I will be in LA when the Galaxy play Colorado and I have decided to make this my first MLS experiance. Any good places to drink pre-game? Where is the best area to sit? and who are the players to cheer/abuse? Cheers in advance, Graeme
drinking - kings head in santa monica (for a bit of home). you'll have to make plans to get from there to vic street though. no tube here and it's a good 20 miles away. seating - every seat is a good seat. as has been posted before the upper deck allows you to see the whole game. seats at midfield are close and give you a good look at the game. for most games these days they actually sell seats on the pitch. for atmosphere sit(stand) in 138; they're a supporters group. some of the rest of the stadium can be a bit polite at times. people to cheer - cobi, hartman, gomez, tyronne, donovan - most anything wearing green or gold. people to boo - hamilton, sampson, anything in blue & black.
Unfortunately there's no pubs within walking distance like you'd find near St. James. A lot of Galaxy fans meet up at the Red Car Brewery in Torrance before matches. Beer is $7.75 inside HDC and all of it is shite (Heineken, Sam Adams, Tecate, Dos XX, and your usual US swill). Get a bacon-wrapped hot dog outside in the parking lot after the match; makes a curry balti pie look like . . . a curry balti pie. As far as where to sit: -138 is where the LA Riot Squad are situated; best if you want to be in the heart of the atmosphere and stand up the entire match -center upper level seats are a great value (232 is dead center; 233 and 231-where I have season tickets are also good) -east side of the stadium (secs. 139-125 and upper level) is better than the west side, which is corporate club seats and rather quiet -our stadium is tiny compared to St. James; really not a bad seat in the house I'll be at St. James for NUFC v. Birmingham to see Shearer (hopefully) knock one in the back of the net. Have a great time here!
Bars/pubs all depend on where you're staying while in LA. Like Dashiel said, the Kings Head in Santa Monica is a good place, as is the ********&Bull, also in Santa Monica. But you'd have to head down on the 405 to get to the game, and that could mean some bad traffic. Do you know where you'll be? Maybe we can make better drinking recommendations based upon that.
As much as I hate to say it, you probably picked the one team confrontation that seems to suck the life out of the stadium. In my experience, and not to say that there hasn't been the exception, the LA versus Colorado game at the HDC usually turns out to be something of a snoozer. There just doesn't seem to be any sort of rivarly between the teams and the local supporter groups struggle to get any momentum. Hope I'm wrong. Too bad you couldn't be here when San Jose comes to town.
The part that got blanked out of Anteater's message is C-ock & Bull. But you could join the Riot Squad for a discreet tailgate before the game in the parking lot. Bring your poison.
LA will be fighting to kill Colorado's momentum - and get points for the postseason, so this should matter more.
Toon_toon, please check your PM. If you want to sit and watch the game, obviously the midfield is best. I've heard sitting in the upper deck gives a great view of the whole game. If you want to stand with supporters who chant & sing, Section 138 with LA Riot Squad.
That's right, rok...you're a Newcastle fan, ain't cha? That and some 3rd division Spanish side if I remember correctly.
Thanks for the tap-in. I've had it get through the censor before by running the words together, guess that doesn't work anymore. Rokstedy, I didn't know you pulled for the Barcodes. I'd be angry if they weren't so sad this season. I mean, it's just not fun without the competitive spirit.
Thanks for all the info guys. I'll probably choose to sit with the "LA Riot Squad" guys, because I like standing up during the game and fans with some passion. I'm staying with a friend in Laguna Beach, thank god she will be there to guide me around, so I think she could probably drive me to anywhere where the cool kids drink. Because I am there for work nothing is set in stone yet, but i'm 99% sure that I will attend. If you do go to the game just look out for a 21 year old in a Newcastle strip with a st georges cross flag with HEATON MAGS on it and that will be me. I'll probably be on this board a bit before I come out, to get a feel for the club and its fans. BTW, do you have a nickname or any songs?
Since you're staying in Laguna Beach, a bar in Orange County would probably be better, and the drive on the 405 north from OC will be better than the drive on it south from Santa Monica. Rokstedy and others regularly go to the Shamrock bar in Newport Beach--I've never been, but it must have something going for it.
I have no idea where these places are. I'll have to speak to my friend and ask her about getting around. I'm suprised my fiancé actually is letting me stay with her. She's 18 and god damn shes fit. Any single guys?
This is like throwing a piece of meat in front of a pack of starving wolves. But it might be fun to watch the show.
I'm trying to convince her to come, it would be her first ever professional football game. So if you see an extremely bored extremely attractive girl in Section 138, thats her.