[SounderBruce]

Alright, time to get this thread started.

Your MLS Cup defending champions Seattle Sounders are only a month away from regular season.

The first preseason match tonight in Tuscon ended in a 1-1 draw to Portland. Steve Zakuani and Clint Dempsey both started, their first starts for Seattle since 2013 and August, respectively.

The next matches will be the Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston, SC, against the Battery (Feb. 18), Atlanta (Feb. 22), and Columbus (Feb. 25). Regular season begins March 4.

Also, the offseason was only 44 days long, between the MLS Cup and the start of preseason training earlier last month.

 

[pwalker]

Alright, time to get this thread started.

Your MLS Cup defending champions Seattle Sounders are only a month away from regular season.

The first preseason match tonight in Tuscon ended in a 1-1 draw to Portland. Steve Zakuani and Clint Dempsey both started, their first starts for Seattle since 2013 and August, respectively.

The next matches will be the Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston, SC, against the Battery (Feb. 18), Atlanta (Feb. 22), and Columbus (Feb. 25). Regular season begins March 4.

Also, the offseason was only 44 days long, between the MLS Cup and the start of preseason training earlier last month.

You mean the two month off-season? LOL.

But seriously, I will root for my hometown team despite the sport. I say this as the MLS is still not generally regarded as a serious sport in the country at this time. Not to say there are not great fans in many cities, but it simply has not reached critical mass. Not sure what it will take to put it over, but in the meantime, I will cheer from afar and always keeps an eye on the sport. I only wish it could become more of a mainstream sport in the US. The NFL gets most of the attention, as it probably should with its superstars and drama. The differences are indeed cultural, and this is going to be hard to change. Ask anyone outside of Seattle or Portland as to who won the MLS last year and 95% couldn't tell you. This is a problem. But I don't diminish Seattle fans who are definitely the best in the league. More power to the Sounders!

 

[SounderBruce]

You mean the two month off-season? LOL.

But seriously, I will root for my hometown team despite the sport. I say this as the MLS is still not generally regarded as a serious sport in the country at this time. Not to say there are not great fans in many cities, but it simply has not reached critical mass. Not sure what it will take to put it over, but in the meantime, I will cheer from afar and always keeps an eye on the sport. I only wish it could become more of a mainstream sport in the US. The NFL gets most of the attention, as it probably should with its superstars and drama. The differences are indeed cultural, and this is going to be hard to change. Ask anyone outside of Seattle or Portland as to who won the MLS last year and 95% couldn't tell you. This is a problem. But I don't diminish Seattle fans who are definitely the best in the league. More power to the Sounders!

While MLS has not reached a critical mass in this country, it's disingenuous to say that there aren't passionate fans in many cities. Outside of the Northwest, there's passionate support for MLS teams in New York City (NYCFC, NYRB gets forgotten a bit), Kansas City, Orlando, Toronto and Montreal (the former would definitely have a better chance of knowing the MLS Cup winner). Atlanta looks to be coming strong into the league, and lower-league support for Minnesota, Sacramento, and Cincinnati couldn't be higher.

MLS is growing, but we're well past the point of planning for change. Change is happening and it's been happening since the seeds were sowed by the NASL in the 1970s and the 1994 World Cup. As the saying goes, soccer is always America's next big sport, and has been since 1970.

 

[SounderBruce]

The Sounders may have lost 2-1 to Houston in their season opener, but at least Clint Dempsey is back on the field and scoring goals.

The actual season doesn't start until July anyway, as last year showed.

 

[NWDave83]

Well that was an awful way to start out title defending campaign. But as the second half showed, we will be back to our elite form very soon.

GO SOUNDERS!!!