League of extraordinary gentlemen

Eva Longoria did not show up at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon for the New England Revolution Houston Dynamo match.

No surprise there. She might be a Beckhamaniac-come-lately and Posh's newest BFF, but Mrs. Tony Parker wouldn't know a good soccer match if it kissed her 248-diamond-covered engagement ring.

And New England-Houston wasn't just a good soccer match -- it was the best soccer match MLS has to offer. Featuring the two best sides in MLS, leaders of their respective conferences, it's the kind of game the league should be promoting the hell out of, the kind that should be nationally televised.

Here was the Revs' Pat Noonan lofting one over the keeper from 25 yards out. Houston's Dwayne De Rosario lashing a surefire goal of the week, if not of the year, into the upper 90 (I highly recommend YouTubing it). New England marksman Taylor Twellman side-volleying home from close range. Brian Ching scoring two quickies to give the visitors the lead.

And finally, a penalty taken by New England's shamanic deadlocked midfielder Shalrie Joseph -- saved by keeper Pat Onstad, then retaken after the referee accused the Houston players of encroachment. Joseph nailed his second go.

Goals, brilliant saves, tough tackles, some controversial refereeing and DeRo's stunning strike -- what more could a soccer fan, or even a generic sports fan, want?

But other than the 14,606 fans in Foxborough and the small regional TV audiences, who cared about this game? Certainly not Eva Longoria. And not any of the pundits in England who have naively and stupidly suggested that MLS is filled with "pub teams."

What a shame. They all would've enjoyed it. In fact, they'd probably enjoy a lot of what's going on around MLS this year.

Beyond Beckham, 2007 has become the most fascinating and entertaining season to date for MLS. And there are a ton of storylines that have been lost in the shadows surrounding Beckham's spotlight.

First of all, there is the return of the prolific goal scorer, the kind who does very little but score. Kansas City's Eddie Johnson tops the list. He may not score internationally, but he's like an American Gigolo in MLS. He slammed home another two goals Sunday against Colorado, bringing his season total to 12 in just 11 games. He's already more than halfway to the 20 he promised his coach at the beginning of the season.