I am in the Pacific Northwest in Seattle the home of Starbucks, dungeness crab and more importantly the Seattle Sounders who have been the story of MLS this year.
I am looking forward to tomorrow’s broadcast and the environment that will present itself when the Sounders take on the San Jose Earthquakes.
Something special is happening here and it is obvious the Sounders front office have made so great moves but one can’t forget the great soccer history that Seattle has from the Sounders in the NASL with names like Tony Chursky, Roger Davies and Alan Hudson to name a few.
Indoor soccer and Preki was prominent in the Tacoma area as well as with Seattle who won a CISL Championship with a team called the SEADOGS.
College soccer is important in Washington with Seattle Pacific, U Washington just to name a few.
But much like Houston their are lots of immigrants here and a solid foundation of youth and amateur soccer with many unsung heroes promoting the sport through sheer passion.
I will bring my thoughts on the experience out here on Monday night’s Dynamo All Access with Glenn Davis at 7pm.
CONCERN
The disturbance behind the goal with the supporters group El Battalon and security/police is ..well disturbing. I have, like many of you heard the stories about the incidents and wonder what is the problem and why has it not been solved? Is the group being over-policed? Are a few spoiling it for others and hiding behind the banner of El Battalon? This is an extremely important situation to get worked out for all involved. Personal safety for fans is first and foremost.
It is critical this gets worked out because a bad incident at Robertson Stadium could paint a picture that condemns all of soccer and gives the “soccer bashers” ammunition to hold the progress of our sport back.
Remember we are also in a stadium process now and those who don’t like the sports growth are always looking for incidents to paint a bad picture of our game.
I have always reveled in the passion of supporters groups like El Battalon and the Texian Army who have a bigger mission of having fun and growing the sport of soccer. They have created atmosphere and have been a huge vehicle of promotion for the sport. I have mentioned these groups on national soccer broadcasts and their positive impact.
I hope this latest incident can be ironed out through level headed thinking about the bigger picture. If not, this would be a loss for the sport’s growth.
LOPEZ PK wins it for KC
I didn’t get to see this game on Espn but Claudio Lopez hit from the penalty spot a KC defeated the NY Red Bulls in Kansas City. Carlos Johnson was ejected for NY for pulling down Herculez Gomez. Did you catch this game and what are your thoughts? Enlighten me?
What does your soccer weekend entail? Youth games? Adult games? Catching the Dynamo or international games on tv?
LJUNBERG INTERVIEW
Don’t forget to catch Dynamo All Access on the radio this Monday at 7-9 pm as I will bring you an interview with former Arsenal star Freddy Ljunberg now with Seattle plus more on the Dynamo as they prepare for NE Revolution.
TICKET PACKAGES AMAZING
Great ticket packages for the Gold Cup and Dynamo are at houstondynamo.com
The Futbol Fanatic package gets you Gold Cup and MLS action while the McDonald’s Four pack is a winner for the next home game against F.C. Dallas….I want that cannon back!
FIESTA sponsors the weekly “Houston Soccer Unsung Hero Award” on Dynamo All Access with Glenn Davis. Send me your nominees at gdavis98@swbell.net
We want to honor those committed to growing the game in our community!!!
Danish Inspirations
Fiesta Mart
Houston Web Design
Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute
SportTalk 790
Zukowski, Bresenhan & Sinex, L.L.P.
Glenn, you missed nothing in the “scrimmage” that was KC – NY. After the PK by Lopez you would have thought that KC was a man down. We have a saying in Germany that translates to: One side does not want to and the other side cannot, that about sums it up. Memories of Germany vs Austria in WC 82 come to mind. My Matchreport to tm went like this: Whistle to start the game, Foul in the box = Ejection = PK = Final Whistle. Nothing to add, brutal game.
Glenn,
The KC/NYRB match put me to sleep. Enough said!
Welcome to Seattle, Glenn! Hope you have fun tomorrow! We’ve all got our DVR’s set so do yourself proud!
Ade wasn’t in practice today at Carl Lewis, so I wouldn\’t expect him to suit up for the Laredo game.
Glenn,
The same rules apply to Seattle as they do to Mexico. Don’t drink the water!
Glenn,
My weekend soccer plans involve watching a team move into sole possession of second in MLS. Standing in support of the Rave Green for a Full 90, providing you with a background of sound so loud that your mic needs to be adjusted.
And then watching the game again Sunday to break it down and listen to you.
Wish I’d known that you like Starbucks, I could have made your visit a little special
Glenn-
You didn’t miss much in KC vs. NYRB game on Thursday.
KC goes goal and man up in first few minutes then goes into defensive shell, disappointed in Onalfo’s game plan.
Will say one thing positive, was nice to watch a game where backdrop was filled with fans, not row after row of empty seats, like we’ve seen at so many MLS games this season
William, perhaps that is why Kansas City already has a stadium being built, and the Earthquakes at this pace are probably going to beat the Dynamo at it if Houston City Council doesn’t get this done by the fall, I think is sad, come on guys, lets fill the stadiums more! It’s the only way to improve the game, and honeslty there needs to be more pressure on the team, you want to sign a good forward who isn’t questionalbe about his washed up abilities or on the way to retirement, scout the USL, and the leagues in Central & South America, you can’t tell me there aren’t players who could help! Brazil and Argentina are filled with guys who will never touch the 1st teams or the national team, why do you think Mexico has so many? Pay up and get a real star, Carlos Ruiz was an example, yeah he became a drama queen, but he dominated for years! Sign someone for the love of god, if Blanco doesn’t want to stay in Chicago for sure, there’s your perfect old guy who can actually still play and in the league you actually compete on, not to mention against the teams you’ll face in CCL or SuperLiga!
here’s a hint, there’s this guy named Javier Saviola who can’t see any time in the national team, and he isn’t exactly in his youth anymore! He is 27 going on 28, get him over here! he would eat defenses apart in MLS, you think Ugo Ihemelu would hold him down, or anyone in Chivas USA team or Real Salt Lake? No they wouldn’t!
Glenn, I don’t understand…. why are you in Seattle? Isn’t that a local broadcast game? I didn’t know you did those for anybody but Houston. I hope you haven’t left us for a little coffee….
Lots of interesting commentary.
Edwin, Seattle scored two good Colombians in Fredy Montero and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado.
Admittedly even they thought they had no chance with Hurtado but things fell in place because they took a shot at it after going to Colombia. Interesting story and these two are keys to this team.
Web,
I was asked to fill in for the normal Seattle pxp guy.
I will be back on Dynamo broadcasts and also will do games for Espn.