When some of Major League Soccer's top teams face off in the San Antonio area this week for the first Texas Pro Soccer Festival, fans could very well be in store for a preview of this season's MLS Cup Final.
Last November, Houston Dynamo lifted the MLS Cup for the second year in a row when they defeated the New England Revolution 2-1. Dominic Kinnear's side have made the short trip and are joined by Chivas USA, last year's Western Conference regular-season winner, 2007 Supporters' Shield winner and four-time MLS champion D.C. United, and up-and-coming Toronto FC.
While it might be a little early to look ahead to this November and who'll be battling it out for the 2008 MLS Cup crown, the start of the new season will be here in a little more than three weeks, and this week's exhibition series will afford teams the opportunity to continue working towards that point against teams that they'll be facing soon.
For Houston and D.C., it'll provide a few high-quality tune-ups for their upcoming CONCACAF Champions' Cup quarterfinal matches, as they'll play the first legs of their respective ties next Wednesday. Houston will play Guatemalan side CSD Municipal in Guatemala, while D.C. will play Harbour View of Jamaica in Kingston.
All four sides involved in this week's event have several new faces and squad changes, so the coaches will be able to do some scouting of league opposition, and along the same lines, see where they stand in terms of starting lineup and roster spots that are still yet to be decided.
"As we look to solidify our roster, this is a good opportunity to get some guys some minutes to see how they are in a game environment, and work alongside some of the guys that are going to be here," said D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn. "So that gives us a chance to look at some guys in a competitive environment against other teams."
For Soehn, the primary objective might be to keep the key players fit heading into their showdown with Harbour View.
"We have to really focus on next Wednesday, so there'll be limited minutes for the most part, because we have to focus on something different than the other teams," he said.
Not only will the week benefit the teams involved in terms of their preseason preparations, but it will also be a great opportunity for area soccer fans to see some of the top talent MLS has to offer, from veteran stars Jaime Moreno, Ante Razov, and Dwayne De Rosario, to young stars Maurice Edu and Francisco Mendoza, along with 2007 MLS MVP Luciano Emilio and one of the league's top new faces, Argentinean playmaker Marcelo Gallardo.
Along with the three doubleheaders, fans will be able to see the teams practice throughout the week, and on Saturday, there will be a celebrity charity match featuring several reality television stars and some well-known names in U.S. soccer -- including a couple of former MLS and U.S. national team stars Marcelo Balboa and Preki, who'll take some time off from his duties as Chivas USA head coach to again take the field.
Along with the charity match, the entire event will be good soccer for a good cause, as all proceeds will go for charitable purposes, including to aid the improvement of soccer in the San Antonio area. Jason Cronkhite, CEO of Ziga-Zoga Sports & Entertainment, Inc., one of the event's main organizers along with the San Antonio Metropolitan Youth Soccer Institute, is looking for the event to be a big hit with soccer fans in the area.
"We're hoping to raise enough money to continue SAMYS' mission to develop and bring new opportunities like the Texas Pro Soccer Festival for kids and families to see the highest level of soccer in the area, and that the event really draws significant interest from the community to desire more MLS in the area," said Cronkhite.
The action gets underway on Wednesday night with D.C. United facing Chivas USA at 6 p.m. and Houston going up against Toronto at 8:30. There will be another doubleheader on Friday night, with Eastern Conference foes D.C. and Toronto squaring off at 6 p.m., with Western Conference foes Houston and Chivas playing at 8:30. After the celebrity match on Saturday, the event rounds off on Sunday, as Houston and D.C. face off at 12:30 before heading off to their respective CONCACAF Champions' Cup contests, with Toronto and Chivas USA in the finale at 2:30.
Eddie Griffin is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
