Pre-match: Home Opener, Rochester at Cleveland, Fri, 5/1, 8pm, Tailgate at 6ish

Well, "produced by Fox" is a bit of a misnomer anyway.

If it's done the way it's been done for years, there's a company that is responsible for producing the show and they go into each market and hire out a truck and camera operators and techs (just like any other sport does). Fox takes in the feed from the site. That company may well have used some of the same equipment and people STO does - it would make sense that you'd hire the same freelance people if you were going into a market.

For the first seven minutes or so, you could hear the director's calls on the air - and it sounded like the guy who has done it for years. So I don't think it's any different from any other USL Game of the Week for the last several years in terms of the process. The bulk of the people would have been local - as is usually done - so "produced by Fox" really doesn't tell you the whole story.

 

It is a venue they've never worked before.

It may be that people who've not done many games before did the game.

To me, it looked (unfortunately) similar, because last week's game wasn't winning any Emmys either.

 

CCSUltra, how do you say that? If the lines haven't faded out by now from the last football season, why all of a sudden will they fade out now? (They aren't playing HS football on the field right now (actually they can't per OHSAA rules). The issue is, as I pointed out in my earlier post, is that the lines are dyed into the Field Turf. Again, those lines aren't going anywhere.

 

Well... Friday night was an experience I won't long forget. I was there. In fact, I made the opening crowd shot. But long story short, I failed it. The mistake was making this a family outing. If it had just been me, I think I could have toughed it out. But the combination of my wife being soaked through and miserable, and my 68-year-old Dad wearing a jacket that didn't cover anything beneath the waist, and my DVR having the game recorded in my nice dry house, was too much. I bugged out at the half (along with half the rest of the crowd, from the looks of it).

This was not a good opener on any level. The team really seemed to lack discipline. If things don't improve soon, people are going to start pointing fingers at the coach. Right now, they look like a team that's in way over its head.

The field looked horrible. I understand the necessity of living with gridiron lines (although I don't have to like it), but they could have done a much better job of adding the soccer markings. The markings are hard enough to see on TV -- from my seat on the center line, they were damn near invisible. I could not make out the entire penalty area. I saw enough to make a mental note that it began at the 8-yard line and worked with that. If they have to put temporary markings on the field, they need to be thicker and brighter. I swear, the lines didn't look any thicker than what you'd get out of a can of spray paint. (And what was with the two different sidelines? Total amateur hour.)

And I'm with Captain Invader -- those lines aren't going anywhere. They're part of the field. If they were going to fade, five months of snow and rain would have faded them signficantly already. The only way to get rid of them is to paint over them.

Anyhoo, I hope to be back next Saturday. Maybe I can stop by the tailgate this time and introduce myself.

------RM

 

You were the PA announcer? Really? Then there's something I always wanted to ask you.

The first two home games of the season in '98 were for the US Open Cup qualifying tournament, yet nowhere was that mentioned. It wasn't in the programs, or announced over the PA. Was that a decision made by the FO, or did they just not know what was going on?

It's okay if you don't remember; it was 11 years ago. I just remember being confused at the time.

------RM

 

Yeah .... I don't want to make too big of a deal about opening night at the Cheese, and I don't want to simply repeated all that's already been said, but, I have to get some things off my chest. The entire night was pretty much a calamity. Now, I'm really really hoping the weather can be blamed for most of it, however, I knew it was going to be an odd night when the skies opened up just as the players were coming out & the national anthem was botched-up a bit. Yes, the field sucks. It's not just about the gridiron lines and multi-coloredness of the field, the fake turf is way to quick for footie, CSU's pitch, for whatever reason seems to treat the ball more like actual grass.

Also, I was told I must walk around the ground and sit on the away end, although I'd have preferred to sit behind the benches. Then, as the game was starting, I guess people were being allowed to sit on that side. Wassup wit dat?

On the field, the team looks way over their heads. I mean waaaay over their heads. Hopefully that will improve, it's early days.

With all this said, I'll more than likely be back, hopefully to their next game. I'm really hoping that CCS is successful and will stick around awhile. It's great to have pro outdoor soccer in Cleveland, I just wish the club looked or felt a little more professional.

I'm no marketing genius, but it Crocodihno & his pre-match tractor ride and lawnmower dance really necessary?

 

Hiddeous weather and a pitch that looked as if Jackson Pollock had worked it over only compounded the downer of having a nationally televised opener played with such a high level of organized confusion.
I am aware that many of the players have only trained with each other for a few brief weeks, so the disjointed, haphazard look of the play may simply be down to lack of familiarity both with teamates and of Underwood's expectations.
Regardless, there is a clear need to address some fundamentals... passing, positioning and progression of play through the midfield.
It's simply not acceptable to write this team off as lacking the skill sets necessary to play at USL 1 level; most CCS players have several years of competative professional football under their belts, and they should exhibit far better than has been shown thusfar in their performance levels. Rod Underwood must demand of them that they do.

 

A friend and I had our first City experience, and plan to be back at every opporunity. We, too, made the mistake of bringing 8 and 9 year olds, and had to abandon ship at the half, especially after the disappointment of a cancelled helicopter cow-drop.

The team really lacked cohesion, but I think the condiditons had a lot to do with the play. I saw enough positive in the first half to assure me that better times are coming.

As for the lines on the field, I've always found them easy to ignore, but that's just me. I think there should be faint lines across the pitch anyway to help with offside calls.

And Crocodinho is marketing genius. I know two kids now in Twinsburg who aruge daily about which of them is the TRUE Crocodinho.

 

Simple: they wanted the entire crowd on the side of the field that faced the cameras. I can understand that. As for the small number of people sitting on the bench side, my guess is that they were "special" in some way.

------RM

 

you are right on with almost everything. the team has not looked good these first three games. there's no way anyone could argue that. but like you said, there have been some guys that have only been training with the team for about a month. that is not enough time to build the necessary communication. look at what happened to rochester at the start of the season last year.

all is not lost yet, we still have plenty of time to turn things around. the players we have all have the ability to play at the USL1 level. they need to get used to playing with each other, though.

 

Actually, the low Crew turnout was from families who felt unsafe around the TFC supporters.

 

Look, when the Rhinos opened their new stadium half the fans or more left because of the rainy and cool weather, it happens. As far as your team goes give them some time together before you run them off. I do hope you have some "soccer guys" on your staff that will help especially with finding and evaluating talent. As long as the ownership is committed to the team things will improve with time. However that field with those lines have to go, I really hope you can find a better venue. Any chance that the team and state can get a small soccer facility built any options at all?

 

Jamooch-- The supporters were herded to the opposite side for the FSC cameras, so that will only happen twice more. But, I agree with everything else-- the gridiron lines are horrendous, but nothing the club can do about it. The side looked horrendous, but I think it's because they are over their heads.
This is pro 'ball in Cleveland and we may not have it long, so enjoy all the shortcomings.

 

The team is not that far off. Need an attacking forward that can actually be a threat. So far, it is not evident that player is on the field. Goal scoring chances have been few and far between. The defense plays strong for short periods, but still is unorganized and chaotic. The back 5 must improve or the season is lost. No cohesiveness, no direction it would appear. 90 minutes of good defense prevents 90% of the goals that are scored. Maybe this weekend???

 

No way in hell. Not in this economy and definitely not in this football-centric state.

The club itself is still a non-profit group, I believe. This might have been all right for the USL second division, but not here. Your primary focus at this level has to be about winning matches and not thinly veiled religious missions to Africa.

 

Can you say "Sallieu Bundu"?

Christ, we suck.

At the current pace, I think we can start "Underwood Watch" by July 4th.

Martin...Come Home!

 

thank you!!!!!!!

 

Really? You think the reason that CCS is underperforming is because of the missionary work? How about the fact that they put together a team of mostly mediocre unknowns at the last minute. There are several reasons I would toss out for the teams performance before I'd bring up missionary work (which isn't the reason at all)

An underestimation of the talent needed to succeed in USL 1 would be one. Give it time. My guess is, with the FO the team has, they'll compete by year 3.

 

Three years? This league might not even have three years left in it.

 

funny how you never posted when the team was doing well, but as soon as things get the least bit difficult, you hit up the forums.

 

I hope you're right. However, when you're dealing with traditional multiple-entity leagues, there's always the risk of what you might call "cascading failure". Once a few franchises fold, the league gets smaller and starts to look less viable. This can affect sponsorships, TV deals, even attendence as interest in the shrinking league declines. This, in turn, can cause other teams that were just barely breaking even to slide into loss territory, putting them at risk of folding.

To me, that's always been the biggest advantage of MLS' single-entity setup. It allowed teams to survive that probably would folded by now had they been independent businesses and thus kept the league's national footprint intact.

------RM