Crossroads...

[Bluecat82]

I was making the commute home today on I-94 when I had a bit of an epiphany...

We, the fans of the United States National Team, have yet to find our true identity.

Are we hoolies? Are we party animals? Corporate Sellouts? Quixotic windmill-tilters? Us-against-the-whole-world types in serious need of psychological help? All of the above?

What are we, really?

More to the point, what do we want to be?

After all, we haven't been at this all that long, when you look at it...seven years, really, since the US-Nigeria match at US Cup '95.

We've made a lot of steps forward as a "soccer nation"...and taken a few back, as well.

The show of force put on by the US fans in Korea was nothing short of amazing. I didn't need Jack Edwards to tell me what you were singing in the closing moments of the Portugal and Mexico matches...I could hear you. Loud and clear.

I was also signing right along with you...

So...46 months from now, where do we want to be as a...fan movement, for want of a better term...and how do we go about getting there?

The goal, I would guess, is to go to Germany, support the team, scream our lungs out, and have a great deal of fun doing it.

The trick is...how do we do that without excluding parts of the fan base?

Can we?

Understand, I'm not sitting at my terminal wringing my hands in angst, saying to myself "Golly gee, I hope we can all play nice with the other children at the qualifiers and the World Cup."

I'm just curious...and would like to hear some opinions and ideas.

[EdTheRed]

The next step, I think, is to improve our attendance at away qualifiers. I made it to three of the five final-round home matches last time around, but didn't get to any on the road. Other fans did travel, however, and I think they set a great example for the rest of us.

My personal goal is to make it to at least one road qualifier next time around - hopefully we can see some serious numbers at some away matches.

I don't think US Soccer fans will ever have a group identity the way Scotland's Tartan Army does, for example. We really are a diverse bunch. However, hopefully we'll see more matches like the Foxboro Jamaica (Oct. 7) match, and the Columbus Mexico Match, where red-clad fans of all affiliations (Sam's Army, Yank Army) and no affiliation stood and sang together from warmups through postgame.

[metroflip73]

Lemme put it this way.

We party. We talk shee-it with every other group (even shouting down an Engerlish man during the Eng v Arg game), yet we keep it pretty tame.

I like it that way. I don't advocate violence and selling out to the corporate types.

For me, in Korea IT WAS US AGAINST THE WHOLE EFFING WORLD. I walked and talked like it was us against the world. I overheard when a bunch of Yanks walked in a bar, "Jeez, it's the American fans again." I like hearing that.

We're the supporters group/fan base that will have multiple Elvi, etc. Every single slice of Americana should represent at games, cuz that's who and what we are, a mish-mash of a whole lot of stuff.

What I would like US fans to be is to be a little more creative, and to take their own initiative when it comes to things in the section. Don't get me wrong, I like singing my songs too, but if someone starts up a good one, I'll sing it loud and proud, just like Cossack, MetroTard, VflKirwan, et al would.

[eric_appleby]

Good thread.

I want to be in Germany and hear them say, "dammit, it's those Americans again."

As for away qualies, we should all focus on Azteca.
I'm going to try to make one, and that's the one.

[TeamUSA]

Yes the Azteca trip is the one to make. When the USA wins there the football world will be ours. We need to shake the last monkey off our backs.

As for who we are, as it was stated we are a mish mash of supporters.

[Rapids/Arsenal Fan]

Originally posted by eric_appleby
As for away qualies, we should all focus on Azteca.
I'm going to try to make one, and that's the one.

Word.

[tame1999]

I'll be in Azteca with a nice, big ass banner that says, "Mexico, no te puede ganar" (Mexico, you can't win)

[Bluecat82]

I wasn't at Foxboro, but I was there for La Guerra Fria - and Kansas City, who also did a great job - and I agree, this should be the standard. Debacles like RFK should never, ever happen again...

Metroflip, you raise some excellent points that I'd like to use as a jumping off point...


Originally posted by metroflip73
We're the supporters group/fan base that will have multiple Elvi, etc. Every single slice of Americana should represent at games, cuz that's who and what we are, a mish-mash of a whole lot of stuff.

Again, agreed...there should be room in Sam's Army - either the generic term or the actual organization...or both, take your pick - for both a Headbangers Brigade and a Mormon Battalion...

What I would like US fans to be is to be a little more creative, and to take their own initiative when it comes to things in the section.

Here's where it starts to get tricky...

Let's say someone tries something and it doesn't work. Are we going to be tolerant enough not to ridicule the poor guy? To paraphrase Scott Adams, are we going to ask him (and ourselves), "What did we learn?" or "What the !*&^@$! were you thinking?"

Second question: Are we comfortable enough as a "soccer nation" that we can look to borrow, creatively acquire, or downright steal stuff that gets a crowd going from elsewhere in the US sports landscape, or do we continue to look towards Europe and, to a lesser extent, South America for our inspiration?

Don't get me wrong, I like singing my songs too, but if someone starts up a good one, I'll sing it loud and proud, just like Cossack, MetroTard, VflKirwan, et al would.

Finally, and I don't mean this as a, pardon the pun, flip question, but what exactly constitutes a "good one"?

Keep it going...

[Victory]

The priority is to ensure that home field is home field. We need to support the team and make an impact that is how the loyalties of the next generation will change....our goal should be to have people support the National Team and not be traitors.

[metroflip73]

The Potvin Sucks chant.

The Funky Town song

The Led Zeppelin song

All were started up in Korea I suppose. I don't ever plan on shelving them either. I didn't start any of these songs, but they ain't gonna disappear from the mental rolodex...

[eric d]

Originally posted by tame1999
I'll be in Azteca with a nice, big ass banner that says, "Mexico, no te puede ganar" (Mexico, you can't win)


I guess you are going for the hooligan angle.

[metroflip73]

Is that really a hoolie angle?

Bit of a grey area if you ask me.

[Golazo]

Originally posted by tame1999
I'll be in Azteca with a nice, big ass banner that says, "Mexico, no te puede ganar" (Mexico, you can't win)

I, too, was thinking along those lines, although I prefer a chant of "No se pudo." I like it because it mirrors their "Sí se puede," but (and hopefully for a long time) is CLEARLY a reference to the knockout match at JK02.

[Golazo]

Originally posted by Bluecat82
Are we hoolies? Are we party animals? Corporate Sellouts? Quixotic windmill-tilters? Us-against-the-whole-world types in serious need of psychological help? All of the above?

What are we, really?


"Long suffering" comes to mind

[metroflip73]

MEXICO
MEXICO
JA
JA
JA!

As opposed to Mexico, Mexico, rarara...

[vflkirwan]

I could dig a little Bone Thugs at a Nat's game.

[metroflip73]

Better than a reference to that horrible Ralph Macchio movie.

[tame1999]

Originally posted by metroflip73
Is that really a hoolie angle?

Bit of a grey area if you ask me.


huh?

[adam]

Originally posted by metroflip73
MEXICO
MEXICO
JA
JA
JA!

As opposed to Mexico, Mexico, rarara...

Clever. I can't believe nobody's thought of that before.

[metroflip73]

We did it in Jeonju in the first half. I saw some Mexican guy a couple sections over from the Elvi and he looked towards us, waved his hand dismissively and got back to the game.

It worked. Now if 1000 Yanks did it in Azteca, the whistles and debris would be lying in our direction. If we were up, it would be SOOOO worth it.