BCL 2015-2016 [r]

Le Mont only had an attendance of 350 people yesterday, and I think that may have been generous.

I'm heading to Aarau tonight. I saw Aarau win in Luzern last year. Sat next to the Aarau fans. They were disappointed with the choice of beer in the away sector and asked me to put some over the barriers to them. They weren't too happy when I said no and then I moved over into the family section. I'm hoping for a better time tonight.

 

I went to Aarau yesterday, and, typically, the second division games don't draw well, but there were 5,000 rowdy fans crammed into the tiny Brügglifeld. There are only seats in one area, and those seats are damn expensive at more than double the cost of a ticket which gets you everywhere else. (47 CHF vs 21 CHF? Come on!) Everywhere else you either stand or try to sit on the concrete steps. For this match, I went down to the edge of the field and stood behind the advertising boards. Everyone chooses to stand higher. I didn't have a problem from my vantage point.

This stadium was probably my favorite in terms of the experience. The fans were really into it. The ultras were loud and proud. A terrific atmosphere. A stadium that was oversold on a Monday night for a second division game. It was wonderful. You were free to roam wherever you wanted within the concrete steps. You could even switch from one end to the other if you pleased, or if you wanted to stand behind the ultras and experience their singing and banners and flares, you could. When the game was over, no one forced anyone to leave. There were no section ushers because there isn't a need for them. There was a security presence, but it wasn't overwhelming, and you didn't notice it. It was nice. After the game, normally when ushers would be kicking you out, the club invites you to stay, have another beer, enjoy a little more food since all the concessions are open, and hang out with your friends and neighbors. I wished every stadium were like that.

This was one of my favorite stadiums in Switzerland, and FC Aarau earned a soft spot in my heart.

 

The game between Wil and Aarau was just awful. Neither team could hold possession for long and very, very few chances were generated. Wil looked almost like they were playing at home for the draw.

I knew I should've picked Wohlen/Le Mont, but Wil's stadium seemed nicer.

 

Funny thing was that both opponents played down to them, almost if expecting a stronger performance. I honestly don't believe that Aarau was as good as their record indicated last year. I know that's not saying much since they finished dead last, but Mall really kept their season more alive, and it could've been worse for them.

 

Went to the Xamax match last night. First off, Neuchatel is a beautiful city. I really wish I could've spent more time there just walking around. Next, because of people being on holiday, and the fact that Xamax did not draw well in the Promotion League, no one was expecting a big crowd at all. As a matter of fact, they were expecting a crowd between 1,000 and 2,000 people. I arrived 10 minutes before kickoff, and didn't get into the place until the 30th minute. The line for tickets was packed with only two people selling. The picture below was from when the match was in the 5th minute. It was horrible. They expected no more than 2,000 and got close to 7,000. The whole one side of the stadium was completely sold out, so they were selling tickets behind the net, next to the ultras. The only problem was that in order to get to your seats, you needed to go through the ultras. Fortunately (at least for me), they were really cool about it. No one said anything about me wearing my Kensington Soccer Club shirt and Union hat, and I went and got to my seat just before Xamax scored.

I gotta say, I love this stadium. It's red EVERYWHERE. The stadium isn't uniform. The walls rise towards the supporters section for some reason. Pictures don't do it justice. It's wonderful. The only bad part (aside from only seeing the last 60 minutes) was that no one bothered to take a hose to these seats. The seats I sat in, more toward the corner flag, probably have not been sat in for YEARS because I came up with dirt and cobwebs all over my pants.

Anyway, the game was fun, despite all the action being at the opposite end of where I sat. I didn't get as many good pictures, as in other games, but I still had fun.

 

Thanks for the kudos. I only have 10 days left here, so I'm trying to make the most of it in case I never get to come back.

That is a thousand percent true what was said about Lausanne. The funny thing was that Lausanne actually had plenty of opportunities to equalize and they couldn't put the ball in the net. I actually think Lausanne should be considered promotion favorites based on the games I've seen and watching highlights. They look really good, despite the loss last night. Xamax was playing with good emotion, but once they got that goal, they played counterattack and tried to hang on. It paid off, but I don't know how often they'll be able to do that. If LS would've gotten a tying goal or even opened the scoring, I'm curious what Xamax would've looked like from then on because their backline is not very strong.

I think Xamax will be in the lower mid-table range, somewhere like 6-8, but not really threatened to be relegated. Lausanne, on the other hand, could be headed back up if they play the way they're capable of.

 

Hello and Greetings! To all supporters of Swiss football! I happen to support one of the most unfashionable clubs in the top 2 tiers of Swiss football FC Wil. As you all know we barely survived the drop last season but watch us this year. I feel we will challenge for the title. All the best to all the clubs supported here and will talk soon!