Ok, I’ll admit I’ve crossed over into soccer nerd-dom.  I actually consciously and purposely sat down on my couch to watch an MLS game that didn’t involve the Sounders.

In my defense, the game that drew my interest tonight involved the team ahead of the Sounders in the standings (Houston Dynamo), and the team the Sounders play in the US Open Cup final (DC United).  Plus, now that we’re not in conflict with any World Cup qualifiers, Gold Cup or Confederation Cup games, it was the firsttime to see all the teams at full strength for quite a while.  For example, I had no idea the Dynamo had like 4 or 5 US National team players (Clark, Ching, Holden, Brad Davis and someone else). 

But the reason for my post here, is that after watching the game being played in Houston, I can see why the game isn’t attended well in other cities.  You really couldn’t help but feel for the poor fans of Houston.  The PA Announcer seemed to treat the game as some sort of minor league football or basketball game.  His cheesy cadence, tone and enthusiasm made me feel like I was at a hockey game or rock concert.  It didn’t feel like a soccer game at all.

I couldn’t tell if the stadium was custom built for soccer – because it looked a lot like they took over the Rice University football stadium, so I apologize if it’s nicer in real life than it looks on TV.

Anyway, I guess my point is that I have a new appreciation for Sounders management for treating Sounders games like a real soccer game, not a minor league baseball game.   Sure its a little hammed-up, but at least it’s not Houston.