PURCHASE, N.Y. – Due to the U.S. government's inability to do things that most Americans do on a monthly basis – namely, paying their bills on time – Wednesday's scheduled men's soccer match between Manhattanville and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy has been postponed.
 
While a non-conference soccer game in Westchester County might have been slightly behind the Affordable Care Act when it came to rationale behind the political maneuverings, the government shutdown in Washington has affected all service academies and has rendered them unable to engage in intercollegiate competition, including Army, Navy, Air Force and, yes, Merchant Marine.
 
"The Queen and Parliament would never have allowed this to happen back home in England," head men's soccer coach and British native Gregg Miller may have said to himself. "They love their football too much to cancel a game over health care."
 
If the government decides to become operational again before the end of October, the teams will attempt to reschedule the match for a later date, although that seems unlikely thanks to packed conference schedules for both teams and the apparent inability of Congress to get anything done in a prompt manner.
 
Manhattanville will now return to action on Saturday afternoon, as the Valiants kick off Freedom Conference play with a matchup against DeSales at 5 p.m. at GoValiants.com Field. Fans can watch the live video stream on GoValiants.TV beginning at approximately 4:50 p.m.