While we in the USA look ahead to the MLS Cup Finals schedule, hoping our teams will make it to the big game, spare a thought for our footballing brothers across the pond. This morning in Manchester, England, the smoke of a thousand fires assails the sky, the black eyes, bruised egos, burnt bathrooms and broken records are littered across the city’s sense of surrealism, in the wake of what was surely the most dramatic derby day defeat ever. Manchester City have triumphed in such an extreme fashion that the Red Devils and their fans are still wobbling their heads, asking themselves “did this really happen?” The final score in the derby at Old Trafford was United 1 City 6. Do not adjust your set; the monied owners of City are finally seeing some solid evidence that their investment is paying off. Amid rumors of an extension to the Etihad Stadium that will give a 90,000 capacity, and – lord help us – whispers of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi coming to City, the English Premier League is being turned on its head. Meanwhile here in the States, we’re just happy to prepare for the coming contest, we might see a Philadelphia Union game or buy tickets to LA Galaxy games, namely the MLS Western Conference Finals. The MLS is growing all the time, and the price of MLS tickets is growing with it. This means that demand is high, and soccer tickets in the States right now are at an all-time high. The Manchester derby this weekend captured the imagination of the soccer world, and it’s something we in American can aspire to. Thing is, our closest thing to a big game is probably NY Red Bulls vs. LA Galaxy, but those teams are thousands of miles apart and so lack the spirit of a true “derby day” encounter. In America we tend to go more for generic “grudge matches”, like in college sports, with no consistent geographical connection. Then again, maybe that’s preferable to being a Manchester United fan in Manchester right now.