MLS Week 23 Review: We Need a Proper MLS Highlights Show

By: Daryl | September 9th, 2007

Marvell Wynne in his NYRB days Don’t look now but MLS is getting exciting. As we get into the final weeks of the regular season the race for the eight playoff berths has officially started, points are worth fighting for and so the majority of games are starting to really mean something. The addition of TFC has helped, as even though 8 from 13 in the post season is still an absurdly high percentage, at least it’s not two thirds of all teams. We’ve all talked endlessly about how MLS could be improved in terms of structure, but there’s one thing the league is missing that wouldn’t need any organizational changes: a really good highlights show.

There’s a great show in England called Match of the Day. For those unfamiliar, it’s extended highlights and analysis of all the day’s Premiership games and has become a sort of BBC institution. It’s not whole games, but it’s not just shots on goal either. The games are smartly edited and condensed into five to fifteen minute packages that ebb and flow like real games. The commentary is present tense, so there’s no “then in the 15th minute Dempsey came close,” it’s more like watching a live game, just much shorter and only the interesting bits.

It also offers the casual football fan a chance to digest all the action without committing to 90 minutes. The video highlights currently offered on the MLS website are a nice gesture, but what I’d really like to see is a show on ESPN or (preferably) Fox Soccer Channel where they do a similar thing. Extended highlights and analysis, a look at the tables and so on and so forth. The post-game analysis aspect is especially important for a bit of edutainment. If ESPN really want newbies to take an interest and learn about soccer then Dave O’Brien’s trusty printout of pointless factoids (”Marvell Wynne’s favourite colour is aquamarine*”) isn’t going to cut it, but some illustrated examples of when the Toronto fullback should and shouldn’t make overlapping runs will increase knowledge and appreciation everywhere.

Right now you have the choice of watching an entire game on a Thursday or Saturday night (not that I’m complaining, but it’s not for everyone) or sniffing around the internets for some poorly edited highlights which are basically juts all the goals and a few saves. A thoughtfully conceived and executed highlights show would add to the narrative of the MLS season, which is hard to follow unless you’re a real diehard, and would surely win over more than a few casual viewers who have a passing interest in MLS but aren’t prepared to sit through 90+ minutes of Columbus Crew’s goalless draw away to Real Salt Lake.

That little rant finished with, on to The Offside MLS Awards for this week…

Most Productive Week: Luciano Emilio
With his compatriots in Chicago for an entertaining game against the USA, DC’s Brazilian striker Luciano Emilio spent the week filling his boots. Two for DC as they drew 2-2 with Chivas USA on Thursday, and another two on Sunday as DC beat New England 4-2 to go top of the East, and top of the (imaginary) single table by one point.

Best Game We Couldn’t See: Dynamo vs RSL
A Nate Jaqua hat trick helped Houston see of Real Salt Lake 4-3, apparently. Unless you were at Robertson Stadium you’ll just have to take MLS’ word for it, as they’re not sharing the highlights.

Most Ill Advised Visit To Dallas: Tyrone Marshall
Back in June, when he was playing for Galaxy, Toronto’s Tyrone Marshall broke Dallas striker Kenny Cooper’s leg. So he was never going to be popular on his return to Frisco and was booed all evening. But his night got worse when referee Hilario Grajeda gave Dallas a penalty after Marshall made minimal contact with Abe Thompson. Dallas’s new Designated Player Denilson stepped up and clipped the ball off the left hand post and in, his first MLS goal in his first MLS start, and a Man of the Match performance to boot as Dallas won 2-0.

Best Late Season Run at The Playoffs: Chicago Fire
Fire looked dead and buried not too long ago, but with the additions of Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Paolo Wanchope, plus the return of Chris Rolfe, they’ve dragged themselves back into contention. They beat Columbus Crew 1-0 with a nice goal from Wanchope, who made a mockery of Crew’s offside trap to run through and score. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think if the season finished right now Chicago would just nick the final playoff spot with 29 points, just one point ahead of the Colorado Rapids.

Too Little Too Late Award: LA Galaxy
The Galaxy with their shiny new Herbalife shirts and flashy logo, but no Beckham, finally got a win after two horrible, horrible months when they beat Colorado 3-1. They’ve got three games in hand on the Rapids and three on Chicago, but they’re still the bottom of MLS, trailing TFC and RSL. I’d love to see them turn it around and get Beckham back in time for the post-season, but it doesn’t look likely.

Best Assist: Sacha Kljestan
Chivas midfielder Kljestan received the ball in the box and sweetly nutmegged Red Bulls defender Kevin Goldthwaite before squaring the ball for Maykel Galindo to score in the 4th minute. Chivas never looked back and won 3-0 with another from Galindo (great finish to lift it over Waterreus) and a penalty from Ante Razov. With all the attention on Galaxy this season, it’s Chivas who look like the best team in Los Angeles, currently sitting third in the West just two points behind Dallas.

*this isn’t true, unless by some bizarre co-incidence it is