That was MLS’s biggest night

Maybe there have been too many markers as MLS's biggest night, that the words have lost meaning. It is good that there are so many stadium openings. Except for those that might have been opened on the public dime, or MLS Cup finals, or TV deals, or expansion teams joining the fray. It's a goofy ride if you follow the league, but it's hard to know what progress means.

Last night in Seattle was a definite marker, and couldn't have taken place anywhere else. The Seattle Sounders became the first MLS team in 17 tries to win the continental competition when they beat the Pumas in the final. They did it in front of 68,000 people.

The Club World Cup will be the same tournament as Real Madrid orLiverpool, and the Seattle Sounders will play in it. They could play a giant from South America. You will have to pardon anyone who needs a moment to comprehend seeing the MLS teams on the same field. What a ride for the fans.

MLS wants to be the best league in North America. You can't do that until you have the results. One CCL triumph doesn't mean a shift, but it has to start somewhere. There will be others. The Cup that will involve every team from both leagues will be another test, and got more intriguing after last night.

Seattle was the first. They are the standard-bearer of the league on and off the field. They have acted like the big swinging dick since they were the best supported team from jump street. At the same time Seattle was reeling from the departure of the Sonics, fans were looking to grab onto anything, so they found a perfect pocket. 13 years later, that passion still exists. Fans in other markets wish they could watch the games. I know I do. There aren't that many clubs around the globe that can bring in 68,000.

That doesn't mean that the plane is not accessible. There are many places that have passionate fans that want sustained success in Seattle and a consistent atmosphere. Fans work hard to bring that to their town. The byzantine salary cap and MLS rules can make it difficult for teams to consistently put out the same cast of characters and build a team that fans can count on to be there year after year. Seattle is determined to do it. It is possible for anyone willing and ready.

It's hard not to watch a Sounders game and think about where the sport could go in this country, but how far it's already come. Many fans remember no league at all. The opening steps of MLS, watching games in suburban high school/college fields or retrofitted minor league baseball stadiums, the bad jerseys or the ridiculous rules, or whatever else. It's such a trip to watch an MLS team paste a Mexican team. It wasn't that long ago that the thought of that was pure drivel.

The rest of the league has been brought to a new level by Seattle, making the American club game look more like the one we watch in the UK. Many clubs have followed. You can't believe how far it has come and how far it could go at the same time. At the same time, it looks back and forward.

Well done to the fans of the Sounders. We are all grateful for making us all dream.