Going up, going up, going up up up
Most of this city’s sporting attention tonight will be focused on whether the Huskies will be able to beat the Huskies… or is that vice versa? Anyway, UDub basketball has a chance this evening to break through to the men’s Elite Eight for the first time in their history.
Meanwhile, a few in town will be focusing on an event in a completely different sport happening in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Reading FC is one win away from clinching their first ever promotion to the top division of English football. It’s only taken 135 years. And a certain MB author is, um, chuffed about the Royals finally, finally earning their right to be thrashed senseless by Man U and Chelsea every week.
The Seattle connection in all of this? Seattle-born goalie Marcus Hahnemann. He got his start with the Sounders back in the mid-90s (minding the nets of the 1995 A-League champ team) before eventually moving to the MLS and on to Europe. He’ll also be backing up another Puget Sound native (Kasey Keller) on the US World Cup team that will be thrashed senseless by Italy.
Reading has been winning and winning often with an American goalkeeper and an American star midfielder in Bobby Convey. Perhaps, just maybe, American soccer is finally starting to reach a world class level of play. But, at least for me, my English football team does not suck for once.
I really wish soccer was covered more in sports news, espn does ok when something major is happening. But I wish there was more local support and reporting.