MLS Supporter Stories
The Guardian takes a look at “a sporting sub-culture that at times has clung on by its fingertips in North America.”
Storify: The Fire's First 15 to 100
Very nice use of Storify by the Chicago Fire, illustrating the first 15 Fire players to reach 100 appearances for the club as midfielder Marco Pappa is set to hit that mark this weekend.
Nice graphic design out of the Columbus fanbase, this Facebook timeline cover put together by Massive City Football Fan Corps.
Eric Hassli has done it again.
Remember his unbelievable hit from last year? Well, it wasn’t a fluke. Eric Hassli pulled it off again in the first leg of the Canadian Championship finals between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC last night. In injury time, Hassli’s right-footed strike had so much power that it actually made you feel for the net, nevermind the goalkeeper.
(via sirwilloughby)
"The less soccer-friendly crowd used to say, ‘Oh look, it’s a bunch of crazies! They had no idea why people would want to stand and sing. Singing is not natural in US sports. People started to laugh. But the fans who were soccer savvy — many of the Latino fans — they all got it."
- Screaming Eagles original Matt Mathai recalls the earliest days of supporter culture in MLS with DC United, from this superb article “Respecting the Original MLS Crazies”.
13 years ago today the first soccer-specific-stadium in MLS opened, Crew Stadium in Columbus. Funded by Lamar Hunt, the stadium was built in a little over a year and a crowd of 24,741 attended the inaugural game. Its pictured above from 1999. Now showing its age and rarely filled to the brim any longer, it remains a historic landmark in the American game.
Bruce Arena On What MLS Needs To Improve
Some strong words from Bruce Arena for MLS headquarters to ponder on scheduling (“completely foolish”) and more importantly, youth and technical development (“All the [league leaders] think they are much smarter because they are in committee meetings their whole lives. We don’t have a tactical plan that makes sense. Our technical committee in the league has no influence on decision-making.”). Well worth reading this interview of the LA Galaxy head coach by Steven Goff.
Here it is, then. MLS’ newest accomplishment, BBVA Compass Stadium, home of the Houston Dynamo, opened this past weekend.
Inside ESPN's Coverage of MLS
Some interesting insight here into how ESPN productions work behind the scenes, second-by-second, at the MLS game in Philadelphia between the Union and the Red Bulls.
Banners by Columbus Crew fans honoring Lamar Hunt during their game against FC Dallas in the “Pioneer Cup”, named after the man who founded both teams and much else in American soccer.
The Fire’s founding general manager Peter Wilt, celebrating the club’s 2006 US Open Cup win in Section 8 (a year after he was fired as GM). He was handed the medal by Fire goalkeeper Matt Pickens. It was the Fire’s fourth US Open Cup championship.
Teaser for an upcoming film about the Sons of Ben, Philadelphia Union supporter group.
