Soccer is so often a tough sell in the US, for a variety of reasons. Despite the fact that so many of us played it as kids, there is yet to be an overwhelming critical mass that watches it played professionally. There have been a number of reasons for this over the years, not the least of which was a total lack of it. Major League Soccer's been around for over ten years, now, and while the early days didn't feature great soccer, and resided in the crummy old Foxboro Stadium around here, today the quality of play is better than ever.
I know that some folks get a little bit too evangelical about soccer, and I'll try to restrain myself.
If you like soccer, to start with, then you might be pleasantly surprised at how entertaining this club is. Clearly, it's not the Premiership, and it's not World Cup-level, but there are plenty of individual players of that class, even if the teams aren't always as cohesive around them. The Revolution in particular have been a great team over the past few years, and exceedingly fun to watch.
If you don't like soccer, because it's boring, or because it's not physical enough, then it may yet be worth a try. Though there is always the possibility of 1-0 or 1-1 matches, these can be the hardest-fought of any, with near-misses throughout. And as for the physicality, it's easily as rough as basketball is, particularly during the most heated rivalries.
The experience varies; it's hard to predict when there will be good crowds or bad crowds . There's always a core of season-ticket holders who cheer good play vociferously, but when the stands are full, it's a lot better. The people in 'The Fort' at the end of the field spend the entire match cheering, chanting (not always kid friendly), and making a racket. The downside, of course, is that it's in a football stadium, and even a good crowd can look pretty small. Other teams have proper soccer stadiums already; maybe someday.
In general, it's a pretty good value. Tickets are inexpensive , parking for most matches lately (with the exception of international ones) has been free. There's a festive tailgate atmosphere before and after games, too.
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