It’s Sounders not the Orangemen Having a Happy Twelfth of July
July 12
Prost Amerika’s 686 Days That Changed the World
Obviously this is a season of firsts. But as the inaugural year on this journey has meandered its way around bends, up hills and down dales, scaling the heights of the first away win in Toronto to the depths of chucking away victories against DC, LA and NY (see a pattern there?), there have been enough statistics to make our friends at sounderatheart.com happier than Landon Donovan waving David Beckham off at the airport.
As the season progresses, there are fewer and fewer firsts each time. But yesterday’s win over the Houston Dynamo was different. There were a number of firsts scattered among a range of aspects of the game.
In no particular order, we felt it worth mentioning that this was Sounders FC’s FIRST come from behind win in their MLS career. This is fundamental to the success of the club, and it suggests that the ‘we’re not going to take it’ attitude that seems to have emanated from Kasey Keller’s outburst after the DC game, and began to show signs of blossoming at Giants Stadium the next week, has grown into to a fully bloomed plant.
Many column inches will be written about Brian Schmetzer this morning after his FIRST game taking charge of an MLS side. He deserves every noun, verb and adjective of praise. Not many of those writing will have been there in years past when Brian was the Head Coach of the Sounders in the USL, and can truly appreciate how deserving this true gentleman is of his moment in the sun.
The Launch of Apollo 11?
After the game, there were the usual three of us sticking our microphones in his face. The pain on his face was evident. “I don’t know, boys,” he said. “I just don’t have the answer.” Neither did myself, Matt Gaschk, or Matt Massey (then working for the Times and the PI). But we did know one thing. Brian Schmetzer was the most honest man in football at that moment. How many other managers can you imagine looking at the press and admitting he just didn’t have the answer? In the end, it turned out well and Sounders did indeed make the play-offs. But you can imagine just how pleased the three of us were for Brian yesterday.
From an old acquaintance for longtime Sounders fans, to someone relatively new to us. Peter Vagenas finished 90 minutes for the FIRST time in the MLS side yesterday. Peter hasn’t really had a break this year. He arrived with an injury that prevented him making an early impact, and other new stars gained the hearts and minds of Sounders fans. Nor did he have the longstanding relationship with the fanbase of some of the existing USL players. Or the long career at the top level abroad that made others household names. And with the injury, Peter has had no chance to affect any of that. Yesterday, he got his chance, and he took it. After the game he was honest, when asked if he thought he had won over some fans. “It’s all about the team winning, and I know I have to keep working hard to be able to contribute to that.” One up for a good guy.
In case you hadn’t noticed, Sounders beat the Western Conference division leaders. This is another FIRST. What makes this important? Well, other than the MLS Champions whom would you rather beat? Reigning champions can be going through a patch in which everyone has beaten them, which devalues the achievement. But to beat the league leaders, especially when they came into the game with just one defeat in 15 is special.
Pat Ianni’s FIRST goal for Sounders came yesterday. That brings the total number of people who have scored for Sounders FC to 10 in the MLS, not including the unfortunate Tyrone Marshall and James Riley who got on the scoresheet in the less traditional fashion. Add in Open Cup goals for Roger Levesque, Sanna Nyassi, Stephen King and Kevin Forrest and you get 14 players who have scored for the franchise in competitive matches. Welcome to the club Patrick.
Kasey Keller’s experience and the respect of his colleagues has been an influence which does not lend itself to representation by a mere statistic. But we can still bring you not only a Kasey first, but a Kasey “only.” For the FIRST and probably only time in his MLS career, Kasey was not the oldest player on the pitch.
Vancouver BC’s Pat Onstad was born on January 18, 1968, a full 686 days before Kasey. Don’t laugh. A lot can happen in 686 days. And here to prove it, is the FIRST and almost certainly last ever installment of 1/18/1968 – 11/29/1969: 686 Days that Changed the World.
Prost Amerika’s 686 Days That Changed the World
Between 1/13/1968 when Pat Onstad was born in Vancouver BC (the same day Johnny Cash recorded Live at Folsom Prison), and 11/29/1969 when a obstetrician in Olympia, Washington first showed Kasey Keller that gloves could be tax deductible, the following things happened.
Man landed on the moon
Pierre Trudeau became Prime Minister of Canada
Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968
Manchester United become the first English team to win the European Cup
Richard Nixon became President of the USA
The Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia to end the “Prague Spring”
Martin Luther King shot dead
Actor Matthew Perry and singers, LL Cool J, Damon Albarn, Kenny Chesney, Celine Dion and Sarah McLachlan were born. So was Paolo Maldini
Saddam Hussein becomes Vice Chairman of the Revolutionary Council in Iraq
Pope Paul VI publishes the encyclical entitled Humanae Vitae, condemning birth control
Canada introduces no fault divorce
The Beatles give their last public performance, on the roof of Apple Records
El Salvador and Honduras have a brief war started by a football game
The last steam passenger train service runs in Britain
French became one of Canada’s Official languages
Montreal Expos baseball team played their first home game
Mexico City held the summer Olympics
The British Army is sent to Northern Ireland to keep the religious communities apart
Concorde flew for the first time
The musical Hair officially opens on Broadway
Yale admitted women for the first time
Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman
Monty Python’s Flying Circus first airs in the United Kingdom
Pelé scores his 1,000th goal
July 12, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Steve, you forgot a major event that took place during those 686 days: Bobby Kennedy was assassinated on June 6, 1968.
July 12, 2009 at 4:26 pm
I didn’t forget. I just didn’t want to go overboard on the assassination front.
July 12, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Have to say that it’s nice to see Pete Vagenas getting a little love. I’ve been a Galaxy fan in the past and I always liked him; he seems like a genuinely decent person.
I think a lot of his problems stem from the fact that he’s coming here at what is essentially the end of his career, when he’s worked his way up the payscale. People look at the contributions of a newcomer like, say, Hurtado (who makes what,$36,000?) and blame Pete for making too much, relatively speaking.
This is warranted in a lot of ways, given that MLS teams have finite resources, but it does keep people here from giving Pete credit for what he’s accomplished.
I’ve found myself wishing a couple of times this year that he could have finished his career out in LA where he’s a known quantity, and where people better recognize what he brings to a team.
September 23, 2009 at 4:23 am
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