Los Angeles, Meet Soccer
I know this may come as a shock to the RW faithful, but I went to the Barca-Galaxy game. Like most of the people there, I was expecting a decent crowd and a sacrificing of the Galaxy team at the hands of Barcelona, the best team in the world. Instead, I was treated to a spectacle that rarely comes to Los Angeles. I did get to see the best soccer team in the world but I also was part of an event that felt like the Olympics or the World Cup. Let me explain.
My sister, her boyfriend, and I went to the game for her birthday. We got there two hours before the game and the place was already looking like a festival. I was wearing my Galaxy David Beckham jersey and even though the game was in Los Angeles, I felt like I was going to an away game. Everyone and his mother was in a Barcelona jersey. I did expect to see a bunch of Barca jerseys but I thought they'd be worn by a bunch of fake Barca fans from West L.A. who just wanted to root on the winning team. I was wrong, there were tons of families of all nationalities, all sporting Barca gear, including some who even wore shin guards and socks. There were tailgaters everywhere you looked, kids playing pick up soccer, and those horn sounds that everyone comes to associate with soccer.
Now keep in mind, this was an exhibition game, but you would have never thought it by the way the crowd was getting itself into a frenzy in the hour before the game. There was the L.A. Riot Squad, the Galaxy hard core fan section, starting its cheers and there was the Barce . . . clap clap . . . lona chant. I've never seen anything like it in Los Angeles. I've been to Laker games but it's tough to belong there without a blazer and a $200 t-shirt. I've been to college games but all of the energy there comes either from students or a small town that revolves around the school. I've been to Dodger games, and I'm sorry, but as much as I love baseball, you don't get sustained energy out of a baseball crowd. The baseball crowds do come alive at the right moments, but in a soccer game, every moment is the right moment.
It's something that doesn't come across on television. When you're watching on television, you're watching the ball. That's it. When you're there live, you can see the 40-yard sprint starting on the opposite side of the field before the ball is crossed. You can see overlapping runs that start at midfield and come to fruition at the 18-yard box. It's like watching a chess match take place within an athletic competition and unlike most sports crowds, this was a crowd chalk full of soccer die hards. They could see the formations and the runs and knew what they meant. It was crazy. Oh, did I mention that there were 93,000 plus people at the Rose Bowl, the most fans to see a soccer game in the United States since the 1994 World Cup?
The first ten minutes went as planned. Barca was passing the ball with ease and the Galaxy weren't doing anything to stop it. That's what I paid to see and even though I was rooting for the home team, it was worth watching the best team in the world do what it does best. Barca eventually scored in the 11th minute and while the crowd erupted, you could tell that nobody was surprised. The game continued this way until the 44th minute when Toure Yaya was called for a foul about 30 yards out. That's when the game changed and that's when the crowd realized what was at stake. It was a questionable call but what was interesting was Toure Yaya's reaction. Even though he was playing in an exhibition game, he went ballistic. To the point of drawing a yellow card for dissent, which never happens in soccer. It's like American football. Coaches and players can say whatever they want and they never get called, but here, in an exhibition game, Toure Yaya picked up a card. The wall was getting set, and up stepped Beckham, who was booed at every touch by the Barca fans who comprised 75% of the stadium, to take the direct kick. All of the Galaxy fans were quietly hopeful and Becks delivered. A perfect strike that bent into the upper-left corner of the net. The crowd went bananas. Definitely a top-5 live sports moment in my life. The Barca fans were in shock and the Galaxy fans were in a state of euphoria. We were going into the half tied with the best team in the world. And it's not like they were playing their B-team. Do you know why? They don't have a B-team. They have 18 guys who would start on every other team in the world. Their captain, Carlos Puyol, and their central midfielder, Xavi, didn't start. They took Messi out and put Thierry Henry in. The team is loaded and the Galaxy were tied.
The second half started much in the way the first half had. Barca controlled the game but the Galaxy were playing great counter-attack soccer. They packed it in on defense and jumped at the few opportunities that presented themselves. Donovan had a decent chance at goal on a counter but Valdez came up with the save. Eventually, Barca put another one in the net and the Galaxy missed a corner kick header with a few minutes left that should have been put on frame. Beckham was taken out to more cheers than boos as the Galaxy faithful were appreciative of the skill set that the Englishman brings to the table. Every pass he makes lands on a teammate's feet. He can place his direct and corner kicks with the best of them and he put us on the board against the mighty Barcelona. Thanks Becks.
The game ended 2-1 with all of the fans staying to cheer. The Barca fans were happy that they did not suffer the embarassment of not beating an MLS team and the Galaxy fans cheered the effort. All of the fans got to see Barca do what they do best and it was truly a pleasure to watch the one-touch soccer that was put on display. If you missed it, you must go next year. I know there will be a next year because 93,000 people proved that soccer is alive and well in Los Angeles. I sat behind a British family, next to an Indian family and in front of a Latino family. Where else does that happen. Thanks for coming Barcelona. Come back any time.
My sister, her boyfriend, and I went to the game for her birthday. We got there two hours before the game and the place was already looking like a festival. I was wearing my Galaxy David Beckham jersey and even though the game was in Los Angeles, I felt like I was going to an away game. Everyone and his mother was in a Barcelona jersey. I did expect to see a bunch of Barca jerseys but I thought they'd be worn by a bunch of fake Barca fans from West L.A. who just wanted to root on the winning team. I was wrong, there were tons of families of all nationalities, all sporting Barca gear, including some who even wore shin guards and socks. There were tailgaters everywhere you looked, kids playing pick up soccer, and those horn sounds that everyone comes to associate with soccer.
Now keep in mind, this was an exhibition game, but you would have never thought it by the way the crowd was getting itself into a frenzy in the hour before the game. There was the L.A. Riot Squad, the Galaxy hard core fan section, starting its cheers and there was the Barce . . . clap clap . . . lona chant. I've never seen anything like it in Los Angeles. I've been to Laker games but it's tough to belong there without a blazer and a $200 t-shirt. I've been to college games but all of the energy there comes either from students or a small town that revolves around the school. I've been to Dodger games, and I'm sorry, but as much as I love baseball, you don't get sustained energy out of a baseball crowd. The baseball crowds do come alive at the right moments, but in a soccer game, every moment is the right moment.
It's something that doesn't come across on television. When you're watching on television, you're watching the ball. That's it. When you're there live, you can see the 40-yard sprint starting on the opposite side of the field before the ball is crossed. You can see overlapping runs that start at midfield and come to fruition at the 18-yard box. It's like watching a chess match take place within an athletic competition and unlike most sports crowds, this was a crowd chalk full of soccer die hards. They could see the formations and the runs and knew what they meant. It was crazy. Oh, did I mention that there were 93,000 plus people at the Rose Bowl, the most fans to see a soccer game in the United States since the 1994 World Cup?
The first ten minutes went as planned. Barca was passing the ball with ease and the Galaxy weren't doing anything to stop it. That's what I paid to see and even though I was rooting for the home team, it was worth watching the best team in the world do what it does best. Barca eventually scored in the 11th minute and while the crowd erupted, you could tell that nobody was surprised. The game continued this way until the 44th minute when Toure Yaya was called for a foul about 30 yards out. That's when the game changed and that's when the crowd realized what was at stake. It was a questionable call but what was interesting was Toure Yaya's reaction. Even though he was playing in an exhibition game, he went ballistic. To the point of drawing a yellow card for dissent, which never happens in soccer. It's like American football. Coaches and players can say whatever they want and they never get called, but here, in an exhibition game, Toure Yaya picked up a card. The wall was getting set, and up stepped Beckham, who was booed at every touch by the Barca fans who comprised 75% of the stadium, to take the direct kick. All of the Galaxy fans were quietly hopeful and Becks delivered. A perfect strike that bent into the upper-left corner of the net. The crowd went bananas. Definitely a top-5 live sports moment in my life. The Barca fans were in shock and the Galaxy fans were in a state of euphoria. We were going into the half tied with the best team in the world. And it's not like they were playing their B-team. Do you know why? They don't have a B-team. They have 18 guys who would start on every other team in the world. Their captain, Carlos Puyol, and their central midfielder, Xavi, didn't start. They took Messi out and put Thierry Henry in. The team is loaded and the Galaxy were tied.
The second half started much in the way the first half had. Barca controlled the game but the Galaxy were playing great counter-attack soccer. They packed it in on defense and jumped at the few opportunities that presented themselves. Donovan had a decent chance at goal on a counter but Valdez came up with the save. Eventually, Barca put another one in the net and the Galaxy missed a corner kick header with a few minutes left that should have been put on frame. Beckham was taken out to more cheers than boos as the Galaxy faithful were appreciative of the skill set that the Englishman brings to the table. Every pass he makes lands on a teammate's feet. He can place his direct and corner kicks with the best of them and he put us on the board against the mighty Barcelona. Thanks Becks.
The game ended 2-1 with all of the fans staying to cheer. The Barca fans were happy that they did not suffer the embarassment of not beating an MLS team and the Galaxy fans cheered the effort. All of the fans got to see Barca do what they do best and it was truly a pleasure to watch the one-touch soccer that was put on display. If you missed it, you must go next year. I know there will be a next year because 93,000 people proved that soccer is alive and well in Los Angeles. I sat behind a British family, next to an Indian family and in front of a Latino family. Where else does that happen. Thanks for coming Barcelona. Come back any time.
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