The game has everything going for it. Sunday’s MLS Cup final features a big spending and compelling villain against a plucky underdog (that features a Canadian no less).
It has arguably the biggest celebrity in the football world and two of the most respected managers in North America.
Both teams are on great form and there is every indication that the final will be well played. Yet, outside of the two cities involved, very few people seem to care. Sure, the true MLS geek will make a point of checking the game out, but even then it’s often more of an afterthought than appointment viewing.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]It’s unlikely that there is another league in the world where fans are as indifferent to the overall league as are MLS fans. That’s just it, many people that go to MLS games aren’t really MLS fans – they are fans of an individual team, but their knowledge and interest doesn’t stretch much beyond their backyard.
Part of that is understandable. Only the most loyal (and blind) fan would argue that there aren’t better leagues to follow in terms of quality. Most fans have other teams elsewhere that they love and support. They go to MLS games to scratch an itch, hang out with friends and, if they have an altruistic bent, support the growth of the game here. They might not care about the overall league now, but they want it to get good enough to care about it one day.As mentioned, there are, of course, exceptions.
The MLS-snob exists and he (let’s face it, it’s a he) likely has 10,000 posts on BigSoccer. However, that particular type of fan is rare, especially here in Canada. Despite being the official D1 league of this country, MLS still has a long way to go to capture the heart of Canadian soccer fans (the Voyageurs Cup is the thing for them) and even further to capture the fleeting interest of the casual sports fan (it’s Carolina v Nashville in a vital NHL clash for them).
You can’t tell people what to like, so there will be no wagging of the finger here to guilt you into watching. Well, maybe a little: You’ll get more out of TFC/Whitecaps/Impact games if you know more about the teams they are playing. Plus, it’s a soccer game. When is it ever a bad idea to watch a soccer game?
So, grab a beer Sunday night and watch. If you want to be patriotic, cheer for Andre Hainault.Let us know in the comments if you’re going to watch and what your predictions are. For what it’s worth I agree with Rudi – 2-0 Galaxy.