Attendance: 10,461, a National embarrassment?. It's hard to believe that a simple midweek LA Galaxy game can draw more fan than the USA National Team. I'm still shocked, but if someone can tell me why?.
Dude: What country do you live in. Did you happen to notice tose two minor american footbal games played yesterday that everyone has been talking about all week. Oh I forgot, soccer is the only sport that matters.
1. Friendly. 2. Friendly featuring equivalent of "B" Teams for both Denmark and USA. 3. Match taking place on day and at time when in direct conflict with NFL Conference Championships. 4. Fan demographics - Galaxy supporters and U.S. supporters aren't exactly the same. A "national embarassment?" Hardly. The Magpie
5. Try getting a casual soccer fan excited about Denmark. This match was not a big occasion. We're lucky it was on TV.
I had a hard time getting anyone to go to the game with me. Scheduling the game the same day as the NFC and AFC championship games was probably not a great idea. As luck would have it, the NFL playoff games this year thus far have been exciting. Several of my friends wanted to stay home to watch the AFC Championship game on TV. My nephew, my usual companion to soccer games, had a basketball game. I still made it out to HDC but I would have had more people with me if the game had been on Saturday.
The NFL game is a joke of an excuse. The least I expected was a sold out stadium. They do well in many places, but why not a the National Soccer Hall of Fame stadium? The weather was great for soccer. The stadium looked perfect and just 10k. In FACT, in FACT, as you all might remember there were people coming from many other states to this game. Many of us thought I was going to be a great attendance. Well, I guess I was wrong with my prediction.
I don't think we should play games anymore at teh national level. Our B team matches up against Denmark's B team in what ammounts to more of a televised scrimage, and all people can do is come on here and come up with every negative piece of garbage you could ever think of. NFL Championships as a mistake? Go take a look at the NFL marketi n terms of the ratings they get for the NFL. Then go back and look at the tape of the game and see some US supporters cheering at half time as some guy was flashing his Oakland Raiders jersey. That, was really funny actually. Did anyone else notice?
How many people live in L.A. - 14 million? I'd almost be willing to bet that more of them are soccer fans than NFL fans. Of course most of the soccer fans are Mexican national team fans, but still. I'm with Luis. I wouldn't call it an embarrassment, but it's another sign that we are still nowhere near "arriving".
Had the game been held in Denmark, I doubt the attendance would have been much different. Now, if we start to get those sorts of crowds for WCQ, THEN it's time to start worrying.
I have to agree with the fact that a "B" squad being put on the field diminishes interest---but the simple fact is that it was very very bad timing. I consider myself a soccer fan and go to Metrostars games at Giants Stadium during the season and watch them on tv when I can't go. I also support the Men's Natl Squad and always make sure i know when they are playing so i can catch them on tv. I didnt watch them this weekend however, because i'm just as passionate an NFL fan. To my mind it was a simple decision---watch a B team in a meaningless friendly or watch an NFL playoff game where the winner goes to the SuperBowl? Perhaps in the mind of some posters this makes me a "poser" or an "unloyal soccer fan". I would say it's just the reality of being a multi sport fan. The U.S is not like other countries where there is only one sport---I would venture to say that I am not the only fan that follows soccer and another sport. This was just poor planning on the part of the organizers of this event.
I'm going to use Math analysis to explain myself a find a solution to the problem: USA National team + NFL game = conflict result= poor attendance Solution to the problem a) Soccer should be your main priority b) Find a VCR c) Find an empty tape d) tape the NFL game e) Watch the NFL game when u get back from the Soccer game. Result= You will be able to watch both games and the same time, attend to the Soccer game.
LA is such a big city for rabid NFL support they have several teams.......oh...wait. I think the local market has been saturated for such matches considering they can watch the USMNT at least once a year if not a couple of times. Seems wise to move the team around to cities that haven't seen the team in ages, if not ever.
I will answer using math USA National Team= is composed of about 95% of Major League Soccer Players Result Since the USA team is mainly composed of MLS player, then talking about the USA national and MLS is= same thing different cover or Same thing different jersey. So talking about our national team and MLS is the same thing.
Except that there's no way you will not know the result of the NFL game by the time you get home to watch it, unless you live under a rock.
Saturation??? When was the last time the USMNT played in LA, according to you? Or are you saying that in a less sophisticated market the rubes would come out to a B team scrimmage if it was billed as a USMNT game? I was there, with five family members and friends. But I am realistic enough to know that this game would be a matter of interest only to the most intent soccer nerds, such as myself. It was a pure friendly, with lots of substitutions allowed, a bunch of guys on both sides that you will probably never see in a WQC or European Championship game. It was a chance to shake off the rust and take a look at some newbies - and that's about it. At first I was concerned that there was not much promotion. When I saw the game, I thought the US was maybe smart not to over-promote the event or try to sell it for more than it was. This definitely was NOT the game I would want to bring someone to if I were trying to convert that person to a USMNT fanatic. In short, I was not surprised by the 10K, except that I was a little surprised there were actually that many of us hard core types that would care enough to come out for this event.
You'd be wrong about their being more soccer fans. I just posted this in the USMNT area I was down in LA this weekend, had the chance to take my friend from Zimbabwe to see the HDC and the USMNT, but 1) My fiance was flying to the UK at 6:30pm 2) tickets were NOT cheap 3) the game was worthless 4) I'm also a big Patriots fan, so, I could watch a meaningless game against Denmark, and spend 50$ on a ticket, parking and a soda, OR I could sit at home in my pajama's and watch the Patriots kick ass. Click on FSW and watch an FA cup game in the recent rounds. Big crowds? Nope. empty. But you wouldn't say Man City fans or Blackburn fans aren't passionate, would you? (regardless of ethnic make up). Exhibition games aren't supposed to draw the same of people. You either need 1) Two great teams 2) A heated rivalry 3) cheap tickets 4) lotsa promotion You had none of those. None. Besides, I'm a grad student who just bought tickets for Euro 2004. I'm broke.
???? The US Soccer Hall of Fame is in Oneonta, NY, which has no stadium yet, and which was pretty damn cold and snowy yesterday.
why? because you're an idiot? okay genius, i dare you to find me attendance numbers for a "friendly" in the united states in the past 4 years that has attracted more than what a sell-out crowd would be for the HDC: 27,000 and the catch, against a team that isn't against a "top-flight" team <i.e. holland, etc> that brings their "A" game that isn't named mexico...good luck dumbass. nobody gives a rats-ass about the us "b" team playing the denmark "b" team...not even hardcore us supporters.
I'm surprised it was even on TV -- why spend $50 a person to watch an experimental US lineup with an out of shape Danish B side play a rather uninteresting match when one can do so from the comfort of the couch? If I had my druthers I'd go to a couple dozen matches a week -- being on a budget makes me and I'm certain others decide to save our money for MLS or more important USMNT games...
Gee...let's see.....throw down $30-50 to see a glorified scrimmage against Denmark?!?!?!? Don't give me this "we need to support our team" crap. If US Soccer wants me to 'support' them, they've got to give me something with some freaking substance. Denmark? At least give me Belgium or one of those other lame-ass, whiny, Euro chocolate-making countries, so I can at least boo them....but Denmark?