Club America Houston

[Octavius Agustus]

Nothing is official yet, but the rumors are rampant!!! :D

The question is, will you as a Houstonian support an MLS team owned by Club America in Houston?

By support I mean showing up at the games at whatever stadium.

[fordfjord]

I kind of have mixed feelings on this one. I think it might be much easier to support them if they don't keep the Club America name, but then again, I might just warm up to it OK. Let's see some maketing first (long way away right now, I know) and we'll go from there. To be fair, I started supporting Dallas this year primarily because they are the closest team geographically, and now I'm thinking it might be hard to just turn my backs on them outright once Houston is up and running.

In the short term, yes, I'll still go to the games here, whether they be at Robertson or Reliant or elsewhere - I look forward to enjoying that aspect of the possible deal. In the long run, yeah, I see myself becoming an avid supporter of Houston, to the exclusion of all other teams, regardless of who owns it.

[truthandlife]

Nothing is official yet, but the rumors are rampant!!! :D

The question is, will you as a Houstonian support an MLS team owned by Club America in Houston?

By support I mean showing up at the games at whatever stadium.

If it is strictly marketed to the Hispanic community, the suburbanites that have been known to support the MLS will not show up and Club America will fail miserably. If Club America markets to the city of Houston soccer community then it will do well.

If all of the players are Hispanic it will be a tough sell.

[anderson]

FWIW, Club America - and Televisa's other clubs, Necaxa and Real San Luis - all have foreign players, mostly from South America, but occasionally from elsewhere too. America, in particular, is well-known for the big, flashy foreign signings. I'd be surprised if an America/Televisa team in Houston tried to present itself as an all-Hispanic or specifically Mexican team. Of course, Club America is based in Mexico, so it is what it is, but it's still not Chivas.

It's also marginally worth noting that the name America is very common throughout Latin America. There's the famous team named America in Colombia, as well as several teams named America in Brazil -- I can think of the bigger ones from RJ and MG just off the top of my head, but you hear of other America teams in various other Brazilian states from time to time.

[Caddman]

Yea, I'll support them. They will need to market to all communities to be successful. But it would be great to have a team to go see regardless of what they put on the field. I still hope the stadium will be Reliant and Jamie Rootes and the Texans are involved somehow.

[fordfjord]

If it is strictly marketed to the Hispanic community, the suburbanites that have been known to support the MLS will not show up and Club America will fail miserably. If Club America markets to the city of Houston soccer community then it will do well.

If all of the players are Hispanic it will be a tough sell. I suppose I would fit into that suburbanite category, then: I am white/Anglo/of-Slavic-and-Ukranian-descent (decidedly not Hispanic) and I do live in a suburb. But, given a team that was marketed primarily to the Latino community, I would still go.

Add "gringo" to the above list of my qualifications, then, I suppose :D !

[fordfjord]

. . .

It's also marginally worth noting that the name America is very common throughout Latin America. There's the famous team named America in Colombia, as well as several teams named America in Brazil -- I can think of the bigger ones from RJ and MG just off the top of my head, but you hear of other America teams in various other Brazilian states from time to time.Hmmm, maybe this is why I am a little leery of the name "America" for Houston's team: as a Corinthiano, I am personally a little biased against all the various Americas (from Brasil specifically). Interesting, I will have to examine my feelings on this more. Thanks for pointing it out!

[mjtate]

I'm another white suburban potential fan. If the team is exclusivly marketed to hispanic's, I probably won't become a die hard fan with season tickets and the like. Also, even if the team is marketed to the entire population of Houston, but they play in Robetson, I still probably won't go to that many games. Robertson is the right size of venue, and looks good from far, but in reality, it just sucks. Concessions and facilities just scream minor league. You can't even buy a ticket at the stadium with a credit card (as of the 2002 football season)! On top of the crappiness of Robertson, you have the heat factor. Reliant is a much better venue, esp if you want to target the suburban soccer fans. Right or wrong, you won't get many of them to support an MLS team in Robertson.

As for the name or make up of the team, I could care less. I'll take an all Mexican Club America USA if they play like they did agains Everton. For me, its the venue that would decide my level of support more than the make up of the team.

[CyphaPSU]

Club America USA.

Haha.

A little

too

redundant.

[CPRoyale]

Houston America SC

[metros11]

Actually Houston Club America, or Houston CA doesn't sound bad at all. I just hope they're smart enough to market to gringos as well and sign American players.

[fordfjord]

Still prefer Houston CA myself... the other one's a bit of a mouthful.

[murtaugh]

I wonder if they won't call themselves CA Houston Aguilas. The eagle is CA's mascot.

[fordfjord]

Or, for us gringos, "CA Houston Eagles".

[anderson]

They'd even have a good tie-in slogan: Houston...las aguilas have landed.

[murtaugh]

It will be funny to see Joe Houston react when you thell them they are called Club America Houston Eagles but their colors are yellow and blue :D

[fireman451]

It will be funny to see Joe Houston react when you thell them they are called Club America Houston Eagles but their colors are yellow and blue :D

Probably be received rather well. Lots of America fans in Houston (I being one of them from there). Blue, gold; orange, brown; purple, silver . . .doesn't matter. I suspect Houston fans will be happy to have MLS in the Bayou City.

BTW, you better give that $20 I gave you last night to Marcin for tifo or use it on the sticker campaign. So help me if you use it for beer money . . . well, you better buy me couple at least if you do.

GO FIRE!!!!

Houston Proud since 1985 (thanks to Mayor Tootsie)

[murtaugh]

BTW, you better give that $20 I gave you last night to Marcin for tifo or use it on the sticker campaign. So help me if you use it for beer money . . . well, you better buy me couple at least if you do.It's already in the envelope of money I have to give him! Geez :D

[Brian in Boston]

C.A. Houston Armada

[CeltTexan]

As association football speaks to so many levels...first being the world's sport and second CULTURE I would become an Ultra Anyone But America Supporter. As a proud Texian that loves his CULTURE I must restate that in Mexican textbooks Tejas is told as the "Rebellious Northern Province" that disobeyed the Capital's direct orders. Damn staight boludos!!! We have Mexican heritage and I love that of Texas but we BROKE OFF FOR A REASON amigos!!!
I love my Six Flags over Texas heritage! Many men of many cultures and colors died defeating the Mexican Capital politics. Their politics of money for us elitist few...the rest can live in poverty. That outlook still pours out of the D.F. to this very day!
On a futbol level, Club America with its heavy financial backing and dislike by the rest of the footie hinchas in Mexico is NOT WHAT I WANT in building my native city's MLS club.

Club America is the living reincarnation of Santa Anna and all his Chilango iron fisted money whores!

I don't see them doing anything different than LA Chivas in marketing themselves to the existing America fan base and other Panchos in "El Norte". They already know that they have no clue as to HOW to bring our diverse city of footie hungry fans TOGETHER. They could care less about the Africans, Arabs, Chinos,Vietnamese, Guanacos, Chapines, Catrachos and various Euros or us diverse Houston natives. They are going to be just content MAKING THE QUICK BUCK off the Mexicans and calling it a day.
All they want to do is be equal with Chivas and have a team in MLS. THAT'S WHY THEY ARE MOVING SO RAPIDLY with this talk. They have to be on equal par with Chivas. They don't care about creating a true Houston Club, with ties to OUR Tejas culture. I don't want MACHISMO or GREED to be the foundation of TEAM HOUSTON!!!
Amigos of Tejas...do we want to celebrate Sam Houston, Juan Seguin, Davy Crockett, Juan Marco Padillo and Stephen F. Austin or the relatives of the men that put them to the sword???

Os digo amigos mios--Que te joda America!!!