After what happened before and after our opener last year as well as behavior I saw when we were at their place, I despise their fanbase and they have probably surpassed DC as my most hated team.
I dislike the Flounders more than any team in MLS, but don't consider them a specific rival to us. We won't have a true rival until STL gets a team. Sporting are trying to create a rivalry with Chicago, but a rivalry isn't something that can be manufactured.
what happened to "i played till i heard the whistle"? it was LA for awhile, but then SJ got good and we moved to the east when chivas came. DC doesn't seem to have much behind it beyond michael kennedy ignoring two handballs in 2004 (the AR making him call the second, leading to our PK). mutual animosity with chicago was more intense ten years ago--we beat them in two cup finals and they beat us every time we played in chicago and fairly often in KC (July 4, 2001--the other date which will live in infamy). dallas has houston now and columbus seems to be more rrr rrr at toronto but i don't see any real vitriol v chicago until both KC and chicago have a few good seasons in a row. knocking each other out of the playoffs helps foster rivalries, but when was the last time we knocked an eastern conference team out of the playoffs?
Of the current Eastern teams, the answer would be Chiacgo Fire, 2000 MLS Cup Final. However, they were in the Central Division at the time. Other than that, the answer to your question is "never", if you can believe it.
Agree with all, especially the RSL bit. If current reciprocated dislike is the criteria, SKC/RSL is very high on the list. Sincerely, by-default-'Thuggish'-SKC-guy
No. Geographically and based on 2000 Chicago would be our biggest rival but the don't feel the same way. Their rival is Columbus. We have changed divisions/conferences too much to have maintained a true rival that feels the same about us as we do them.
Without St. Louis getting a team, our best chance to build a rivalry is to be very good for a significant amount of time. If we are constantly at the top, beating people out of playoff spots, and knocking teams out of playoffs year-after-year, we will have a lot of players and fans hating our team and reciprocating feelings we have with teams like Chicago and DC. Chicago and DC do not view us as rivals due to a lack of respect and we need to earn that respect by no longer being a mediocre franchise who sneaks into the playoffs, fail to make the playoffs, and maybe winning the conference once every 6-7 years. People hate DC, LA, and Chicago because of their time at the top of the league and winning a considerable amount of hardware.
After chatting with him I went the other way -- he is a really really super nice, humble, family oriented dude off the field ... and a bit of a knob on it. I can't help rooting for him a bit now ...
With the exception of the USMNT, I feel the same way about Landon Donovan. Him and Beckham are probably the two most overrated players in MLS, and they both play for the same team.
Yeah, I was going to say people are making the argument that he's the best American ever (I'd put him third or maybe even fourth, but top five for sure), so calling him underrated on his salary is patently not true. Beckham had a great year last year as well.
Based on last years 3 very different results, Houston is the team for this year. The ups and downs of the league and the clubs, plus changing conferences, has made it difficult to sustain a true rival, IMO. Chicago and DC certainly have past events that keep them in the crosshairs, but for me, Houston is the rival. I think battling one of these regularly in the playoffs may help foster a rival too
... and that team was the best team in MLS by a country mile and David Beckham had a fantastic season with probably three times as many regular season assists as Graham Zusi and Landon ...... .... I ain't talking to this bat shit crazy post seriously am I? Yes I am.
<devils-advocate>That doesn't mean they aren't overrated...</devils-advocate> Just that they should be highly rated...
That was more or less my point. I never said they weren't good, I just think there's too much hype about them.
Based on Houston's ability to stay at the top of the conference and our potential to also do so, I think Houston could develop into a rivalry. As I said before, it is going to come from us being at the top and another team competing with us for the top and in important playoffs games a few times.