Ten Things We Learned From MLS Cup 2007

MLS Cup is the showpiece event, the soccer Super Bowl if you will. It’s one of the few games televised on regular network ABC, instead of on ESPN2 alongside hot-dog eating contests and all the other bizarro sports. So it needs to be decently entertaining, and thankfully it wasn’t too bad as a spectacle. Not that there were any particularly eye-popping skills on display, but New England and Houston generated just enough goalmouth action to keep everyone interested, and plenty of emotion and drama. Especially if you’re a New England fan. It was the Revs third straight MLS Cup appearance, and their third straight loss (fourth MLS Cup loss overall.) They are the new Buffalo Bills. Or maybe the new owners of the Boston Red Sox curse. Whatever they are, they’re not MLS champions.

Taylor Twellman put the Revs ahead with a great header from a nice Steve Ralston cross in the 20th minute. Joseph Ngwenya levelled with a scrappy goal in the 61st before Dwayne De Rosario made Revs fans miserable when his snap header met Brad Davis’ sweetly struck cross. Jeff Larentowicz thought he’d leveled things up again in the dying minutes, but his point blank header was saved by Pat Onstad’s feet and Houston held out to become the first back to back MLS champions since DC United in 1996 and 1997.

Here are 10 Things We Learned From MLS Cup 2007:

1. Dave O’Brien is getting better
I literally hit mute whenever O’Brien was commentating during the World Cup last summer, and I’m still whatever the exact opposite of a fan is, but the Ricky Gervais lookalike is definitely getting better. The big improvement is that he’s making an effort to actually commentate on the flow of the game, announcing who has the ball and who they pass it to.

2. Dwayne De Rosario is quality
He may sport a hairstyle that even Rio Ferdinand eventually rejected, but the Canadian was all class on the big occasion once again. His snap header won the game, but his little dance afterwards was even better.

3. Craig Waibel isn’t all that tough
I’d heard he was tougher than Chuck Norris, but there was a touch of the Didas about the way Waibel wobbled and then fell down after Khano Smith almost connected with a headbutt.

4. Khano Smith needs to learn some composure
Waibel’s exaggerated collapse was a little theatrical, but Smith should have known better than to attempt a headbutt in MLS Cup over a little argument after a straightforward shoulder to shoulder to challenge. Further evidence of Smith’s lack of composure can be found here.

5. New England should try letting Houston score first
In 2006 and 2007, New England scored first and then threw it away. Next time they face Houston Dynamo (MLS Cup 2008?) they should try letting the men in orange score first and then take it from there. Of course they tried this in 2005 against LA Galaxy and went on to lose 1-0. I’m not saying it’s foolproof.

6. Houston Dynamo have strength in depth
They went into this game missinng calf casualty Brian Ching or Carlos Ruiz casualty Ricardo Clark, but still got the job done.

7. Jimmy Eat World are average at best
Their sound really disappeared into the ether during halftime. But their mundane effort was balance out by Placido Domingo, who did a nice job with the US national anthem.

8. San Jose soccer fans must wish they could have their old team back
Must be weird for San Jose fans to see what was their team winning back to back MLS Cups, but also knowing that an entirely new – but almost definitely not as good – team is about to be formed in their city.

9. It looks bad when referees gets involved in a goal celebration
It was probably pure coincidence, but when the New England Revs gathered round to celebrate Taylor Twellman’s goal, Alex Prus took the phrase man in the middle a little too literally and wound up in the middle of a big Revs group hug. [turns out it wasn't Prus in the celebration, but assistant referee/linesman Robert Fereday]

10. Houston Dynamo are the most successful football team ever in the whole world, sort of
How many other teams can claim to have won the title every single season of their history?

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Category: MLS, World Football