s favorite, but I can’t remember a game broadcast announced by Rob Stone and Eric Wynalda where at least once the phrase “storied team of the MLS”, or “team to beat” didn’t get bandied about by one or both of them. So the positive Revs spin is good to see in a media environment that dotes on D.C. That said, on April 19th against the Columbus Crew, Wynalda and Co. did have some positive things to say about the Revolution side, so I’m interested in seeing what happens this week.

That’s all for now. Catch you on Thursday.

The nature of the MLS beast seems to have changed since last October. The teams I’ve seen are all tighter, more confident (except a few notable — with giggles and glee — exceptions, but I’ll get to them in a bit), and seem to be giving it their all. The Revolution, however, seem to be stuck in a medium-slow speed without the drive to really win. It’s not going to get them anywhere.

For example, the Eastern Division is being rampaged by the New York Red Bulls at the moment. Yeah, yeah. Ten points in four games isn’t exactly “rampaging”, but it’s the confidence level that scares me. Who knew that a re-named bastard child of the Cosmos could change so drastically in a few months? I exaggerate to make a point, but there is a level of concern there.

Not enough can be said about last week’s game against the Chicago Fire, either. The Revs could have — should have — come away with all three points, but couldn’t put it together. Enough analysis has been done over the past week that I don’t need to repeat anything here.

So what are we looking forward to for tomorrow’s game? The Revs will need to win. DC United won’t stay at the bottom much longer, though I wouldn’t mind if they did. Quick diversion: giggles ensue wholeheartedly around this household every time DC loses. Announcers continue to call them a great team with a storied past and blah blah blah, but they continue to show what they really are: petulant soccer players with a reputation they believe in too much. Though it’s true they’ve got talent, and the Revs can’t count on them to be down and out much longer. Toronto, though, seems a safe bet for last place. Heck, I didn’t even take free tickets from my local soccer organization for a TFC and Revs game.

Okay, back to the story. The Revs lineup looks the same as it has the first few weeks: Michael Parkhurst and Pat Noonan are listed as subs, with Parkhurst still on the Disabled List. Khano Smith is injured, but also listed as a starter. If his injury is too bad, look for Wells Thompson to start again. Daniel Hernandez is out with a groin injury, and Ryan Solle has “concussion-like symptoms”, according to the game notes.

It’s a foundation we’ve become familiar with: a 3-5-2 with Taylor Twellman and Adam Cristman up front; Smith, Shalrie Joseph, Andy Dorman, Jeff Larentowicz and Steve Ralston in the midfield; Avery John, James Riley, and Jay Heaps providing the back line for Matt Reis. When you know the foundation, you know the performance, and I’m not expecting anything different.

That said, this team is the same one that scored four on Toronto two weeks ago, and couldn’t bring three points home from Chicago last week. So in reality, I don’t know what to expect.

Prediction: FC Dallas 1, New England Revolution 2 (Dallas just played on Thursday, and the Revs will feel as though they need this win). Just for the record, I’m 2 and 1 in predictions (the error being my public one on last week’s game).

Even if — as the author states — Jay Heaps does something to harass Herron, his elbow is no more excusable than Zinedane Zidane’s head butt performance in last summer’s World Cup. Retaliation in the “beautiful game” should happen with goals scored, better-than-the-other-guy dribbling, and shocking tackles that steal a ball from between the feet like a pickpocket on holiday. Elbows, hands in the face, shoving, etc. do not belong on the field, and that’s what really got to me about last night’s game.

Most of the teams in the MLS do not behave as Herron did last night. They do what they can to try and elevate the art of soccer in this country and display fair play and all that. They work the angles, hustle the wings, and otherwise play a pretty damned good-looking game. Then there are those teams who, when losing, tend to behave worse than my son when he was three. Late tackles, bad-mouthing the opposition, pushes and shoves, elbows and claw-like fingers, etc. The Crew — in particularly Herron — let their frustration get the better of them last night. They’re not the only team to do so and probably won’t be the last. It has to stop, though, and this is the year for it.

It’s time for the MLS and the United States to be taken seriously. It’s time started to consistently play clean, clinical, beautiful, American football. Yes, American. We’re allowed to have our own style, and my bet is that it looks pretty crazy next to English or Europeans styles. But that’s good! Let’s be crazy — Justin Mapp comes to mind as do Clint Dempsey and Wells Thompson — but let’s be admirable while we do it. No more crappy elbows, petulant tantrums, or “late” tackles.

Thoughts?