AZ United General News and Information Thread

yojimbo81 · Apr 22, 2014

When is the forum title going to get a facelift? PFC is dead. AZ United lives.

SoccerPrime · Apr 25, 2014

yojimbo81 said: ↑

When is the forum title going to get a facelift? PFC is dead. AZ United lives.
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working on it!

Killersheep · Apr 25, 2014

yojimbo81 said: ↑

When is the forum title going to get a facelift? PFC is dead. AZ United lives.
Click to expand...

After the Sahuaros, Monsoon and PFC all folded in consecutive years, I can't blame them for not rushing to change it.

Matt117 · Apr 25, 2014

It'll be interesting to see the attendance numbers for tonight. I'm also curious about paid attendance as they seem to be giving a lot of tickets away. I don't think that is a bad thing as it should help build a fan base in the long run.

I also wonder if the new jerseys will make their debut tonight. I was told jerseys and scarves should be available this week. Hopefully, they'll still have some in a few weeks as I can't make it to the next 2 games.

I took the plunge and bought season tickets, well partial season tickets starting with the Orlando game on the 17th. I wouldn't have bought them if I didn't get a call from AZ United. Who would have thought that being proactive trying to get people to come to games would work better than a 'build it and they will come approach'?

kenntomasch · Apr 25, 2014

Matt117 said: ↑

It'll be interesting to see the attendance numbers for tonight. I'm also curious about paid attendance as they seem to be giving a lot of tickets away. I don't think that is a bad thing as it should help build a fan base in the long run.
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Except it doesn't.

You condition the market to not pay for your product the longer they don't have to.

It's rarely a good long-term strategy (no matter what you're selling) to devalue the only product you have.

azjohnnymac · Apr 29, 2014

Another crowd over 2,800. Not sure the % of those that were free tickets, but still great to see the level staying pretty level.

Last home game for 2 weeks, this Saturday so hoping for more of the same.

kenntomasch · Apr 29, 2014

azjohnnymac said: ↑

still great to see the level staying pretty level.
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If it didn't, they'd have to call it something else.

azjohnnymac · Apr 29, 2014

lol. Brain and fingers not in sync there

Matt117 · May 2, 2014

Hopefully, attendance will reach the 3k mark this weekend, but more realistically staying above 2,800 would be good.

I can't argue with Kenn's statement that giving away free tickets devalues the product. I still think that is not a bad idea. They are getting phone numbers and e-mail addresses for the people are getting free tickets. That allows them to build a database of potential customers. Also, kids under 15 that are getting in for free generally aren't coming by themselves, so the adults that come with have to buy tickets. There's also a chance that people who get in for free are going to want to eat/drink/buy t-shirts or scarves. None of this goes to the devaluation of the product, but the team is getting something out of it. If they are still giving away tons of tickets next season or towards the end of this season (depending on how things go), that is a big problem.

I won't be at the game tomorrow, so can someone please loudly boo Wells Thompson (if he plays) for me.

kenntomasch · May 2, 2014

Those are all seemingly valid rationalizations, but they're actually rationalizations.

Now, admittedly, this team and this season are a special case given the very short ramp-up time. Having no one at games doesn't help them sell (as Yogi supposedly said, "If more people went, more people would go."). As a short-term strategy to give the perception of strength and interest, you're right, it has some validity.

But it's still a rationalization. "Yeah, but, they may buy stuff," may be true, but it's a rationalization (and people's per cap usually tracks with what they paid for the ticket, so you don't always come out ahead, but you get something rather than nothing, which may or may not outweigh the long-term devaluation of the product).

"But they'll bring their parents and their parents will pay" may have some validity, but it's also a rationalization (one that has been made for eons, so don't feel badly about positing it). Again, short-term trade-off.

We're dealing with a product that - despite its recent gains and its renaissance - can't afford to make too many mistakes because it hasn't got a big margin for error. Every paying fan is important. Every presentation is important. Vitally important.

And given the fragility of these teams as businesses (traditionally and, still, for the most part), you simply cannot run a business based on the proposition that you will give away the only product you have to sell NOW and bank on customers paying for it LATER. Humans don't do that. They just don't.

That works really well with heroin. It has not, traditionally, worked with soccer franchises. At least not healthy ones. You can only have long-term success by instilling the notion that every single ticket has value (and, in a perfect world, scarcity) and that what you're purchasing lives up to that value, and that's true whether you are selling widgets or diet soda or tickets to a sports team.

Like I said, I understand why their compressed time frame and front-loaded schedule almost mandates that they bend some rules to get people in the building and live with the short-term financial losses (which are inevitable). You have to concentrate on customer service, make sure the value proposition is adequately expressed and understood.

But at some point, people have to pay (a reasonable amount, about which we can and have disagreed) for what you're selling or you're not going to make it work. No matter what your business is.

Provide a product worth paying for. Maintain the integrity of your pricing structure. Deliver what you promise. Focus on customer service and creating people who do get "addicted" to you in a positive sense. That takes a lot of time and vision to pull off, and it can't be done with three weeks of ramp-up time, or three months of ramp-up time. It'll be 2015 before we will know more about how viable this actually is.

The 2014 season is a test of a lot of things. It's a lot of metal-on-metal grinding and establishing baselines. They just have to minimize the very real and very potentially damaging effects of conditioning people to believe tickets have little or no value.

azjohnnymac · May 5, 2014

Another good turnout and another 3 points. Cant complain about either of those.

I think the addition of Morrison immensely helped the defense be much more of a cohesive unit.

On the ticket debate, it is a tough one. I get the point about giving away too many and that the team should be reaching out to the college and 20/30 year olds, but that is a harder market in the short term. To get folks in seats then the angle of giving away the kids tickets, while the adults pay is working.

I have no doubt that they will be working on that long term strategy at the same time. From conversations, those demographics are a market we really do want to focus on.

As has been said, Rome was not built in a day but the signs, after 2 months, are excellent. I do not think anyone could have expected this organization to be in the situation it is in, after just 2 months.

oh...and the new uniforms (including the keepers) look awesome.

kenntomasch · May 5, 2014

One would have to say this is far, far, far better than what the situation was 12 months ago today.

SoccerPrime · May 10, 2014

yojimbo81 said: ↑

When is the forum title going to get a facelift? PFC is dead. AZ United lives.
Click to expand...

Updated.

Killersheep · May 13, 2014

LFR1881 will be hosting two viewing parties tonight, all are welcome.
East Valley: Tempe Tavern (directly off the McKlintock and Apache lightrail stop)
West Valley: Tim Finnegan's (directly south of Metrocenter)

Starting both at 6:30, opening kick should be at 7:00

msilverstein47 · May 14, 2014

A really great win last evening in the 2nd round of the USOC. Portland Timbers U23s (PDL) were up 2-0 at halftime, but Arizona United SC (USL Pro) scored three goals the first one in the 84th minute and then the game-winner came in the final seconds of stoppage time.
http://thecup.us/2014-us-open-cup-r...l-kick-stuns-portland-timbers-u23s-3-2-video/

yojimbo81 · May 14, 2014

There was more LFR1881 at that match than TA. Great job.

Killersheep · May 14, 2014

If anyone is interested we are pregaming at Draft House as per usual this Saturday before we watch the boys destroy the kittens. People usually start showing up around 4:30 good times to be had.

kenntomasch · May 14, 2014

Here's what's stupid:

Went to order two tickets for Saturday online. I get the $4.25 a ticket "convenience fee," okay, whatever. But then a $3.25 "order" fee on top of that, and then the capper.....$3 more for them to put the tickets at will call.

Fark that nonsense.

Killersheep · May 14, 2014

kenntomasch said: ↑

Here's what's stupid:

Went to order two tickets for Saturday online. I get the $4.25 a ticket "convenience fee," okay, whatever. But then a $3.25 "order" fee on top of that, and then the capper.....$3 more for them to put the tickets at will call.

Fark that nonsense.
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It's cheaper to buy at the gate.

Also we will have some free beer (until our tab runs out) at Draft House for the pregame.

kenntomasch · May 14, 2014

Obviously it's cheaper.

And I don't drink, so that's not an issue.

msilverstein47 · May 16, 2014

This year marks only the fourth season for Michael Dellorusso in coaching, but already the former FC Dallas defender has landed his first head coaching gig, leading Arizona United SC of USL Pro.

http://soccerly.com/article/roughnecks77/exfcd-defender-dellorusso-a-rising-star-in-coaching-ranks

Killersheep · May 16, 2014

kenntomasch said: ↑

Obviously it's cheaper.

And I don't drink, so that's not an issue.
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The beer isn't just for you, it's for whoever shows up at 5 at draft house.

kenntomasch · May 16, 2014

Obviously.

But you were responding to me.

Justin Z · May 16, 2014

Confirmed that AZ United will be hosting Oklahoma City Energy FC in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, May 28. Nice to get a home Open Cup game.

http://arizonaunited.com/schedule/

kenntomasch · May 16, 2014

How about that? That's cool. AZU has improved quite a bit since that first game, should be very interesting.