Chris Writing Anything

In the past nine months, I’ve been watching a lot of soccer, and I’ve been learning much about this worldwide sport. So, last Thursday, I figured, “What the heck, I’ll try my hand at prognostication!”

When the games were played, I realized, much to my chagrin, that when hyping those upcoming showdowns, there were many variables I failed to include. In that post, I hadn’t predicted what the final scores would be, heck, I hadn’t dared pick a winner in most matchups , but, even if I hadn’t, some of the clashes just didn’t seem to justify my build up.

So, should I quit? My answer, at least for the time being, “Nah, I just need to do little more research, especially before deciding whether the game would be fun to watch.

In this post, I’ll share my embarrassing predictions, and I’ll explain why I was wrong, and I’ll tell you what I failed to consider. And I’ll also tell you how these games shape the league.

First off, the first game I had mentioned was Minnesota versus Philadelphia. When considering my pre game outlook, I don’t feel horrible. I had a feeling the Union might win this one…

Yet, I said Emanuel Reynoso would see more playing time…the dude wasn’t even in the stadium. For the Loons sake, after a 2-0 thumping, I hope Reynoso returns soon. That being said, it was a fairly entertaining match. Now that my preliminary forecast is in the books, next time, I’ll pay closer attention to team news.

This game also gave the LA Galaxy, who are busting from the gates, much like thoroughbreds with awesome pedigrees, anyways, the Galaxy now have a spot at the top…I’ll get to that in a sec.

Long before the Galaxy took the field, we were treated to the upset of the day, or, it was at least in my mind, and that was Colorado’s win over LAFC. Okay, LA was playing at altitude, and I failed to check their record in Denver. Had I, I wouldn’t have assumed that they would walk all over Colorado. They didn’t, and even if I believe Los Angeles should have prevailed, Colorado secured their first home victory.

LAFC, last year’s MLS Cup’s second place finishers, are in need of repair. Even if the season is young, they’re a point below the playoff line. Granted, they have plenty of time to climb back, yet, Carlos Vela’s absence is a problem.

Besides that, I was really interested in Orlando taking on the New York Red Bulls. You know what, it was a decent game. I felt it was high energy, and the draw was well deserved by both sides.

Granted, with New York in control after its first goal, the second half was fairly sluggish. Yet, Orlando’s last minute goal made the game worth watching.

Right now, New York is one point out of first place..that’s cool! And though Orlando is in the basement, I feel this team is much better than their record…but I could be wrong.

Now then, my biggest stinker was the LA Galaxy versus the Seattle Sounders. There was standing water on the field. So, the game was altered by that. When showcasing a game, next time, I’ll check the forecast.

With that stated, the Galaxy look very strong, and their position at the top seems justified. The Sounders on the other hand, after another poor outing, really need all hands on deck. If not, the rest of the season could be murky.

I felt St. Louis versus Real Salt Lake was definitely entertaining. However, I was anticipating a St. Louis victory. Here’s why I need to consider other elements…like home field advantage. I believe the pitch sits at elevation, so, maybe, possibly, fatigue was a factor.

Another game I had highlighted, and the outcome was somewhat close to what I had expected, was Columbus against Nashville. After a beat down last Saturday, Nashville rebounded against Columbus, and the home club’s fans were treated to a fun draw. I should have mentioned, because I think it had certainly mattered, that the game was in Nashville.

Toronto FC versus Sporting Kansas City, despite the final result, may have been the best match I had watched. Yes, while I sat on my sofa, and while the April snow fell outside my windows, my television was aglow…the action was blazing. Chances, shots on goal and brilliant saves….so, okay…maybe every decision wasn’t a mistake.

Last year, SKC got off to a rough start, and, because of that, were poorly seeded in the 2023 MLS Cup tourney. Early in this season, they look as tough as anybody, and they should prove to be hard to beat. Toronto, on the other hand, did not look horrible. I expect these two teams to have good seasons.

All and all, I had certainly made mistakes. Tomorrow, armed with my phone and 50” television, I’ll try to eliminate those errors. Yet, even as I try, I can’t escape the fact that I’m a middle aged, hopelessly white male and I’m also a clueless American learning the most popular international sport. But, eh…dude, I’m learning.

Entertainment is the Goal!