UPDATE: US Open Cup: Why is there no interest?
by Ryan Gates on Oct 4, 2011 12:30 PM PDT
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PrintUPDATE:
So apparently USSF reads SF because this story just came to print. Here is a quick quote:
MLS and U.S. Soccer officials have had conversations about revamping the bid system and the nearly-as-problematic format that requires certain MLS clubs to qualify for the tournament while giving others, like the Sounders, direct entry into the round-of-16.
A source with knowledge of those discussions told Sporting News that an announcement could be imminent and that the sport's administrators have agreed that the bid system is "shady and unfair."
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Tonight there will be held the longest running US soccer tradition, the US Open Cup Final. Almost 100 years of soccer tradition and almost no one knows about it or even cares. I really started thinking about the US open cup because of the fact that a lot of supporters from our hated rival like to point out that they have won the thing twice now and are in the final tonight. Is it really that big of an accomplishment? Maybe.
The reality is that the US Open Cup is broken and could be used as a means to further the sport in the US, especially with the interest the US has in underdogs. However it is not furthering the sport. There are two major issues that the USOC has, it really isn't an open cup and there is a closed door bidding process to determine who the home team is.
More After the Jump:
The Qualification Process
There are 5 different divisions that compete in the USOC and they are: MLS, USL Pro, Premier Development League, US Adult Soccer Association (amateur) and National Premier Soccer League (amateur). From those divisions here is the breakdown of the 40 participants in the USOC: MLS - 8 teams with 6 automatic qualifiers and 2 from play-ins from the remaining 10 teams. USL- 11 teams, all teams automatically qualify. PDL- 9 teams, the top US based team in each of the PDL divisions qualifies. Adult Soccer Association- 8 teams, the first and second place teams from each of the 4 regional divisions qualifies. NPSL - 4 teams, Determined by the USASA and varies from year to year (usually through regional tournaments)
So the question becomes why does the third division in US soccer get all of their teams automatically qualified and the MLS has to have 10 of their teams play against each other to get 8 teams? In that case a team like Chicago who is in the final will have played 6 games to reach the final, 4 of which are against MLS teams. While a team like Seattle will have played 6 games to reach the final 2 years in a row. How is that an open cup?
Yes I get that Seattle deserves a reward for being the winner but why should they punish the other MLS teams for being in the top flight in the US? While mighty Wilmington Hammerheads get to just waltz right in? The set-up isn't an open cup, it really is a convoluted tournament that needs to be tweaked.
To make it more interesting the USSF should keep three qualification processes for PDL, USASA And the NPSL the same but bump the number of qualifiers up to 37 (add in the 11 and 16 from the USL and MLS and you get 64!). Now take those 37 and group them regionally and then have a blind draw within those regions to play the first round with some of the teams getting byes. The winners play winners or teams that had byes in Round 2 and then in Round 3 you have the USL teams added to the mix. Finally in Round 4 the MLS teams get added and you keep going until you hit the Final.
There you go, a true open cup where the underdog can march all the way to the Final Four! Yeah Butler!
The Bidding Process
When Seattle won their first USOC in 2009 their GM had this to say about the bidding process:
The decision making process for US Soccer is based on the most compelling bid. The change of date did not seem to be an issue, but I am not certain exactly why we did not win vs DC United. Because the bidding is "objective" and "closed"... it is unlikely that we will ever know the reasoning. I can only assume that DC bid more money.
In the 2009 version DC did not play a single away game and Seattle played only 1 away game out the 4 games they had that year (it was against the Timbers). In 2010 Seattle again played only 1 away game and again it was against the Portland Timbers. This year Seattle played 0 away games, so over the span of the last 3 years Seattle has played 3 road games (1 was the Final against DC) out of the 12 games total they have played.
Granted they are using the same system as everyone else and so they aren't cheating they are just using the system to their advantage. However the system is garbage, it isn't a financial bid it is a closed bid that is "objective" and the most "compelling" one wins. What that means is that a team can "donate" their ticket sales to USSF or say they will promote the hell out of the game. Or you could say that they will have the game on TV or streaming over the internet for all to watch. You could even say that someone in the FO will dress up like a maid and clean USSF's headquarters. As long as the Bid is compelling enough that is who gets it.
Get rid of the bidding process and make it a true blind draw to see who hosts the game. Just adding would make it all the more interesting. Until the USSF makes some changes the USOC will always been an afterthought but if they make the necessary changes it can take off and be even more prominent.
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I think more than that
It gets no press outside the cities involved, its barely on TV if at all and so its hard for all but the most dedicated fans to know about it.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
Which I think is because of the fact that
USSF has treated it like that for too many years. IT is an afterthought because to USSF it is an afterthought. Treat it like March Madness and let the underdogs host some of the big dogs and there ya go.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
Yeah , do it like the FA Cup
If not a blind draw for whom you play, blind draw for where you play.
Its a much bigger deal when the underdogs host anyways, in terms of ticket sales and all that.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
As I recall
In the German Domestic cup (the DFB-Pokal), the first round or two are always hosted at the home of the smaller club in an effort to direct some money and attention their way. I think that’s a great way to help balance out the competition a little bit (not that a regional amateur team has much of a chance anyhow, but still…) and allow the fans of the little club to see the big boys at their house.
In year 1 of being an MLS team and playing the US Open Cup
to be a finalist, Portland would have had to play 7 matches. Or basically over half the amount Seattle has done in 3 years.
What do we want?
Open Cup Equality
When do want it?
Now!
Jag kom, jag såg, erövrade jag.
In USL, we'd only need 4 games to reach a final....
Getting “promoted” added 3 games.
Jag kom, jag såg, erövrade jag.
This is not true...
We had to win two games to get into the round of 16, which is where we met Seattle last year. We would have had to beat Seattle and then two more teams in order to reach the final…
Yes you are right
Last year we only needed to win 1 game to get in but two years ago it was 2.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
So, we'd get at least the possibility to play one more lower division team as a USL team
and play six possible matches for the final. Two possible lower division teams and 4 possible MLS teams.
OR
Play seven matches most likely against six MLS teams and one lower division team.
Jag kom, jag såg, erövrade jag.
Too long post (sorry)
I agree that it would be better if all 16 US based MLS teams were seeded directly into the tournament proper, rather than just having 8 in there, but there are actually reasons they do it. There are better ways to do this than the current method. But I kind of feel like we’re glossing over some actual issues, and not really being accurate about how the current system works.
First off, (as far as I can tell) Seattle does not get a reward for winning last year. They were seeded directly into the round of 16, which is the same round as all of the other MLS teams that are in the tournament proper. They were not required to participate in the (stupid) little MLS qualification playoff, because they finished in the top 6 of the combined table last year. So near as I can tell, it’s got nothing to do with who won last year.
The way the system really works is that a certain number of teams are taken from each of the top 5 levels on the pyramid. The exact number varies from year to year. This year it was 40. It’s not enough. I agree.
How the teams are selected varies with each division. In the PDL, where the U-23s play, it’s just the top team in each division after a certain number of games. In the MLS, it’s the top 6 teams from last year, plus two more that play qualifying games. In some amateur levels, they have playoffs to get in to the Cup.
Then in the first two rounds they divide all the participants up geographically to make sure you’re playing clubs that aren’t too distant in the initial rounds. Then when the MLS teams enter in round 3, they do their best to pair the 8 round two winners up with the MLS clubs that are geographically closest too them. Sometimes it’s still not that close, but they do their best.
A lot of these teams in round one and two are completely amateur. You can’t tell an amateur team in New York that they need to fly across the country to play the Galaxy in round 1. They guys probably have to buy their own plane tickets. Most of them have day jobs. Who’s paying for this? But likewise it’s stupid to have LA – even the reserve team – playing on a high school field in Brooklyn when they could have been selling tickets at home. So we keep it geographic in the early rounds.
As an aside, this year was more screwed up than normal, because the NASL (Second Division) got zeroed out of participating because of their internal problems. That was probably bullshit, but that’s a whole different problem. In all likelihood the USL (Third Division) would not have had all 11 teams in the event were it not for the NASL issue. But whatever.
If you want all the MLS teams in you can probably do it. But if you bring them in during round one, and you don’t make some accommodations to geography, you’re going to have the kind of travel problems I outlined. The tournament isn’t bringing in enough money to foot the bill for the small teams.
If you want the event to succeed, then MLS teams need to start taking some responsibility and taking it seriously. You cannot honestly ask fans to take it seriously when their clubs don’t. I’m sorry, but that’s just the truth. I really, really like this event. I’ll watch tonight even if it is Sh*ttle.
But the fact is that if the big boys don’t at least make a decent show of it, it’s going to continue to…um…Flounder.
USOC is a bigger deal to lower division teams
It’s mostly a lower division tournament that eight MLS teams make an appearance for and only a few take seriously. Throw in the bidding process for home field and it becomes an ultra lame tournament and a cheap ticket to CCL (something far more interesting than USOC). USOC is a rinky dink tournament.
I took it seriously in years past because it was more exciting than USSF D2 playoffs imo and again this year because of my sentiment for D2.
But now I’m over that and I really could care less. MLS league play and the possibility of playoffs is a lot more exciting than USOC in its current form.
by yepyou'reright on Oct 4, 2011 2:08 PM PDT via iPhone app reply actions 1 recs
It's a catch-22 I think
Nobody cares about it because MLS teams don’t take is seriously, and MLS teams don’t take it seriously because nobody cares about it.
You can’t make the fans care about it, so the only way to break the cycle is for MLS teams to start taking it seriously.
MLS teams need more incentive
For the six automatically in, okay, maybe the CCL play-in spot is worth going for through USOC. Other than that, there really isn’t much incentive.
Good incentive will never exist in its current form. Right now it’s just incentivized for USSF to make money on home field bidders.
I support the Timbers in all competitions. But I have no
emotional attachment to USOC results anymore. Would much rather win Supporters Shield or MLS Cup. If Timbers won USOC in its current form I would say, “That’s nice. The owner bought a few home games and few more in CCL.” But I wouldn’t whoop and hollar like we’ve just won a major trophy. There is already too much pay-to-play in American soccer but when you’re bidding on home field in a tournament that limits top-flight participation to start with, that’s just too much for me to take seriously.
by yepyou'reright on Oct 4, 2011 2:42 PM PDT via iPhone app up reply actions
I doubt
that USSF is making much money off this. A bit maybe.
Other than that, I agree with everything you just said. What I’m trying to work out is how you solve the problem. What do we change about its form to create that incentive to take it seriously?
I agree that the bidding to be the home team is stupid, but that’s not what’s keeping teams from playing starters or keeping fans outside of Seattle from paying attention. Casual fans don’t even know about that.
I’m not trying to be snide – I really don’t’ know the answer to this, and I’d like it if someone figured it out before the whole event goes away.
There is a part your missing though....
Because of the CCL berth, Timbers would get extra allocation cash than other teams in its vicinity of finishing, which was intended to help teams get/keep depth that goes along with playing the extra CCL games, and probably was a big reason why so much of RSL stayed together this offseason, so, long-term thinking, there absolutely is some huge incentives, teams just have to get behind them.
I agree with the things said in this comment.
That’s it.
Community Manager for Stumptown Footy
by William Duke on Oct 4, 2011 2:41 PM PDT via iPhone app up reply actions
Plenty of interest up here in Seattle
Where we broke the USOC attendance record. Again.
For some teams, I agree, the USOC can’t be the focus. Or, it can be the focus if the season is in the gutter (See DC in ’09, Chicago this year, basically). For most teams it is too much to compete in multiple competitions. The playoffs and MLS Cup are the focus for most.
The Sounders, of course, show that a team is quite capable of competing in multiple competitions. Also, teams like the Sounders see the USOC as the easiest path to CCL qualification. But that only matters for teams capable of taking on another competition (See Colorado this year, with their blatant disdain for CCL games).
Here’s a question for you. Which is more difficult, winning the USOC or making the playoffs?
Making the Playoffs
That is tougher because it means you have to be consistently good.
Winning USOC means you have to have 4 maybe 5 good games.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
You can't really take a game off in USOC, though
and 10/18 teams make the playoffs (which is good for us this year, I guess). So an argument could be made.
I’d rather use resources to make the playoffs rather than advance in the USOC. I’d probably rather make the playoffs than win the USOC, but I’d have to think about it a little.
Are Chicago fans into it?
volatilelyle.com
by almost awesome on Oct 4, 2011 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions
Sure you can take a game off
Because the other teams are playing their reserves as well. The only team that consistently plays their starters is Seattle.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
This isn't really true.
Really the semifinal against Dallas was the only one that saw the team field anything like a regular season lineup.
Chicago has won 4 in their MLS existance
A 5th would tie them for most USOC’s all time, so they’re pretty into it.
So
The number 9, 10 seeds have been consistently good?
Or just good enough?
Considering the number 13 was in the final
I would still say Playoffs
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
wow that makes no sense
Considering the 13th seed was in the final shows that any MLS team can make it there.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
Greece won Euro 2004. That didn't make sense either.
Play solid defense and get ridiculously lucky and you can win just about anything.
When I write, I write for the Timbers. Contributing Editor of Stumptown Footy
by Andrew Wheeler on Oct 5, 2011 2:04 PM PDT up reply actions
In an absolute sense
making the playoffs is probably “more difficult”, in that it’s a longer competition played over a larger number of games.
But if you’re asking which is a better test of how good a team is, I think the answer is much more difficult. I’d take the USOC winner over the #10 seed in the playoffs most years, but that said if teams don’t take it seriously that opens it up to bad teams getting lucky.
There was a big good discussion yesterday on facebook (of all places!)
about the MLS playoffs and some of the comments got me thinking quite a bit. The current MLS Cup Playoffs are a little weird, too many spots, too much of an opportunity for a fluke team to win, add in the neutral site thing and I think we can agree it’s not working. Someone suggested that the US Open Cup be somewhat merged with the MLS Cup and that the league winner (aka the Supporters Shield) play the USOC Winner in a two game aggregate goal series. Not only would you then have a true single table, but you’d also have the MLS teams play much harder for a tournament, particularly teams like ours that may not finish highly in league points but may be able to get by in the tournament for a shot at the overall championship. That, or treat the USOC like the FA Cup or maybe run it after the season to give the teams out of playoff contention something to play for.
I could get behind the tournament being in the weeks leading up to the season.
Teams could make a little more money. Players could be fighting for playing time/roster spots.Teams could get a better look at guys. Teams would already be training so you wouldn’t be taking away the offseason. Fans gearing up for the season and hungry could get soccer a bit more meaningful than preseason games.
volatilelyle.com
by almost awesome on Oct 4, 2011 4:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Kinda like the World Baseball Classic
When I write, I write for the Timbers. Contributing Editor of Stumptown Footy
by Andrew Wheeler on Oct 4, 2011 4:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Make the Open Cup really open
and with open draw. No bidding for home field. But if D2/3 teams can’t afford the long distance travel then I don’t see the point of it in any form.
Meanwhile, there is a league match in NJ tonight with a lot more significance for Timbers.
by yepyou'reright on Oct 4, 2011 5:14 PM PDT via iPhone app up reply actions
Good points
I think you’re right that what the US Open Cup provides is a chance for fans across the country to see MLS teams playing their local team in real non-exhibition competition. That ought to be celebrated and nourished.
Letting all MLS teams in without specific qualifying would help. Add in the NASL, USL, and others and regionalize from the get-go, just like the FA Cup in England does. They don’t advertize it, but they regionalize the first few Qualifying Rounds. So do the French for the French Cup.
In 2012, you have 16 MLS teams, 6 NASL teams, 11 USL Pro Teams, 58 PDL teams, 37 NPDL teams, and a fairly unlimited number of USASA teams.
Work backwards to figure out the math. MLS teams enter in the round of 32 (FOURTH ROUND).
THIRD ROUND: features 6 NASL teams and 26 winning teams from the previous round, producing 16 winners.
SECOND ROUND: features 11 USL Pro Teams plus 41 winning teams, producing 26 winners.
FIRST ROUND: features 58 PDL teams plus 24 winning teams, producing 41 winners.
PRELIMINARY ROUNDS: The two-three rounds before that feature all USASA and NPDL teams, including random byes as needed to reduce the number to 24. So If all NPDL teams and 50 USASA teams enter (a total of 87), two rounds will be needed, and 9 teams will get byes in the first of those rounds. The other 78 play to produce 39; they add to 9 and play to produce 24 as required. If more than 96 teams enter from these two groups, add an additional preliminary round.
Use the money from one US-Mexico game in Pasadena to subsidize lower-ranking clubs who advance to the final rounds.
Regionalize all the way through the fourth round. Seed if you feel you must, but a blind draw becomes a media event and an excuse to attract publicity. That seldom hurts.
I agree that there are problems with the structure and bidding process.
It is however, the oldest soccer competition in the country. It is also a CCL ticket.
Like the Cascadia Cup, the USOC is as important as the fans decide it is. In Seattle we think it’s important because we tend the judge the on field success of a season in terms of trophies won.
Obviously had the Timbers not punted and somehow played to the final
the discussion here would be a lot different.
However, I think the ‘but it’s broken’ discussion would still definitely be here. It just sucks because whoever wins tonight won’t be getting as much glory as they would if this tournament could make itself more meaningful. Outside of Chicago or Seattle no one’s going to give a damn, and that sucks, as does the tournament’s structure.
If Seattle wins tonight people here in Portland are going to say ‘meh’ not ‘#$#%$#@$’ Hopefully that can change (the reciprocal, though).
volatilelyle.com
by almost awesome on Oct 4, 2011 5:33 PM PDT up reply actions
The discussion should always be there for every competition MLS teams play in.
But I think the quickest way to get the USOC problems fixed is to raise the profile of the tournament. Ultimately that’s in the hands of the fans, not the FOs.
How can the fans really get up for it though
if they head out to the pitch and a bunch of guys who will never see MLS minutes are playing for their team? Bit of a chicken and egg thing though, I suppose.
There are things that could be done to motivate FOs and fans.
volatilelyle.com
by almost awesome on Oct 4, 2011 5:46 PM PDT up reply actions
Using the Sounders as an example:
Early US Open Cup rounds are places where fans are more likely to see favorite players from the USL days like Levesque, Tyson Wahl, and Taylor Graham. The team also uses USOC games to showcase younger players. Players who are now regular starters like Mike Fucito and Lamar Neagle earned their way into MLS minutes in large part because of the performances in secondary tournaments like USOC and CCL.
As I recall, the Timbers sent 10K or so to a reserve game, so I’m not sure it’s a problem of the FO needing to motivate the fans.
Nice
But just a glorified reserve league game with faux importance attached to it.
by yepyou'reright on Oct 4, 2011 6:07 PM PDT via iPhone app up reply actions
Seattle and Portland definitely aren't typical
volatilelyle.com
by almost awesome on Oct 4, 2011 6:46 PM PDT up reply actions
I've never heard of anyone charging for reserve matches outside the PNW either.
Jag kom, jag såg, erövrade jag.
I dunno.
The fans will take it seriously when and if the teams do. Casual fans won’t get up for a game when it’s a bunch of reserves. If the teams act like it’s important then the fans will come along.
For my part I’d have rather seen us beat the Sounders in the USOC final (which we obviously were capable of making it to given that it’s Chicago playing tonight.) than squeak into the last seed in the playoffs just so we can get one extra away game in Dallas….
Haven't you heard?
Chicago is a great team now! MLS power rankings said so today.
by yepyou'reright on Oct 4, 2011 9:32 PM PDT via iPhone app up reply actions
Then if you ever win MLS Cup
Supporters Shield or CCL you’ll have something to talk about. You know, trophies teams actually compete for and you don’t buy home field.
IMO an automatic CCL spot shouldn’t go to the USOC winner. It’s a lazy way of trying to legitimize a rinky dink tournament.
Meanwhile, LAG 1/2 reserve squad is busy phoning one in against RB. Just in case anyone cares about a real game tonight.
by yepyou'reright on Oct 4, 2011 5:59 PM PDT via iPhone app up reply actions
Then don't treat it
like a rinky dink tournament. Problem solved. Play starters. Win the game. Quit winning. If you aren’t good enough run field a decent team for this and for league games then you aren’t a championship caliber team. We didn’t and we aren’t. IMO, when Spencer ran out reserves against San Jose he was basically saying that we weren’t very good. Sucks but there we are.
by Disclaimer on Oct 4, 2011 8:20 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Then lose your next match cause your starters are dead tired. Right.
Jag kom, jag såg, erövrade jag.
I watched the USOC Final tonight
And while the play was sloppy (holy crap, can they spread some of that money around to a decent field crew?), and Chicago looked pretty flustered, I was fairly entertained. I think that the better game was probably on FSC tonight.
Community Manager for Stumptown Footy
by William Duke on Oct 4, 2011 10:00 PM PDT up reply actions
heh
Dude, I’m a Sounders fan, but don’t be ridiculous.
“he USOC is as important as the fans decide it is”
No. It’s precisely as important as the team decides it is. See New York as example.
Congrats all the same, three in a row is pretty impressive
by pdb on Oct 5, 2011 6:54 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
That's what I am saying
Seems pretty “rinky dink” of Timbers fans (like me) to downplay the tournament when it is the oldest competition we have in the country. Like it or not, it is the opportunity to win a trophy, and that, ultimately, is why we play the game folks. The whole qualification process might be dodgy, but its still a trophy.
Much to my chagrin, credit where credit is due to the team up North the I-5. Impressive for sure, especially when you combine it with their other recent accomplishments. Stadium was loud, fans on their feet in entire game (which is standard) and Comcast has FSC in HD! That was definitely the highlight of the evening.
It is a big trophy
I’ll give it that.
When I write, I write for the Timbers. Contributing Editor of Stumptown Footy
by Andrew Wheeler on Oct 5, 2011 9:58 AM PDT up reply actions
But who doesn't love a gi-normous trophy?
Me wants one
I don't even credit with chagrin
Winning three cups in a row is a damned impressive feat, and as far as I’m concerned a victory for any Cascadia team is one step closer to PNW dominance of MLS which is what I want.
I only downplay the tournament because to me league success is more important – but when the Timbers have a deeper squad and can legitimately compete on two fronts I’ll care more about the USOC.
I have no problem with this
I actually don’t really mind it that much if a team makes a strategic decision to punt the tournament because they don’t think they are deep enough to handle both events. I may disagree with the decision in a particular case (and I did this year), but you gotta do what you gotta do.
I just don’t agree with turning that into a criticism of the event itself. Especially when the criticisms aren’t really coupled with realistic solutions.
The event has problems to be sure, but MLS has huge problems as well and we still care about league play. I think the whole playoff structure is something of a joke, but I’ll still watch the games, and I won’t argue that the playoffs don’t matter just because of the format. That how I feel about USOC. I’d run it very differently, but I still respect the event, even if it’s screwed up.
Technically,
America’s Cup [sailing if you didn’t know], Golf’s US Open are older sports competitions. If you meant oldest soccer competition, yes.
Jag kom, jag såg, erövrade jag.
Oh garsh
Soccer competition was what I meant. Nice nugget with the America’s Cup though (aye, me knew it was sailing).
Since when did FSC get an HD channel on Comcast?
800… maybe it’s a borrowed channel in the Spanish language section
No the 800s are the start of the premium movie channels. Still a strange place for the game.
by encephalopath on Oct 4, 2011 8:29 PM PDT up reply actions
And why do Seattle's chants sound like sing-song
playground taunts?
Cause they spend time on concocting ways to take the other teams chants and substitute swear words
and think it will work. I seriously thought there was a group trying to join the Timbers Army in singing “Onward Rose City” from about section 220.
Jag kom, jag såg, erövrade jag.
Burn, destroy, wreck and kill
Apparently, the Seattle Sounders bloody will.
When I write, I write for the Timbers. Contributing Editor of Stumptown Footy
by Andrew Wheeler on Oct 5, 2011 10:00 AM PDT up reply actions
That chant haunts me as I sit in 220
I can tell you it got me riled up. Underneath the overhang it really amplified that one, and they rocked it for about 5 minutes. That’s the family section over there too (I got my tickets with the youth soccer discount) but that didn’t seem to stop them. The YSA chant was in full force last night as well.
YSA
Is the single most stupid chant in all of sports. How is that even clever and on a Goal kick? Your own team was not skilled enough to get the shot on frame and it went out for a goal kick….
Get rid of it.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
YSA did not originate with ECS
and ECS is trying to stop it by having other chants going. Unfortunately a good chunk of the rest of the stadium still yells it.
by chrisperry1983 on Oct 6, 2011 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions
Sorry
I know that, wasn’t meant to be directed only at ECS but at the Chant itself.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
It was not an inspired nor well thought out chant.
Stick to your guns. They work better. In 216 I only learned after the fact they were mimicking TA chants with foul language. The TA have in their repertoire of songs where they swear, but only one was heard to be directed at Sounders.
Jag kom, jag såg, erövrade jag.
Sounders fan to Chicago player
“[Player], you spit ‘cause your mom doesn’t.”
Should probably stop pointing the parabolic mic at that guy.
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