Travel/Tickets: November 13 USA v SVG @ Busch stadium in St.Louis

You should've gotten it from AO in the mail. If not there will be tables to go get one.

Sounds like that is the case.

 

I think this is coming off the back of multiple issues over the summer where fans were photo copying AO tickets for friends. It lead to overpopulated sections, especially in places where it was GA but within the specific section on your ticket.

 

The email I got makes it sound like they're doing it themselves:

Once I get my wristband can I go anywhere in the section?

No. General Admission is still BY SECTION. You must stand in the section (152-160) on your ticket. The wristband only indicate you are in the AO area and allow you access to said area.

Why are you doing this?

As the popularity of soccer in the United States grows so does that of AO. We've noticed, and heard from members, that sections are becoming overcrowded by those who didn't purchase AO tickets or by people in the wrong sections.

 

I've seen it work well and seen it work horribly. Ironically the best pure-GA setup I've attended for USSoccer was back at the old Meadowlands for USA/Argentina. Of course this was also in the pre-AO days. I can see things getting obnoxious with some of the increased drunken stupidity that occurs in the sections nowadays*

*that, or I'm just getting old and ornery.

 

I'm also taking the Thursday evening train down from Chicago. I wonder what percentage of people on it will be coming for the game.

 

If that is the policy for general admission, that is extremely flawed. GA, by definition means you can go anywhere within the given sections. I frequent Sporting KC games quite often and their South Stand, sections 115-122 is General Admission, if you arrive early enough you can sit anywhere in the section.

 

You can have section specific GA, and actually used at sporting KC park the last 2-3 games for the national team were that way,. North section GA couldn't go into the South section GA.

The policy makes good sense (in theory) to try to regulate crowd control. In this case it is 155 GA, 156 GA, etc

 

What was everyone's experience like?

 

Game/fan review.

Pregame- fantastic location, organization. Extremely well done. Perfect spot under the arch and 2-3 blocks from the stadium. Free food served up by AO (kudos guys) and Oscar Blues with a beer tent. The beer line was long but they allowed BYOB so it worked very well, IMO.

March: well orchastrated with police escort blocking the road for us. I think there was a Clydesdale horse leading the way?? People coming out of restaurants and office building to take pictures and video. Tons and tons of members holding big flags. Great scene.

Stadium: close to a sell-out and felt like it. The locals really bought in and supported it, massive kudos to the city. 48k or something. The entire lower bowl was standing the whole game. Weird baseball config obviously so the left field bleacher area was miles away from the game. The field/grass didn't seem problematic at all. Still weird to see players coming out of the dugouts from the locker rooms.

St. Vincent fans: That one section at midfield, looked to be 50? fans all decked out in yellow and were dancing the whole game. Fun to see.

Awesome moment: after pregame warmups the St. Vincent players went to the lockerroom, via the 3rd base dugout which was the AO section. AO fans gave top notch ovation to the St. V players, very spontaneously. It was really cool and the St. V players had huge smiles and clapped in return. I just loved that moment.

AO Section:
- Wristbands were given out. Korey and Dan were actually in charge of handing them out, but the ushers never once checked or enforced it. It was wide open GA, and glad we got there with the march an hour early in order to get a decent spot Probably alot of energy/work went into that and can't say that it was worth it from a practicality perspective.
- Band/capo: well.. the capo only had an old school megaphone which provided little to no help. But that guy went all out the entire game. He did his best and for the most part kept the songs and crowd going. I Believe is still the lamest chant of all time, but I digress. The drummers, seemed like at least 3-4 guys, were decent. As the game wore one the traditional songs were nice and sustained.
- Probably 6 sections of AO and the viewpoint was pretty good, but still too far from the field due to the configuration. Typical die hards/frat boy scene but I like it because everyone is very engaged in the game and having tons of fun.

I think that's about it for me. Due to lack of MLS team or any USMNT games, you could tell that the city/fans haven't had any practice with organizing supporters section. The songs were fairly limited and with only one capo it was hard to engage all 6 sections at once. Overall, and extremely good time and big props to St. Louis for being excited about the event.

 

The wristbands was a complete fiasco. Two people at a table checking the names of every person in every section to cross them off the list. Once inside, I think there was one total usher that actually caring to try to look for wristbands but you would basically just walk past him if you wanted.

I'll add that not everyone that is in a supporters section is AO and it's pretty stupid that you have to go to an AO table and get an AO wristband to stand in the section.

The atmosphere was ok. The guy with the megaphone was indeed trying his best and really gave it his all but it sounded like maybe one section was actually ever doing the singing. Need to have a LOT more variety of songs. The challenge like always is how to coordinate 8-10 sections of people and that hasn't been answered.

St. Louis as a city really brought it. One of the buildings had their lights on to spell USA. There were street signs everywhere for us soccer. The hotels had signs inside welcoming soccer fans.

 

Just got off the train back to Chicago. Only open seats were up in the right field corner, otherwise, the place was packed (the pic I posted is at halftime). For having the worst opponent US team in years against the worst opponent they've played in a long time even for a qualifier, you could tell that St. Louis has been desperate for a game. Even the fans up with us in the 400s were knowledgeable about the team and joined into a sarcastic "Jurgen Klinsmann" chant after the first StV goal.

I have to say, for my first time at Busch Stadium, that place is a GREAT ballpark. I wandered around a bit before the game and was tempted to watch from some of the stadium room spots instead of our seats because there are so many good places to view the game there.

 

Good stuff everyone.

Good to see the city off St. Louis really bring it and be enthusiastic.