I rarely, if ever, posted here, but seeing as how my childhood team should cease to exist in a day, let me offer my thanks to the LA fans who made the rivalry with SJ the best in the league. Such a cast of characters I've hated over the years, sometimes irrationally so...Campos, Jones, Hurtado, Hernandez, Ruiz, Donovan on the club level, Hartman, Marshall (it was more jealousy toward Cienfuegos than anything else.) Such a range of emotions over the years, especially from 2001 on. What's more, I loved that you guys traveled on up to San Jose for the games...it made the in-game atmosphere that much better. I've lived in Boston for a while now, and the thing I miss the most about NorCal is going to the SJ-LA games (the Revs fans are great, but those of you who have been to Gillette know the experience isn't the same.) My hatred toward Galaxy fans can only go so far, as at the end of the day, we're all soccer fans in the U.S. We're not only the underdog on the international scene, but also in this country's sports scene. Anybody who's supporting professional soccer here can only be so evil Thanks for the memories...I hope Chivas enjoys the sloppy seconds.
I hear you. In my worst and irrational moments I want to gloat and so forth. In my better moments, I realize that there are some good people in San Jose who sunk their hearts and time and money into this team, and there is nothing to rejoice in about their very real suffering. Now, and I know this will be hard, lets build bridges and welcome you to support LAG. I know it will seem strange at first, but if you will meet us half way, you know we will welcome you on board.
To ten years of hard fought games. To the only real rivalry in Major League Soccer. Cheers. Perhaps there's hope yet, but right now I am sad. I have had a particularly fun rivalry with my extended family. My immediate family (2 sisters and parents) and I are from Pasadena. We grew up playing soccer and going to Galaxy games at the Rose Bowl, and have been season ticket holders since the beginning. My aunts and uncles on my Mom's side (all of whom grew up in Surrey, England - my uncles supported Chelsea) live in San Jose or one of the surrounding cities. When the league began, it was a rivalry made in heaven for us. If SJ becomes teamless, it will sour my move back to SoCal in May. I do not welcome the SJ fans into the LA Galaxy fold. I urge the SJ fans to push and push until the Quakes come back or until a new club emerges from the ash. It doesn't matter what they are called... Clash, Earthquakes, whatever... they'll be from San Jose, and I'll be ready to hate them.
To those SJ fans who were objective, cool and gave their heart to their team: my condolences. It sucks because you committed to them but some circumstances beyond your control prevented things from working out. I'm gonna miss the SoCal-NoCal rivalry. To the d!ckhead SJ fans: bite me.
i agree with rok, to all the san jose fans that respected the game, the rivalry and had a grasp on reality my heartfelt condolences. this is bad for san jose, bad for the galaxy and bad for MLS. here's hoping that all the good effort and progress made in the last 30 days brings about an investor interested in owning a team in the bay area.
Did you advise Will Ferrell's character in Wedding Crashers? Thanks for the offer, but as I'm up in Boston now, I'll be following the Revs more than anybody else. If/when the Bay Area gets a new team, I'll go right back to hating you guys.
Thanks for the best games that MLS has seen... both in quality and passion. It was fun while it lasted. So long and thanks for all the fish. - SM
I'm probably one of the few that has thought about this. I loved the rivalry and it really sucks to see it die (temporarily hopefully ). I'm a soccer fan first and I'd rather see the Galaxy play a million times more than any other LA sports team. At least there will still be one real California team around. Here's to hoping the Bay Area gets a team again in the future, so our hated rivalry can continue for many years to come.
W/o a doubt, my most fondest and most dreaded MLS moments have been lived in Spartan. The 2 titles: 2002, season finale, Ruiz draws a pk and nails it. Supporters Shield: LALALALALALA. 2003: Black Sunday. Trauma. Pure trauma that was depressing to watch. But I feel honored to have watched an incredible sporting spectacle. 2004: Police Brutality made me want to "Fight the Power! Fight the Powers that Be!" 2005: In support of MLS in NoCal, I bought season tix and was thoroughly entertained by a team that played beautiful soccer. Aug '05: Open Cup victory, 2-1. In the air that night floated the fantom of Black Sunday. The Galaxy resisted and held firm. Another sign of things to come: the entire Galaxy contingent was there. The team was starting to bond come August. Oct. 29th: 4-2 global score, LA goes to 2nd round.
More specifically: October 23rd, The Home Depot Centre Los Angeles Galaxy 3-1 San Jose Earthquakes We should be thanking you
5-2. And Rodrigo Faria scored on you How have you guys approached the rivalry with Chivas this past year? How did it differ from the one with San Jose?
Sean is like the Laker fan I used to be in my younger days - days when i was only happy when we were up by 20 points with two minutes to go. It's nice to gloat with complete dominance. For the true San Jose fans, I hope your efforts to revive the team pay off. I hope the city realizes how good they had it once and that we can start the smack-off about whose stadium is really better. The first game of that new place - you know it - will be the return of the rivalry. And I hope so bad that we open your stadium with a losing record for the Quakes. Galaxy forever. Quakes, come back like you have before.
The AP news article said SanJose averaged "only 13,000" per game this season. ?? That is, if not good, above average. If they had a decent stadium, it could be even more. So, hopefully a stadium deal can be reached and the Quakes will return... what about the USL?
Of course its very different. First, for there to be a great rivalry there has to be tension that accompanies real competition. Chivas was so bad this year that the on-field competition was flat. Remember how the SJE/LAG rivalry lost its luster during the years SJE was so down that there were no good games. It was only when both temas were good at the same time that the rivalry flowered. Now, with Bradley and a commitment to play a better game even if it means employing Anglos, Chivas USA may become a more worthy rival. Second, there was no history. Time will cure that. On the other hand, SJE never had an owner that led with his chin by making incredibly dumb remarks about coming into the league and dominating from day one. Chivas did, much to the embarassment of the Chivas fans, at least once it became apparent that they had put together a third rate club. That alone gave the LAG fans (and to a lesser extent all MLS non-Chivas fans) a reason to want to wipe that smile off the owner's face. In all honesty, I really do see long term the Chivas/LAG rivalry equalling or exceeding the SJE rivalry. I don't say that to be hurtful or to discount the games with SJE. But, Chivas fans DO match SJE fans for passion. When you look at the size of the Chivas supporters group and the intensity - even late in the year when they knew they were cr@p but continued to jump, scream, sing and cheer - that took some commitment. And, there is the factor of sharing the stadium. It does bring something to game. You know these guys can't avoid seeing each other at practices and so forth. If you take a loss, you live with that every day when you go to work. Lastly, there is at least the undercurrent of ethnic rivalry. I hope it never becomes more than an undercurrent, but it does add a certain ... spice ... to the rivalry. We'll see what happens when Chivas is a good team. Maybe I'm wrong, but I do see this as developing into more than just a manufactured rivalry. You really ought to come down to LA to see one of these games.
The Chivas rivalry will likely start in earnest this year, because I think this is the year that they'll get a win over our G's. Some of last year's games were actually close and I'll bet they get a win this year.
Bob has already gone to Guadalajara to look at new players, probably from Chivas de Guadalajara. I'll say they'll make some decent recruits, more guys like Juan Pablo Garcia who they got this season. We'll still kill them though.
The first LA x Chivas USA game in 05 was more electric and intense in the crowd than any game between LA x SJ in Spartan or L.A. I would even say it was more electric than the USA x Mexico qualifier I attended in Columbus. L.A. fans have nothing to worry about.
Whew I just blew a big sigh of relief, just when I thought those hardcore "I hope this team the Galaxy is playing gets castrated" games were gone I hear this good news. I was unable to attend the first LA Galaxy vs Birria game. Makes me feel much better. On another note, when does the new Earthquakes season start on Satellite Radio?