Not giving up the fight at all but all of the Austin info is depressing. So this is your thread. Share your fondest Crew Fan Memories. These could be about games/players/just experiences with other fans. There are way too many to share but a few that come to mind: #1: Champion's League: February, 2011 @beast01 and I tailgating for the Champion's League game on 2/22/11. It was one of those days where we just needed to get away from work so we got to the stadium to tailgate at noon. They were still clearing the snow from the parking lots and a lot of the FO guys were just going out to lunch. A few came over to remind us it was a 7p game and after lunch, came back to give us some swag. I think we were the only two people there from noon - 6p and it was cool to just kick back. #2: Nordecke Plungers: Multiple Years For multiple years, the Nordecke Plungers brought it to the Columbus Zoo to take a dip for charity. Easily the most vocal group (and typically yearly the #2 group for donations), it epitomized what it is to be a fan of the team and community. Sure we did have some sodas to keep us warm but it was about being together as a group.
25 OCT 2015 A lot of you guys were fans for the 2008 run. I, unfortunately, was not. I've not had a whole lot of success to go with my Crew fandom. The closest I've gotten thus far was the 2015 run to the Cup with the 5-0 win against DC United as my favorite Crew game. My brother and I got to watch that game in the stadium and it was glorious. You look at that team and it's a lot of guys that have since moved on. But for that one game, that one year, I will always remember them fondly.
Favorite is EC final in 2008. The Open Cup final in 2002 was fun too but cold. And of course the first guerra fria is up there, though not a Crew game.
Steeeeern Joooooooohn! First game in the stadium. Another was the day I scored two goals (ok, it was the game you got to play in if you bought a jersey through the CSF auction--but still).
I have a feeling that a lot of us would mention the exact same moments. Mine, without fail, is the East Final in 2008, beating Chicago. To beat what, at that time, was our arch-rival at home to secure our first MLS Cup berth -- that was astounding enough. To do it the way we did -- coming from behind, Marshall getting that iconic goal, Gaven winning it moments later -- the celebration, the euphoria, the relief... that was a bigger moment to me than actually winning the title.
That's easy taking my son to his first Crew game sitting in the same section that me and my Dad sat. I never thought I would get to do that.
My top 3 1) By far the ECF 2008 2) Not for the result but the semi vs RSL in 2009 was awesome/heart wrenching at the same time.... Plus i took someone's rotting jack-o-lantern off their porch after quite a few beers at Rubys and put my head into it and wore it into the game. Good times. 3) Getting to take some corner kicks in a team practice at the stadium when working on the grounds team in 99.
My wife and I have been going to Crew games since we started dating so there are way too many things to list, but a few do stand out. After a game in the Shoe, we went to the Varsity Club for a beer. With Brian McBride and his mom and dad. Walked over with them and had a wonderful conversation. I will never, ever forget that 5 minute walk. When LaTurbina used to march from the Nordecke to Autograph Alley, my daughter and my friends daughter were not only marching with them but were allowed to wear the big Sombrero and play the drum. They still talk about that to this day. Last, I have always sat with the supporters. When my daughter was 6 or 7 she wanted to start going with me but my buddy, with his daughter, was told by his wife they couldn't sit with you hooligans. We made a compromise and told her we were sitting in the "family" section. Not a lie, right? When the kids came home soaked in beer his wife caught on. The kids are now in college. I'm going to ********ing tear up. So many goddam memories being ripped away.
It isn't really game-related, but I know we all remember that sky in the 2000 USOC vs the Metros. Or at least I think that was the game. The second-ever game in the stadium had guys like DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan and Oguchi Onyewu. It was probably one of the only times good seats could be had for under $25 to see those guys. Does anyone remember a guy by the alias of Stern John Fan Club?? On that regard, the time I first met the legendary Eggy. I wonder what happened to that guy. There was also the time when someone *might have* come out of the stadium club with an entire bottle of wine.
I've got three, which have already been touched on in some ways: 1. The EC Final in 2008. A top moment in club history, clearly. (And it was icing on the cake of a magical 2008 season in Columbus watching an artful team dominate the league.) 2. The first time I took my son to the stadium with just the two of us (his third time at Crew stadium and 5th time seeing the Crew as I'd taken him to away matches when we lived in the Pacific northwest). I took him to his first movie in a theater before the match. The day was beautiful and there were fireworks afterwards. Maybe the best one-on-one bonding day we've ever had. (Hard to do get that much time one-on-one with 3 small kids.) 3. 2015 Conference Semifinal vs. Montreal. I took my 2 brothers-in-law to this match. It was cold and we started down by 1 goal. The match was high drama with an early goal from Kamara bringing us ahead on away goals but then Duka took Montreal back ahead. Kamara missed a PK opportunity to equalize--but then Finlay smashed one in toward the end of regulation to force extra time. Kamara redeemed himself with a dunking header that was reminiscent of the '08 EC Final Marshall goal for the win. Oh, and Drogba leg lock. I ended up missing MLS Cup in Columbus because I caught a horrible case of pneumonia. Even after the fun win vs. RBNY in the '15 EC Final, the EC Semifinal, to me, is the highest high of the Kamara era.
I would have to think on this topic for some time. I would probably have to make one list of home games and one list of away games. Then I would have the added list of pre-Timo and then pre-kids. Each list would hold special moments from the past 15 years of supporter-level experiences. The first time I caught a Crew game in person was in '99, but that memory is fleeting to my mind. The Open Cup Final in '02 really set the stage for Geeg (@TownKrier) and me. My memory is rather awful, so I forget a lot of great moments. He may be the better one to create some of my lists (seriously). Though out of all the sh!t that has happened since the bomb last week, my memory has been jogged a bit. That has been pleasant to experience. One of my favorite soccer moments happened at a USMNT in an American football stadium (Browns). The year was 2006. Geeg, dad, and I had driven up for the sendoff match. (As I write about the traditional sendoff match in Cleveland, I feel the crushing reality of our failed WC bid this year.) We had tried to get dad to stand and cheer/chant with us at Crew stadium before. At a previous Crew match, we opted to stand a bit behind the supporters in 137 because dad was not at the level of comfort to stand with them. So for this USMNT game, Geeg and I wanted to stand with the supporters (Sam's Army at the time). Dad was still hesitant to stand with the supporters, so he chose to sit a section over. Reluctantly, we said "okay dad, we will see you at half time" (Upon reflection, that was probably a sh!tty move by Geeg and me). At half time, we made our way over to dad. We gabbed about the game, and to our surprise, he asked us if we had room for him over in the supporters' section. We said we would make the room. Ever since that match, dad has stood with us at Crew matches. It broke the ice. I love that memory.
Love this. Reminds me of the time I took my mom and dad to a Crew match (they lived nowhere near Columbus). We had 4 season tickets in those days, because we were helping to build soccer in the US. When I was a teen my dad would take my brother and I to Atoms games at the old Vet--and he would sit up in the concourse as he did not move well while my brother and I would run all over the stadium. The one interesting thing he said to me (and this was 1998) about the Crew was something along the lines of "wow, this is a lot better quality than we used to see".... They are gone now, but still a good memory. I gave him an RW coaches jacket from one of the garage sales that he would wear around town in GA. I'm wearing it today.
That was my ending point in the last two paragraphs of the letter I sent to Garber (that I should send to other MLS entities to show love for #SaveTheCrew). You never know how much time we have left, and I would prefer to continue to watch games with my dad for as long as time will allow.
Being a confirmed game day drunkard, there is no way for me to recall specific games at this point. Having had full season tickets in the same spot since the stadium opened and missing probably fewer than 20 games total during that time means I've spent a lot of time there. I keep coming back because I have a great time doing it. Some solid memories obviously include the awesome Eastern Conference Final in 2008, the Open Cup Final with mushroom headed Freddy Garcia's winner and opening day in 1999. I've organized 2 pool party tailgates. The first one I remember renting the flatbed truck, desperately trying to relearn stick-shift while driving to the RV parking area in the lot to steal water to fill it up. Later, sending someone to a convenience store for big bags of ice because the water was disgustingly hot. Pictures of this have been lost unfortunately. I remember doing a breakfast tailgate for the All-Star game, drinking too many bloodymarys and passing out in the stands and waking up each time a goal was scored, cheering "Yay!" and passing back out. The win vs Chicago and the post game Flogging Molly show was a tremendous night.
One memory I do have involving soccer and my parents... My parents signed me up for soccer when I was 8. We had just moved here from Long Island, and they wanted to make sure I (and my sister, who was 5) had some outlet to meet some other kids. I was the only one in the family who ever really got the "love" for the game. I got them to go to the first two Mexico games, and they had fun. But the summer of 2004, I broke my leg in a co-rec game. In an effort to not miss any more of the Crew than I had to, I bought a couple extra tickets for my parents so they could attend a match with me -- because I wasn't going to be able to drag myself there in my condition. So the only Crew match my parents ever both attended with me, in September of 2004... Edson Buddle scored four goals.
Oh the stories I have from that game..... And yeah, it is REALLY difficult to select certain specific games. Just thought there should be a thread to talk about the family we've become and the memories that stick out for peeps.
Yes, I agree. Very tough to choose. I thank you for starting this thread. I have seen a few mentions of Buddle. The goal he scored in Chicago sticks out for me as one of my favorite memories involving him. So. Many. Memories. It was difficult to write my letter due to the heaps of memories over the years. I wanted it short and sweet. I would imagine I could talk about Crew memories for days and days. Perhaps we will. (And as @zman31 noted, some games are a bit... cloudy.)
1. A lot of people will rightly point to the 2002 US Open Cup Final. That's up there for me. But as far as a cathartic unexpected joy experience for me it might be the semi final. My dad was out in Columbus on business during that game, and he stood in the V-Army section with me. I don't think I've ever swore that much in front of my dad in my life. From the McCarty own goal that opened the game (of course). To Buddle's goal and Pelusa's 35-40 minutes of magic. 2-0 down in the 75th minute, to an injury time equaliser and then Pelusa winning it. That was insanity and probably around the "peak" time of my Crew fanatacism. I'll never forget that game. 2. A random game that sticks out is October 19 2003? vs DC United. Crew needed to win to keep their playoff hopes alive in a miserable season. They go up 2-1 on a McBride pen only to have Petke equalize in the 96th. This is when MLS had added extra time. McBride scored in the 100th minute to give the Crew the win I screamed and banged on the floor of my apartment so loud in celebration that my neighbor rushed up to make sure I was okay. I was probably drunk on Miller High Life. I think we lost the next game. I know we didn't make the playoffs. So Crewzery.... 3. A trip to DC that included zman, Sirk, Fid, Flick, my friend Ray and a few others. Parts of it were memorialized in a Sirk notebook I can't find now. 4. The morning after MLS Cup 2015. One of the first flights out of Columbus. There are a few Timbers fans milling around. Suddenly I see @ZipSix and we realize we are on the same flight to Bratislav International Airport (DC's airport is 3rd world). For approximately twenty minutes prior to boarding we attempt to figure out what the hell Steve Clark (and I think to a lesser extent, Wil Trap) were doing in the first 26 seconds. There was one 50 something year old Timbers fan sitting across from us in the terminal who was sort of listening in and holding in laughter. I was too tired and pissed to scream at him. I just wanted to bitch about the game and I unexpectedly had a mini V-Army reunion to do so. That was needed.
Goosebumps thinking about ECF08. That one stands out. Though the atmosphere of the final in 2015 will be hard to forget. Painful ending, but man... Crew stadium was electric. Random game? 2009 against Toronto. Down 2-1, Lenhart tied it in the 78th before Jason Garey scored the winner in stoppage time. Something about that one was super memorable to me.
What a great jolt to my memory. Thank you. Not a lot of games on tv would be included in my list(s), but that one is a good one.
Good thread, I have a lot. 1st the very first game in 1996. I went to that game bright eyed and bushy tailed hoping for something, and it delivered and is one of the reasons I still believe 20+ years later. 2nd 1999 first game at Crew Stadium. There are 2 times Ive sat in the upperdeck, this was the first and only Crew game I was in the UD. The experience tail gating before and after was amazing. 3rd This isnt related to a game, but a continuation of the tailgating. We almost always parked by the giant shade tree that was outside the VIP lot. That was our spot for nearly every game, till the tree got torn down and replaced by pavement. We would show up a few hours before the game, and after games still keep the party going (after the tent closed down). Several times we had players join us, or we merged with other people. The tailgating made getting through the rough years like 2005 easier....its hard to describe how much I enjoyed those years. My top fanboy moment while trying to not be a fanboy. 4th The all-star game in 2005. Cbus was the first to host the new format. It was also before media hype and MLS controlled events took over. After the game we met up with Cunningham at Claddagh (he was a friend of a friend). He told us a few more people were going to join us so we moved outside to a table on the patio. That table consisted of a few crew/us legends, Carlos Bocanegra, and a few others like our lovable Tucker. The highlight: My wife sat there talking to Bocanegra not realizing he was a player. When we left she said "He seems a like a cool guy, he liked talking about soccer and other stuff...I forgot to ask if he goes to games." I then told her who he was talking to most of the evening....and she couldnt do anything but laugh and say he didnt act like he played in Premier League. It also goes to show what a different era that was. I refrained from taking pics back then because I didnt want to cross a barrier, but I still to this day regret not getting a pic....our 1MP phone cameras sucked and I didnt carry the point and shoot with me everywhere. The day before the game we were at the old spice bar not knowing Fulham had chosen the location to hang out at while we were there.
Eskadarian got red carded which made me really happy.. It was at a point in time where everyone knew Brian McBride was a great player but the previous years through injuries, loans, whatever guys like Buddle and Cunny were scoring more goals for the team. There was a sentiment that the team may be better off without McBride. I think he wound up being our leading scorer that season too. Even though it wasn't a playoff game, it sorta felt like it and to have McBride score the winner then, vs long time hated rival DCU was just incredible.