Anyone going? over 60k sold now at Reliant. should be a sell out so get your tix now! Even though its so incredibly early in terms of WC warm ups, and they are just gonna be testing players, I hope we destroy them. I am sure they hold a grudge from the WC, so the game should be pretty damn spirited. any hoo, go support your country. We are gonna be out numbered like 3:1 if you dont
I didn't even know they were in the "Axis of Evil"... Wow Bush has the gall to sell tickets, I guess he'll fund raise anything- the guy is shameless. OH! this is a Soccer match now I just feel silly...
Non-related topic Were ppl talking about having a MLS team in Houston?Are they going to play in the Reliant?(trying to find a connectio to the topic ) When is the game BTW? ALA
http://www.ussoccer.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=34772 MAY 8, 7PM local time also live on ESPN2 As far as MLS and Houston... what a long subject. A few things though. This game is hosted my McNair and MLS. MLS has named Houston as a finalist for an expansion team. MLS wants McNair involved, and yes they would use Reliant. If McNair is not involved they would need an extremely favorable stadium deal or build a Soccer Specific Stadium. There are plenty of other cities that MLS is interested, but Houston is one that they are actually persuing. In cases like Oklahoma City, Rochester, Tulsa, Cleveland, it is the local investors trying to land a team. In Houston MLS is trying to land an invetor. Attendance at games like this one are what make investors interested, and attendance at games like this are also used to gague the fan intrest in soccer in an area. MLS already held games in OKC and Tulsa to gague their interest. Rochester is already home of the most successfull div 2 team in America, and there is no doubt they can support a team. But Seattle and Houston and Philly are often named in the same breath as fas as expansion. MLS team in NHL stadium, with NHL Owner. there is a heck of a lot more than that, but it should give you an Idea of the situation.
I'll be at the game on the 50 yard line, row G, section 106 seat 12. It should be a lot of fun, though I'm not much of a soccer fan. B
DAMN! work to hell. Its a shame that I have a High School diploma. at least I didnt mention the PBA or Nascar stadiums
I really hope this ends up being a great success for the city soccer-wise. Hopefully the good fan support will quickly lead to an MLS franchise in Houston. I am just mad because the one time they actually bring a big international soccer match to houston, I am out of town and can't go to it. It's just my luck . . .
The atmosphere is completely different, much more exciting than your average Astros or Rockets game. I went to an MLS soccer game in Los Angeles, the crowd wasn't huge but they were pumped and cheering the whole time. Another good thing- it will be 45 minutes per half, it won't drag on and on and on like some sports.
From The Chronicle: ... Another unique element of tonight's game is that the home team, the United States, likely won't enjoy a home-field advantage. Observers expect 75 percent of the 69,100 fans to be rooting for the Mexican team... http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/1901081
i think on one radio station they were saying that robertson stadium or somewhere would make more sense probably.. it would look 2nd rate if you were drawing 20k people to a 70k seat stadium.. any idea what average mls attendance is?
actually they are saying that reliant would be perfect b/c the lower bowl holds 25,000 and that is all they would open up for games, thereby creating a tight feel in a big stadium.
I've seen USA vs Mexico many times in LA. There's nothing in the world like it, and if you have any inclination to support the US National Team, you should by all means go. The whole experience is much better when the pro-US crowd isn't a small minority. I think fans affect game flow in soccer more than any other sport, and it sucks when it feels like an away game for the US team. I'll be watching it on ESPN2. -Deji
Studying for an exam, so I can't be there.... but... THE MEXICAN NATIONAL TEAM IS A DISGRACE AND NATIONAL EMBARASSMENT. I know that people take their national teams seriously. I know it means a great deal for the players. But that's no excuse for their consistent dirty, cynical play. In the World Cup... they were bad. Today, in a *friendly*, they've been terrible. Their challenges are consistently late. The fact that they only have 1 yellow card is amazing (I can't believe the US consented to Jamaican referees in this match... very lenient). They dive at every opportunity. Diving's a bit of a problem in any league. It goes from being a problem (in England) to being a joke (in the Brazilian leagues). But this is something entirely new. I was particular apalled when one Mexican player, away from the play, went down in the area after essentially forcing himself down while contesting Bocanegra, who was doing nothing wrong. He proceeded to stand up, thrust his hands in the air in mock disbelief at not getting a penalty (that wouldn't have been called in all likliehood even if Bocanegra was doing anything), got the ball, then dived again when Bocanegra made a perfectly solid tackle on the ball. He halled Bocanegra down with him. He then leapt to his feet, pushed Bocanegra, and tried to bait Bocanegra into doing something. That's pathetic. There've been not one, not two, but three times when Mexican players have gone flying in the air after *DeMarcus Beasley* got into normal body contact with them. Hello? This is DMB - he's 138lbs, the smallest player in the World Cup! I have supreme doubts if he's *capable* of pushing them down. I know he couldn't send a hamster flying 5 yards across the turf. My favorite league is the Premier League. After dives much less fragrant than these, players should be yellow carded. Announcers refer to the players with digust. In La Liga (Spanish League), more diving goes on, but yellow cards are also handed out for blatant diving. I've seen two footed tackles in this game rewarded w/only a free kick. Not even a yellow. Should be a red. Landon Donovan got tackled from behind w/o a yellow - which should have been a mandatory yellow. I hope we never play Mexico in a friendly again. That's a shame. This could be a great rivalry. But I don't want to see the poor quality soccer from all this diving. And I really don't want to see some player get hurt because of a cynical two footed lunge from behind.
a freakin tie? no wonder soccer isn't big in the states... who wants to watch a game where there's no scoring and the end result is a tie?
