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News & ArtsMonday, June 8, 2009
Sports A Different Tone in Sounders Coverage
Posted by Christopher Frizzelle on Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 11:10 AM
That was a depressing soccer game on Saturday night—no goals for Seattle, one goal against Seattle, good Seattle players getting ejected left and right (we're up to five red cards so far this season). The game put me in such a funk I had nothing to say about it afterwards, and reading press about it now, two days later, is putting me in a funk again.
Goal.com got inside the locker room at the Home Depot Center (in California) after Saturday's game:
The Sounders were abject. Head coach Sigi Schmid hunched in a corner muttering to technical advisers and designated player Freddie Ljungberg, refusing to look at reporters when hastily and grumpily answering questions...The players were similarly distressed. Most stared across the room stonily while dressing. The stifled silence hung in the air, as players quickly tried to shuffle out and leave the stadium.
The Olympian (bizarre extended metaphor alert):
Seattle Sounders FC seems to be following Macaulay Culkin’s career path, and that’s not a great thing.The former child star of “Home Alone” quickly grew from cute little kid that everybody loved into a less-likable adolescent who just made everybody miss the cute little kid he used to be.
Two days after the Sounders broke their five-game Major League Soccer draw streak with a 1-0 loss at Chivas USA, Northwest soccer fans may be longing for the Sounders that used to be: The ones who won. The ones who finished.
The ones, frankly, who were easier to enjoy.
Since the 3-0 start that made them the darlings of MLS, the Sounders are not only 1-3-5, but a frustrating and increasingly grumpy 1-3-5. They’ve picked up five red cards over the period. They’ve developed the unappealing habit of screaming at referees, even once play has resumed. And Fredy Montero and Freddie Ljungberg still play together as though they’ve never been introduced.
[Jumping ahead to the end.]
Not every child star becomes Macaulay Culkin. Some adapt and find the staying power of a Diane Lane, Leonardo DiCaprio or Scarlett Johansson.
Midseason is approaching, Sounders. Which is it going to be?
Tough to take, when one considers that Sounders FC held the ball for much of the game and played much better than its first showing here... Now next week Seattle must play without El Presidente and its top offensive producer of late, Nate Jaqua... This team just can't stay away from the red card — that's five this season and six suspensions — and nobody is happy about it.
2
You know, it was a bad result, but we played better than we have since the beginning of the season -- especially considering we had no Alonso. They were passing well, for really the first time, and opening up the field quite well. Sometimes you can dominate a game and just never get one to go in.
The red card situation is a problem, though. And complaining about the referees is NOT the way to address it; the more you complain, the more you draw their attention and ire. Plus, it makes you look like an unsportsmanlike twat, like a Chelsea player or something. Ljungberg still has some great skills, but he also appears to have a Premierish sense of entitlement which is very unbecoming. Plus, he's going to bust a vein in his head.
The other thing I'm worried about is that Montero appears to have developed a HUGE AMOUNT OF SUCK. He's worthless right now; he's the easiest player in the league to strip the ball off of, and he's got one move, which everyone has figured out now, and the other other thing he seems to be able to think of is run straight at them. Or "power" a wrong-foot shot that my dead grandmother could save. Jaqua's awkward but effective approach is looking better all the time, sort of Peter-Crouch-like, all arms and legs. Of course, he's out next match.
Still, I think it was an encouraging match in some ways. Now, if they could learn how to head the ball (team grade: F) and how to run a set piece, and how to pass longer and not get trapped in the corners for minutes at a time, and focus on the game and not the ref, they'd be unstoppable.
But, you know, misery and disappointment and hating the way your team plays are key elements of soccer fandom. Good things that come too easily don't taste as sweet. And, of course, getting your head beat in every week is a valuable life lesson.
More...
The red card situation is a problem, though. And complaining about the referees is NOT the way to address it; the more you complain, the more you draw their attention and ire. Plus, it makes you look like an unsportsmanlike twat, like a Chelsea player or something. Ljungberg still has some great skills, but he also appears to have a Premierish sense of entitlement which is very unbecoming. Plus, he's going to bust a vein in his head.
The other thing I'm worried about is that Montero appears to have developed a HUGE AMOUNT OF SUCK. He's worthless right now; he's the easiest player in the league to strip the ball off of, and he's got one move, which everyone has figured out now, and the other other thing he seems to be able to think of is run straight at them. Or "power" a wrong-foot shot that my dead grandmother could save. Jaqua's awkward but effective approach is looking better all the time, sort of Peter-Crouch-like, all arms and legs. Of course, he's out next match.
Still, I think it was an encouraging match in some ways. Now, if they could learn how to head the ball (team grade: F) and how to run a set piece, and how to pass longer and not get trapped in the corners for minutes at a time, and focus on the game and not the ref, they'd be unstoppable.
But, you know, misery and disappointment and hating the way your team plays are key elements of soccer fandom. Good things that come too easily don't taste as sweet. And, of course, getting your head beat in every week is a valuable life lesson.
3
"the game put me in such a funk I had nothing to say about it afterwards"
Existential depression.
It is really fucking stupid and masochistic to become emotionally invested in an abstract, for-profit, physical soap opera. No matter how local.
How pathetic.
Existential depression.
It is really fucking stupid and masochistic to become emotionally invested in an abstract, for-profit, physical soap opera. No matter how local.
How pathetic.
4
We don't read the stranger for sports, but that does not mean they should ignore it completely. I didn't read this post, but I knew there would be at least one self-righteous sports hating hipster with some stupid shit to say.
Reminds me of this UW student I worked with, a real elitist prick. We got in an argument over weather or not sports had any cultural relevance. He didn't seem to understand that the human activity surrounding it was in fact a culture.
Reminds me of this UW student I worked with, a real elitist prick. We got in an argument over weather or not sports had any cultural relevance. He didn't seem to understand that the human activity surrounding it was in fact a culture.
5
It is really fucking stupid and masochistic to become emotionally invested in an abstract, for-profit, physical soap opera.
You mean like your favorite band?
I don't agree. I think becoming emotionally invested in an abstract etc. is what it's all about.
6
We're still doing pretty darned well in the national rankings, fwiw.
I'd pop a beefalo burger on my electric grill and then take it to the outdoors patio for some flame broiling for the Sounders.
I'd pop a beefalo burger on my electric grill and then take it to the outdoors patio for some flame broiling for the Sounders.
7
and I agree with Fnarf about the red cards, especially the unwarranted ones - this is becoming an issue ...
8
But did you see the US vs. Honduras game and Mexico vs. El Salvador? Those games were full of energy!!! World Cup Qualifying fun continues this Wednesday for the CONCACAF...
9
Love arguing over soccer with the boys at the pub. I made a lot of fun when the team had their first tie ( I prefer sports that has a winner at the end of each game). They in turn prattled on about my ignorance of the game. Fair enough...but after 5 draws it really started to get under their skin. The fans are getting as irritable as the players. Good times.
10
"You know, it was a bad result, but we played better than we have since the beginning of the season "
Fnarf, I didn't realize you were on the team. Where do you play on the pitch?
Look at this way soccer fans, at least no one was killed, trampled, disfigured, or abused at the "match"
Fnarf, I didn't realize you were on the team. Where do you play on the pitch?
Look at this way soccer fans, at least no one was killed, trampled, disfigured, or abused at the "match"
11
The first 20 minutes of this match were a thing of beauty. It's like they finally figured out how to pass the ball. Too bad about the result, but it was still a hell of a game.
12
welcome to the stupid, broken world of pro sports officiating, Sounders. This league appears to be adopting the NBA model of pre-determining the contenders before the season begins. Most of these red cards have been phantom, flop-induced bullshit.
13
Um, no, actually we've richly deserved most of our cards, by the established standards of conduct in this league. There's a couple that are questionable; EVERYTHING is questionable. But when you're arguing with the ref, you're wrong, pure and simple. The Sounders need to address this problem themselves.
14
The last few days some rumors have been popping up about Montero going to Bristol City. I don't know how much stock to put into them, but it's an oddly specific club to mention, and with the way he's been playing maybe Sigi wants him gone.
15
I can't believe there are actually still any Montero-to-Europe rumors that have survived the massacre since the 2nd game.
16
@4 Thanks! Sports = the original reality programming.
The problem with the Sounders' is that they have no identity and that they do nothing extremely well. Sure, they have had moments of brilliance, but seem to be more prone to lapses in concentration and focus as the season progresses. Their defense is a joke (despite having a couple quality individual players), their midfield cannot dominate or even hold possession, and their front players depend too much on luck to do their job. Until they figure out how to control the pace and "story" of a game they will never succeed.
The problem with the Sounders' is that they have no identity and that they do nothing extremely well. Sure, they have had moments of brilliance, but seem to be more prone to lapses in concentration and focus as the season progresses. Their defense is a joke (despite having a couple quality individual players), their midfield cannot dominate or even hold possession, and their front players depend too much on luck to do their job. Until they figure out how to control the pace and "story" of a game they will never succeed.
19
It's a little hard to characterize a team that's so new. I was definitely excited when the season started, but I'm waiting to decide whether-or-not I'm going to champion them. As Fnarf said, good sportsmanship is integral to this game. The players need to form a stronger unit to do well.
21
@4 They have a record of 1-3-5 and are still doing pretty darned well in the national rankings? What a competitive league that must be, and how compelling to watch.
23
maybe its time to start playing the game and give up arguing with the refs (also, if montero doesn't feel like running, pull his ass off the field.) i'd love to see nyassi and le toux a lot more and move jacqu to midfield. stop letting ljumberg take those corner kicks and QUIT playing on the sidelines. use the middle of the field more...
24
@20, Chivas and the Galaxy play in the Home Depot Center, a purpose-built soccer stadium that Home Depot bought the naming rights to. Similarly, Safeco Field is not an insurance office, Qwest Field is not a telephone switchboard, and Key Arena is not a bank.
Oh, I'm sorry -- were you making a joke?
Oh, I'm sorry -- were you making a joke?
25
Safeco and Qwest should be called something else, something the voters get to pick, since we ponied up most of the money for them.
26
There are plenty of quality writers out there to get some decent coverage for the Stranger! 30k people with at least 2/3rds of that within the age and demographics of who read the Stranger. Add to that the average world football fan is more worldly, travelled and interested in art/culture, and the Stranger needs to get on board and cover the Sounders. It's electric inside. My girlfriend likes to bodies on the field, so im sure thats an added peice that doesn't go on at Safeco or for American Football.
Put some coverage out there!
Put some coverage out there!
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