May 3, 2007
Seattle Suffers a New Major League Soccer Threat
When a Californian real estate developer announced this week that he was determined to bring a Major League Soccer team to the Pacific Northwest it was good news for some and bad news for others. Fans of the game in Seattle and Portland, where Michael Keston is proposing to set up the MLS expansion team, should welcome the chance at entry into the U.S.'s highest league. MLS in Seattle has always been a long-shot with the players we have (Paul Allen, Adrian Hanauer who co-owns the Seattle Sounders) either not interested in or not capable of bringing a team here. This new guy--despite being from out of town, despite being from California, despite being a real estate developer, despite his intentions of handing the team to his son to manage--might be the guy who can get an MLS team into Qwest Field. Good news for soccer fans.
Bad news for Sounder or Timbers fans. The two teams enjoy a long rivalry that an MLS team in either city is likely to squash. From Sounder Central, a supporter site for the team:
The red flags are everywhere. Keston's son is quoted as saying 'soccer is the sport of the future.' Jeez. I've been hearing that since, um, about 1974 when the orginal NASL Sounders were born.It's a lose-lose for die hards in both sides' supporters groups. Which ever city 'wins' the MLS club would 'lose' its place in the Cascadia rivalry along with very likely its name, colors and tradition.
Of course, being a fan of the Sounders doesn't necessarily exclude one from being a fan of the game, so what's a fan to wish for? If the MLS team comes here the Sounders are likely over. If the MLS team goes to Portland the Portland-Seattle rivalry is likely over, barring a few heated but one-sided U.S. Open meetings every now and then. If none of it washes out and no MLS team appears in either city things go on as they always have. No one wants that.
All of this casts a strange shadow over Saturday's Sounder home opener against the Portland Timbers. "You take the MLS team!" "No, you!" The Sounders are currently at the bottom of the table at 0-2-1 with Portland having played and won only a single game so far in the season. You should go.
And for absolutely no reason here's the Sounders facing Pele and the Cosmos in Portland, Oregon for Soccer Bowl '77.
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We should have won that match (Soccer Bowl '77)! ;)
Let's be clear about this much: I am NOT anti-MLS. I am just pro-tradition and pro-Sounders. Of course I know I am wildly in the minority. Most Seattleites could care less about their current team and would go ga-ga for a new MLS one.
Drones!
Any Seattelites reading this who scoff at soccer: Go to the game on Saturday and you will see passionate fans supporting their teams (200+ of us are making the trip from Portland).
MLS could be so, so good for this rivalry, provided both teams move up and keep their brand; i.e., we don't want Starbucks FC vs. Niketown United, we want Timbers vs. Flounders!...sorry, Sounders ;)