In a word, "wow." In this space last week, I asked for the Red Bulls and Galaxy to deliver me an Instant Classic on Saturday night and they did just that. Yep, for the first time in ESPN Classic history an MLS game became an Instant Classic (Thursday, 7 p.m. ET). So, you bet I'm going to milk it for another week. This week's First XI takes a look back at what we asked for and what we received on a memorable nine-goal night in the Swamp.
11. Beckham in the lineup. In this item, I asked for David Beckham to start and give me a good 45 minutes. He gave me 90. In the first half, I thought he was the best player on the field. Not only were his dead ball assists on Carlos Pavon's first two MLS goals perfect, he also delivered a number of perfectly weighted long balls. In the second half, Beckham looked like he grew tired and got a bit sloppy with the ball, but he was still able to deliver another wonderful corner kick, which resulted in Edson Buddle's equalizer. My only criticism of Beckham's performance was on his second half free kicks, with the Red Bulls putting their entire roster into the wall, I felt Becks should've tried to find a teammate rather than shoot.
10. Boo him. Here, I asked N.Y. fans not to cheer Beckham, but to boo him. And they delivered. I could hardly believe my ears, but every time Beckham took a corner kick, the crowd would rise as one to boo No. 23. It was lovely. Of course, it was also wonderful at the end of the match when those same fans gave him a huge ovation. And Beckham, like the sportsman he is, applauded right back. Even a cynic had to admit, the guy brought energy into the building. It was awesome.
9. Show some desperation. I called for the Galaxy to raise the bar, so to speak. I asked them to play with desperation and, most of all, I asked Landon Donovan to bring his "A" game. I think the Galaxy responded on all fronts. Sure, they fell behind in the opening minutes of the game, but they scored two inconceivably quick goals to take the lead. They carried a strong mentality into the second half when they came from two goals down late. The Galaxy looked like a team that's still got some playoff fight in them.
8. Red Bull response. Here, I talked about the MetroStars/Red Bulls history of coming up small in front of big home crowds. I asked them to finally, as the home team, respond to the challenge of playing in front of a lot of fans. They did. No, it wasn't a perfect performance and I'm sure Bruce Arena has spent a lot of time this week working on his team's set-piece defending, not to mention working with his coaching staff on a verdict as to whether Ronald Wattereus is the answer in goal. Still, five goals, a win, a thriller. I think the Red Bulls can be sure they won over some new fans on the night.
7. New York, meet Juan Pablo Angel. I wanted Red Bulls star Juan Pablo Angel to step up and show all the Beckham Gawkers that New York has a star of its own. Well, what can you say? The guy scored in the first two minutes and the last two minutes. And, he had a nice little game-winning goal celebration when he ran to the fans behind the goal and did something close to the Lambeau Leap, to celebrate with them. By the way, JPA's game-winner won't win any Goal of the Year awards, but it was a beauty, from a tight angle, on what everyone figured would be the game's final chance.
6. You, too, Clint. I asked for Clint Mathis, who might be the Comeback Player of the Year, to score a Turn-Back-The-Clock goal. He did, nailing a volley just before halftime to level the score at 2-2. Ah, but Clint did more than that. Early in the second half, it was Clint's pass that put Jozy Altidore in for the Red Bulls third goal and, on the game-winner, it was Clint's left-footed bomb that Joe Cannon saved, producing the rebound that led to Angel's game-winner. Oh yeah, I asked for Clint to flash the "I Love NY" shirt he wore back in the day. He did not do that, but I hear he flashed four and five fingers, signifiying 45 goals, the number he reached in a MetroBull uniform Saturday night, making him the club's all-time leading scorer in all competitions.
5. Play fast. I asked both clubs to play high-pressure soccer. I wanted chances on both ends. I wanted it to be relentless for 90 minutes. Check, check, check. The pace of this game was scintillating from start to finish. You always felt there were more chances and and more goals coming. I do not remember my kids ever asking for a concessions run.
4. Keep pace. I said, for the Red Bulls, first place in the East was still very much within reach. I said that home points down the stretch are essential. With the win, the Red Bulls, along with D.C. United, are six points back of the first-place Revolution, with two games in hand. The Bulls and Revs have two more meetings left on the schedule, including one this weekend. New York also has a meeting with D.C. on Wednesday. With the LA game last Saturday, how's that for a seven-day stretch? The test is not over for the Red Bulls.
3. Make a statement early. I asked for the referee to hand out an early card if it was warranted and Kevin Stott did just that, issuing a yellow card to Ty Harden in the fourth minute. The only question about the card, however, was whether it should've been red, as Harden looked to be the last defender on the play when he dragged down Altidore. Given the way the game played out, I'm not going to hold anything against Stott. This was a well-officiated game in a big-time atmosphere. The early card did the trick.
2. Big night for you, kid. I said, regarding Altidore, it would be "a great step forward for the 17-year-old striker to score a highlight reel goal or two" and he delivered. The first goal, off a Mathis feed, was just a clean finish. The second was a bit more magical as he backed LA's defense up with some dribbling, and picked his spot to beat Joe Cannon low to the near post. A striker's goal, to be sure. His performance won him Player of the Week ... which is odd because Angel was awarded Man of the Match, and really, from where I sat, the award belonged to Mathis. Anyway, great game for Jozy.
1. Give me a memorable moment. "Deliver the goods," I said. "Give us a classic," I said. "Play like it's the last game of your lives," I said. Well, as I said up top, in a word, "wow." Let's face it, there are many nights in many sports where you buy your ticket, get fired up, drive to the game, and it never materalizes. Saturday night was not one of those nights. This was a night for all time. A night I'll never forget. A night I'll re-live Thursday. An Instant Classic. Kudos to all involved. Keep up the good work, boys.
Jeff Bradley is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. Send your comments and complaints (200 words or less, please) to Jeff at jbradleyespn2003@yahoo.com and he promises to read (but not respond to) all of them. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
