maybe somebody else can relate to this, but I can't pull for one team exclusively. Maybe it's because I don't have a team in my region, or because I'd hate to pull againt USNT players on other teams.....but nevertheless, I don't have a "team". Believe me, I watch every MLS game possible, I go to MLSnet constantly (after I check out soccernet and rovers.co.uk, of course) and I am utterly excited about the prospects of Victoria St. and Frisco..but it has come down to me being a fan of MLS in it's entirety, not just a team.
can realte I was the exact same way until Chicago got a team. I pulled for the Crew and Wizards because they were in the midwest but I had no true loyalties. Just wait 'til MLS comes to the south. That will make it a whole new experience.
yeah i'm with you somewhat...I live in the San Francisco Area and root for the E-Quakes. I also appreciate wide open passing games of which I've seen this year's Columbus Crew accomplish with some success. I spend money to see MLS matches to support MLS however. It is my belief that supporting MLS indirectly contributes to improving the USMNT that I want to see win the World Cup in my lifetime (when this happens, my eyes will swell up and my soul will rejoice as never before). I do hate the Galaxy though!
I know exactly how you feel! The only team that I really root for is Columbus cause my fav player is McBride. I guess I could root for LA since I'm only 120 miles south, but then again everyone in my city would hate me for rooting a team of our northern rivals
Wow, this thread has the potential of actually being worth reading. Hopefully, I don't spoil it here. I grew up in the D.C. area and consider United my favorite team. But they've never given me the high/low feelings that the U.S. National Team and the Washington Capitals have. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have United win than lose. However, I don't get my undergarments in knots when they lose. Especially if they were beaten by a great goal of an up and coming american soccer prodigy. And when they win, I smile, and move on with my day. I guess the reason for this is that I'm a bigger supporter of U.S. Soccer, and that transcends my loyalty to my team. Seeing MLS and U.S. Soccer succeed is more important to me than the success of DC United. I've gotten some flak about this from some "true" DC United fans. I suppose, one day, when MLS is stable, with 20 teams, and the U.S. National Team is a consistent world beater, I'll develop more extreme passion for DCU, but until then, supporting MLS in general is my first priority.
I agree with you guys. I root for KC because my parents live up there and I get to catch a couple of thier matches every year in person. However, I am really excited about the chance of Edmond/OKC getting a team which is my home town. If that happens, I would definitly have a team to attach to.
i love the metro as much as any fan of any sport likes any team.... the fact that they've sucked in the past makes the bond a bit stronger...when they win the mls cup (which i hope they'll do in my lifetime ) it'll be one of the best days.... WHEN the US wins the world cup, i imagine it'll be the only day better i'm fortunate to have a team close to where i live (i live about 9 miles from the stadium).....and support the team by buying season tix and merchandise, knowing this helps the national team as well....i try, when possible, to buy from the sponsors as well.....
I'm definitely in the same boat as you. I keep trying to get a job in an MLS city so I can go to matches. I moved to Salisbury, md last year (big mistake, but that's another story), and went to some united games, they were becoming my favorite team, then i got laid off and moved to Buffalo for a job, so now, I have no team to root for. The rhino's and the lynx are the closest teams to me. But enough rambling, i'm just excited to have the opportunity to watch soccer in the US. my girlfriend in toronto gets so mad at me on the weekends becuase i have to watch soccer all day, (well record the games and watch the highlight show at night). So sometimes i'm a DC supporter, sometimes a fire supporter, sometimes a crew supporter.
I have not been able to pick a team either. Being from Buffalo, the closest team is probably Columbus. Columbus shares the same midwestern hard working attitude as Buffalo does. I fact The Sabres have used the hardest working team in hockey promotion. So I have leaned towards the crew. In fact just today I ordered tickets for the July 5th game, and I am going to take the family to Columbus for the holiday weekend to see my first MLS game in person. The other option is the Metrostars. The advantage there is MSG is carried on our local cable channel, so I get to see all the games. Unfortunately I spent most of last year rooting for the metrostars to loose. I have a natural aversion to NY because of the Jets Bills rivalry, and I really disliked Dialo. I have always loved Eddie Pope, so now I am thinking about being a Metrostars supporter. Hopefully in a couple of years Rochester will join he MLS, and as much as it pains me that it is Rochester and not Buffalo, I'm sure I will be a Rochester supporter. (I hope they change the name from Raging Rhino's if they go MLS) flmls, If you are interested in the Buffalo soccer scene, a group of guys are trying to help build the Western New York Soccer Community with a buffalo soccer forum at: http://www.wnyunited.com/phpBB2/index.php
I am primarily a quakes fan but slowly I have been a fan of the entire league. I love it when the quakes win and there are some teams that I dislike but every game i see on t.v. I root for the home team because if the home team wins then the fans leave happy, and if they are happy then they will come back to the games. That will equate to better attendance and that will help MLS live another day. Because the only thing I love more than the Eathquakes is the league itself. Supporting soccer in this country is a passion for me and I cant wait until this league turns out the way we've all dreamed of.
Re: Re: the state of my MLS fanhood Rooting for an LA team, well, it's like... It only hurts the first time
Re: Re: Re: the state of my MLS fanhood LOL, okay I better not support them. Thanks for waking me up!
Wow, me too. United are my team because they are the nearest to me. Its hard to find a local team when you live in the South. Even the Florida teams were far away. So United it is, but I fell like if I cheer agaist a team, them somehow I'm cheering for that team and, thus, the league to fail.
wow...never thought Id see this here. I think many of us suffered through the preMLS years loving the sport. And its difficult to really root against any team which benefits American soccer, cause many of us remember the pre94 days. I pull for DC cause its the closest team to my home in Central PA, and being in NYC for school I pull for the Metros because I get MSG here and theyre just easier to watch, especially the way theyre playing so far this season. Besides, theyve traded so many players back and forth theyre like brothers, ones always trying to be better then the other. But I consider myself a fan of MLS moreso then of any one team. I think youd be hard pressed to find a lot of people who dont try and tune in every saturday at 4 to espn2 to watch soccer regardless of the team.
I just moved to northern Virginia last fall, so finally I am near an MLS team and have begun the process of becoming a fan of a team rather than a supporter of the league. But I'm too old and too late entering the game to become a 'die-hard,' I'm afraid. Like most of you, I just thank the powers that be that there is a pro league here in the USA to watch and follow. My first loyalty is to the Nats, everything else comes second. I have a certain affection for the Charleston Battery in the A-Leauge, because we lived there for two years after leaving Nebraska, and I had my first season tickets for a soccer team there. Still, right now I support the existance of the A-League more than the Battery, or any team in particular.
I'm also a fan of the Nats and MLS generally, rather than a fan of any particular MLS team. I just want to see the league succeed and do well, and to see soccer solidify it's foothold here, rather than see a particular team succeed. I wish it weren't so. I wish I had the passion for an MLS team like I do for the national team. But, until the league changes its structure, expands, and is undeniably here to stay, that won't happen. As much as I love MLS, I regard it more as a summer-long soccer exhibition rather than a full-fledged competitive league. Only ten teams, owned by a handful of folk, regular season games basically count for squat...I just don't regard it as a "league" in the traditional American sense. Pleae don't misconstrue this post. I'm not bagging on MLS, or saying that the league should drastically change things right now. Just that, until it matures, my concern for the league's survival will be more important than my passion for any one team.
Give the A-league a chance if you leave near an A-league city. I think you'll be surprised by the quality. It is definitely on par with where MLS was a few years ago. You'll be amazed how many players you'll recognize. At least this year, A-league teams are a lot more attack minded than MLS teams, it's a lot more fun watching a 3-2 game that it is watching a 0-0 or 1-1 draw. Watch the Saturday MLS telecast then go out and see your local A-league team live. Live soccer is always better than a televised game. Check your schedule and see if the VA Beach Mariners are coming to town and check out Roy Lassiter and Dante Washington, you'll think you were watching MLS.
I like the Quakes, but didn't start going to the games until Donovan came to the team. I realized then, the thing I like best about the league is to be able to see the U20 and U17 Nats players in action. I am a big fan of college soccer as well, going to about 10-15 games a year in the bay area. Again, my favorites being the games with U20 players involved. I guess you could say I like the Earthquakes because they are close and are the only games I see live. But I usually make a point to watch or tape other MLS games with favorite players on them.
I grew up in KC, so I've always been a Wizard fan. Among the other MLS teams, I have little preference who wins. I just want the league and National teams to prosper. I've been following the European leagues for three or four years now, and I've yet to find a team to support over others.
Were all not alone! Its like this is the first meeting of a 12 step program. My name is Micah, and I am a fan of MLS. I often feel as though no team inparticular fits my personality, and even my local team is not in my heart .. yet. I live 100 miles from NYC, and like 2.5 hours drive to Giants Stadium. But I just am not a Metro fan. I root for them over whomever they are playing but I sure dont root against the other teams. I am however more anti Gals than any other team, but thats because I am pretty sure they sre, after this year, a truely stable and successfull team, so I can hate them. DC is a kind of favorite of mine, and I love Ernie Columbus is fun to watch, especially their forwards. So, I think what will, or may make me finally chose, or maybe fall in love would be a NYC team. Or a Long Island team. Its not really normal to root for a Jersey team if you live east of the city. I am fairly confident MLS will prosper, and are at the cusp right now. so I will start to hate teams soon and that is really when you become a fan. I love MLS, I love the A-League, I even hope indoor and WUSA succeeds. I care less and less for Euro teams. but I bleed Red White and Blue Im going to Athens baby
Re: Re: the state of my MLS fanhood The one A-League game I've seen this year (Seattle/Portland) was more entertaining than all MLS matches not featuring Columbus that I've seen this year. The quality of play wasn't as high overall, but it was more attack-minded, just as intense, and generally wasn't that far behind. Seattle just put a more attractive product on the field than some MLS teams. They played the ball on the ground, had good combination play and communication amongst the forwards, and their (backup) keeper made some very difficult saves to keep them in it. The defending was pretty marginal, though. The level of play at the top of the A-League isn't significantly lower than that of MLS. This is hardly a revelation, or an aberration. Look at Europe, where newly promoted teams stay up in their first year without making wholesale roster upgrades.