Watching "Chivas Gabachas" vs La Galaxy, and seeing the ambiance at the stands, watching all those fans shouting and jumping and just being fans, alas, makes me envious of that rivalry (blasphemy, but true indeed, I feel envious of fake Chivas and super LA Universe), goooooooooool (I hate Chivas but I hate Galaxy even more). Don´t tell me that we have a real rivalry with FC Dallas, been to games against them here and there, you don´t really feel the rivalry, I miss being a child waiting for the 2 games each season in which Athletic Club Bilbao and Real Sociedad would play, then as a teenager buying tickets for Tigres vs Rayados, I don´t feel that against any other team in the MLS, I see it right now with fake Chivas and the ever expanding Universe. Another team in Houston?, no way, horrible idea, we have a country the size of Europe and we can´t even find 18 cities to host soccer teams?, don´t get me wrong, don´t have anything against Chivas and our Canadian team, love their fans, but I do believe it was the wrong decision to give one city 2 teams and have a team outside of the country, economically it makes sense, but if MLS is also trying to introduce soccer to the country, then it doesn´t make sense at all. Are we doomed not to have a real rivalry?, what is the answer?, are Dallas fans and their team the ones that need to step it up, is it us and our team?, is it because we have been a team for only 2 seasons?
We gotta play them more than a few times, but it could lead to something, especially on an international level.
Houston and Dallas will never have a true rivalry until Dallas can man up to our level and prove that they can actually beat us. Which they haven't done since '06. Same goes for Houston against Pachuca. They'll never consider us a rival until we can prove that we can beat them. Stands a better chance than Dynamo-FCD at this point though.
Pachuca plays in a different league, I´m talking about a strong rivalry with a team that will have to play at least twice each year, a rivalry that makes defeating that team not as important as winning the league but close, and in order to be a real rivalry that team fans would have to feel the same, even tough many Dynamo fans feel the rivalry against Pachuca, I don´t see Pachuca fans feeling the same, but even if I´m wrong, the fact they are in a different league diminishes the huge rivalry ambiance, unless I´m wrong we will not see them next CCL, (heck, we didn´t even saw them this CCL because we lost against Saprissa and who knoews if we will play them in SL,) the current Mexican winners are Atlante and Santos, and there is no guarantee we will be in the CCl after that one or the next Super Liga, and even if me make it there, no guarantees Pachuca will be there, we may not play Pachuca in a real tournament for a few years, you play your big rival consistently, not every 2 or 3 years.
Yeah, but your real nemesis is always in your own league, Barcelona and Real Madrid had a few international rivalries, but their real rival, their nemesis, have always been each other.
You have a point there, it is like Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid, Atlético sees Real Madrid as their nemesis, as their big rival, their game against "Real Mandril" is their big derby, but not for "Los Mernegues", they see Atlético de Madrid as their hometown rival, but not THE rival because they respect Barcelona more.
Not to get off your topic, man, but I've never thought of it before.... are there any other leagues anywhere that have teams from two countries in them? Now that you mention it, it is strange they throw a Canadian team into our league. All of a sudden I don't like it, it's messed up. Now I've got something else to be all mad about. And you're right, we don't need another team in Houston, that's just crazy talk. And I don't understand how two teams can share a stadium, then have separate home games. That's just crazy too.
BOOM! To be honest though, we need to step it up. Our team needs to figure out if they are interested in playing and we'll have to see how many Dynamo "fans" there are after the wheels come off the wagon.
I agree. I would say New England hates you guys as much as, if not more than, every other team in the league. What you have right now with FCD is a derby. Thats really it. If the cannon means that much to you, then we have good beginnings right now having taken it. If not, then New England may be as good as any. I just don't see the opposing fans ever traveling to either stadium...
Monaco is a separate country, but the football club plays in the French League. Cardiff City and Swansea are in Wales, but play in the English Leagues. I believe there has been sporadic talk about combining the Danish and Belgian Leagues, but I'm not positive on that. So it's not unprecedented, you don't have to be mad about it anymore
Can't you see the smoke, "Brah"? The actual cannon is below and to the left. You can see blue shirts amidst all the smoke. Most of the smoke is in front of the yellow sign as the picture was taken a few seconds after the shot. You can also see the smoke in the giant ass picture on the jumbo-tron. It was VERY loud. We only did it once before the rain and lightning started. I don't know if they intend on shooting it every game or just when we play you guys. Here's one a little more zoomed in.
Technically the French league has a team that does not play on French soil, Monaco, but Monaco or the Principality of Monaco is not a country, is a city-state(but a sovereign state nevertheless), but the French are in charge of defending the Principality and if the royal family is incapable of producing a male heir then the territory goes back to France, blah, blah, blah, blah, so technically, yes, but in reality, no. Then you have the Welsh teams mentioned, but the thing with them is that Wales is not a sovereign state, it is a constituent country inside the sovereign country of the United Kingdom, so in reality is not that they play in the league of a different country, they are in the only sovereign state which has more than one federation recognized by FIFA. So, as you see, technically the only sovereign state to have a team from another sovereign state is France, and in reality there are so many things that makes it a very different case, so I will have to disagree with my fellow poster and tell you that it is all right to be mad, I am.
I just don´t see the relevance of the cannon, it sounds like one of those gimmicky American competitions (no offense to the country that welcomed me), not only I couldn´t care less about a cannon, it sounds like a bad copy of the thing the Astros and Rangers have. Real rivalries don´t need a stupid trophy, that is my point, it is about pride.
Sure. It's just as manufactured as the hooligan wannabe fans of other teams. Monkey see monkey do. All of it. There no REAL reason for a rivalry with Houston other than the fact we are close enough to travel to each other's stadiums... er... well anyway.. each other's "house". I'm half Italian and have lived over there a few times. Having been around the real deal I can tell you, rivalries need 2 major things. Proximity and history. Houston and Dallas only share the former. Winning the cannon from you is a start to a history. Next, we need to beat you straight out, but not in just any game. If we knocked you out of the playoffs or some other comp it would be more meaningful. By that measure WE have more reason to dislike YOU right now.
Totally agree, 100% Those leagues overseas have real rivalries. MLS hasn't been around long enough to even foster a rivaly between clubs. Most Eurpean countries are nowhere the size of some states.
proximity is one thing, but one of the huge factors in the rivalry (between cities) is the difference in culture. you are white collar, we are blue. i hate the materialistic culture that dallas has and anything, especially sports teams, that represent it. your city seems to view us as dirty and, therefore, worthless, we view yours as snobbish, hollow, hype driven, and inorganic. this is a pretty common view within our ranks. Winning the cannon from you is a start to a history. Next, we need to beat you straight out, but not in just any game. If we knocked you out of the playoffs or some other comp it would be more meaningful. By that measure WE have more reason to dislike YOU right now.[/quote] if you dislike us more, why are there not more people coming down for the game then what we take up there? ps. i'm so sick of everyone being so sure of the bandwagon when there has been no evidence of it yet, the team is losing points at an incredible pace, but attendance has not dropped at all.
It takes a little time, but it will come. Again though.. this is all manufactured hype. Your assumptions about what we think (very dicey territory to base ANYTHING on) say more about you as a person than anything having to do with reality. I don't find Houston dirty at all. My friends who LIVE down there say it is and boast about living in Katy or Sugarland, but I've not seen that to be true. Sure, it has its crappy areas. Just like every other city I've ever been to.
Proximity is clearly a problem with rivalries in MLS. I mean, even though Houston and Dallas are close to each other by MLS standards, it's still a pain to go to an away game. In European leagues, rivals even in different cities (and many of them are in the same city) are likely to be closer. Without the large away side contingent, the "rival" just feels like another team that's come to town.
We have two options: 1)Load up on crumpets and move to Europe. 2)Shut up and appreciate that we're stuck with what we have. We're a big, spread out country. It's not going to be the same here as it is in Italy or Spain. SYHTFOTW
In order to have a real "rivalry" you need to have Fans that care and I mean care a lot for their team. They have to be willing to not only go to Home games but also willing to travel and support their team. No matter what place in the standings you have or what the competition is. Now, the travel part is harder here than in most other places due to the distances involved so the geographical proximity plays a large factor. If the Rapids were not close enough to RSL to have a RMC Rivalry, who else would honestly care about RSL or Colorado? To far from both the Coasts, to far to the teams in the middle of the country. So even though somewhat contrived, the georivalry is about all you get unless you make a rivalry due to other factors. CHI-DC for instance really "love" each other. Which comes back to the first point, you have to have Fans that care. Up North for instance I am constantly amazed at how many "Fans" are on BS when they have Home Games (and before any of you Friscoites get all upset) I am not talking about the posters you have in SC, Arkansas, Japan etc. that obviously have a hard time attending but the folks living in the Metroplex area that would rather stay home and post on BS than get to the game. So IMO that is part of the problem in this as well, they don't really care (with few exceptions) about their team and we really don't care that much about them as the results so far have not turned this into a true rivalry.