So Club Tijuana Xolos are officially in the Primera Division.... are they our team now?

Considering Balboa stadium belongs to the school district now it hardly seems visionary, more fanciful. And it took over a decade to build Viejas Arena on campus, a football stadium isn't happening on the Mesa any time in our lifetimes. Particularly with far more powerful people than Sterk insisting the Aztecs will be part of any Chargers Stadium plan. It is part of how they're trying to sell the public on the NFL venue in that it will be used for everything, NFL, Aztecs and even a future MLS team. There won't be a SSS under those conditions. Only chance a SSS has in SD is if the Chargers leave.

But anyway back to the Xolos... It has been a rough few weeks for them leaving them mired mid table.

 

Balboa Stadium is owned by the City of San Diego and is leased to the School District. Other than that, no argument with anything you said.

 

I would love Balboa Stadium to be a SSS one but don't see it happening. Would require a S*** load of work to get it anywhere near the requirements for MLS. IMHO would make more sense to try and expand USD's.

Honestly can't think of anyway San Diego gets a team. IMHO we have the fan support but that's it. No owner no stadium and don't see the potential for a stadium. Only chance would be if the Chargers leave then maybe either Qualcom is reconfigured or sold and a new smaller stadium is built. If the Chargers get a new Stadium it will be NFL size and why would MLS come here when other cities are able to build SSS. And this is probably the hardest city in the country to get stadiums built. (At least feels that way)

Our only hope is my buddy winning the lottery. He promised if he wins the lottery he'll build a stadium at the Watertower in North Park

As far as Xolos goes they continue to be really popular in the city but I think they have pretty much reached their peak of popularity. When they were first promoted and then won the league it was difficult to get league tickets (at least my experience) now the matches aren't selling out. Also to get to a home match you still have cross the border, an experience a lot of fans just aren't comfortable with. So I do think there is still room in the city for an MLS team. Just don't see it happening.

 

USD's stadium will never be expanded. It's privately owned and USD likes it just the size it is. That and structurally there is no room to expand since the stadium is hemmed in on all sides by hills and the Slim Gym. That said I don't see how the NFL stadium would preclude the city from getting an MLS team some day. Seattle and Vancouver sure weren't hampered by utilizing NFL/CFL sized venues. The bigger issues are whether the Chargers can get said venue built, because as you said it's tough to get stadiums built in San Diego (though less tough than other locations like the Bay Area). And whether an owner will step up who has the means to run an MLS team. SD and TJ aren't lacking people with vision on either side of the border. The problem is we need someone with money to support the visionaries, or to find a visionary who has the money. Until that is done talk of a higher level team is academic.

But for the interim we'll hopefully hear the official announcement of Real Salt Lake's affiliate soon and at least have actual divisional ranked (D3) and MLS affiliated pro soccer to look forward too in the city limits rather than relying on TJ's team to be San Diego's defacto team (or the lower level NPSL team(s))

 

You could add to the ends and put an upper deck on the opposite side from the Slim gym. But agree you probably aren't going to get USD to go for it. (Plus they don't allow beer at the stadium, what fun is that)

True with Seattle and Vancouver but that has been the exception rather then the rule. There are what 4 MLS teams playing in non SSS stadiums? So yes I agree it is possible but odds are against it, and San Diego would need to offer something to jump ahead of cities willing to build SSS (or already have them).

Although with the idea of putting MLS in a Football stadium I did like the way to had Qualcom for the US match in July. Stadium was technically only about 1/3 full but still had a great atmosphere. If a magic owner did appear I could see Qualcom working as a temporary home. But in the meantime (or forever) will just make trips to TJ and the occasional trip up to Carson.

 

What would be a good first game to go to if I am going to a Xolos match? And how do I make sure I sit in the "home" section?

 

Actually they do allow beer at pro events. Either that or I was conned into buying beer that wasn't beer.

 

Yeh I someone on another board said they had a beer there recently. Must have changed their policy since I was there last (been a while think it was January '06). Glad they did.

Reminds me of my experience in Austria for the 2008 Euros. No alcohol is allowed at any UEFA events, stood in line all through half time only to see the little n/a on the sign just before I ordered it. Whew was a close one.

 

Well if we needed any more proof that the Xolos have become San Diego's team, Facebook just found it.



They did an analysis of their pretty vast collection of user data that they mine from all of their users (who at this point make up a majority of the population), and created a regional map of California counties labeling each by which team is the most popular in any given county. The Xolos efforts at making inroads into SoCal have apparently paid off with them now being the clear favorite team of soccer fans in both San Diego and Imperial counties. And they also had good fan presence in several other SoCal counties as well.

 

Surprised Skippy? Given San Diego's inherent anti-LA attitude, MLS's seeming lack of interest in the region, the lack of interest from USL or NASL in San Diego so far, and lack of any potential change in any of the league's positions with regard to San Diego... it's not surprising that people in SD are slowly latching on to the only thing available.

 

Looks like a couple of counties need to update their Facebook pages. They are supporting a club that no longer exists. Nice to see a big footprint for Sacramento Republic though.

 

Well the data was pulled in October, Chivas was technically still playing.

 

Wouldn't say it was slow, happened pretty much the moment Xolos got promotion. But I still don't think it should be seen as a detriment to MLS. The market is large enough, and soccer crazy enough, to support both Xolos and an MLS team. Plus they really do play to different markets. I like Xolos and have been to some matches there, and plan on going to more, but I am not about to get season tickets and join the supporters club. While if we had an MLS team here that's exactly what I would do.

And the simplest reason is language. If you don't speak Spanish and the way you get news and information is through English language sources than MLS, and the premier league, are the easiest leagues to follow. At least that's the case for me.

 

Don't know about that. I follow the Xolos as the local team as well and find plenty of English language sources to do so including ESPN, SDRed and the Xolos own site.

 

that was my annoyed face. everything you listed above is true, and except for the anti-LA attitude annoys me lol

 

Oh I'm sure that if they divided it out by percentages there would have been some percentage of the SD and Imperial Counties that would have been Galaxy followers. What is amazing to me however is that the Galaxy have been overtaken at all by Tijuana in the first place. This despite the Galaxy having a decade and a half head start on TJ, being a US based team which conventional wisdom would have said should have a greater appeal to the region over a Mexican team, and the Galaxy on field being the more successful team.

And if it give people the impression that MLS doesn't need to come to San Diego, MLS has no one to blame but themselves. They wanted a team in SD 11 years ago and they let Vergera dictate terms to them due to their weak position at the time and he put Chivas in LA instead. They've left what is consistently one of the most soccer friendly markets in the US out of the discussion and given no rich guy any reason to pursue a team here. The Xolos to their credit have seen that deficiency and exploited the hell out of it to the point where FoxSoccer is now including them in the discussion at all about being a "local team." And I'm sure Euro teams and other Mexican teams make up a large percentage of fans too, possibly even more than any MLS team including the Galaxy.

And ultimately MLS (and NASL and USL not to forget those two) opened that door themselves through inaction. And mind you it's not just by not having a team in SD, it's by not making any effort to market to SD. Only team I've ever seen do any kind of half assed marketing in San Diego from MLS was Chivas USA. The Galaxy and the league seem to think nothing of ignoring SD and it's costing them.

 

Looks like the Xolos have a couple of friendlies during the upcoming FIFA international break.

March 24 the Xolos are traveling to Seattle to play the Seattle Sounders. Game is at 7pm PDT at Centurylink Field. The U18 squad will play the Sounders U18's at 4:30pm also at Centurylink Field before the big game. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster.

March 29 the Xolos are playing San Diego State at the SDSU Sports Deck at 7pm PDT. They will be holding a clinic before the game. Admission to this game is free.

Both friendlies are being played on artificial turf and should do a good job of keeping the Xolos sharp during the extended break before the final push toward the end of the season.

 

The two D1 clubs closest to San Diego, Club Tijuana Xolos and the LA Galaxy are facing off tonight at 7:00pm PST at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, CA.

The game will be streaming on the Galaxy Website. Link below.

http://www.lagalaxy.com/post/2016/0...y-vs-club-tijuana-february-9-2016-live-stream

 

Xolos start their playoff run tonight vs Morelia.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/aztecs/sd-sp-xolos-20170511-story.html

Looks like Herrera is moving on after the season down to Club America. Sucks to see the Xolos lose yet another manager to America.

 

Didn't go well last night but they have the advantage of a higher seed, so a win of any kind sends TJ through.