Last night, I went with a friend to see Manchester United take on the New England Revolution on their 2011 Herbalife World Football Challenge. Admittedly, I am not a fan of soccer, based on what I have seen of it on television. However, I absolutely love hockey, and I see a lot of similarities between the two sports. My friend is a soccer fan, and a Man United fan, so this had the makings of an interesting experience.
As such, I felt that, as with a hockey game, seeing a soccer match in person would give a truer sense of the game itself. Rather than seeing the televised focus on the ball, it would be easier to see the set up and strategy inherent in the ball movement, and to see the plays set up.
And you know what? It was. Soccer was infinitely more enjoyable in person than watching it on television. Even though the first half ended in a zero to zero tie, you could see where Manchester United was setting up plays, feeling out the Revolution defense, and getting quality shots. The only reason why the first half was scoreless was that the goalie for New England, Matt Reis, played incredibly well. In fact, only he and Shalrie Joseph seemed to belong on the same field as Man United.
This became evident in the second half when Manchester United abused the Revolution, putting up four goals on the backup goaltender. The final score ended up being 4-1 Man United, yet it truly was not that close. The difference in skill between the two clubs was obvious, even to someone such as myself who has admittedly not seen a lot of soccer.
In the end, this was a much better experience than I would have expected. Perhaps this was due to pregaming at a bar that serves mason jars filled with beer, but nonetheless it was a more enjoyable experience than anticipated. While I may not be a fan of soccer, I can see why people would be. It is definitely something I will check out in person again.
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