It just feels right that Seattle were the first to do it. And it helps that in addition to their history and pedigree, they brought nearly 70,000 fans out to Lumen Field with them. That's the largest crowd in CCL history. Not the largest for an American team, the largest in history, period. Pretty good!
But now that two days have passed, it seems like it almost feels too right that Seattle have done it. This is a long, long awaited moment for MLS fans, and a day largely dreaded by Liga MX faithful. And yet, now that Seattle have done it, everything feels a little quiet, in a good way. The story made all the newspapers, made it to SportsCenter, and certainly is being widely celebrated in Sounders country.
But to my eyes, there has been no legion of MLS fans proclaiming that the gap has finally closed. Nor has there been a counter of Liga MX fans saying that the gap is as large as it has ever been. That narrative has taken a complete back seat. And while I think that is for the best, I'm also just surprised. When the moment finally came, I expected chaos and pandemonium and hilarious declarations from both American and Mexican media. In reality? Some, but not as much fireworks as I predicted.
I don't mean to imply that this win is not a big deal. I think it's a very very very big deal for Seattle. The Sounders are going to the Club World Cup, and take it from a Tigres fan, that is a huge deal. Sounders fans will come to treasure those games for the rest of their lives. And it's a big deal for MLS as well. Long has the league wanted to get this monkey off their back.
I don't know what caused the subdued reaction; perhaps it is because MLS teams have improved so dramatically in recent years that it felt inevitable sooner or later. Perhaps it is because this MLS vs Liga MX narrative has been pushed by a loud minority and most fans simply don't care. Or perhaps there really has been a lot of talk about it, and I just haven't seen it. Curious to hear what others think.
