super celebrations

United !

We all hate penalties to end a soccer game - even one going on for two hours - but since it was Manchester United that emerged on top in the shoot out over Chelsea - well, I'm not complaining. Winning their third Champions League trophy in their history stamps United as the best team in Europe - until they have to prove it again when the season starts again in eight weeks.

And I think they deserved it. The first half was was controlled by United- though largely the second half was Chelsea. The game - played in Moscow under an increasingly harder rain - was very sloppy @ times. Often players on both sides - two teams filled w/ incredible players - stumbled over the ball or slipped. But there was also many great plays on both sides. It was a great game to watch.

I watched it Fado, an Irish bar on Grand and just east of State. I was supposed to meet people @ the bar, but when I got there 45m before kickoff, there already was a line out the door to get it. Packed? Again and again the manager had to walk around w/ fire marshals making sure the capacity wasn't over maxxed. As we didn't get shut down, I suppose we were under the limit.

The crowd was great. More Manchester Red than Chelsae Blue , both sides were in fine singing form. They tended to sing the same songs over and over -and since I entombed myself in one of the Red pockets I heard far more songs about Giggs, Rio , Scholes, Vidic, and Tevez. Very beautiful crowd.

And good. I like songs praising United players. And what a fucking team this is. Take a look @ the line up-

Edwin van der Sar,
Wes Brown (Luis de Abreu Anderson, 120),
Rio Ferdinand,
Nemanja Vidic,
Patrice Evra,
Owen Hargreaves,
Paul Scholes (Ryan Giggs, 87),
Michael Carrick,
Cristiano Ronaldo,
Wayne Rooney (Luis Carlos Nani, 101),
Carlos Tevez

I totally know that many readers will have no idea of how powerful this line up is, but those who do - look @ that shit!! Not many world Cup teams could beat a team like this - but Chelsea almost did.

My favourite Blue? Well, he was red - Didier Drogba, The Blues great forward, was red carded right before penalties. It meant that Chelsea had to play a player down for the last 5m of the match. Playing down for that short amount of time didn't hurt the team, but it did mean that he wouldn't be able to take part in PK's.

Old man as I am, I was glad to see reminders of the 1999 team still around. Alex Ferguson is still coach. Wes Brown and Paul Scholes started the 2008 game. And best of all, Ryan Giggs, on as as sub in the 87th minute, played in his 759th game as a Red - the new record.

Raining Goals

Wow- for a team that domintates the Fire in the post season, the New England Revolution sure were schooled last nite. The Fire scored four first half goals to put the Revolution out by halftime. The secondhalf was an extended lesson in killing off the clock. The Fire now have four points in two games (a win and a tie), and looked great after a so so opener in Salt Lake City last week.

Raining!! Wasn't THAT bad a nite under the elements, but in the second half a lite (at times heavy) rain covered the crowd and made parts of the 15,553 strong hide under the overhangs of the upper deck. The 15, 553 were loud and strong, especially after the Fire took such an overwhelming lead. Not a bad crowd for a Thursday Nite game; although smallish for an opener. However, this was one of six games scheduled for Thursday Nite games on ESPN2- three hom and three away. I was thinking that because of the nite and because of the rain the crowd would be lite - but it filled out well.

And Section 8. In fits and starts last season they tried to fill out the section next to Section 8's alwayts filled standing room only crowd - for this game, they seem to have made the move to force another section into standing. My guess is that they will be successful - although rainy weeknite games are always where Section 8 diehards shine (they make a bigger % of the crowd than a weekend game, and thus cut through the ambient sound better- it's easier to aurially dominate a crowd of 14k than in a crowd of 21k), the spillover section had it's own leader and stood the whole match. I'm sure over the winter the leaders of S8 and Fire officials brainstomed on how to add that section to the standing areas - initial indications are good.

And the Fire played well. Up 4-0 @ half, although they did play a mna up after new England had a red card ejection after five minutes. But the offense was continually attacking and had many attempts on goal. Blanco - although he did not dominate proceedings as he ofetn did last year - had many beautiful touches, including those backheel passes that the crowd loves so well. Forward Thomas Frankowski, the new signing by the team, had two goals. Justin Mapp attacked well.

Good home start. More to come.

foto Sun Times

Dates and Locations: Soldiers Field via Boston Mass.

Yesterday Rocky fwd me a neat address that listed off results, goal scorers, attendence etc for each game the old Chicago Sting of the North American Soccer League ever played. In truth, they were the soccer team that I loved more than any other team. Fire, Man U., America, U.S.A., all pale for my childhood team - The Chicago Sting.

I can remember when I was first exposed to them up close- it must have been summer of 1977 and the Marquette Park Day camp I was in had a field trip to old Soldiers Field. Jump on the yellow buses, crowd of screaming kids to go, and deposited #@ Old Soldiers. We were given demonstrations and gifts from a team I'd heard about, but didn't really know too much about- but it was enough: this old man thinks (looking back) two things, probably even more than the actual 'beautiful game', attracted me mightly and made me a fan:

1) They gave us old game programs. They were thick magazines full of the history of the game, bios of the players, and stats stats stats. Like most of us, I was an obsessive reader when I was young, and the three programs gave me reading materials that I read and re-read. Sting public relations worked well on me.

2) It was different. we were all Sox, Cubs, Bears, Hawks, and Bulls fans. However, who was a soccer fan back then? Moho, for sure, and my circle of frenz. but as I have been and continue to be someone who is attracted to 'different', the Sting were my thing.

Many memories from then. But this Wednesdays Memories concerns a specfic game- and here's the line from that link(from 1983 season):

709 H S Tulsa Roughnecks 1-2 SO L 8-6 73 10,276 Karl Heinz Granitza

Wasn't @ the game that was played in front of 10, 276 fans @ old Soldiers Field That summer, the Summer of the Weight Sox (as it turned out to be-but the Fall was all Baltimore) my Mom, Sister.1 and Sister.2 and I visited our four uncles and their families in Boston. We stayed a whole week @ my Uncle Mikes, and like mine, it was the large, young and bawdy family. We fit in, suprise suprise. Crammed into a long room with two of Uncle Mikes sons - the other got stuck in the basement to make room for me. The extended family of an already large and extended family. Thousand miles away from home, but we were in a place that was recognizably home.

But it wasn't the only scene that I fit in to- I hung out with my like aged cousins and their frenz. I was instantly a ' part of the gang ', and accepted as such. I remember playing football - mutherfucker if the Boston kids didn't tackle as hard as my Chicago mates- and baseball. Someone lent me a Rawlings. Ah, but young mens minds do not stop @ sports, hard as it seems to be - we also attended teenage beauty contest in Quincy Market. I can't remember much, just young men watching like aged girls being put on display for us. Sexism is markets young to us all, n'est pas?

And the experssions !! This was my first exposure to adjectives like 'wicked' and 'mad' - both to denote "a lot of", as in.....well, 'mad beers' or 'wicked beers'. And then there was the fashion statements.

Back in those days there wasn't the incessent coverage of sports on tv like today - but ESPN did exist. I can remember walking to the cornershop to look- but not buy - @ the morning papers for the Sox box scores*. But there was one Chicago sports highlite that was shown on Boston tv - Granitzas goal in that July Sting game. Yes- I couldn't get Sox highlites, but here was a teaser to 'come back after the commercial' with a flash of a goal in a Sting game - and a Sting goal.

But what a fucking goal- in all honest, it may be the greatest goal ever scored in soccer history. What I saw flashed up on the tv screen was old Soldiers, the game clock counting down from 10 seconds, and the ball 120 yards away from the Tulsa goal and in our goalies hands. But that flash on tv: the goalie Victor Nogueria dropkicking the ball linedrive style to midfield- Ricardo Alonso, the tall lanky Argentinian heading the ball forward from the center circle - rite to the chest of Stings greatest player ever, the German Karl Heinz Granitza. With his back to the goal, he deadened the ball perfectly, and just as time ran out - he biked it into the enemy goal.

And then a bleeding commercial.

I'll give it away - the game ended in tears. It went to a 'shootout' and the Sting lost ((but, in accordance to the rules of the N.A.S.L., they got two points for the shootout loss and one for a goal scored - Tulsa only got five points (four and one) )). This I only found out when I got back - because we were on our way to somewhere, I could not wait till after the commercial to see the goal again and hear the story. I only found out that Granitza goal was not the winner, but only the tier(sic) back home. No internet then to find out, for example, the time of the public league semifinal this weekend, the scores of Sting games from way back - or if the Sting won that game in 1983 . The only option? No good. Boston Globe didn't carry N.A.S.L. scores.

But, a gametying goal, as time ran out, by advancing the ball totally airborne 120 yards - it was the greatest goal I have ever seen.

You should have seen it.

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*= this will be revisited some Wednesday to come, for the baseball aspect.

Now What ??

Jaun Carlos Osario, the new so promising Fire coach, is now going to the N.Y. Redbulls. Like Bonb Bradley before him, a succesful Fire coach is taken away by the floundering N.Y. team. However, thissituation is much different: Bradley was @ the end of his tenure and looking for a change- Osario came in new several months ago and was looked to to continue the teams turnaround. Papers are writing that given the N.Y. metro areas giant stock of Columbians, Osario's wife would feel more comfortable there.

Although the loss of the coach is bad, the possible loss of players could be even worse. It is assumed that C. Blanco will stay in Chicago since he came to the team before Osario. But ace defender William Conde mite also make the move to N.Y. Any loss in the defense will be terrible to overcome.

However, the loss of a new coach who totally turned the team around this summer is bad enough. Although the Wanchope experiment failed, it seemed everything else worked. he will be missed.

And now.....Champions League !!

The Champions League, to those in the know, is a stunning sporting spectacle. We all know the World Cup, though some may not watch it. But for us super soccer fans, the quality of the soccer teams in the final 16 teams of The Champions League is often better than most World Cup teams. Teams like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and the present champion, A.C. Milan, are mind bogglingly good. These are the richest teams in the world, and the talent on these teams is deep- their second teams would beat many national teams around the world. Most games are a thrilling ride.

It's a strange tournement if you have never experienced before and are an American. You qualify for the tournament by being one of the top teams in you domestic league the season before. Each country gets a set number of teams that is contingent on how well the country does in various competitions- World Cup, European Cup, qualifiers, and previous editions of the Champions League. For example, England rite now gets the max number of teams in the competition- four. A few years ago they were stuck on only three qualifiers. So, this year Man U. reached the2007-8 competition because they won the league in 2006-7. Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea qualified because they came in 2d, 3d, and 4th. The smaller teams and 3d and 4th place teams have to play qualifiers to get into the final round of 32 then whittles to another group stage of 16- before there is a knock out round for quarterfinals on in. Exciting all the way through as one finds yr team playing strange teams from wired countries in the early stages, then its all competition against the world top teams and players from the final 16 out. Great theatre.

Since the mid 90's, ESPN started to put these games on in the afternoon. An afternoon start (dictate by the fact that Europe is 7-8-9h ahead of our clock) is perfect for ESPN and for soccer fans- we realise that the ratings are not gonna be high, but we also get to see the beautiful game played by beautiful teams. And now, finally, there is going to be a Champions League for MLS teams to play in.

One of the great things about MLS (There are many bad things as well, but not the time) is that they're trying to make sure the game is synced up with the game in the rest of the world. When the league started , it had many UGLY aberrations- the shootout after 90m (Gone forever after the first four seasons- good riddance!!!), the time kept on a countdown clock and not on the ref's watch (GONE!!).

But they also joined in soccer traditions. Some of the team names made me gag - D.C. United? F.C. Dallas? Real Salt Lake? But w/ time they become normal. They also put MLS teams in the U.S. Open Cup (only 20 years younger than the Stanley Cup), which is a competition similar to those held around the world. The Open Cup is open to EVERY team in the States, and it is a single knockout tournament. The closest thing I can think of in type and in spirit is the NCAA basketball tournament. Just like the odd Gonzaga or Valpo or whatever gets some upsets in every year, there are the upsets of the 'minnows' -v- the giants. In England, the F.A. Cup is gigantic- A Superbowl type experience there. Here- just growing.

But the Concacaf Federation- the one the USA is in- has just announced it's own "Champion's League". well, actually, it was Telefutura TV network that announced :

“CONCACAF Champions League” patterned after the highly successful UEFA Champions League and featuring the top club teams from the Mexican Primera Division and Major League Soccer, the tournament will be televised exclusively on TeleFutura, with 33 live matches including all quarterfinals, semifinals, and the big final game. (July 18 – November 15, 2007, Tuesday and Wednesday nights) "

Before this there was a similar competition. It was called The Champions Cup. It went through various formats, from an "All eight teams in one week long knock out tournament" to a "Final 16 teams play a home and home knockout tournament".

Now, however, it seems that there will be a real tournament, with 16 (?) teams playing in groups presumably in a home and home format. It will allow teams from the area to compete in a more professionalized tournament than the seemingly hodge podge way it had been conducted before. Very exciting to see- just like in Europe- your team playing strange non league teams in a fiery competition.

There are problems. NYT announced that the competition would last from August throught he winter till the next May, but that would force MLS teams to play in their off season. Also, it will be hard for MLS and Mexican giants like Houston or America to play some tiny nations qualifier whose home country doesn't even have enough people to fill a small stadium.

But I believe these are all teething problems. I have long wanted this competition in this format in this area. It may not reflect well on me, but I do so enjoy the trapping of European soccer. I like the various cup competitions, and heartfully welcome this competetion to the area. Finally.

Now- do the Fire qualify for thise years competition?

two retirements

This week the Chicago Fire had an official retirement announcement and an unofficial announcement. And although forward Paoloa Wanchope has had a far bigger name world wide, it's midfielder Chris Armas' retirement that will hamper the Fire seriously next year.

First the good news. The two retirements will save the fire $500,000 in annual salaries split between the two. Since the MLS is a league that has a pretty serious salary cap*, this will allow the Fire to pay their own players more- goalie "Slim" Pickens is up for a renewal- and search for other players. A half mil will help.

Now the bad news. Chris Armas has been the outstanding midfielder for the Fire's first ten years. Again, there have been greater names in the Fire's midfield- Peter Novak as the teams original captain and Hristo Stoichkov is simply one the of the greatest players in the games history- but Armas has been special for the teams entire history.

The quintessential 'holding' midfielder whose job it was to be a nuisance to the other teams attackers, Armas was always in the other teams players faces, harrassing, slowing, and winning the ball. One of my favourite sights always was Armas winning the ball from the other players, then his quick 1-2-3 dribbles to find the half centimeter of open space, then him dishing it off to an open teamate who could get it out of danger. Complete hustle, and a good guy.

A deep shame about Armas career is that he never played for the US in the world cup. On the eve of the last two World Cup Armas was the regular holding mid on the team, and one of it's key players. Just before both World Cups Armas was seriouslt injured. He came back fit both times, but what a terrible blow both to himand the us teams chances. One wonders how much better they would have been in 2002- maybe to the semis or even the final- and if they would have played so poor last Cup. We'll never know.

Wanchope is retiring after a third of a season with the Fire. He came with great promise, but it seems his best days are behind him and he doesn't want to try to regain them. A big and fast defender who played in Europe for years and is best known here for his two World Cup goals -v-Germany. However, he never seemed to get into the flow of the team. Every game, despite two goals scored, he just didn't seem with it.

Wanchope had talked about starting the next season from spring training to regain his from. Maybe it would have worked, but my guess is is that his retirement will not hurt the Fire too much. What they need is a striker who can put the ball away. I'm sorry, but Chad Barret still is not a terrible danfger to other teams back lines. The Fire's acquisition of C. Blanco and William Cinde were fantastic. With the half mill saved from the dual retirements this week, I hope the Fire will get a great scorer. And that Chris Armas comes back from retirement.

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*= There is one salary cap out. The "David Beckham rule" allows each team to make one salary exemption. This came in this year specifically to acquire Bexx.

Five out of every six times

For the fifth time in the last six seasons, the New England Revolution ended the Chicago Fire season, this year in the MLS' s Eastern Conference championship 1-0 last nite. Played in 32 degree weather, the Fire outplayed the Revolution for a lot of the game. A stunning bicycle goal from Taylor Twellman in the 38m was the only goal scored.

The Fire was not going to score this nite. The offense was terrible. Paloa Wanchope started and had a lame game. Although the ball was sent into him often enough, any attempt to run plays off of him ended up with New England getting the ball. Chad Barret went back to his ineffectual self. Like Wanchope, any ball @ his feet was immediately lost. It was frustrating watching him try to take on New England defenders and having him kick it into their shins every time. Q Blanco, the huge kick starter to the Fires offense, was also ineffectual. He didn't have a bad game, but what can one do when service to his forwards led immediately to the ball being controlled off of Barrets or Wanchopes legs. After New England scored it seemed that it would be the only goal- unfortunately it was.

The goal was spectacular- it seemed that such an effort was the only way any goal was to be scored between these two teams this nite. Although the Fire's defense could be shaky in parts of the game, for the most part it was tight. The week before the game, any interviews by the Fires defenders stressed how they were practicing defending against crosses into the box. And yes, on a long cross into the boxx, Twellman had two Fire defenders on him- seemed he was defended well. But there was just enough space in between Dasan Robinson and Logan Pause for Twellman to totally jump head over heels backwards and strike the ball true. Even Fire goalie "Slim" Pickens seemed to be in position. However, it was struck true and out go the Fire.

As time ran in the second half, it seemed that the Fire would not score. It was one of those games - your basketball team can't seem to cut it to four, the baseball team stranding guys in scoring position, the football team never being able to string to-gether two first downs. The Fire tried, but in the end New England seemed bigger, stronger, and faster-- but only as the game wound down and the Fire pushed desperately for the tying goal.

The Fire seemed to just not be as cohesive as New England. New England now appears in the fourth final in seven seasons, although they have never won the title. The Fire, however, have revamped their roster this season. With Blanco, Wanchope, and William Conde playing a full season with younger players like Barret, Chris Rolfe, Justin Mapp, Dasan Robinson Gonzalo Segares, Logan Pause and Calen Carr will mean the Fire have a very brite future next season.

And it maybe time to say goodbye to Chris Armas. The great holding midfielder of the Fire, U.S. national team, and MLS had announced his retirement before the beginning of the season, but word is filtering out that he may may want to play next year. The Fire - or any other MLS team- would certainly want him back.

Spring training starts in February.

Fire on

Once again, the Fire lost a two goal playoff lead Thursday nite as DC United scored two goals in five minutes in the second half to tie the game 2-2. However, the Fire allowed no more United goals and emerged from the contest with the result they were very happy to get. By adding the 1-0 result of last Thursdays first leg in the two game total goals series to the result, the Fire advance to the Eastern Division finals next week 3-2 on aggregate goals.

There was a bit dueling history for this game. The Fire had lost two goal leads to blow playoff series, as in last year against New England and 1999 against Dallas. They had fucked up repeatedly this year to lose late leads and end up with ties instead of wins. In truth, the Fire was lucky to even qualify for the playoffs with so many slip-ties. When D.C.‘s Clyde Simms and Christian Gomez scored in the 69m and 74m, uneasy memories of these shitty times in soccer history came up. It was even worse in added time when Christian Gomez appeared to score again. Unfuckin’ believable fucker FUCKER !!

But it was a hand ball.

I didn’t see celebrating when I again lifted my head from its gaze on the floor- and I couldn’t see what happened in the repeated replays. But I also realized that our “asses weren’t grass”.

Although the “Fire falling apart late” bit of history was changed in this game, the other part of dueling history continued: the Fire have owned D.C. United in the playoffs. They are now 5-0-2 all time against D.C. in the playoffs. And although D.C. finally scored a goal against the Fire, the Fire still lead 13-2. Amen.

It was a good game. There were many chances early on, but the great breakthrough was in the 31m. The Fire’s Chad Barret scored in the 31st m and then Chris Rolfe in the 33d m. Rite then they were up three goals on aggregate, but there was still an hour to go in the games; D. C. was the highest scoring team in the league, and have a dizzying display of talent up front. It was only in the late 60’s that finally D.C.’s brilliant attack finally showed itself fully. Wow!! Wildly great passing and movement Simms, Gomez, Rod Dyachenko, Fred, Luciano Emilio, and D.C. great Jaime Moreno had them Brazil looking from, say, the 65th m on. Fire looked fucked after the two D.C. goals- @ the rate of D.C.’s attack, it looked like a third goal would come anytime.

Never did.

I gotta admit I feel bad for D.C. One of the foreign players on D.C. (can’t remember who) during the week talked about the cruelty of the MLS system- despite the best record in the league during the 30 game regular season and having a very entertaining team, they were out after two games.

However, D.C. deserved it- to lose, I mean. The Fire outplayed them for the first 155m of the series, and held on the last 25m. A near run thing. Next week they take on the winner of the N.Y. / New England series. The first game was 0-0 in New York. New England- methinks - will advance and set up yet another playoff match between the two teams. This mite be the sixth time in the last seven years that the Fire has to play N.E. At this point, MLS is as incestuous as both the early NHL and the NHL of the 80’s in that playoff match ups tend to occur year after year after year. The same way the Hawks played the Minnesota North Stars and the Edmonton Oilers year after year after year in the playoffs, it seems the Fire will be playing New England and D.C. endlessly.

The Fire will have a good shot against either possible opponent, although New England is the superior team. I’ve chronicled the Fire’s rise in these pages, and they deserve to be in the final four of the league. The addition of Blanco and Conde and the return of injured players have sparked the team, and they are a legitimate threat to win the title.

see the Hilts review of the first leg of the series

Half Way On

Sitting behind me @ Thursdays Fire playoff game v D.C. United were talkative people who were @ their first soccer game. At one point I overheard them noticing D.C. very rough play: “They play dirty, y’all”. Fire star C. Blanco feels the same- he’s having the Fire front office to assemble a tape of fouls committed on him by United. Although the customary red, white, and blue playoff bunting was missing, this was a typical MLS playoff game against teams that have now faced each other four times in the last ten years. Each time the Fire have advanced, and they got a good result in the first game on the playoffs: Thursdays game ended up with the Fire wining on a 17th m goal by Chris Rolfe.

This year finds the Fire being the final team to qualify for the playoffs. D.C. had the best record in the regular season and has a roster full of talented players. However, injuries have taken a bit of a toll on the visitors. 13 year D.C. star Jaime Moreno only entered @ halftime, and MLS leading scorer Luciano Emilio entered in the 78th m. The Fire, on the other hand, have been on a roll: new players Blanco and William Conde have been much better than expected, new coach Osario has played players in new positions, and the team has been much better offensively. Coming into the series, either team had a chance not only to advance but to win the MLS Cup 2007.
The MLS quarterfinals are a two game, total goals setup. If the two teams are tied at the end of the second leg, then a half hour of overtime is played. Penalty kicks decide games tied after that. In many ways, the Fires one goal victory is akin to a half time lead in a giant 180 minute game. So, in a normal game, a team up a goal in the closing minutes would hold back for the win, but the Fire wanted to pad the goal total = they kept attacking late in the game and were dangerous even past the 90th minute. John Thorrington, goal scoring hero of Sunday's playoff clincher against L.A. , was put in in the 83d minute. He may have entered the game to apply pressure to D.C. and deny them the chance to mount any comeback, but the thought of that late goal hung in the air - could he score another to give the Fire a two goal cushion? Although they had many chances on goal, a miss in the 77m led me to think “I hope that doesn’t come back to haunt us”. So, although the Fire won the first game 1-0, nothing is won yet; and there's long tough road to go.

And there are problems. Osario used the same formation that he had Sunday v. L.A.= four back defenders and Conde and Chris Armas handling the defensive midfielder position. Again, Conde was great and dangerous on the attack. He is picking up roles as the season goes on, and has been an almost important acquisition for the D as Blanco has for the O. It was also fun watching C.J. Brown run the defense. An ‘Original Fire’ who is now in his tenth year on the team, it was he yelling to the defense to ‘walk it up’ and put United forwards offside or to pick up this or that player (I sat in the nice seats for this game).

However, the defense looked terribly shaky at times. There were a few miss communications that resulted in Fire defenders having to race to cover up a free ball or a weak back pass that almost turned into disaster. With only a one goal lead in the series, a similar mess-up next Thursday could sink the Fire. Although I was hoping for a few more Fire goals , I also had the thought in the 70th m “Shit, there’s a lot of time left”. But- their would be no more goals.
Although Conde won the ‘Man of the Match”, I was most happy with the play of Chad Barret. Id come down heavy on him last week for the many lost chances he screwed up on, but Thursday he played his role in the offense to a T. He is a forward, but his job is to act as a ‘runner’- he is to be @ the head of the offense and use his speed and verve to chase the ball and put pressure on whoever has it. The idea is to force the other team to make mistakes and keep up the pressure - then let Blanco and the midfield catch up and convert the other teams mistakes. His aggressiveness constantly had D.C. back peddling trying to contain him. Although his greatest contribution came in the first 20m of the game, well into the second half his ‘in yr face’ attacking led to chances on goal. After his shitty play last week, it was great to see him contributing in a real way.

And the lone goal could be contributed to this sorta pressure; develop from the back, then push the ball forward @ speed to overwhelm D.C.‘s defenders. Although the Fire D could be scary @ times, they had some very nice passing amongst the defenders and midfielders to get the ball forward. The Fire played a lot of long balls forward, especially in the first half. In the 17th m, such a long ball played forward found midfielder Rolfe in position to rocket a shot into the net.
The Fire will have to play tough in the return match, but they now only need a tie to advance. In the Fire’s stretch run to the playoffs, they missed winning many games because of missed chances and late goals from the other team ld to ties instead of wins. Luckily, they can sustain a tie next week and be happy about it.

Finally, what would a Hilts report on a soccer game without my noting the crowd? I remember the old football coach George Allen talking about his days in the NFL working with Bears founder George Halas. Allen made the statement (when he became head coach of the old U.S.F.L. football Chicago Blitz) that he hated seeing Halas- Bears owner- always counting the home crowd @ Wrigley during home games. In terms of soccer, I have always dealt with the issue the same as Halas- I constantly count crowds and love when a great crowd shows up for a game. Excepting 1998's game against L.A. @ old Soldiers Field (33k+), the 17,800+ was the Fire's best playoff crowd ever, and it was during the week.

The way MLS is set up, the regular season games to which season tickets have been sold usually have nice crowds- most tickets have been sold for months in different packages. However, playoff games and midweek Open Cup games- games which are not scheduled months in advance- have been harder to sell for the team. The near 18k crowd was astounding for this long-term attendance watcher. Seems the natural progression slowly @ work; the new stadium and Blanco working wonders.

And Section 8 led the way- but they now have a new rival. The new rival? It wasn’t the 100 or so Barra Brava D.C. supporters who came in from the East Coast to catch the game. The crowd outside Section 8 has started to assert itself. There were organic chants of “Let’s go Fire” across the Harlem Stand, and it was Section 8 that had to quickchange their cheer to match what the others were doing. The chant of “polero” (“asshole” in Spanish) rose after a questionable call against Blanco. And again, like every time Blanco takes a corner kick, the whole Harlem Stand rises with the attempt.

And then there is Section 8. Unique in American pro sports. The loudest - and acknowledged silliest- thing around, they were loud and leading the whole 90m. Section 8 has really come into its own this year- the entire Section 118 (section 8’s official home) is always packed and standing for every game. As it was with other games, Section 8 has spilled into the near sections= it’s not too hard to envision a future where the entire Harlem Stand is on its feet singing. It’s not the Kop….…yet.

Section 8’s innovations were double for this game. It seems it’s been decided that there will be two leaders directing the songs (the first 10 years of Section 8 featured one guy on a small stand with his back to the game who would lead the Section). Notice how I said “It seems it’s been decided”- though I have been to every home game this year, I have stood in Section 8 very few times. Neice.1 and Nephew.2 are old enough and befriended enough to be in Section 8 by their selves while the old man uncle sits in the good seats. I’ve been a regular in Section 8 since the first game in ‘98, but time has taken its toll. Seats and a 50yd line view are very alluring.

The other innovation was the Pink Floyd lite show put up in the waning minutes of the game. Section 8 has long had an “anti authority” stance from the first season- the Polish hard cores who made the first base of Section 8 were constantly battling security, and there were often arrests-- ME INCLUDED ONCE-- of fans. The Section 8 base is now gringos in their teens and early 20’s- seems more like a high school or university game because of the crowd these days- and is much less confrontational. It used to be illegal to bring smoke bombs and flares into the games; when the flares were brought out, there was always the “Comisky Park in the 70’s” feel of chaos in the stands- security jumping in, the fans fighting back, smoke, yelling, etc…. However, this year Section 8 has had lots of smoke bombs going off- and finally they added light to the sectacle.

At a certain point in the 80’s (minute) a whole bunch of bombs went off. Then, in th center of the crowd, a great red light went off. It was great visuals- there were 3 or four bombs smoking @ once, and then suddenly that massive fog turned red from the light. I’m not sure they used flares From my nice seats - it may have been just a light- but it was great theatre framing.
So- an encouraging game. It could have been a two or three goal lead going into Thursdays game, but we will have to settle for one. Although last year the Fire were leading New England 1-0 after the first game and ended up losing the series, this is a better team. Says here they will win 1-0 next week and have a rematch w/ New England I the fires attempt to reach MLS Cup for the first time since 2003.

Bexx

The most important thing being that the fire finally clinched a playoff spot. yes, yes, Bexx was there, and I was fully into enjoyinng the spectacle- but the guts were into thinking that this may be the final Fire game of the year.

But it will not be= John Thorrington's goal (the Fire's ex Manchester United player- a little less famous that his former 'teamate' on L.A.) in the 90+m ensures that the season goes on=D.C. United will be in town for the first round playoff game this Thursday nite.

As the final weekend of the season played out, this game determined the final spot in the playoffs= the Fire needed only to tie, but L.A. had to win it. The importance of this game led to a lot of conspiracy theorists coming out claiming that the league office and referee's would be favouring Beckhams team over the Fire, and the crowd was onto this possible facet of the game early. Three plays in the penalty areas drew loud boos from the crowd when they suspected that L.A. players were diving. Another loud round of boos from a non call on a fire player. Although the Fire didn't deserve a penalty call from this play, it was nice that the crowd was being proactive in telling the referee "WE ARE WATCHING YOU".

No question that the Fire were the better team. Except for some scary minutes in the mid 70's, they generally had the run of play. There was a lot of nice passing and attacking flare. The additions of Blanco, Paluo Wanchope, and William Conde have made a world of difference in the offense. This was particularly apparent with Williams Conde's increased role in the offense. I am not sure why- I think that enough players are finally healthy- but coach Osario switched his defense once again. Instead of having Chris Armas play a stopper role, ((stopper is a defensive role rite where a defensive minded player plays directly in front of the his defenders. He is supposed to hassles/pressure the ball when its brought forward.)), Osario paired Armas and Conde in a dual back midfielders role. Conde was brilliant in the attack- he has gained more and more experience w/ the team and his addition is beginning to make as big a difference as Blancos. He reminds me of the old Fire star Lubos Kubic- a big solid defender who took the ball forward often. It will be great to see his role this Thursday.

Who wasn't on wa Chad Barret. Too many missed passes, dribbling into the feet of the other team, etc.... He had a bad game. Ominously for him, his replacement Thorrington scored the game winner. I have not been in practice with the team and do not know of the intricicies of osarios team, but Thorrington should maybe get an extended look up forward. Anything but Barrets muffs.

Anf his muffs were important. The game was tied @ zero past the 90m when the Fire finally scored- but one cheap L.A. goal could have sunk the Fires season. Oftentimes it doesn't amatter who the better team was when one measly cheal goal is scored.

And L.A. had many such cheap chances. In the 30's, there were two dangerous plays- a corner kick, and then a nice cross from the left that showed two Galaxy players oipen for an instant. Then the Galaxy had some chance in the mid 70's. They repeatedly played the ball up the rite flank. Each time the crowd had to hold its breath as long as the game remained tied.

And then there was Bexx. This being Chicago, home of Section 8, Bexx was booed when he started to warm up on the sidelines during the first half. However, this being Bexx, he was also ceered. No secret plenty in the sold out crowd were there for the appearance of the Spice Boy (but the truth was that most were there to see the Fire clinch a spot in the playoffs). But it was great to see him finally playing the Fire. This being a Fire crowd, Bexx, he got huge cheers when he came into the game in the 58m (his teammate Landon Donovan gets the same thing- he is merciless taunted by Section 8 during MLS matches, but he is worshipped during USA games in Chicago. Duality of man, I guess). He was also taunted by a shitty shot he took near the end of the game. Stated before, he didn't have much affect on game, although he looked sharp on hois passes. The Galaxy did start to attack up the rite and Bexx was a part of it; but it wouldn't be correct to say he a massive stamp on the play. It was only his second game back after his latest round of injuries.

Down to the Fire....err, wire....

The Chicago fire are leaving it to the last minute to qualify for the playoffs. At this point, they must win on Sunday against Bexx and the rest of the L.A. Galaxy to clinch the final spot. As it is, the teams they are vying for may well eliminate themselves before Sunday- L.A. has to win on Thursday against N.Y., and both Colorado and K.C. play Saturday. Depending on the results of thosae games, the Fire may not have to win or even tie against Bexx. But........

The Fire have had a great turnaround this season. New players have played a great deal in the turnaround. C. Blanco has been a God send for the team. Without any sort of real offensive punch the whole season until he arrived, then team is now dangerous when they have the ball. Palo Wanchope (pictured rite), a forward, has not had as great an impact as Blanco, but he adds to the talent up front. And William Conde, a big defender who will bring the ball forward, has been a boon for the defense.

Injured players have returned. Chris Rolfe, and Chad Barret have returned from nagging injuries, and hopefully Justin Mapp will be healthy for the playoffs. All are needed by the team.

With the new and returning players, new coach Juan Carlos Osario has had more of an opportunity than the fired Dave Sachrin to switch players on the field. Chris Armas, a decade long fixture on the Fire , has been switched from a defensive midfielder role to the out and out defensive position of stopper. He had been counted on to win the ball and then start the counter attack for years now. However, w/ Blanco now taking over the playmaking role in midfield Armas has a strong presence in the back. Another change has been usin Rolfe in the midfield. He had been playing the role of front runner inn the past, but was put into the midfield when he returned frok injury. In place of him, Barret and Wanchope have taken ove rthe runner and terget roles, w/ Sanjaya-- err, Calen Carr-- having the role as late game sub runner.

The Fire, healthy, look pretty good. Here I say, but: they could very well win the MLS Cup this year. The team has been coming to-gether the second half of the season, and anythiong can happen in the playoffs.

But first= let's qualify.

bex : start, assist, goal

In his third game for the L.A. Galaxy, this game billed as his First Start in America, David Beckham played 60m of generally non descript soccer against D.C. United in SuperLiga play- except for the goal on a free kick from 25 yards out. It was good to see him play real minutes in a game- he has played only 15 or so minutes in two previous games. That lack of playing time really showed against D.C. Although his passes were generally on target, they never seemed dangerous from my vantage point on the T.V. He looked strained attempting to connect with his teamates. However, this is completely due to his layoff.

There was the one act of brilliance. When Bex is lining up for a free kick, one should watch- it may go awary, but it could be a curling good-guy curling away from a flat footed goalie. Nice goal. He had a later assist on a Landon Donavan semi breakaway. However, bex's pass forward to donovan was mispalyed by a defender whom played the ball and not the man. But he did hustle and was one the ground many times in collisions with D.C. players. Good start.

It was an important win for L.A. as well. American soccer teams, like most soccer teams around the world, are in several concurrent competitions. L.A., for example, are currently in the MLS and hope to qualify for the MLS playoffs. However, they need to finish in the top eight and are nowhere close as I write. They have already been eliminated in the U.S. Open Cup*, a competition that is open to all soccer teams in America. This cup competition is a fixture in countries across the world, but American readers may well liked it to the NCAA basketball tournement for soccer: giants and minnows, strange matchups, upsets, etc... L.A. did not qualify for the Champions League, a competition they once won in which the champions of various leagues in the area play each other ina knock out competition. So- badly in the league, out of the cup, and not involved in the Champions league- but they STILL have a chnace @ glory- the SuperLiga.

The SuperLiga is the product of Mexican Soccer going again to that holy cash cow of wealth, the U.S.A., to stage games featuring Mexican teams. The SuperLiga features four top Mexican and four top MLS teams. Last nite L.A. played D.C. in the semifinals and won 2-0, so although L.A. is having a pretty miserable season in the league, they may still look to Bex'x first season as a trohpy winner season.

As big a deal is being made about Beckham in other cities- 35- 50k crowds in New England, New York and D.C. for his showing, the stands last nite in L.A. were pretty empty. MLS camera men have been instructed to mininmize the showing of empty seats in the football stadiums the league has been playing in for years, but the pregame show showed lots of nothing. The stadium seemed somewhat filled in later shots, but there was no overflow. And Mexican television is still making a big deal- the SuperLiga commercials hyping the game kept stating in Spanish that "Beckham is slated to play a whole half". Funny, but I guess they payed lots for the rites so, may as well sell it.
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*=and the Chicago Fire beat the Galaxy last year for the 2006 cup.

Something Old, something New, somthing formerly Yellow and Blue

As delusional as someone thinking the Sox can make the playoffs this year, one could say the same thing about the Fire. Yet, in the space of a few weeks, the Fire vibe seems to have completely changed. The addition of Chatomec Blanco and Paulo Wanchope have turned the offense from totally dead to possibly super.

In much the same way the Sox offensive could not do anything the entire first half of the year, the Fire featured the invisible O. It seemed they were lucky to score and ties were reasons for joy. To compare the Fire’s situation w/ another local team, the Bulls: the offense seemed to need a star go to scorer. Unlike the Bulls, the Fire are able to get such a player from another league- in this case the Mexican league. The ungainly hunchbacklooking of a player has had a great start.

Blanco’s first game with the Fire was an exhibition against Celtic of Scotland. In America for a preseason tour, Celtic is one of the most successful European sides. Many European teams now send their teams to sell the ‘teams brand name’ in America, especially for a 3-4 game preseason tour. The past several years have seen likes of such giants as Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and now Celtic. There were many Celtic fans there - I’m used to hearing lots of Spanish and Polish accents in a Fire crowd- this was the first time I heard lots of Irish voices*. Although a little rusty, Celtic played well.

However, it was Blanco who was the center of attention to see what he could do- and very soon he was the center of attention because of what he as doing. A back heel pass here. A stop, switch feet, then short pass there. And he’s also a bull: his goal in the first half was due to his pushing his way through a Celtic defender before the shot.

The ball went constantly to Blanco, and it was great to see him play it out to the other players. The other major MLS signing this year, David Beckham, is famous for long seeking passes that amaze when they reach the players foot perfectly in stride; Blanco specializes in the dinky soft curving short ball- that amaze when they reach the players foot perfectly in stride. Both players make their teamates better with their dangerous play- thank God since the Fire really needed this. The skill level on offense has risen tremendously.

And the fans! By the 55th minute, they had seen enough. After a flurry in the Celtic area keyed by a soft Blanco pass- and after a spectacular back heel pass that led to another chance- and then after yet another impressive Blanco pass - Fire fans responded with two O’s in five minutes. He was taken out soon after, and with him went the fire offense. They tied 1-1.

Blanco’s next game was against F.C. Toronto. The last visit to Canada resulted in a 0-4 humiliation. But that was before Blanco. With passes crisper, runs run hard, and touches with that “touch of arrogance” that only a team playing with confidence has, the fire won 3-0. Blanco played a great role in the first goal with his perfect pass to Ivan Guerreo. Again, his presence makes the difference.

Saturday marked Blanco’s first MLS regular season home game, and it was a nice 20k+ crowd. Not only was it a filled stadium, but it was very Mexican flavored. As the Celtic crowd was flavored with brogues, this crowd featured Club America jerseys- the Mexican team that had retired Blanco’s # 10 last month. A nice touch was the split Fire/America jerseys, reminiscent of the split Mexico national team/Mexican team jerseys. Chants of “Chatomec” and “Burro”. Lots of Spanish.

Although he played well, the magic of the last two games was only in in flashes. I expected fireworks, because not only was Blanco on the field, but oft injured forward Chris Rolfe was back and Paulo Wanchope, the Fire’s newest signing, made his debut. Wanchope, who has played most of his career in England, was a star for costa Rica in last years World Cup. After a rocky relationship w/ his coach in Japan, he comes to the Fire to hopefully create a strong and fleet presence forward. With Blanco, Wanchope, and Rolfe playing on top, and the full return of midfielder Justin Mapp from national team duties, the Fire’s most glaring hole- the offense- hopefully will transform into its strength.
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*=they’re very popular in Ireland.

the war behind the war

I understand that a lot of my current work vis a vis dcs relates to the White Sox and the crowd @ various soccer games…………so, uh, since I did some Burelhe yesterday, here’s a soccer crowd one……. Went to a lot of real good games in the last month, and as much as the Chicago Fire and the U.S. national team should be center and front in my reporting, but every game it’s super hard for me to take my eyes and ears off of the people in the stands-- and not just the Kiera Knightly types.

My fascination with soccer crowds did not develop from my Manchurian cousins riffing on 1970’s English hooligans. It didn’t develop from my time as a child in the Chicago Sting years. Where it developed was going to Chicago Fire games and being attracted to that part of a Fire crowd that bills itself as Section 8 (link wiki). Section 8 (link official)is a group of fans who stand in one end zone and sing, clap, fly flags, chant, and do other interactive things throughout the game. The same thing goes on in European soccer games, but thousands sing and chant. With Section 8 (link Fire), it’s a very young crowd of about 1000 fans and they regularly show up for each game. This has been going on since the first game in 1998. I stood in Section 8 from that first game, and although I am a bit too old to stand standing for 90m these days, I still try leave my 50yd line seats to feel the old excitement. Saturday’s game -v- F.C. Toronto had me going to Section 8(link ewe) after halftime-there was a war going on!! But first…

I have written on Section 8 before highlighting the leaders from the old days. Those days were the “putting it all to-gether” days, where leaders would come and go, and the then-super leaders are still talked about today (and missed). The leaders were the ones who sttod in front of the rowd, with their back to the game, and incited the section to sing and sing LOUDER!! Section 8 back then had a deeply overwhelming Polish component to it. The first season featured two groups standing and cheering on each side of the south end zone- on the east side was the Americans, and on the west was the Poles. And what a site the Poles were back then : Fire games looked like a hard core punk show because of all the skinhead type Polish teens and 20year olds who dressed like they were the biggest fans of Minor Threat. And they didn’t just look militant- their cheers were shouted out and punctuated by choreographed fists and arms and clapping and salutes. They were also the first to employ smoke bombs and flares, a common theme that eventually got me arrested one nite. Very impressive.

The Fire’s second season the two sides got to-gether. This was the first I noticed who closely the Fire work with these people- they bring excitement to the crowd, and my guess is that team management got the two sides to-gether. Although Section 8 in those early seasons was dominated by the Poles, the youngsters have generally taken over. However, the same spirit of silliness remains. Nobody takes themselves terribly serious, so the 1000 or so in Section 8 are and have been given licence to be as goofy as they can. It’s the silliness that has 1000 kids turning out every game to sit in cheap seats to sing and going on field trips to near cities like K.C., Columbus, and Toronto. Section 8 has its web site, things to sell, board meetings, watching parties, etc… A feeling of comradary(sic) has developed over the years between the people. I mentioned earlier that I don’t usually stand in Section 8 anymore. Even in the first years, I would generally sit on the 50yd line and then join Section 8 @ half. However, I have two distinguishing marks. Game 1 I stood in Section 8. I’m a made man forever for that. And then there is my arrest record. Section 8 has a giant chip in that they have the “Myth of persecution”. Any attempts to lite fireworks and flares, like overseas, has always been met with a heavy security presence and arrests. The last game ever @ Soldiers Field, in 2005, the kids decided to snub their nose @ the stadium security. And lit up a tonne of flares. Instant pandemonium!! Smoke all over, security all over, and bits of bodies and flames everywhere. I saw a flag about to burn up and tried to put it out before it burned up- although security fabricated some outlandish wrong fake story about how I tried banner, presumably because I think they I thought it would be cool. Who security wanted was the ringleaders--the guys who planned the flare attack--but they arrested me as well. So, the boyos and I who spent the nite in prison always seek each other out, shake hands, and shoot the breeze. And its like that for all the Section 8 regulars.


Chicago Fire -v- Chivas USA (9 June)
Section 8 keeps up a steady din the whole game. Sometimes, if the acoustics are rite, they dominate all sound @ the stadium. Other times, they don’t. One of the games they didn’t dominate until well into the game was against the Los Angeles based Chivas USA. Chivas USA is an offshoot from that most popular of Mexican clubs, Chivas of Guadalajara. Chivas USA, reflecting the glory of its parent club, has attracted Mexican fans of Chivas to their games (smart marketing by someone). The Fire took on Chivas in front of a crowd of 20k+ that had a large and vocal - though scattered and unled- fan base. I always love these crowd battles, and this was a tough one in the beginning for the home side. Section 8 would have their chants and songs going, but anytime the chivas fans wanted to overcome them, they did- in a 10-15 second burst. They they would subside, and Section 8 would carry on unfazed. Constant singing, followed by temporary lulls as Chivas USA fans asserted themselves, then back to Section 8. As the game wore on, the 10 years of discipline and work shone through as Section 8 was able to start to dominate the crowd, and then the fire fans as a whole started to assert themselves. This game to Section 8.

Gold Cup Semifinals (21 June)
And then the international series started. The semifinals and finals of the regional soccer championship--called the Gold Cup, and featuring teams like USA, Mexico, Canada, Cuba, Guatemala, etc… When the mens national team plays, a group called “Sam’s Army” is the supporters group. They wear red, have their songs, and are somewhat fun. But there is a giant gulf betwixt Section 8 and Sam’s Army- where one group goes to, say 20-22 Fire games a year, my guess is that few of Sam’s Army go to more than a few a year. Not only does the USA not play that much, they also play all over the States; not in the same park like the Fire. Section 8 members know each other through the years; My guess is that Sam’s Army is not quite as tite. On Thursday it was semi finals time: USA -v- Canada, and Mexico playing minnow--no, make that algae- Guadalupe. This was the first time I have ever gotten to watch the US mens national team play in a game that counted, so I was very excited. The 50k+ crowd, however, was there to see Mexico. Sam’s Army was ok, but the discipline of section 8 was missing. They had cheers and songs, but usually they lacked. The USA had a decent following (more than just Sam‘s army), and the USA dominated the game, going up by two until in the 79th minute Canada scored. This set off a huge reaction in the Mexican crowd, and instantly insulted Sams Army. The Mexicans were probably just rooting for the underdog, but from here on out, Sam’s Army were the Mexican sides worst enemies, and boy were they vitriolic. The second game was Mexico -v- Guadalupe, one of the greatest mismatches in any major soccer tournament semi final I’ve ever seen. But the tiny Caribbean island kept the giant off of the scoreboard for most of the game. The Caribbean team had two sets of fans. One was Sam’s Army, newly minted enemies of Mexico. And they had their own fans there- a colorful, smiling, happy, dancing, drumming, congo line of Caribbean’s snaked their way into the 50yd seats rite before the 2d game. I really love that Caribbean music/dance, and was happy to soak it in for 90m. And so was Sam’s Army. They cheered for the little guys the entire game, which included clapping and dancing along with the drumming and having their own drummers try to math the beat. I couldn’t believe how ridiculous and funny it was, but in essence they were all kids, having fun. Mexico looked bad, but still won 1-0.

Chicago Fire -v- MKS Cracovia Krakow (22 June)
Each MLS team has 2-3 exhibitions a year. As many of Chicago’s Irish hail from Mayo (not the infinitely cooler Galway), Mexicans from Guadalajara, and Chinese from the south, many/most of Chicago’s Poles come from the area around Krakow. A lot do. So, it was an inspired choice to bring the local team for a game against the Fire. Again, in a repeat of the Chivas USA game, Fire fans were dominated by Polish fans at times, but it was Section 8’s discipline that carried the day. The Polish roar was loud indeed, but like the Mexican roar before it, Section 8 always marched though it and did not break note through to the other side.

Mite I add here, has there ever been a more beautiful race than the Polish people, unless of course it is the Mexican people? All these games were played in heat, which means that the women were wearing next to nothing through all of these games. I really developed………………an interest…………….in beautiful foreign women wearing soccer jerseys bizarrely too small for them……..no, not bizarrely………..just…nice.

Gold Cup Final (24 June)
The final, between the USA and Mexico, was great. 63k+ in Soldiers on a hot day. One would expect the crowd to be mainly Mexican, but against all odds, it was about 30% pro-USA. We expected a victory (Mexico HAS NOT SCORED ON THE USA IN THE USA FOR THE LAST EIGHT GAMES THEY PLAYED EACH OTHER- that‘s 8 games times 90 minutes, which equals 720 minutes-and the USA IS 10-1-1 IN THE LAST 12 GAMES THEY HAVE PLAYED EACH OTHER), and got what we wanted in the end. Sam’s Army was not able to keep up a racket --the Mexicans shouted them down generally when they wanted, especially after scoring the first goal. Many times the great “Meh- hee-ko/Meh- hee-ko/Meh- hee-ko” chant rang out. But the difference was that there was a very large minority rooting for the USA, and as the US evened and then went ahead 2-1, the crowd got more boisterous and loud and pro USA. Although Sam’s army didn’t have the same oomph!! that Section 8 brings to a game, it was great to hear loud and sustained cheers for the USA despite the ‘hostile’ arena. And yes, I did write ‘hostile’. This was maybe the 20th game I’ve been to where Mexico or Mexican sides played- and their behaviour always stuns me. This is not to say “All Mexicans are drunken brawlers” or anything like that, but Mexican fans put the brawlers @ Old Comisky to shame. Their specialty is the ‘thrown full cup of beer’. Again and again. From above onto the decks below. To a section of fans rows ahead. Or just in some guys face if a fight is breaking out. I saw a game in ’98 that featured Mexico -v- Argentina, and @ no moment was beer not flying through the air. I really felt sorry for anyone in an Argentina shirt. But maybe because a good of the percentage of the crowd were US fans, or it was played during the day, there were few fights. I saw many, but it wasn’t as I’d seen before- one long 90m fights. And after the game, there were no confrontations. People on different sides were even posing and taking pictures of each other. It was like a big party.

Chicago Fire -v- F.C. Toronto (7 July)
And then back to Section 8. F.C.T. is a brand new expansion teams that has been selling out (20k+) its newly built stadium. As for w-l’s, they started off their franchise in terrible fashion. They did not score in their first four or five games, until the Fire (resembling the White Sox, I always thought, though it may be better to compare them to the Bears- the Bears were the Vikings first win when they entered the NFL) played their first game against the expansion team- and lost 0-4. Section 8 had a large contingent for this game in Toronto. Saturday’s return match featured, for the fist time ever, dueling cheering sections. And Toronto’s was pretty good. They had a real nice section, maybe 400 strong, and since they had the discipline, they were able to run through songs and cheers and not be put off by Section 8. There was the crazy scene as one end zone rang out in one song, and the other end zone sang to a different beat. This must be how it is in Europe for most games (true to the games I have been to in England and France), but I’d never seen it here. As I stated above , I was gifted a sideline seat to this game and I enjoyed the views/sounds from the 50yd line, but I wasn’t going to miss being a part of Section 8 for this duel and went over @ halftime. Section 8 was up to the task, realizing they had to shout down the Canadians in their home field. They had one great new song-well, a hum-that went on for minutes and I’d never heard before. And they also had my favourite moment this year. The Fire went up 1-0 on a penalty in the 70m, and that set off the wobbling, jumping, screaming Section 8. These days, instead on one leader doing the whole game, the various Section 8 groups (there is a Section 8 ‘umbrella’ that has various factions in it-think, in a great comparison, to the “People’s Front of Judea” -v- the “Judeans People’s Front” ) have their own leaders who lead the entire Section of 8 in turns. It maybe be time for a change every 15-20m, and another groups leaders take over. When the Fire went up 1-0, it temporarily threw the Toronto cheering section for a loop. One of the leaders (who was arrested with me) barged to the leaders pulpit, begged to have the 'pulpit' out of turn, was given it, and turned one arm to Section 8 and the other @ the Toronto fans and started the classic kiss off soccer song : “Your not singing/Your not singing/Your not seeeeeeeeeeeeeenging anymore/Your not singing/When we’re winning/Your not singing anymore”. I realized that the establishment of Section 8 in the late 90’s had finally born full fruit: We were finally able to taunt another full cheering section in our own stadium. ‘Course, they scored in the 78m and were able to walk out of the place singing, but that’s ok. That was the last T.F.C game in Chicago this year, but I did start to think……..man, it’d be nice to catch the Fire in Canada later this month………….

Attrition

Nice nite to catch a soccer game last Saturday when I went to see the Fire play Chivas U.S.A. in Toyota Park. There was a buzz throughout the crowd of 20,400 till the end of the game. The sell out crowd was a soccer knowledgeable crowd that knew enough to cheer an important corner late in the game. Unfortunately, both teams looked dead and play was uninspired. A mistake by a Fire played left Chivas score in the 79thm. However, it got me to thinking several things.

MLS is trying hard to attract the Latino market after ignoring it for many years. This year MLS is back on Spanish language tv after an absence of many years. Latin players, most noticeably the Fire’s Mexican star C. Blanco, are coming to the league. And then there’s the case of the Fire’s opponent, Chivas USA. Based in L.A., it is owned by the Mexican club Chivas of Guadalajara. It seems to be good marketing. Chivas is wildly popular in Mexico and the USA . Some of this good will has spilled over to Chivas USA. --they had a lot of road support Saturday. There were a lot of Mexican jerseys and flags in the crowd, and many cheers were for Chivas. They have gotten great crowds in L.A., and bring out supporters of Chivas of Guadalajara on the road. Good for MLS.

A second thing. This roving Chivas-Chivas USA crowd dueled with the Fires’ Section 8 , and despite the 0-1 loss, Section 8 stood up to the test. Section 8 is a section of fire fans who stand and chant and sing throughout the game, European soccer crowd style. They stand behind the north goal, in what they’ve dubbed the Harlem Stands (‘euro’ inflection again) and keep up a continual racket during the game. It’s always amusing to this American and further unique to Chicago’s sports scene. Part of the fun of a Fire game is to see what mood Section 8 is in.

Chivas USA fans would be able to drown out Section 8 songs when they wanted to in the beginning of the game. They have a repeated “Chivas clap clap clap Chivas clap clap clap Chivas clap clap clap” chant. After raising to huge volume, it eventuallu died down, and you would hear Section 8 emerge on the other side of the sound surge. Eventually, Scetion 8 was able to move ahead in this battle of attrition. By the 65m, they were singing confidently. By the 70m, they were able to shout down Chivas USA fans with their own repeated chant. Finally, sensing their power, in the 72m Section 8 led the whole stadium in fire chants. This war od attrition won would have continued until the end whistle, but for the Chivas USA winning goal in the 79m. That let out a giant roar that was unparalleled for strength the whole nite. But the home crowd--sad as it is to write this-- was able to hold their own.

A third thing. Ante Razov, all time Fire scoring leader returned to play against the Fire. He hasn’t played for the Fire in a while, but he scored a lot of goals for the team. Although it doesn’t have the history of the National League, but this is the MLS’s 12th year. It’s been around a long time now. Many players who first started playing in the league are now reaching retiring age. MLS has hung around a long time. MLS has had a great deal in lifting the U.S.’s prominence in the soccer world, and it’s good to see nice things happening for the league this year.

What new? Yanks beat Mexicans in soccer

It may seem counter intuitive, but the U.S. mens soccer team actually dominate a world power in soccer : Mexico. For the eight straight time last night, the U.S. shut out their World Cup rivals in the States. They are now 8-2-1 in the last 11 games.

Mexico had the 20th century; the U.S. seems to have the 21st. Now remember: the state of soccer in Mexico is on a greater level than in the U.S. The Mexican League is, overall, a much stronger and richer league than MLS. Everybody knows who the national team players and coaches are in Mexico. However, the trend is apparent in this regional rivalry: arriba los Americanos, and Mexico down.

But there is another strange anomaly: The 60,000 strong crowd in Arizona was passionately supporting…………….Mexico. The fact is, the millions of Mexicans in the USA (10% of all Mexican citizens live in the USA) have and have shown more passion for the national team than the hundreds of millions of Americans here. Even @ Chicago Fire home games against Mexican clubs, the Section 8 Fire supporters club, get pelted and harassed the whole game (they love the attention). It can be a little humilating to play games in the States and still be outsupported 5-1 in terms of crowd size and noise.

One can think of the last World Cup where Champion Italy beat every team they played except one : the Yanks. The USA were helped in a large measure by the tremendous crowd support they recieved from Americans @ the nearby U.S.A. military base. Think also about the support of the crowd in Columbus where the U.S. beat Mexico in World Cup qualifying in 2001. U.S. Soccer played it smart that year and scheduled the game in the city that had the least amount of Mexicans they could get, and then steered tickets towards certain U.S. fans. It was the least support the Mexican team has ever had in a game in the US.

But these incidents are too few. It's a work in progress, and its taking decades, but the terrible USA-Mexico results of my youth (1-10-1 for 70’s and 80’s) are long gone. But the work-in-progress of soccer in America continues.

Becks to America

I realised the nite before what to expect:
Front page headlines in the New York Times touting American soccers latest saviour: David Beckham. It was rumoured that Becks would make the transatlantic leap from one of the centers of the soccer world to the soccers great unwashed, America.

It makes sense for both American soccer and Beckham. For America's soccer league, Major League Soccer, it brings soccers main star to its league. There are better players. There are more spectacular players. But none are more (or even close) of a draw than Beckham. He is one of the few sports players in the world who makes the papers regardless of whether he is playing his sport or not. He is even a regul;ar in the American papers, fron and back. His fame puts Michael Jordan's on the joke level. His tour of America with his then team Real Madrid drew NFL/World Cup type crowds to the cities he played in. The MLS games to come will have larger crowds, larger tv ratings, and a buzz that will be felt world wide. L.A. Galaxy jersey sales will now be seen from Iraq to South Africa to England. And a look @ Becks contract shows that he is owed 'only' $10 million/year in salary from his new team, the L.A. Galaxy : the rest of the $40 m a year comes from jersey sales, sponsorship deals, and profit sharing. for the league, his addition is fantastic.

Becks has played @ the highest level for many years. He has won Bulls/Yankees/Celtics/Canadiens numbers of championships in his tenures @ two of soccers great teams, Manchester United and Real Madrid. He has scored in the last three World Cups, being England captain in the last two. Although some have said that he is a player in decline, his 31 years fall in the middle of the commonly accepted 28-32 range of an athlete @ his best. Beckham running with the ball on the flank will cause all in the know to stop to watch where he places his crosses. Soccer is not a game like baseball that glorifies its statistics, so there is no reason for him to stick around in Europe to pad his stats.He's done everything he could there. This is, in every sense, a way to further his name and fame.

Becks belongs in Hollywood. His wife, Posh Spice, was reportedly less than happy to live in less than cosmopolitin Manchester and Madrid. The move will put her amongst the openings, red carpets, and celebrity sightings that she belongs. They instantly become one of the biggest celebrity couples in L.A. get ready for endless National Enquirer, Star, and People cover stories of these two.

Soccer itself is in the best shape its ever been in America. For awile its been the biggest youth sport. But it is now showing itself to the rest of America and indeed the whole world. MLS has produced many players who start or have started in Europe, including giants like Manchester United. The success of the national teams, both mens and womens, have put soccer on the cover of Sports Illustrated and the talk of newscasts come tournament time( Think Zidane and Brandy Chaistain and, well, David Beckham).

Although MLS is a league that is generally under the American sports radar, it is suprisingly solid for a soccer league (or even a sports league) in America. They have owners that have giant pockets which the other leagues in America (exception : NFL, which seems to be above the rickedyness that inflicts the other three sports ownership groups) would love to have. The Fire and Galaxy are both owner by phil Aunshultz, a billionaire. It is in good financial shape. Five of the teams have their own purpose built soccer stadums, including our own Chicago Fire, and others have stadiums in various planning stages. MLS, despite tepid ratings, have been on ABC and the ESPN's for its entire existence. Overall, the league has shown steady growth in its 11 years.

Beckham brings attention and excitement for soccer to those outside the soccer community. Beckham will not 'make' the league or soccer itself in the States : based on where it was in 1977 -v- 2007, soccer was well on its way to that goal Becks or not. But Beckham will play an important role in the next 5-10 years on growing soccer here. He does bring real excitement. And we'll see Becks @ the Fire stadium sometime this summer. If the game is not sold out yet.