Early Monday kickaround

No one up late on the east coast? Some good attendance numbers in there. I think KC will do fine in there new stadium. The weather looked awful on Saturday and they still drew more people than Dallas's stadium. (Let that be a lesson to FO considering building stadiums away from metropolis -I am looking at you DC.)

Red Bull's Arena looked real nice but I am still a fan of Home Depot Center. Here is hoping both Chivas and Galaxy continue to enjoy nice crowds.

I hope you boys and girls out in DC have a good showing next week at crappy old RFK. One more month and I'll be back home enjoying live games!!

Anyone from KC or SJ have any sense of latent ticket demand? It's great that they're both selling out at 10.5K, but I'm curious to know just how many more tix they could sell if they had additional capacity.

I was looking forward to the reserve match this morning. But not really looking forward to sitting on the bleachers in the rain. Ah well. Hopefully it will be rescheduled

The writing has been on the wall for several seasons now. Dallas fans are not willing to drive it out to Frisco to watch this team. This season will probably be the final season that will break this camel's back. It is BEYOND embarrassing. Actually it is a lot like MLS's new website, pure sadness.

They may have sold that many tickets at Red Bull Arena, but even with the roof over the seats there's no way it was even close to 24K+.

Poor Salt Lake City. From the Winter Olympics to soccer, they can't escape the smell of bribery.

DCU_Rick - regarding RB Arena: I agree, though it seemed a lot more full when the 2nd half started. Not sure that it was really 24,5K though.
Dallas and Columbus are just sad. Dallas especially. I think Miami could draw better. And you would expect more at Columbus, especially given the quality of the team.

Predictions on DCU's home opener attendance? I'm going with 17,480.

I really don't understand why DC is not interested in Noonan. There is a clear hole at RMF.

With the LilRyan on spring break from preschool I too was looking forward to taking her into DC for the reserve match this morning.
With it being cancelled at least I'm not going to feel like a flake for not being up for it in the rain.

I'm crossing my fingers the match gets re scheduled on a day when we can get down there. I'm also hoping that the matches the club discussed having with the Terps and Real Maryland(?) come to fruition as well.

DCU is not interested in Noonan becasue Kasper is an ego-driven idiot. He would much rather feel as if he were working the trenches, scouring the backwaters of Latin America to which he can engage in boondoggle "scouting" trips than accept a hand-delivered piece of the puzzle.

Build at Buzzard point, there's nothing there.

btw, lots of work continuiing in Lot 8. They were repaving yesterday and also hauling away the last of the snow to be dumped behind the hospital.

final thought on what I call "The narrow- dark-blurry-nightmare"--bad enough we were being trounced but to hear those awful announcers constantlty referring to the new stadium just made a bad game worse. We're the only one's left without any stadium hope.

BTW - this is how the AP is reporting the Red Bulls attendance:

"It was 39 degrees at gametime, 34 degrees cooler than the previous Saturday when the stadium opened with a 3-1 exhibition win over Brazil's Santos. Perhaps that's why there were pockets of empty blue seats at the 25,000-seat, two-deck stadium, where attendance was announced at 24,572."

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/soccer/03/27/mls.saturday.ap/index.html#ixzz0jZRE4JWS

Is DCU the only team left that is neither having a stadium built or isn't in serious negotiations for one? If so, we've become the laughingstock of the league.

MFLS players, looks like we have 4 teams on a bye next week...which seems odd. Hope they have some other matches going on.

"If so, we've become the laughingstock of the league."

Posted by: croftonpost

------------------------------------------

In more ways than one (and it really pains me to say it).

Actually, 6. Clb, KC, Dallas, Tor, SJ, Philly

It is BEYOND embarrassing. @elfelixg

Soccer and DallASS has always been embarrASSing.

When DallASS hosted 1994 World Cup matches, the attendance was embarrASSing. There were lots of empty seats to park your ARSEnal in; and not just nose-bleeders but decent corner seats.

Thats why DallASS is BEHIND soccer's most embarrASSing moments. Butt I can only ASSume that DallASS will continue to embarrASS to the BUTTer END!!!

oy.

As I pointed out last week, @croftonpost - yes, we are the only team left without some kind of stadium plan.

Unless there is great weather, I don't see DCU pulling in more than 15K. Bad team coming off a bad season combined with a tough economy equals bad ticket sales.

The most passionate fan base in MLS is the only team left without a stadium plan. That is beyond disheartening. Time to listen to the blues.

Apr 3 Saturday
Mainly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s and lows in the mid 50s.

That might be the worst post ever.

As tough as that game was to watch, I'm not going to say that is what we'll see all season.

However, I did think Ray Hudson, while watching that debacle. Kurt could be in for a short stay if he can't fire up the team after that performance.

"The most passionate fan base in MLS is the only team left without a stadium plan. That is beyond disheartening. Time to listen to the blues.

Posted by: Gambrills4 | March 29, 2010 10:12 AM"

I really don't think we can keep up the facade of having the "most passionate fan base" -- maybe even as late as 5 years ago, but certainly not today.

With all this cheerful stadium news please remember to hug a NIMBY today.

the biggest obstacle for this weekend may be the fact that it is Easter.

but there has been lots of advertising including the front page of today's Express. And it is supposed to be gorgeous weather, sunny and upper 70s.

In the immortal words of Chip Diller (Kevin Bacon), "Remain calm! All is well! WE WIN TROPHIES!"

OWNTF,

If we are going to win trophies then it's going to take more. :)

Seattle has the most passionate fan base now IMO.

Free-waiver United has no permanent home, the team is old, slow, injury prone, and lacking creativity in the middle. The forwards wont get a chance to score goals because they wont get proper service.

Remind me again how we are going to make the playoffs?

"Remind me again how we are going to make the playoffs?"

Same way DCU could have made the playoffs last year. Pick your best 11 players and start them every league match for which they are fit. (That means not starting players at two positions with no discernible soccer skills, as was the case in KC). Identify the one player who can find the game when the rest of the team can't (based on KC, no one knows who that is, but each player seems to know it isn't him).

They don't need to get "fired up." They need to get organized. Onalfo needs to learn what he has, at which point the FO needs to stop meddling. It'll take some time.

I don't think they are going to make the playoffs and I felt that way before Saturday. Obviously, I would love to be wrong.

Remind me again how we are going to make the playoffs?

Posted by: strago

With all due respect, we've seen one crappy game after an undefeated preseason. Old and slow aren't words people were talking a week ago. Granted we've got some Oldish defenders and Jaime, but other than that the team is plenty young and quick. The field conditions were awful and the team didn't have the opportunity to settle in and hang on to the ball. It was frantic and very unforgiving for a defense that hadn't seen any time with that lineup.

Can we at least wait to see who Onalfo trots out on Saturday before the season is over? Remember that DCU only has to focus on league play and perhaps the Open Cup this season, while attendance darlings Seattle and other strong teams will be dealing with plenty of fixture congestion. I am still plenty optimistic about making the playoffs this year.

Outside of Seattle, I don't find those opening day attendance figures all that impressive. However, teams had to deal with the CBA uncertainty and educated fans would have known the season's start was in jeopardy. Could not have helped ticket sales.

I just saw an alarming headline on Yahoo's soccer pages:

Jozi Must Lose Crime Image To Be WCup Success

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-wcupcity-johannesburg

Upon further reading I was reassured that Jozi does not refer to Altidore but to Johannesburg.

DC United looked god-awful... I hope they play better than that this season or United fans are in for a long long season...

Bob Bradley is "ambushed" in this interview (funny):

http://tiny.cc/21amg

Does anyone know if Sharlie Joseph will be out again with injury this weekend?

Among the many factors at work in Seattle, the most important might be the stadium location. It cannot be emphasized enough how important this is to the stadium experience dynamic. I believe it to be among the bigger reasons why Domino's Park in Fresco is so poorly attended.

Move this team to Baltimore and watch it take off like Seattle. The downtown location that is being eye-balled for a 20,000 - 25,000 stadium will generate fantastic revenue for the club and a soccer experience unsurpassed.

Wouldn't that be ironic. United getting shipped off to Baltimore to become the Neu-Seattle. Eeeewwwwww.

I had an idea for a stadium protest. Instead of a rally, letters, or e-mails how about a boycott. Not a boycott of the game but a boycott of concessions or parking. Boycott the revenue that is most directed to the city and is least directed to DCU. Hit the city where it hurts. Although it would take a coordinated effort it is possible to do this. Why as a fan base do we want to give money to the city anyway? Fenty certainly doesn't care about us. Let's show Fenty that we don't give a damn about him either.

The Freedom preseason game had a good crowd also.

Great idea about boycotting the concessions and the parking, especially the former. Besides, passsing up the terrible food at the exorbitant prices will lengthen your life and deepen your pockets.

Busch to SJ? I knew wherever he landed it was going to be awkward.

As they used to say, mind your P's and Q's....

Bad idea #1: Take your best two-way player and dump him in the striker pool.

Bad idea #2: Take your fastest and arguably most skilled attacker (who is also the most easily winded) and force him to play two ways.

No-brainer solution: play them where they have had success, and where they might possibly help the team win games.

3.Start a 17-year old you just signed.
4.Start a recovering-from-injury player at a position he isn't familiar with (but with James illin', did DCU have another choice?)

Seattle 36,241 (another sellout; MLS's gold, er, emerald standard)

Or go the "American Express route" and once the metals and jewels are maxed out, go to fruit (e.g. the new AmEx Plum card)

Those highlights were pretty tough to watch, especially after assuming that the D would be stronger this year. But it's one game, and I think we need to give it a few weeks, or until summer, before bringing out the gloom and doom.

Will we have Pena in time for this weekend? And w/o Simms, who else can take Morsink's spot?

Honestly, I think gloom and doom is going to be the order of the day until the stadium issue is resolved and more revenue is available to the franchise. I like the boycotting of the concessions and parking idea.

Honestly, I think gloom and doom is going to be the order of the day until the stadium issue is resolved and more revenue is available to the franchise.

Posted by: blackandred777

I agree 100%. Unfortunately we may not like how the issue is resolved. At least there's still the Real-Barca game coming up, Champions League finals and World Cup this summer. And i imagine more WUSA watching than normal. I figure the over/under on when i'll be turning off United games this year will be in the 35 minute range.

Among the many factors at work in Seattle, the most important might be the stadium location. It cannot be emphasized enough how important this is to the stadium experience dynamic. I believe it to be among the bigger reasons why Domino's Park in Fresco is so poorly attended.

Move this team to Baltimore and watch it take off like Seattle. The downtown location that is being eye-balled for a 20,000 - 25,000 stadium will generate fantastic revenue for the club and a soccer experience unsurpassed.
__________________________________________

I agree and I think that this is why the Front Office historically has been so reluctant to look for a stadium site that's outside the District. Of course, United really has very few, if any, serious site possibilities in Montgomery County, MD, and Northern Virginia inside the Beltway. And, that's keeping in mind that United's Front Office won't bother attempting to do a deal with Prince George's County again.

It's getting hard to think what options United has other than moving the team to Baltimore or St. Louis.

The boycott idea isn't a bad one. at least we could fight back.

Right, the Barra and SE's and everyone else who really enjoy their tailgating are going to be up for boycotting the parking!?!

Sounds like a REALLY LONG SHOT.

Dad,

Easy solution. Have a few principals that take care of the supplies while the masses take Metro. It can be done.

A lot of season ticket holders pre-buy a season worth of parking b/c its 50% off so some of the parking money has already been banked.

Music stars line up to set South Africa 2010 off on right note -- but only 1 artist from South Africa.

I know. I'm one of them. However, most don't. I realize the tailgating is an issue as well and I like to tailgate myself. Parking would take a more coordinated effort and can't be seamless. However, I think the concessions is very doable and nowhere near as painful. I just put the idea for both out there so there would be multiple options.

Have the football lines and markings been removed from the RFK pitch yet?

Hey, Goff. What kind of a crowd can we expect at RFK this weekend. Will announced attendance break 15k?

Buzzard point, build at Buzzard point.

There are no backyards for anyone to get all NIMBY about. Coast Guard HQ is there, If Army can sponsor a Nascar team...Coast Guard can be a sponsor of the stadium, team , or both.

That's the closest we'd come to replicating Inner Harbor.

Good thing the reserve match was cancelled. Here's what's happening at RFK today: "Metro and emergency responders simulated an explosion on a Metrobus Monday morning.
The exercise is underway at the RFK Stadium parking lot."
http://wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1922277

so that's why they were in such a rush to fix up the lot :( And I thought it was for DCU.

Buzzard point, build at Buzzard point.

There are no backyards for anyone to get all NIMBY about. Coast Guard HQ is there, If Army can sponsor a Nascar team...Coast Guard can be a sponsor of the stadium, team , or both.

That's the closest we'd come to replicating Inner Harbor.

----------------------------------------
If only it were that simple.

Unless Will is willing to go as far as JKC went in first wanting to build next to RFK (derailed due to EPA and other bureaucratic issues), then in Raljohn, that is, pay for most of it himself, DCU ain't gettin' a stadium in DC. Period, end of story. The city has built its last stadium of any size (unless it's a new place for the Redskins to put DC in the Super Bowl award game) for this generation, thanks to the bad taste left in its mouth by the Nationals.

Let me know when the Nats make their first rent payment to the city.

ATTENTION NORTH CAROLINA FOLKS!

Anyone know where I'd have any chance of catching the DCU/REVS game in Raleigh this weekend? In other words any legit Soccer Bars in Raleigh?

Goffer,

Any way you can wrestle a non-corporate, standard quote out of the league office in regards to the incomplete train wreck that is MLSSoccer.com?

I know, I know, one game does not a season make! But is it too early to ask for Onalfo’s head?  It’s never too early to ask for Dave Kasper’s head, though! 4-0 to the Wizards? What’s going to happen when we play a real team? Like the Union or New England on Saturday?  Oh well, it’s Spring and the World Cup is almost here.

BTW, how about Xavi Alonso? That pass out of the back to a streaking Arbeloa was awesome.

Dad,

Check out bars in Cary. It is a soccer hotbed.

Simms out 4-6 weeks. Brilliant.

Just watched the DCU - KC highlights (lowlights?)here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTDXnAONgis

We have some serious back line work to do. Ugh.

I knew Simms didn't look good there. Talley to D-Mid?

This thread sux. Somebody post something funny.

I'll be gong to the game this weekend, parking, and buying beer at the concessions. Should be fun.

Based on some of the opinions I've read today I'm thinking we should just start up the DCU farewell bandwagon. I hope you guys are wrong because personally I find it very discouraging to think the SSS ship has sailed. If that is true, then what's the point of doing anything to include following the team.

Based on some of the opinions I've read today I'm thinking we should just start up the DCU farewell bandwagon. I hope you guys are wrong because personally I find it very discouraging to think the SSS ship has sailed. If that is true, then what's the point of doing anything to include following the team.

Posted by: blackandred777 | March 29, 2010 2:06 PM | Report abuse

I agree. That's why I suggested we do something. However, I do like the ignorance is bliss thought. At least we can pretend all is well.

Right! Because bitter and angry is fun!

Speaking of tailgating, I have a proposal to make.
Given that DC United home games are going to be extremely painful experiences for fans, why not have the tailgate parties AFTER the game, so that we can all together drown our misery in fairly good and cheap beer!
Speaking of DC United, I have a few suggestions for Will Chang : sell, release or fire all the players, fire the coaching staff, send KP to San Francisco to oversee some of your business operations and, given that this is Easter week, stage a mock crucifixion of Dave Kasper in lot 8 before the fans deep-six him in the Anacostia River (oh, and don’t forget to take away his credit card, so he can’t go on anymore scouting/recruiting trips).

People already do tailgate after the games.

Speaking of that, you should invite me to your tailgate JkR. I promise to bring the fun and friends along with me. Not ready to start playing the dirge quite yet. You park along the water, no?

Not sure of the exact situation there so I hope I don't sound like an idiot...

Is rebuilding RFK not an option? Just tear it down and start over. Also, has no one approached Redskins ownership about partnering up with United. Kind of like Seahawks/Sounders. Maybe even play at FedEx Field? Might not be ideal but fill the lower bowl and move up from there....

If that won't work why not do what Man United supporters are doing? There have got to be some wealthy supporters in DC. Get the SGs together to boycott ownership and try to force a sale to new owners. Owners with money and clout...

Posted by: SoundersMob

It's too much to go over here, but the RFK site is out, as is groundsharing with Redskins. Local politics in DC, along with high land cost and NIMBYism of epic proportions make things more than difficult.

Dadryan, we're not always in the same place. I'll try and reach you with details some time...

right on. Out of town this weekend, but upcoming matches vs Chicago and New York are highly likely.

Right! Because bitter and angry is fun!

Posted by: JkR- | March 29, 2010 2:38 PM | Report abuse

I'm certainly not bitter and my anger is just disgust for this whole process. Regardless of the excuses which frankly I'm sick and tired of hearing, the other areas in MLS have got this done but our area hasn't. What's even more ridiculous is that our area isn't suffering economically like most areas in this country but we can't get it done? Something is wrong with this picture no matter how you cut it. Lastly, I can't just stick my head in the sand. It doesn't work for me.