WELCOME

NOTE: There's no perfect time to start a soccer blog if you follow the game all over the world. That’s okay, because what’s here won't entirely depend on a player or club’s progress in a given season. (Read on and you'll see why.) So I’ll go ahead and kick off now and talk about a player who doesn't even play anymore.

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Fans know and will remember Andrea Pirlo for any number of reasons: his mysterious charm, lack of defensive play, or his iconic floppy hair, curiously both boyish and refined. Maybe even the quiet end to his otherwise illustrious career. But, more than these, I remember Pirlo for the vision, creativity, and undeniable technical ability that earned him sobriquets like l'architetto, Maestro, and even Mozart.

This post isn’t just about Pirlo and his final playing days, nor is this blog just about MLS. Admittedly, given Pirlo's status as a retiree, you may read this as provincial, out-of-date. So be it. Because, in many ways, Pirlo still represents what this blog is about.

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Late in his career—after he'd already won half a dozen Serie A titles and a couple UEFA Champions League trophies, as well as a World Cup and a host of other honors—Pirlo transferred to then-new New York City FC in MLS. The icon's move saw the same criticisms as similar moves to MLS by talented European players. It's a retirement league. He's chasing a paycheck. Enjoy the beach. (By the way, if 38-year-old Ashley Cole's recent move to second-tier English club Derby County doesn't convince you the man still loves to play, well, I doubt much will. Maybe it's part of a transition to a tentative coaching position with former-teammate Frank Lampard, maybe not. Regardless, I applaud Cole's tenacity.)

Despite all these criticisms, I believe even hardened cynics celebrated Pirlo's MLS arrival. And they'd have been right to.

Pirlo's game stumbled somewhat in the transition, true. And during his time with NYCFC, MLS fans heard the same tired assessments about his lack of pace and low defensive work rate. (Don't @ me. Remember, top Serie A sides never asked him to carry the defensive burden. Why should NYCFC have been any different?) At a certain point, though, Pirlo himself commented, saying there was too much running in the league and “too little play.” Well, if his namesake was any indicator, the real show was in how this Mozart played. And MLS fans were lucky to witness the symphony. A bending assist from the corner flag. Casual brilliance at the top of the box. True-to-form passes from the heart of midfield.

In short, even at the close of his career, Pirlo encouraged the brilliance, for example, of David Villa's superstardom to shine even brighter, and he helped comparatively unremarkable players to occasionally glimmer in the firmament too. Indeed, his play came with risks, but while critics criticized, Pirlo's elegance inspired. And with his singular charm, he made us feel almost clumsy in our awe.

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You still here?

I hope so, because I’m only now getting to the point. Time and again I’ve heard fans and commentators posit: Would you rather your team win or play beautifully? Sure, everyone wants both, but, if it's one or the other, only the latter calls me back match after match.

The beautiful game.

Pirlo may have lacked certain footballing qualities—and his presence didn't guarantee NYCFC post-season success—but goddammit if, even late in his career, he didn’t understand beauty and style. (Besides, our idiosyncrasies are often what define our beauty.) We’re fans because the game is beautiful, and this blog celebrates what makes it so.

In his melancholic wisdom, Tom Waits called the world “a hellish place.” Hell, I probably agree. But I don’t watch soccer with the same cynicism as I view the world. For the most part, I’m not here to malign players or coaches. And don't expect posts filled entirely with statistics—I’m no analyst, just a fan. Instead, expect longer narratives as well as short posts, frustration as well as awe.

Sometimes I’ll be wrong, other times right, but always I’ll be a fan of The Beautiful Game.

S