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Rivalries? No Thanks. We Brought Our Own.
To paraphrase somebody or other, sports rivalries are born, not made. Or at least the good ones.
Which is why I have a hard time getting in line with the "MLS Needs Montreal NOW!.. (because of course all serious ideas from truly sincere BigSoccer posters who, you know, really mean it are punctuated with lots of exclamation points and the word "NOW") "....Because They Would Make A Great Rivalry With Toronto" school of thought which is great currency amongst the exclamation point-and-all caps crowd around here.
And it's not because of some deeply ingrained loathing of maple syrup or because they don't speak French correctly up there (fluent Francophones have a difficult time just ordering the restaurants but because they have so many absolutely incredible restaurants it's well worth the hassle).
It's not even because I'm opposed to Montreal being in MLS: first of all, they've got to be an improvement over the whineyassed Canadians we've got now and secondly if we've got to have Canadian teams then Montreal is the logical choice.
Mostly it's because, in my personal opinion, Joey Saputo is a lying, preening, overgrown frat boy living off money someone else made, possibly with the help of the mob. Hell, give the guy a really nasty substance abuse problem and he could be a Kennedy.
Which brings us to Seattle and DC United, who have gone from zero to serious hatred in the blink of an eye this Summer. I'm not going to review the reasons for this because if you don't already know them then you don't give a damn anyway.
What I will say is that some of you Sounders fans might want to tone down the victory dance a little. Take it from someone who's been around this league for a little while now: if there's one sure thing it's that the organization in DC has a long memory and while they sometimes have a down year or two if you think for a minute that they're your permanent bitches now you're going to be in for a really nasty surprise.
In any case, it would be hard to pick two less likely "rivals" based on geography since for the teams to be much farther apart we'd have to set up a team in Honolulu.
Nevertheless, while people are already bemoaning the fact that ancouver may be having some stadium difficulties and what a shame it would be to lose that "great natural rivalry", an actual non league-ginned-up-with-a-phony-baloney-trophy rivalry is in the making with an original MLS team on the opposite coast, one with more stars on their shirts than Seattle is likely to have for 20 years.
The point being, obviously, that really good rivalries come from history and events on the pitch, not the marketing department.
Which brings us to the Chicago Fire and the Columbus Crew, who played yesterday.
One of the interesting aspects of the game was that in their last four regular season games the two teams had played to a draw, although sandwiched in between was the Eastern Conference Championship game last season.
And of course we all recall their one earlier meeting this season, when the Crew went up 2-0 at home before ex-referee Jair Marrufo sent off Crew defender Gino Padula based on the histrionics of notorious diver Cootiemac Blanco, after which a) Chicago scored two goals to save the draw, for which Mr. White b) said thanks for the call by handing off his jersey to the aforementioned Mr. Marrufo.
So yesterday we saw what was more or less a replay, although although no one actually spotted mark Geiger leaving Bridgeview with a Guillermo Barros-Schelotto shirt under his arm.
The Fire went up 2-0 on the strength of a pair of goals by someone named Peter Lowry before Schelotto hit on a nice cross from Robbie Rogers to make it 2-1 which would have stood up except for the moment when Crew Forward Stephen "Big Bird" Lenhart did a remarkable double kung-foo kick to the back of Fire defender Wilman Conde's head and referee Mark Geiger gave the Crew a PK apparently on the theory that getting nailed in the skull is dangerous to your health.
I can't embed the clip but HERE'S A CLIP SHOWING THE INCIDENT AT ABOUT THE 52 SECOND MARK.
The PK was duly converted, the game ended in yet another draw (making it five and counting) and this time it's Chicago's fans who feel hard done by and are directing towards at Mr. Geiger the kind of polite, refined, well reasoned criticism that all of Chicago is so very famous for.
All in all, a fitting end to a weekend chock-a-block full of tight, nasty matches featuring teams desperate for points.
This has been one heck of a weekend and with seven teams within four points of each other in a battle for only four playoff spots, it's only going to get better.
Which is why I have a hard time getting in line with the "MLS Needs Montreal NOW!.. (because of course all serious ideas from truly sincere BigSoccer posters who, you know, really mean it are punctuated with lots of exclamation points and the word "NOW") "....Because They Would Make A Great Rivalry With Toronto" school of thought which is great currency amongst the exclamation point-and-all caps crowd around here.
And it's not because of some deeply ingrained loathing of maple syrup or because they don't speak French correctly up there (fluent Francophones have a difficult time just ordering the restaurants but because they have so many absolutely incredible restaurants it's well worth the hassle).
It's not even because I'm opposed to Montreal being in MLS: first of all, they've got to be an improvement over the whineyassed Canadians we've got now and secondly if we've got to have Canadian teams then Montreal is the logical choice.
Mostly it's because, in my personal opinion, Joey Saputo is a lying, preening, overgrown frat boy living off money someone else made, possibly with the help of the mob. Hell, give the guy a really nasty substance abuse problem and he could be a Kennedy.
Which brings us to Seattle and DC United, who have gone from zero to serious hatred in the blink of an eye this Summer. I'm not going to review the reasons for this because if you don't already know them then you don't give a damn anyway.
What I will say is that some of you Sounders fans might want to tone down the victory dance a little. Take it from someone who's been around this league for a little while now: if there's one sure thing it's that the organization in DC has a long memory and while they sometimes have a down year or two if you think for a minute that they're your permanent bitches now you're going to be in for a really nasty surprise.
In any case, it would be hard to pick two less likely "rivals" based on geography since for the teams to be much farther apart we'd have to set up a team in Honolulu.
Nevertheless, while people are already bemoaning the fact that ancouver may be having some stadium difficulties and what a shame it would be to lose that "great natural rivalry", an actual non league-ginned-up-with-a-phony-baloney-trophy rivalry is in the making with an original MLS team on the opposite coast, one with more stars on their shirts than Seattle is likely to have for 20 years.
The point being, obviously, that really good rivalries come from history and events on the pitch, not the marketing department.
Which brings us to the Chicago Fire and the Columbus Crew, who played yesterday.
One of the interesting aspects of the game was that in their last four regular season games the two teams had played to a draw, although sandwiched in between was the Eastern Conference Championship game last season.
And of course we all recall their one earlier meeting this season, when the Crew went up 2-0 at home before ex-referee Jair Marrufo sent off Crew defender Gino Padula based on the histrionics of notorious diver Cootiemac Blanco, after which a) Chicago scored two goals to save the draw, for which Mr. White b) said thanks for the call by handing off his jersey to the aforementioned Mr. Marrufo.
So yesterday we saw what was more or less a replay, although although no one actually spotted mark Geiger leaving Bridgeview with a Guillermo Barros-Schelotto shirt under his arm.
The Fire went up 2-0 on the strength of a pair of goals by someone named Peter Lowry before Schelotto hit on a nice cross from Robbie Rogers to make it 2-1 which would have stood up except for the moment when Crew Forward Stephen "Big Bird" Lenhart did a remarkable double kung-foo kick to the back of Fire defender Wilman Conde's head and referee Mark Geiger gave the Crew a PK apparently on the theory that getting nailed in the skull is dangerous to your health.
I can't embed the clip but HERE'S A CLIP SHOWING THE INCIDENT AT ABOUT THE 52 SECOND MARK.
The PK was duly converted, the game ended in yet another draw (making it five and counting) and this time it's Chicago's fans who feel hard done by and are directing towards at Mr. Geiger the kind of polite, refined, well reasoned criticism that all of Chicago is so very famous for.
All in all, a fitting end to a weekend chock-a-block full of tight, nasty matches featuring teams desperate for points.
This has been one heck of a weekend and with seven teams within four points of each other in a battle for only four playoff spots, it's only going to get better.
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Bill, I was watching the game on Telefutura, admittedly with the sound down, but I and the others in the room distinctly recall Geiger explaining the call with a "raised elbow/ramming" motion that seems to indicate that the call was CJ Brown's mugging of Moreno just prior to Steven "Bruce Lee" Lenhart's finishing move.
I know that all the media seems to be taking it as a given that it was Conde "fouling" Lenhart, but again, I'm not so sure. Geiger was waving his elbow in the usual "you clocked him - not allowed!" manner of a legitimate (but rarely called) foul in the box.
Conde certainly thought it was on him initially, but I think he was also indignant about Lenhart's attempt to decapitate him. For Conde's part, he seems to have (attempted to?) rammed exposed studs into Steven's gut a half-second prior.Posted 21 Sep 2009 at 02:11 PM by Timon19 
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I believe Fire players were told by Geiger that it was Conde he was calling for the foul.
Posted 21 Sep 2009 at 02:15 PM by fakesigi 
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I'm on dangerous ground attempting to speak on behalf of United fans, but my attitude towards Seattle is still more or less, "meh, whatever". No one likes to lose games with silverware on the line, and yes several of the Seattle posters on these boards are insufferable, but I still can't work up as much bile for Seattle as I can for Chicago, New England, or even LA. Plus we have a natural rival in New York, although they're more pitiful than hate-worthy at this point.
Sorry, Seattle fans. I'm sure you would have coveted the attention, but you'll have to keep it up a lot longer if you actually want to be considered anyone's rival.Posted 21 Sep 2009 at 02:28 PM by BigKris
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I agree with you as far as Montreal. But there is a case for some "natural" rivalries, at least those based purely on geography.
For example: with the exception of LA and Chivas, the two closest teams in MLS right now are New York and D.C. Starting next year, when Philadelphia's team arrives in between, and continuing in 2011 when the expansion teams form a Seattle sandwich, MLS is going to see something it hasn't had much of before except for the SuperClassico. There will be four games in 2010 and eight in 2011 where the away fans only live around two hours' drive from the home team's stadium.
That may not guarantee a great rivalry, but it is important in terms of traveling support, which contributes both to the rivalry and to the atmosphere.Posted 21 Sep 2009 at 02:31 PM by chapka
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Looking at the replay, I can see why the PK was given and that the decapitation attempt did occurr after the Conde foul - the cause for the PK call. And yes, that was a legitimate call; but, the Crew player should have been given a red card regardless of the PK. Nothing excuses cleats to the head, intentional or not, no matter if it occurs before or after the whistle. OUCH!Posted 21 Sep 2009 at 02:35 PM by sprovi
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how do 5 draws coupled with referee incompetence equal a rivalry?
the only rivalries that mean anything are when the fans hate each other. has very little to do with what happens on the pitch. geographic conditions usually help.Posted 21 Sep 2009 at 02:44 PM by devon
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Agree with this. As much as I love our blonde Mr. Kotter, he needs to cut this crazy shit out.Quote:Originally Posted by sprovi
Looking at the replay, I can see why the PK was given and that the decapitation attempt did occurr after the Conde foul - the cause for the PK call. And yes, that was a legitimate call; but, the Crew player should have been given a red card regardless of the PK. Nothing excuses cleats to the head, intentional or not, no matter if it occurs before or after the whistle. OUCH!Posted 21 Sep 2009 at 02:57 PM by Timon19
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Montreal makes sense in MLS............but I think Saputo's not the answer.
Plus, St. Louis and Chicago would be a great geographical rivalry....and they have what seems to be a decent/honest owner. And that wasn't good enough for the Lou.
As we know, when it comes down to expansion..........it all comes down to money. If it didn't, we currently wouldn't have a team in Salt Lake City.
Fans of new, successful teams are always obnoxious. Seattle fans are no more obnoxious than the Chicago fans were back in their first year. Both won trophies, and thought they were going to RULE!!! (notice caps and exclamation marks) Sure enough, the realities of MLS sink in. You can win a trophy now and again (like the Fire have), but nobody's going to dominate this league anymore like DC did in the early days. The league is set up to ensure parity. All you can do is hang with the pack or drop into the land of pathetic underachievement (see New York).Posted 21 Sep 2009 at 03:12 PM by Clint Eastwood
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The game yesterday just reinforced the idea that the rivalry between Chi and C-bus, even when they both are missing players, is the best in the league. At their best they are the two best teams in the league. At their most mediocre (Fire especially) they still are within a point or three of the league leaders. It was true last year, and it was true this year. Come playoff time Columbus vs. Chicago is the real championship game.Posted 21 Sep 2009 at 03:25 PM by GHjelm
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As another United fan, I'll second this.Quote:Originally Posted by BigKris
I'm on dangerous ground attempting to speak on behalf of United fans, but my attitude towards Seattle is still more or less, "meh, whatever".
Posted 21 Sep 2009 at 03:52 PM by Roger Allaway
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