Is It Really a Derby If It Is Only Preseason

Being a preseason match certainly takes a lot of the seriousness out of it

 

Look I'm not going to be one to tell people how to spend their money since this is technically still supporting sawker in Houston, BUT.....

It kills me that some of these people don't realize that these players are going to be playing at about 65%. Yeah, you may see a couple of 40 yard full-sprint dashes but it won't be the same intensity of a FA Cup tie or fight for a spot in European play.

 

Yes correct rey but all the uneducated soccer fans in our sports culture don't know this!
I mean when one has to explain the Open Cup to an MLS head coach then it does not surprise me that there are so many soccer fanboys that will line up en mass and hand over their money by the bucket load just to watch an exhibition match featuring bench, reverse and youth players looking to make the team.

 

if it was called a "darby" would it change the intensity?

 

The out of shape players from the world's top flight are likely playing at MLS speed, but with a better first touch.

I'm not going to waste my time and money for two teams that I dislike, but will be wasting it on the Mexico v Nigeria friendly.

 

I usually never go to NRG except for Supercross. It's not my cup of tea, but it is often sold out for soccer despite the issues

 

I would go to these games to "support soccer in Houston" like Glenn and the STYSA folks used to have to beg all of us to do in order to put Houston on the map as a soccer mad city. Which of course we all did since Pre-Pre Libertadores was here at the Rob back in the late 90's on up to Copa de Tejas from the Texans in 2003 to Gold Cup in 2005 and U.S. vs. Mexico friendlies since Revancha en la Cancha in 2003. But now that the sport of pro outdoor soccer is so entrenched into our sporting landscape, all of us do not have to go drop money on these type of one off exhibitions. I'll leave that money dropping part up to the Man U fanboys around town. HA!

 

I had to work that day, do recall that encounter.
On top of the rather entertaining Pre-Pre Libertadores matches at the Rob in the late 90's, there was the time Boca Juniors showed up in H-Town.
Boca Juniors vs. Club America de Mexico at The Rob, July of 2002. One of those very entertaining, end to end 0-0 affairs. But anything Argies and Mexicans get together en futbol, things are bound to pop off.

 

Super. Then watch it at a bar for free and save you and your family the $450 it will cost to go to the match after parking, tickets and food n beervages.
I watch better footy than MLS all the time, for free!!! Don't need no stinkin' exhibition matches at NRG Stadium HAHA!!!

 

I don't have any interest in going to this fake derby, but it doesn't hurt me if other people go. It probably helps in some way. I don't have a problem with preseason games, and even though I live and breath sports, I don't think that I know too much to go watch friendlies.

There's better things to throw my money away on anyways.

 

I will say this, now that we know for sure MLS HQ has got back into bed with the Liga MX suits on a revamped inter MLS and Liga MX Cup, I would take this and go long with the intrest Americans have in inviting clubs from around Europe and offer them the pre-season games they want. However, place them up against regional competition. Playing said games in U.S., Canadian and Mexican stadiums of said MLS and Liga MX opponents. Say 4 Groups of 4. 16 teams. 8 from MLS and Liga MX and another 8 from Europe with South America. Group Winners advance to the Final 4. Have an actual tournament that delivers preseason warm ups but allows Mexican and MLS clubs to have a go against Global competition. Play this in late July end in early August. If people want to go see the big clubs, super! Give them a Cup competition that is preseason in nature with slide tackling not a premium but still is a huge money maker for MLS and Liga MX to be invested in. As it stands now, with ICC and its financial backers, MLS HQ is on the outside looking in!

 

I haven't been to a friendly like this since maybe Everton-America more than a decade ago. I want to see starters with money on the table, or at least a game that counts in some way. It's a shame they did away with the neutral site CCL stuff like Portmore-America.

They're tapping into the Hispanic and anglo fan snob mentalities that wish the Dynamo spent more money, as well as local supporters of the teams. Couple games a year with different teams won't saturate.

Having watched English and French preseason and lesser European stuff, yeah, what they care about is League, that's what you get for your season ticket there, and so a trip abroad gets them a more motivated fanbase. That being said, Stamford Bridge isn't holding more than 41k so it's not just the motivation, it's the football size crowds. Some of the teams there have moved into Emirates monstrosities that compare to NFL (notably often ones owned by Americans), others like Tottenham are building them, but some are playing in more modest arenas and playing in a NFL stadium simply offers different scale unavailable at home. Only a few like ManU came already with that size.

One dynamic effect of this versus us, is if we suck it soon enough goes to ticket sales and the bottom line. But ManU, if someone after a couple off years gives up their tickets, plenty of people will step in. It's like the Cubs or Redskins or Packers that way.

 

It's always rivalry when rivals play, us vs Dallas for instance could be a brawl playing Monopoly or preseason. But Derby to me would be overselling because we know the starters don't all start or even play and that we see kids and trialists for periods.

But this is marketing. They can within reason market it how they like and the buyer beware is knowing how these teams handle those games.

 

Idk, is it really sex if you're not married?

 

The same might be true if it was Sunderland vs Hull City. However, somehow I suspect nobody is queuing up for that match.

Let's face it, this is equivalent to someone in Montana being a Yankees fan. It's all about the name. I mean, it's good that people want to go see a soccer game, but would be even nicer if they carried on to go see local soccer as well.

As for the original question, no, preseason matches in England are never considered derbies so can't imagine it would be any different when the match is not on English soil.

And to MannieG, yes it is sex if you aren't married. When you are married, we call it "making love".

 

I have a genuine interest in the sport, so would definitely go to see Sunderland v Hull City if I was in town, as long as it wasn't too inconvenient like NRG can be. It would be very interesting to me.

But I also have been to PDL, and USL games in OKC, ABQ, women's games, you name it. I'm going to an RGV game this weekend, and will have fun with that. Some people really like this sport.

 

Of course, which is why they often lose to MLS all stars playing that way, sometimes ugly.
The gap is not that big, we are as good as bottom rung EPL or top rung Championship playing as hard as they can at prime fitness.

MLS' problem is not rank and file quality. I'm also a Fulham fan, they made the promotion playoff before losing 1-0 to Reading over two legs, and their darling these days is Tim Effing Ream. That's lateral, if that. The difference is the first chunk of a top line roster, at peak fitness. Sitting those players or running them out at preseason fitness is almost a push, because most of the next shift in is no better than MLS, and history shows some of those players can't cut it here when they wash out there.

I mean what is the Dynamo this year but the value of a handful of players who are just a notch or two better than the mediocre from head to toe of last season. You scrape that surface and we still have Deric, Willis, Anibaba, Alexander, etc. It's the little distinctions of quality per position, I mean, imagine the Texans with a quarterback. That one spot is the difference between competing for the trophy and done the second round IMO. Depending which foreign side we are talking about, Quioto and others might be equals, but it would be the duds on our roster, mids, some of the slow older backs, that would be the difference. But it's not that they are on some other planet.

Also, FWIW, our tactical naivete would also kick our a$$. We just whack it wide on offense and improvise, and then overflow to the ball on defense. A good, fast, technical team would probably beat us not because they are soooooooo much more talented, but because I feel like we are tuned to roughly a MLS home game risk level, and a team with better players than MLS would exploit us even more than when we are on the road trying this same naïve disorganized crap. That being said, a more organized and defensive MLS team might hold their own. A lot of it would simply be we aren't very sophisticated and systemically take a lot of poor risks.

 

when i have sex with my wife i call it a derby

 

Damn. I never got the email with details and sale happens in like 15 minutes

Edit: and I get it a minute later!

Edit 2: $80 each for sideline tickets around 30-40yd in the 600s. I'm good. I'll watch on tv

 

Is your presale code working? I have 3 that were emailed to me from ICC, Texans and MUFC and none of them work.

 

It worked but they aren't any available right now.

Ticketmaster doesn't release all tickets st once. Check throughout the day or days.