So, I watched the MLS

If there isn’t baseball on this time of year, there’s nothing. Well, nothing for me anyways. You get the Twins to pass the time almost ever night, but they aren’t on for more than a few hours a day, and there isn’t anything else to flip to. The problem is at it’s greatest on the weekend, when instead of a slate of soccer, football, hockey and basketball games, there is one or two baseball games and an assortment of forgotten sports.

This summer, we have the Euro Championship, so I have been able to catch some world class soccer, but by the time the game was over on Sunday, so too were the Twins (who were actually done by the time I got home from work). I didn’t NEED to be watching TV, but like I said, I was just done with work, so it wasn’t like I was ready for a jog or whatever. The program that followed Italy-England was an MLS contest between Portland and Seattle. My other options, if I recall, were golf, WNBA or Olympic swimming trials. I opted to a game I knew I liked.

My conclusion? It wasn’t as horrible as I anticipated. Two things that really stood out to me weer that the style is much more wide open, and there were a lot more quality chances at net. Thus, a 2-0 lead wasn’t as insurmountable as it is in Europe. On the other hand, the game was sloppier, with defense and goalkeeping a bit less reliable. Secondly, the camera zoom was much closer than I am used to. It’s nice to see a wider scope, as in a typical soccer match. The close zoom gave much less perspective as to the quality of runs. One thing I did appreciate was that the crowds were loud and absorbed in the action. Portland’s mascot has a chainsaw. It’s good, I think, that fans of American soccer have made it their own.

The final verdict is that the quality of the game is less than what you would find in Europe, but because of that, the game is more entertainingly aggressive. Another bonus is that their post season structure now makes sense across the board, so following the season isn’t horrifyingly confusing (or pointless). That said, if you aren’t already a soccer fan, this probably isn’t for you. But unless you are a NASCAR or WNBA fan, I don’t know what else is out there for you between baseball games. Go outside, maybe?