One of the great things about First XI is that it's the first column of the week, which gives me the opportunity to be first in line for the easiest them of them all, the Thanksgiving column. The MLS fan in me has much to be thankful for as we head into our offseason.
11. Mathis goal: Left-footed volley, upper corner. Late in the game. Playoffs no less. Maybe it just seems like we've waited four seasons to see Clint Mathis score a goal like this, the kind of goal he used to score all the time back in 2000-2001. All I know is this, there is not a player in MLS the fans would love to see return to his old form more than Cleetus. That goal for the Rapids will give hope to MLS fans throughout the winter that Clint's got more of those goals in his boots. It is not out of the question. This Saturday, Mathis turns 30.
10. Toronto FC: Gotta love new teams. From last week's expansion draft to the first few player signings and trades, we get to watch something grow from the ground up. Canadian soccer fans are scratching would-be lineups onto napkins, wondering how much they've got to give up to get Dwayne De Rosario into the mix. Remember the last two expansion teams and how everyone, it seemed, looked at Mathis and Jason Kreis and Andy Williams and Eddie Pope and thought Real Salt Lake could contend for a title right out of the gate? Remember the massive assumption that Chivas USA would load up with big-time Mexican youth players? I must admit, Toronto looks like it's got the makings of a decent team. As with RSL and Chivas, we won't know for sure until they get a few games under their belts.
9. The Designated Player rule: Who knows what will happen with the new designated player rule? How many teams want to change their salary plan? And how drastically do they want to change it? Seems this is a rule that's going to ignite some fun offseason talk in Los Angeles and New York. Already we hear Ronaldo to the Red Bulls and David Beckham himself to the Galaxy. That, in itself, is something to be thankful for. If big names are, indeed, on the way, may they come ready to play, with a healthy respect for the league and the level of competitiveness.
8. John Skipper: What better time than now to butter up my boss at ESPN. From the day I met Skipper, some 10 years ago, when he was working specifically on the launch of ESPN The Magazine, he's been an advocate of soccer. Get ready for a new look to MLS games on ESPN in 2007, especially in the way the players and coaches are analyzed and critiqued. And, yeah, dream of the day down the road when the Worldwide Leader in Sports helps lead the way to a true world club championship in the most worldly game of them all.
7. The SuperDraft: Friday, Jan. 12 in Indianapolis. For my money, it's the zaniest day in U.S. soccer. From all the mock drafts (which I will never attempt to participate in) to the post-draft grades (won't go there, either), it's downright comical. But, man, is it fun. Draft day, historically, is also a day when we see a lot of good trades. In short, in the long offseason, it's a day MLS fans can really get into.
6. Tony Meola: He'll probably be embarrassed that I mention this, but Tony spent every Tuesday this fall training my son Tyler's youth soccer team down on the Jersey Shore. Tony's son Jonathan, a crafty left-winger and acrobatic goalkeeper, is also on the team. Tony has an amazing gift with the boys and gave them high-energy practice sessions they will not soon forget. Not sure what the future holds for Tony and his family, but I know 15 boys and their parents are eternally grateful for all the time and effort he put into our team this fall. Tony is not alone among MLS players who give their time to youth soccer. In every market there are players who coach kids. They're giving back to the game in a big, big way. Thanks again, Tony.
5. The European press: Now that the so-called "Beckham Rule" is in place, expect thousands upon thousands of agent-generated stories to be coming out of Europe, how this player and that player are leaving for a "big American pay day." Take them with a grain of salt 99 percent of the time, but, hey, the same can be said for most of the offseason rumors you hear in and around the other American sports.
4. The new U.S. national team coach: It's going to be fun to see what happens with the new coach of the U.S. national team. The long, drawn-out process has been a bit of a soap opera for U.S. fans, but that's part of the fun, just as it will be interesting to see if the new coach has new ideas and new players he wants to bring into the team. The buildup to qualifying will be spiced up by Copa America and, I imagine, the national team will be a huge story in the coming year, simply because of the new man in charge. How cool is it that people care about this stuff? I'm old enough to remember when people didn't even realize we had a national soccer team.
3. Bloggers: There are a lot of good soccer blogs out there, but my personal favorite is DuNord. It's a one-stop place to check out what's going on in U.S. soccer, from the best news stories, to the most interesting observations from other bloggers. Check him out.
2. The grinders: Watching Houston Dynamo's Brian Ching score all those big goals down the stretch, I couldn't help but remember that Ching was bounced from MLS a few short years ago. He kept grinding away, though, until he not only returned, but emerged as one of the league's top forwards. As we hear people clamor for more big-name players in MLS, let's not forget guys like Ching and New England Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston and Chivas USa midfielder Jesse Marsch and Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis (and so many others) who've honed their games here in MLS and have become among the league's best players.
1. Hardcore fans: They can be hard on me, both in e-mail and on message boards, but I still love them. Love how they keep me honest. Love how they point out my mistakes, challenge me to come up with better topics and recognize their favorite teams and players. I poke fun at them from time to time, but I know that the league needs them, now more than ever, as it continues to grow. So, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who take the time out to read this column each week. Keep pushing the game and the league along, folks.
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.
