MLS Cup teams begin training in Seattle

SEATTLE -- The teams arrived in Seattle last night, all staying near the teeming town center, presumably to be close Pike Place Market in case they get the urge to throw some fish.

From a competition standpoint, I find it interesting that the teams didn’t arrive a little earlier. On the one hand, I do get it: they want proper training during the week, and that’s more manageable in nicer conditions. So both clubs trained at their usual spots as late as Thursday, then flew up, caught some zzz's and trained this morning at Qwest.

They did get a feel for the wet turf, training in a light rain at Qwest. That’s good, as they surely wanted at least one session on the damp plastic pitch. Balls react differently on the wet fakey, of course, and the ability to remove an element of mystery for players seems important.

Oddly, however, they won’t train under the lights. I would surely want at least one session at night. Goalkeepers, in particular, like to handle a few balls, spotting the flight with the lights in the background and such.

Meanwhile, I heard from a friend who helps write one a delightfully wicked blog, Badder Homes and Garden. I’ve been writing about how much I like the way Seattle rolls. Her? "I’ve been to Seattle for exactly 22 hours. It involved working, drinking mead, and vomiting in the bathroom of a breakfast diner. I also looked at the Space Needle from the window of a car.”

Uh, yeah, I think they call that the Courtney Love tour. It’s a popular one.