The Major League Soccer playoffs began Oct. 29. If you’re sad you missed it, then cheer up, because you’ve still got a month left to catch these exciting games, including a pair of conference final games this upcoming Sunday. Still not convinced? Let me try to persuade you.
The first matchup Sunday features the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference — the New England Revolution — against the No. 4 seed — the New York Red Bulls — at 1:30 p.m.
The only NFL game during that time which features two teams above .500 is an intraconference showdown between the Detroit Lions and the New England Patriots; so, you can’t use NFL Sunday as your excuse for not watching this game. At the very least, you should be checking NBC from time-to-time for updates during the American football timeouts and commercial breaks.
You’re going to be channel surfing your local CBS and FOX channels for football games anyway, so why not stop on NBC for a little fútbol? Plus, if you’re a Patriots fan, I’m sure owner Robert Kraft wouldn’t mind if you paid a little more attention to his second team as they try to get a good result on their quest for a league title.
The Revolution has a legitimate shot this year to win their first-ever league title after acquiring midfielder Jermaine Jones — yes, the one who struck the ball into the net from distance against Portugal this summer for the United States Men’s National Team in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Revolution have gone 10-1-1 in their last 12 games since Jones’ arrival, but he is not the one leading the Revs into New York this Sunday. Though Jones has two goals and five assists since his Aug. 30 appearance, midfielder Lee Nguyen has had 11 goals in that span, leading the team with 18 total goals, 13 more than the next guy on the list.
The other notable name on the team is Charlie Davies, the United States’ missing piece in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He scored two goals in the Revs’ 7-3 two-game aggregate win against the Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Revs’ opponents, the New York Red Bulls, narrowly upset the No.1 seed D.C. United in the Eastern Conference Semifinals with a 3-2 aggregate win Nov. 8.
For you New York football fans, this might be your best chance to see a New York “football” team compete for a championship given the current woes of the Jets and the Giants. Plus, if you drink Red Bull, you have a moral obligation to follow this team. You should also definitely watch the Red Bulls if you like watching European players past their prime play (looking at you, Thierry Henry).
The second matchup of the day features the Seattle Sounders FC and LA Galaxy in the Western Conference Championships at 5 p.m. on ESPN. The NFL has a few more exciting games in this time slot — namely the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks in an NFC West matchup — but like Mr. Kraft, I’m sure owner Paul Allen wouldn’t mind if you watched the Sounders, too.
Consistently one of the best teams in the MLS since their inaugural season in 2009, the Sounders have yet to reach the ultimate plateau and hoist the MLS cup. They are currently the No. 1 seed in the West but had to use an away goal tiebreaker to win against No. 4 seed FC Dallas in the previous round, after tying them 1-1 in aggregates.
On the Sounders roster are a couple of players you’ve probably heard of: midfielder Clint Dempsey and defender Deandre Yedlin. Dempsey is currently second on the team in goals scored with 15, having played five fewer games than forward Obafemi Martins, who leads the team with 17. Before coming to America, Martins played 12 seasons in some of the best leagues in Europe.
On the other side is the LA Galaxy. This is one of the remaining few chances you will have to see Galaxy forward and USMNT legend Landon Donovan play. Deemed unfit and too old for the national team this past World Cup, Donovan proved he's still got it by leading the league in assists. He had 19 assists in the regular season and had one in a 5-0 roasting of Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference Semifinals. Donovan scored three of those five goals after scoring 10 goals during the regular season.
The Galaxy also has two other USMNT alumni: former men’s national team head coach, Bruce Arena and defender Omar Gonzalez. Gonzalez and the Galaxy defense have only allowed 37 goals to get past their goalkeeper this season, which is a league’s best.
Americans, you don't have to wait until 2018 to care about soccer again — you can start this weekend.
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