Major League Soccer

you know it was intentional and a protest, right?

riiiight ;)

"brash trash talker"

Hey, I read that it was supposed to be a protest (against security? funny it doesn't say anything about security even when you read it upside down) on the internet. But I read it on MLS-Rumors so it's most likely bullshit, just like their characterization of the S8/TA invasion.

It's OK, the flares from a few weeks ago nearly set our section on fire, this kind of shit happens.

We've had members repeatedly suggest that we turn things upside-down in protest, but the consensus seems to be that NO ONE IN AMERICA will understand that it is, in fact, a protest. So far the suggestion hasn't caught hold. Apparently that's more of a "thing" in other parts of el mundo.

Not that we can agree on anything anyway.

that handball was yeah...we got away with one. Ljunberg's dive. yeesh. i would hate him if he didn't play for us. (just read he's suspended for the next two games)

upside down, a ship in distress. c'mon you seafarers. it's...subtle!

remember when people used to put flag stamps upside-down on bill envelopes as protest? i think my mom used to do that. still ended up paying the bills tho

I was going to say, "Do I look like a seafarer to you?" but in fact I'm wearing a navy & white dress with a little life preserver-shaped Women's VFW Auxiliary pin on the lapel.

Emerald City Supporters forum posts confirm the banners were a mistake btw.

"As far as people bitching about the banner... we're in our first season. They've got to learn, the hard way, that shit's going to happen in the supporter section, PERIOD."

Who cares anyway? Those big banners are a serious pain in the ass.

I'm more worried about the lack of discipline the Fire showed. They were chasing the play for more than half the match. Don't even want to think about Thor's red card... his season has been the pits thus far.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd118/embarchie/photo-1.jpg

OK what? Is that an RSL shirt? That might explain it.

I didn't watch the all-star game. I have to wonder if the spotlight was big enought that Wilman Conde might finally get his wish and move on to a bigger league and more $.

Superliga final tonight here in the Chi. Fire v. Tigres UANL, gonna be rad. It's on Telefutura and streaming live on the web. If I'm not mistaken NY has Champions League tonight too, eh?

Yep. Not going. Just too much to do, plus costs (tix are, what, $30? bus $10, beer $$$).

/whois alien babby up there?

Holy shit that is $! We have 3 supporter buses from the Loop + 1 from the burbs -- match ticket and beer on the bus for $20. Got to love the midwest.

alien baby boy, the fun folks at espn kept their camera on him at the mls all star game. i had enough time to go WTF and get my camera and take a picture of the tv. weird kid.

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/american-football/Content?oid=1973424

While I am pleased that SSFC has done so well because what's good for one team is pretty much good for the league as a whole, I do wish a lot of their fans/proponents would stop patting themselves on the back so much. A quick look at the history of MLS shows that when teams are new, they draw well. Keeping that trend going for the duration is not quite so easy. The Fire drew 30-some thousand during their first year or two when they were playing at Soldier Field, but when the novelty wore off a lot of the non-rabid fans left, and haven't really been back. Building a new stadium and bringing in players like Cuauhtemoc has helped a lot, but they haven't been back to those numbers since (and physically can't, as Toyota Park only holds 20k).

It's funny, when you posted that, jergs, I was just coming here to post a somewhat similar link:

http://www.footsmoke.com/2009/07/the-growth-of-european-soccer-in-the-u-s/

Obviously, the market exists for soccer in this country, even beyond fans only in it for the novelty aspect. The problem is putting together something sustainable long-term, that can begin to both produce and attract world class players.

BTW the Superliga final last night was one of the most exciting games I have been to since I started following the Fire, unfortunately it was 1-1 at the end of 90 and went directly to PKs in some bizarro-world bastardization of standard tournament rules. Two Fire players shanked their shots and we lost :(

Cool banner for the occasion, though:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b124/spinelessfreak3/100_0759.jpg

Oh and on the note of developing a fanbase: last night I helped with another display that involved unfurling a bunch of table rolls over the section at the start of the second half. I had a group of 7 or 8 latino kids (9-10 year olds, I'd guess) and their enthusiasm for the team, the game, and just being a part of it all was was absolutely amazing. Those kids are the ones who will grow up and keep the league going in the future.

Also, they had really good aim when throwing streamers at the opposing team's goalie ;)

Dan, I am not enjoying Chicago's down-ish period right now at all (as relates to your woes the other day about the front office, the stadium, etc), I want soccer to be widely considered awesome in this country so I wish all the teams well (except DCU). But in terms of maintaining fanbase over the life of the club, NY/NJ has been stabbed in every major organ over the last decade-plus, and then mocked and dismissed for not having a more colorful or more influential or larger supporters group.

A lot of the lessons the league has learned in time for SSFC to benefit from them, were learned by practicing on clubs that got the shit end of the league's learning curve.

Dallas is last with 9,464.

It really says too much about North Texas that their grand plan for soccer was to move it as far away as possible from young urbanites and Latino population centers.

Yeah, that's a central complaint about a lot of the new stadia being built -- too far from the populations centers. The sad reality is that the ownership groups want things done on the taxpayer's dime, and are willing to go pretty much anywhere to make that happen.

Also I have read that Dallas actually makes a profit, somehow, at their location. There is a whole complex of soccer fields and hotels and shit out there, right?

Let me be the first to say, "get the fuck out, and good riddance".

^^^cosine

Houston (or any other team really) making signings like this guy frightens me. It's the same as Montero in Seattle -- the league is finally getting attractive enough that younger prospects who might fly under Europe's radar are starting to show up and they're going to have a big impact. I guess Pappa is that kind of player here in Chicago, but he's only on loan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_%C3%81ngel_Land%C3%ADn

I know a little song
It isn't very long
FUCK DC UNITED
Now it's all gone!

i am sick of freddie ljungberg

I am sick of my team's awful inconsistency.

yesterday
PA Announcer: "If Seattle Sounders FC score 3 goals, everyone in attendance gets a free haircut from Supercuts."
guy near me: "I WANT A HAIRCUT"

I'm in a somewhat strange position this afternoon, hoping that NY can pull off a win at home v. Columbus just so the Fire can stay within a point of first in the standings. Lil' help here plz, Laurel?

thanking u

best part of yesterday's game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7rsWT5Yimg

Always happy to help a friend. Especially when it means FUCK COLUMBUS.

damn it damn it damn it damn it

http://goal.com/en-us/news/66/united-states/2009/09/02/1477082/exclusive-chicagos-rolfe-to-join-danish-club-aalborg

this ended up being nice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guOPljB18q4

http://butyoudidntwinthisone.com/

I wasn't able to see it all, but I saw the first SSFC goal. LOL @ Wicks, what a spaz. Seattle looked the better team from what I saw. The Sounders fans on BS are going to be insufferable now.

btw jergs, is your new display name an homage to suspended MLS (and FIFA) referee Jair Marrufo (aka the dude who accepted a free jersey from Blanco)? Perhaps a bit of a stretch but it'd be funny if that was the case. Dude was in line to be one of (the only?) CONCACAF referee at the World Cup, but not any more.

man i wish

but no
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jair_Jurrjens

DC United went to Rome to see the Pope and this is what he said FUCK OFF

Couldn't have happened to a nastier bunch of cunts. :D :D :D

<3ing this right now even though it's stupid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1zwvsZrzvg

the fat guy is a treat

"U.S.A. Rodriguez"

united states of america rodriguez

if you didn't see it in the first of the series, he is revealed as Umberto Santiago Antonio Rodriguez

Radriguez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1SG3EVT2bw

some lols, some good info if you don't follow the league and want to know more, plus a sweet Fire goal @ 1:20

(mostly about Beckham tho)