Labor Day has come and gone, the summer is over and the fall is here. That means it's time for the temperatures on Planet LA to plummet into the 60s, to get to see my beloved Dr. Izzy once a week on Grey's Anatomy and for the stretch drive of the MLS season.
Time to watch expansion team saviors Jeff Cunningham and Ante Razov shoot it out for the Budweiser Golden Boot and to see if the Hoops and D.C. United can meet in the final as they should, or if one of the huge batch of .500 teams can upset their way into the MLS Cup Final.
It's also back-to-school time, and while the Prince of the Palace at all of seven months old is not quite ready to hit the classroom, it does get you thinking about what you know.
Here's a few things off the top of my head:
If Sven Goran Eriksson ends up coaching the U.S. national team, I will buy a Chicago Fire jersey and wear it in a new permanent photo next to my column on this website.
I think it's way too late in the season to be able to add players, but I am anxious to see what Jose Manuel Abundis can bring to the Revs as they try to leapfrog the Fire out East.
Early standings mean absolutely nothing in any league, but even after just a handful of matches, how much fun is it to see Arsenal winless and just above the drop zone?
I have to admit, I had some seriously mixed feelings about Loco Garcia's garbage goal Wednesday against the Hoops to give Chivas USA the win. Since none of those pretenders can catch the Hoops, I actually was happy Los Goats won, as I just want some playoff soccer on Planet LA, since Super Club Los Angeles is trying to make last place the new first place.
Speaking of the Galaxy, The Independent in London says it's time for Becks to head over here, as Real Madrid, well, stinks. I think he could win a place in the L.A. lineup. As for D.C. United ... might be another story.
So apparently some of the temporary sites the recently-purchased Wizards are considering for next year would mean no beer could be served at the matches. No, seriously. If that's the case, great. Can someone tell me how to get a hold of the MLS licensing department? Your old pal Tino is going to stand outside the stadium peddling filled-up Wizards-branded flasks, and make a fortune. Cheers!
I hate the new, apologetic side of The Bruce. In case you missed it, Arena kisses and makes up with U.S. Soccer using Grant Wahl as his mouthpiece on SI.com. Let me be the first to say: booooo! The Bruce I know and love is the one who gave a great interview to Jack Bell of The New York Times on Wednesday. Among the gems was this subtle description of the MetroStars before they became the Red Bulls: "It's 10 years with a poor vision and understanding how to do things." If The Bruce goes soft on us, I might snap.GRAB A COLD BUD (OR AQUAFINA) AND PUT YER FEET UP:
WHAT I'LL BE WATCHING:
Sunday: FIRE vs. UNITED (4 p.m. ET on The Deuce): Thanks to Mile High Club, the Fire's nine-game fluke is over, bringing to an end the longest aberration since Nicole Richie somehow became famous. And by the way, if you haven't seen Freddy Adu's Goal of the Week yet, check out a pretty nice dead ball on this site.
Sunday: HOUSTON vs. CHIVAS USA (8:30 p.m. ET on Fox Soccer Channel): Don't Dynamo seem like they should be better than a .500 ball club, despite everything that's gone on this season? If they're not careful this weekend, they could end up in fourth place and just three points ahead of RSL for the last playoff spot. Wow.
During the season, The Clean Sheet runs each week on MLSnet. Views and opinions expressed in this column views and opinions are the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com. Send any questions and comments to tcsresponses@yahoo.com
