Soccer Update

I'm not going to talk about Manchester City's choke against Real Madrid.  I'm not going to talk about the hilarious trainwreck that is Manchester United.  I'm not going to talk about the title race.  I'm not going to talk about the relegation fight.  I'm not even going to talk about Palace.  No, I am going to talk about the Seattle Sounders.  Mainly because they made some history last week.  They won the Champions League!  I should probably clarify that - they won the CONCACAF Champions League.  This is a big deal - at least for "soccer" in America.  It is the first time in 20+ years that an American club side has won this competition - and it was a lot different back then.  So they are the best club team in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.  Normally it's a Mexican side that wins the competition - this is the first time since 2005 when they haven't.  So what is the Sounders' prize?  They get to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup - the first time an American club will do so.  It may be a very little regarded competition for most of the big European clubs (even though Chelsea are the current holders), but it is a big deal for the rest of the world.  Not that they will even come close to beating a side from Europe or South America.