Major League Soccer, First Kick: Timbers Take It To The Union

But we expected that, right?

Anyways, it was only one game or one week depending on how you look at things. With 33 to go, it is time to remind you that this is not a sprint to the finish. The MLS season is a very long one.

Backe will be without three key players for this one as Wilman Conde is out injured, Rafa Marquez is suspended and Luke Rogers is still dealing with some visa issues.

The result marked the first time the Earthquakes had won on First Kick since rejoining MLS during the 2008 season.

With Kamara outleaping the defender to get a solid header, Hamid was caught in a leap. But he was able to stop the ball with his feet to keep it scoreless.

Amarikwa’s golazo from about 20 yards out is instantly a goal of the year candidate. Just take a look:

As of April 26, the 2011 edition of Real Salt Lake was already being hailed as one of the greatest MLS teams ever, if not the best, by casual fans and long-time experts alike. If this sounds hyperbolic, do some digging through MLS blogs and mainstream websites. The events that followed may have clouded your memory. This team really was being called the best American club side ever by people who watched MLS in the 1990s. Honestly, they might have been at the time.

The point of all this is that nothing is ever certain in March. The Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Salt Lake are two of the best teams in MLS. They both have excellent rosters full of players who have played together at this level for a long time, and they have been complimented by players who have performed at a level equal to or higher than MLS. Barring a catastrophe, these two teams will make the playoffs comfortably. This is a reasonable prediction to make, right now, without seeing either team play an MLS match.

It took long enough, but the preseason is done and MLS will finally play matches that matter. It is a glorious time in American soccer. Allocation order? Unimportant! Why is the SuperDraft so super? Ask me again in 10 months! How about promotion and relegation? Seriously, just don’t eve ask that question ever again.

This week, we finally get to talk about forwards and goalkeeper, goals and saves, tactics and managers. And guess what? They actually matter! The preseason jog abouts are done. This stuff is for real, finally.