Interesting atmosphere at the HDC...Eyewitness Report thread [R]

[Pisscutter]

Naturally it's overwhelmingly dominated by non-US support, seems about 75-80% non USA supporters. We show up around 5:45 to a sea of Guatemalan flags, the light-blue/white jerseys everywhere.

Game ends. Very few people leave.

Within a period of 3 minutes, 80% the entire stadium has morphed into the dark blue of El Salvador.

Absolutely amazing. Wish I had a video camera to capture this, because it literally seemed like it happened in the blink of an eye.

Central American solidarity was rockin'. Will be fascinated to see how it plays out tomorrow with both of them against each other. I wonder if jerseys and flags will magically appear/disappear when one scores...

[kurgen99]

I was meeting people there, so I walked in very quietly in my #22 US jersey, Guatemalans everywhere. My area was pro US, but I agree that the majority was Guatemalan. They were also just plain louder than the USA fans, cheering like crazy whenever they got to throw the ball in.

I've never been to the HDC when leaving the parking lot was that easy. Nobody left.

[FC Tallavana]

I was at the GC Final in New Jersey last time and was pleasantly surprised to see that most "neutrals" who had tickets to the final cheered for the USA.

Doubt that would ever be the case in LA.

[kurgen99]

Well, for tomorrow's game there CANNOT be many people from Trinidad and Tobago in the LA area, or in the world for that matter. I think however that all the fans from Guatamala/El Sal came might stay and root against us.

[metroflip73]

I was at the GC Final in New Jersey last time and was pleasantly surprised to see that most "neutrals" who had tickets to the final cheered for the USA.

Doubt that would ever be the case in LA.

Wasn't the case when USA played Honduras, plenty of Hondurans in 101 that day.

Well, for tomorrow's game there CANNOT be many people from Trinidad and Tobago in the LA area, or in the world for that matter...

If Trinidad played a meaningful game in NJ, or Boston, there would be a sh** load of Trinis around. Trust me.

[kurgen99]

Wasn't the case when USA played Honduras, plenty of Hondurans in 101 that day.



If Trinidad played a meaningful game in NJ, or Boston, there would be a sh** load of Trinis around. Trust me.

Wouldn't be the first time I was wrong...

[ssanchez]

Overall US US fans were far outnumbered. I had guys asking me why I was wearing my US Nats shirt and scarf. I of course answered with it is my county and I live and will die here. Most people were cool but a couple of guys were aholes. Funny thing is right after the game was done the General feeling among the Guates around was that they were proud since they gave our team a fight. I shook hands with a few of them and we wished each other good luck. If that would have been in the Coloseum there is no way I wear my nats shirt and feel safe. That is why I do love going to HDC to watch the games.

[Master O]

Well, for tomorrow's game there CANNOT be many people from Trinidad and Tobago in the LA area, or in the world for that matter.

Don't worry... the T&Ts will still find a way to be 90% of the crowd. :rolleyes:

[Gioca]

If Trinidad played a meaningful game in NJ, or Boston, there would be a sh** load of Trinis around. Trust me.

Were you in Hartford, WCQ 2005??? They only managed a small but devoted contingent. Very likeable people though. It's practically impossible to trash talk guys that friendly.

Sorry to you guys in LA, hope your children will be speaking english as a first language...

[Bill Schmidt]

Naturally it's overwhelmingly dominated by non-US support, seems about 75-80% non USA supporters. We show up around 5:45 to a sea of Guatemalan flags, the light-blue/white jerseys everywhere.


Yeah, it would have helped to play a couple meaningful games in SoCal in the past generation.

[FakeFlopper]

Say what you want about these guy or anyone that supports another country, but atleast there's no soccer fan riots in the US. Let them cheer for whoever, so long as we win.

[metroflip73]

Didn't they play against us in Hartford on a weekday?

If so, explains the small contingent.

I live in Brooklyn currently, plenty of Caribbeans. Quite a few work at the law firm I'm at. Guess it's mostly an East Coast thing.

[Thomas A Fina]

Wasn't the case when USA played Honduras, plenty of Hondurans in 101 that day.



If Trinidad played a meaningful game in NJ, or Boston, there would be a sh** load of Trinis around. Trust me.
Which is why he said finals. (although the end of the Honduras semis was more fun than legally allowed. Beeeeyoootiful)

and it was true. Pretty much anyone who had brought a ticket thinking their team would be in the finals and wasn't, rooted for the US. I clearly remember being surprised by that too.

I think what he is saying is that there is more hate towards the USMNT in LA than there is in NY. Which never having stepped foot west of the Mississippi am in no position to verify or deny

[Thomas A Fina]

Didn't they play against us in Hartford on a weekday?

If so, explains the small contingent.

I live in Brooklyn currently, plenty of Caribbeans. Quite a few work at the law firm I'm at. Guess it's mostly an East Coast thing.
very East Coast. Few Caribs on the left coast - which is why I never understood why we didn't play them in LA. It's always brought up in those qualie stadium threads that will be popping back up in another year.

[Turboduck01]

ya, basically the people rooting for el salvador were sure to be loud in rooting against the USA. they overwhelmed the US fans pretty easily. Felt like i was at an away game, but it was fun : )

[JayDelight729]

very East Coast. Few Caribs on the left coast - which is why I never understood why we didn't play them in LA. It's always brought up in those qualie stadium threads that will be popping back up in another year.

I blame US Soccer for always trying to make a buck over the good of the National Team.

In a meaningless friendly like the US-Guat game in March, play it wherever the hell you feel like.

But when games like in the Gold Cup or WCQ, why the hell would they plan to have games where the US will be severely outnumbered? It's just flat out idiotic and we are probably the only country in the world who does this.

I was there for the US-Hondo game in 2005 as well and the US was probably outnumbered 20 to 1 and that is being generous. The 6 PM start time (If I remember correctly) sure didn't help matters.

US Soccer has plenty of ways of to make money and sure as heck does. There's a reason we play so many games on our home soil, but THINK when scheduling meaningful games.

[ssanchez]

ya, basically the people rooting for el salvador were sure to be loud in rooting against the USA. they overwhelmed the US fans pretty easily. Felt like i was at an away game, but it was fun : )

We have basically become like Mexico in the sense that they want to bring down the giants. That being said if we play mexico all the central americans would be cheering for the US.

[JayDelight729]

We have basically become like Mexico in the sense that they want to bring down the giants. That being said if we play mexico all the central americans would be cheering for the US.

This is exactly the reason.

In CONCACAF, this is going to happen all the time. At other competitions, perhaps we will be underdogs and will get the support.

[SCBozeman]

There's a reason we play so many games on our home soil, but THINK when scheduling meaningful games.

Columbus, SLC, Birmingham...

When we play Mexico in tiny Crew Stadium for WQC and not in the Rose Bowl, it's not about $.

[Justin O]

I blame US Soccer for always trying to make a buck over the good of the National Team.

In a meaningless friendly like the US-Guat game in March, play it wherever the hell you feel like.

But when games like in the Gold Cup or WCQ, why the hell would they plan to have games where the US will be severely outnumbered? It's just flat out idiotic and we are probably the only country in the world who does this.


?????

Wait a minute. Unless I'm completely mistaken, the US Soccer Federation can't dictate where the US plays in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. That's CONCACAF's responsibility, no? And it would be scandalous if CONCACAF intentionally put the US where they'd get the most support, would it not?

It seems to me if the US had a real home field advantage CONCACAF would have to start paying the Gold Cup outside of the US, at least half the time anyway.