Welcome to the jungle

By: Chris | April 21st, 2007

After a long, stressful week, there is nothing like the excitement of Premier League football to warm up for MLS. And after watching the dogfight between Sheffield United- Charlton, I am reminded how the looming threat of relegation can liven up a match.

While many PL players are already planning their holiday, those threatened with the drop are fighting for their paychecks. But though some might have expected a long ball barrage, both sides managed to mix long and short passing with passion and commitment to create some quality football.

In the second half of a even contest, Sheffield United seemed to be gaining the upper hand until a blast from Talal El Karkouri (or should I say a flick from Mikele Tonge’s boot) put Charlton ahead. To their credit, Sheffield United responded by keeping the ball on the ground and bringing on an extra striker. And their positive effort was rewarded with an excellent strike from Stead to level the score moments later.

Suddenly the urgency of the match stepped up a gear with bone crunching tackles and scoring chances flying in from both sides. While a draw was the inevitable result, both teams were clearly hungry for the win. But for me, the most memorable image from this match was Tonge’s face after the goal.

Like Donald Trump without a wig, the guy was near tears in the realization that one unlucky moment could have just doomed his team’s season. But as heartbreaking as it may appear, moments like these are the reason we play and support football.

From a playing prospective, I would take this guy on my team any day over Beckham or Zidane—simply because he knows what it is to battle for the cause. While many great footballers need a platform to perform (think Zidane’s headbutt in Germany or Beckham’s stomp in WC 98), I wonder how they would fare in the mid- summer heat against MLS defenders. Ill tell you how: painfully.

Just because you make around 500 times more than your opponent does exempt you from a kick up the backside (just ask Freddy Adu). Don’t get me wrong, the league has come leaps and bounds since it’s inception, but not so far as to change the hard nosed, workman like style which defines the American player. And nor should it.

This is our league and if you want to play, you show up every week to earn your paycheck like every other player. But this is also why I feel JPA will succeed in New York. Due to Villa’s annual flirt with the drop, this guy comes to the league with the fear of god instilled in him. Unlike Beckham and Zidane, he knows what it is to get stuck in—whether at a well manicured Old Trafford or the mudhole which is Vicarage road.

In short, Angel is likely to still feel the pressure to perform both on and off the field. I hope that in addition to scoring 20+ goals, he can attract thousands of new fans. But the fact that he, and indeed all of Bruce’s foreign signing so far, already seem to know what commitment is about already gives them a unique insight in to the American game. And a leg up on overpaid competition. Lets just hope this plays out tonight.