That's ok. confident FC Dallas v Chicago will be the Frisco curtainraiser in "el superclasico mediocontinente de Azufre"
At the Home Depot Center, I think. JP mentioned it in a "ho-hum" way almost in passing, so I'm not 100% sure.
Not to bash on Chivas, but considering next season is the 10 year anniversary of MLS, I would have thought the season opener would be between DC United VS SJ(Season Opener in 96' or LA(All Time Classic). Either one would have been a guarnteed sellout. And like I have said before, I don't expect Chivas USA to be selling games out, I mean, I go to HDC regularly, the minorities are harder to find, with regard to when the Galaxy was playing at the Rose Bowl. Stats done by other people have confirmed it. The team is really appealing to one race no matter what players they get. But I guess it works because it is an expansion team.
No way that the league was going to open up with DC/San Jose 2 years in a row, and I don't blame them. That would seem rather silly to me. The league wants the big ratings draw for the opening game. Last year, it was Freddy vs. Landon and his band of champions. This year it's Chivas vs. Freddy. That's the long and short of it. This game makes the most sense for what MLS is trying to accomplish.
I'd love for the opening game to be between the MLS Cup champ and the Supporter's Shield winner of the previous year or the two MLS Cup finalists of the year before. Obviously that's not going to happen for next season but still.
The matchup is really a no brainer. The existing flagship team and current cup champion verus an expansion team with the potential for a large fan base, in the league's signature stadium. Showing Chivas off to the rest of country is a smart move, imo.
It makes sense, although I have to say that I think it's a little risky counting on an expansion team to fill the stadium for a nationally televised season opener. Or maybe not. It's not getting people to show up for the first game that's the problem, after all.
If you saw the amount of people that showed up just for the expansion announcement de Chivas USA at the HDC you would have no doubt that there will be a huge and VERY festive crowd on opening day 2005.
I couldn't agree more. I will boldly predict the season opener ratings for next year will be very high (at least by MLS standards), far bigger than they were for the Freddy factor this year, because of the numbers of Hispanic soccer fans who will tune in. The game will be on network so it's very accessible, and like it or hate it I think a big chunk of the Hispanic population will give Chivas USA a shot by watching one game.
Maybe those people only turn out for expansion announcements, not actual games. Ever think of that, Mr. Smarty Pants?
yeah it was free....will they actually pay to get in? knowing MLS scheduling brass the will schedule this game head to head with the Chivas vs. Club AMerica MFL game
Really? According to FoxSportsSo.Cal, 100 diehard Chivas fans, not Chivas USA, showed up. To contradict that nearly one or two thousand showed up at Rice Eccles Stadium for the ReAL Salt Lake announcement. Do the math.
To be fair, the Chivas announcement was in the middle of the day during the workweek whereas the RSL announcement was on a Saturday. As most MLS attendance followers realize, it's easier to draw a crowd on a weekend than on a weekday. Who knows what the "attendance" would be for both clubs if the timing of the announcements had been reversed.
I'll be tuning in only to watch Rongen coach against his former team. And I'm sure there are millions of other viewers out there who are just like me.
I recall reading that Chivas USA wants to play most of its games on Sundays to not conflict with its MFL matches.