Today the Sounders take on the one club with a better record over their MLS existence than their own: LA. It's rather unfortunate actually: I'd love to use this space to rip the disappointing 2012 team, the So-Cal culture, and most of all, the fair-weather, star-focused fanbase down there. Because when your loudest cheers are reserved for Beckham taking the pitch and not for, you know, actual goals, it's clear that there is a problem.
But today, I'm going to hold off on all of that. Because LA's starting keeper, Josh Saunders, has checked himself into a substance abuse program. It takes a lot of guts to admit you have a problem, and I can do nothing but applaud him for taking a step that will likely result in some measure of ridicule from uncultured, imbecilic cretins.
So I'll save my LA material for the second match, when Seattle brings 67,000 to see a team (AKA not Beckham) and hopefully by then, Josh Saunders will be out of rehab and playing like his pretty darn good, 2011 self.
(BTW, for those Galaxy fans that aren't just there to see Beckham, I offer the same respect I do to fans of other MLS sides.)
Today's lineup is projected, since I'm going to be at the match and unable to recite the lineups as they are announced. But with Saunders, Beckham, and Keane out, this should resemble the final product. Other starters may also miss time having played as recently as Saturday.
