Sometimes It Rains Like Crazy in Philly

I know we’re in the throes of some of the best NBA playoffs in years. Throw in some classic NHL matchups (Boston/Montreal), and you’re hard pressed to watch anything else on TV. I guess I’m becoming a real fan, because on Saturday, in spite of it all, I still tuned in to watch our good old Seattle Sounders play Philly in the driving rain in front of a sparse, bedraggled, poncho-wearing crowd.

The bad news? They didn’t win. The good news? They also didn’t lose. The game ended with what some consider the least American result of all: a tie. 

[The good stuff is after the jump...]

I think if this was the first game of the season, I would be heated. Being a few games in, I have calmed my rhetoric, and watched the game with a more measured view. Defensively the Sounders are looking a lot better. Both Hurtado and Parke had off-season injuries to recover from, and they look better each game (though Hurtado still can’t control it out of the back, and just boots it forward sacrificing possession). It doesn’t hurt that Ozzie is an absolute beast, and helps to cover up the occasional defensive lapse with his impressive ranges into the backfield.

The Sounders are improving in other places as well, receiving a boost from Mauro Rosales who has looked threatening on set pieces. I can’t say enough about Rosales, and I really hope we see him on the flank, where his creativity and movement off the ball make such a great impact. Even Fernandez looked fired up, and followed up his “come to Jesus” conversation with Sigi by scoring a great goal off of a corner in the waning moments of the game.

Still, it isn’t all positive. After scoring two goals in a row, OBW took a step back. Control, never his strong suit, was lacking again in Philidelphia, although the rain soaked field couldn’t have made his life easy. He also ranged too far back, making Seattle moves difficult without an outlet forward, and limiting the time Seattle spent on the ball. I like Friberg, but he hasn’t quite settled in, and I don’t think he really has the pace to be effective on the wing for Seattle. I think he brings something to the squad, but with Evans back in the middle, I think he may have a difficult time seeing the field as a starter.

So it was a tie, and a deserved one. Seattle is still finding itself, but as the team works its way back into fitness, I think the positives outweigh the negatives. I don’t know what they’ll need to start winning, but watching them throw themselves up the field and do everything in their power to get that last minute goal at Philidelphia, Seattle looked like a team that could win. If they can find the players and the will to do that for a full 90, we’ll have a contender.

Other thoughts:

The atmosphere in Portland looks awesome. I know as a Seattle fan I can’t say that, but watching those games on TV I couldn’t help myself. As an institution they make the league better even though as a team their defense is suspect, and will probably prevent them from getting into the playoffs.

Kenny Cooper is probably just working himself back into fitness, but I think the league has gotten better since he left, and without the same system he had in Dallas, he’s not a golden boot or even a best XI MLS player. He’ll get better and find a rhythm, but he won’t have the same impact.

Starting off the game with a long ball up the flanks. It’s a classic MLS move (although less so now than before), and it’s maddening, especially when the ball goes straight out of bounds. New England did it against Houston last week, and had a slight variation (back to Shalrie, then up the field) against DC the last time it had a first half kick off. It is both massively ineffective and terrible looking.  Please stop it.