Mar 28 2008
This Weekend’s Big Game
There are a ton of big important association football matches to look forward to this weekend. There’s the Merseyside Derby on Sunday between Liverpool and Everton, in which both teams are battling for fourth place and the final Champions League spot in the Premier League. There’s the Old Firm Derby on Saturday between Celtic and Rangers, which could impact who wins the Scottish title. Roma and Inter Milan have big ties tomorrow which will impact the Serie A title chase. Fulham, Bolton and Birmingham are all fighting to stave off relegation.
Yet the game I’m most looking forward to … is a friendly.
Red Bull New York is in town to face my Carolina Railhawks tonight. They were going to start the season in San Jose, but the new-look Earthquakes’ new stadium isn’t ready yet. So they get a run out against our boys, and we’ll all get to see how the Railhawks’ new offensive weapons — and their back line — stand up against professionals, because they do just fine against college teams.
This game doesn’t count toward any standings, it has no title implications, and it won’t advance us in any cup competitions. And you know what? I couldn’t care less. That’s my club. I want to see them play and improve over last season. Plus, that’s Jozy Altidore, who plays for my country’s national team. This might be the only chance I get to see him play live before he takes off for Europe. (We even have a special song for Jozy if he scores tonight.)
The Merseyside and Old Firm Derbies? Sure, they’re big games, but they’re an ocean away from North Carolina. This game is here, and I get to meet up with my fellow Railhawks supporters tonight to sing and chant and beat drums and (hopefully) celebrate some goals. Thousands of MLS fans will be doing this same thing all across America this weekend. Are our teams as good as Liverpool and Everton? Who cares? They’re still our teams, and that’s what gives them meaning.
Football, like politics, is ultimately local. So if you’re looking for me tonight, I’ll be out singing for my local team. That’s what football is all about.
We’d rather drink Bawls!
We’d rather drink Bawls!
Hi ho de-dairio!
We’d rather drink Bawls!
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“We’d rather drink Bawls!
We’d rather drink Bawls!
Hi ho de-dairio!
We’d rather drink Bawls!”
You guys are nerds. Not like me. I drink Rooster Booster.
http://www.rooster-booster.com/
In all seriousness, THIS is what will grow the game long-term. People getting behind their local team because they like the sport and have an attachment to their communities. America is not going to be a world power for a long time, so a top-down selling of “Major League” soccer is not the answer. I feel fortunte that I’m able to support a top-flight club in the US, but neither an MLS nor a USL club is going to be winning the Club World Cup aytime soon, and none of them can afford to ignore the grass roots.
Give me Dax McCarty over Denilson any day.
I have a feeling the Railhawks could win this friendly going away…
…But that may be due to my love of D.C. United, and the necessary hatred of all things associated with RBNY.
If we were playing I Know the Score, I’d predict a 2-2 draw, with one goal each from Jacob Coggins and Jozy Altidore. But honestly, I think this match could go either way, and that’s what has me so stoked about it. I want to see how good this Railhawks offense really is now.
I was going to write something, but Will has perfectly expressed my thoughts on this topic in the first reply.
@ a different Dave:
I know! Isn’t Rooster Booster yummy!?!!
Lately I’ve been pounding down the big cans of Jolt Cherry Bombs.
Dave, any thoughts about the match?
The Railhawks seemed slow and pensive. I think if you’re going to be outmatched on the athletic front, which we knew going in, then you’ve got to take chances and push the ball at every opportunity. One shot on goal is the opposite of that. They had chances to push, but they didn’t seem to want to.
It was my first Railhawks game, but I want to see more of David Stokes. Looks to have lots of talent, but also looked like he doesn’t have a head for the game. Hopefully that was just early-season jitters. If he can get his head right, he could be an incredible player.
Anyway, it was fun to see real fans at the stadium. Drums and flags and the whole bit. Wish there’d been some home-team scoring, though.