Orlando City v. Philadelphia Union - 2/19/2011

I got my 3 tickets and just called in for 4 more. So, that's 7 total I'm bringing in (can you top that?)

Turns out, as season ticket holder, you get 4 tickets to any one game free. SO, that's 7 for the price of 3....


BUT honestly here, the team will have been practicing for a week before this game - we'll barely have a full roster - what kind of chance do we have against the Union? In any case, win or lose, looking forward to the game and seeing the team in action.

Are you going to sit with us supporters or are you going to sit in one of them fancy-shmancy seats near midfield?

I've got a 15 month old and a 4 year old with me.

If I sat with you guys what type of things would the kids be saying at school on Monday??? "Teacher, guess what new words I learned over the weekend!"

Teacher: Good morning, class. For Show-&-Tell, let's hear about what each of us did last weekend.

Dammit! Jr.: My daddy took my baby brother and I to a football match on Saturday night.

T: But football season is over---

DJ: No, not that pointyball rubbish, you steaming colonist pillock, I mean soccer.

T: [speechless, and just a little frightened]

DJ: Teacher, what does, "F*** Y*** YOON-YINN" mean?
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(Disclosure: the above short bit of theater is in no way meant to impugn the innocent good name of the most assuredly well-mannered young Dammit! Jr., and is purely a work of not really very good fiction.)

This really made my day.

If my kids would learn how to say "steaming colonist pillock," I'd have them over there behind the goal with beer in their sippy-cups every game!

We have people bring their kids into the Mob section all the time. Be a good parent and teach your kids what they can and cannot repeat. However, I don't advocate bring in Toddlers. Mainly due to their ear drums not being fully developed.

Otherwise, come one come all!

We'll save Dammit! and his young'ns seats in Section 119 incase he changes his mind.

I'll be out of town this weekend so won't make the Union match. Super pissed.

SOrry to hear that. I hope you're at least going somewhere fun.

BTW, just added 3 more to my section (out of town guests). I think that makes 12 or 13 total, including the kids.

No video feed, but I'll be doing a CoverItLive chat

Will anybody be doing a postgame thread here in the OCSC forum?

I was looking forward to this game for a long, long time. But when you all sit down to the game tomorrow evening, I will be arriving in Atlanta for a funeral later this weekend. In a lot more ways than one, I wish I wasn't missing this historic night tomorrow night.

As a result, it'd be great if someone did some basic post-mortem stuff on here such as other fora have in their postmatch threads and whatnot.

Thanks. Y'all have a blast tomorrow night.

Cheers.

It's too late at night for a full post-mortem but the short version is:

1. We won!
2. We not only won but outplayed Philadelphia. The team moved the ball really well and was crisper than Philly. The team was better than expected.
3. I thought it was a good turnout for a preseason game. The Trinidadians playing the music above us was awesome.

Everyone I brought had a good time. I think 3 or 4 new fans were made tonight...

What he said.

I hope the Trinidadians show up to every game. They were great and really added to the atmosphere.

I'll do a quick report.

The good:

The atmosphere was surprisingly pretty good! The Trinidadians with the drums and music at midfield (right behind where I was sitting) really made things fun. They played for most of the game and really inspired a nice atmosphere.

We have some players. #11 is fast. I mean really fast. Not a bad first touch and he was a constant danger to the Union defense. I was worried he would get stranded as a lone striker but in the first half he was involved all over the place. Both of our starting widemidfielders looked like they have potential -- especially #24 who scored the goal of a well taken free kick. He was skinning the Union right back the entire first half.

The bad:

The play of the Union starters. Except for Dan Califf they looked completely uninterested in being there though certainly I understand that with a friendly against a lower level side. Still they were rather uninspired. The reserves played much better in the second half.

Overall the officiating was very good but there were two very questionable calls. First, the red card on the Union early in the first half was questionable. I'm not sure he was the last defender and though it was a very rough foul it looked just as much from the side as from behind. Second, 5 minutes after that play we were absolutely robbed of a clear pk when #11 was taken down from behind and the defender got no ball.

Our central defense. How Philly did not put a couple in during the second half I don't know.

The ugly:

Peter Nowak. I sat almost directly above him. After the red he is arguing with one of our players (#77) as well as the 4th official that even though they got a red they should get to play with 11 players because that was the purpose of the game. He caused the game to stop for about 5 minutes while it all got sorted out and eventually the ref told him to screw off. Classy, Nowak.

#23 on our team is not very good to say the least...

#24 is Lewis Neal. He spent his youth career with Stoke and also spent five seasons with the big club. He wandered through lower levels of English football in recent years. He was released by Shrewsbury Town in January.

To be quite frank, Union looked like the bad team of the starting and end thirds of 2010, not the red-hot awesome team of the middle third of 2010 that looked like the best team in MLS at the time.

I didn't hear the Trinidadians from where we were sitting (the supporters section). Even during a lull. Did you Jeff?
It's a big place but I know people at least saw us. There are two great photos on the team's website. One of our playerers and one of us.

So where to in 2014, Phil?

Don't know when this pic was taken, but it DEFINITELY wasn't during the game. Stadium had a good amount of people there. If you were at the game, you would know that.

And the Trinis at midfield a legit Rhythm Section from back in T&T. Went over at half time and it was just like a Soca Warrior game. Good Times!

Orlando Rays, I was unable to make the opening friendly. Do you have any info on the other City players and performances. The above poster had comments on #11 and others do we have names to numbers. Neal sounds like quality if has made a living back home in the UK. Can we afford players like this? what would you think he made in league 2 and need to make the move to US?

That picture had to be while they were loading in. It was quite full when I got in 30 minutes before kickoff. Plus, we are talking about preseason friendlies. No doubt after beating an MLS side we will have more.

First, the Vancouver fan isn't posting a pic from the game - the colors are wrong. Probably some high school game - nice googling.

#11 is the UCLA grad Griffin and looked great up front. #77 Watson was a workhorse - must've run 10 miles during the game, reminded me of a younger Scholes - that type of player.

I thought our center back #5 - dont know his name - positioned very well. One time we lost the ball in a horrible spot and he backed up, slowed the play down and well.. it was perfect defending. very good.

Most dissapointing to me was #4 Fuller - he looked tired - maybe out of shape? Dunno but he lost the ball a lot and looked just kinda out of sorts. Maybe just had a bad night but for a veteran player/coach - would hope for a little more calm out there.

Another problem area is our defensive midfield. Way too many give aways in dangerous positions. Is it #10.. I don't remember. But eventually you get punished for those.

Keeper had a good save or two. Came out strong when needed.

Coach also gets an A. The midfield possession play was really pretty good. He works the triangles and it worked last night.

Anyone know what happened to Jorsling last night? He didn't get out there did he?

I heard supporters section from midfield. Flags were great - march in was great. Good job.

I didn't see #9 at all. Devorn's probably still working on his work visa. I'm hoping he's here this week.

I'm not surprised Ian Fuller underperformed. I think there's a reason he's a "player/coach".

any attendence estimates?