Weekend Recap

What a weekend!

MLS All Star Game
The "Some Stars" took on 2 time defending EPL Champion at Toyota Park Saturday evening, winning 1-0. I watched the match at Summers, along with a pretty nice sized group of United supporters. I was still unsure of how the match would turn out, so after downing several Boddingtons, I was ready to watch the match.

Here is the obligatory drivil:
Yes, this was a friendly match....
Yes, Chelsea were in preseason form....
Yes, most of the 21,000 people who were in Toyota Park were there to watch the boys from London....
Yes, the match didn't mean crap....

That stuff said, the biggest thing that I was surprised at is how well the MLS All Stars actually played. Our two goalkeepers did well to shut out some of the best snipers in Global Football. Our defenders did well to mark some of the most expensive guys in the game. Yes Chelsea at times looked like they were strolling around abit and there were some plays were John Terry seemed to have been one with the Force and just knew where the ball was and the ball just seemed to wait for him.

What alot of people who have been writing about the result don't seem to get is that regardless of the fact that Chelsea were/are in preseason form, these guys are on such a galactically different playing level than MLS players are. Even out of "fitness" their collective skill should have been able to shine through the "rust" and at least score a goal. This was a match that the MLS players should have not had a chance in. Look at the Madrid Massacre that happened last season. We sent a side in midseason form and were passed by a club finishing their preseason training program. For all intensive purposes, a similar result should have happened on Saturday in Chicago. Maybe getting lit up for 5 goals by Real Madrid was a good thing for our players?

The match was very entertaining, fast passed and one that MLS can point to as a success, regardless of those writers out there who seem to still want to bitch and complain about how the league is touting it. I enjoyed the match, I still disagree of how they handled the player selections and omissions and over all, I still think that the All Star Game is a waste of a week, but this match last Saturday was a good one.

LG Amsterdam Tournament
I also caught both of the final two matches of the LG Amsterdam tournament at Summers.

The Inter Milan vs. Porto match was pretty good, it had a good amount of scoring and some late game drama with a booking and 2 late Porto goals. One of those goals, the Porto bicycle kick, should be considered for goal of the year. That was a good match to watch.

The Manchester United vs. Ajax match was rather dull to be honest. Michael Carrick went down 14 minutes into the match and looks to have picked up the United injury curse and might be lost for the first 3 matches of the EPL season. Add to the fact that this match was Van Der Sar, Park and Giggs; supported by a group of reserves, the 1-0 scoreline and tournament victory seems abit more than it should be. However the injuries to Carrick and Rio, along with the discipline issues for Rooney and Scholes; this trip to The Netherlands might actually be one to forget for SAF.

Barcelona vs. Chivas
I decided I was going to watch this match as both clubs should have been up for putting on a good show. Chivas have been in season form for the last month or so, having several Copa Libertadores matches to compete in, as well as the start of the Mexican league. Barcelona are the Red Sox of club football. They are in a domestic struggle with the "Yankees" (Real Madrid) and just took over control of Europe. However, regardless of how I thought the match would have been played out, this one was a snoozer of epic proportions. 92,000+ people jammed the LA Coliseum to watch a friendly between two club teams, which is a USA domestic record. I hope the match live was better than on TV. I stopped watching around 55th minute. I read that they finished in a draw, 1-1, so I guess there was some action for the fans.

All in all, 4 matches that had world class clubs taking part and only one had sleeping issues. A good weekend of football.