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This was one of my favorite photos from our trip to Chicago. Ever wonder where all the drums and tifo come from? There’s a huge network of supporters the create, store, carry in, set up, and tear down all that stuff. We do it because we love our team so passionately that we have to express it. It disappoints me that so many front offices don’t get that these days. Seeing two trailers of tifo at the Chicago Fire tailgate just made my day. Keep up the good work, all you soccer supporters.
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Ever have one of those days? We got a slow start out of the hotel this morning, and the Shedd Aquarium was packed. Our friend Jimmy wanted to see it, so we agreed to meet him later at the tailgate and headed to the Globe Bar. We got there and the bouncer said no minors because of the Euro game crowd. This pisses me off to no end, having taken my kids through World Cup and German bier gartens which are designed with playgrounds so kids can play while parents relax and have a drink. Our bar culture is one of my biggest frustrations as an American soccer fan. But I digress.
I was actually able to get us in referencing meeting the owner on our last Chicago trip, only to find out that the #MLSRoadtrip guys also couldn’t get in thanks to a member of their crew being DAYS from 21. Ugh. America…why must you torture us? We went on to the bar with them, but lost our meetup with Peter Wilt in the process.
The Spain game was as I retweeted Spain’s best argument for internationalizing the siesta, but talking to Evan Ream about their project was fantastic. It’s renewed my desire to try to get to all the MLS stadiums. But more on that later….now, we tailgate!
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The past few weeks I’ve been in soccer heaven. USMNT World Cup qualifying kicked off and Euro 2012 has been a steady IV drip of delicious soccer (did anyone else get a little depressed on the one day break?) Plus, I’ve been reliving the daily 10 year anniversaries of the 2002 World Cup, which was the best World Cup trip ever for me. It’s been an opportunity to reconnect with some of my travel buddies from that trip, both in Tampa and via social media.
Last week, Jimmy LaRoue posted to Facebook that he’d be in Chicago for a conference, and was looking for things to do. I commented asking if the Fire was playing, since we’d been trying to line up a family road trip to some MLS games. As luck would have it, the Fire is in town, and playing our family favorite opponent, the Columbus Crew (aka the Yellow BEEPing Team to my kids, because y’know, you can’t curse if you’re not at a soccer stadium). Sounded like the perfect thing for the boys and I to do while our daughter’s away at camp.
Jimmy, aka Uncle Jimmy, was one of my favorite people that I met in Korea for the simple fact that we met the first day at the US vs Portugal match, and as a virtual stranger, was completely tolerant of my 4.5 month pregnant needs. Going to a World Cup halfway through a pregnancy is no easy task, and after the wonderfully emotional game, I was totally exhausted as we wandered endlessly looking for shuttle buses. When we finally found the line, it was so long, I thought I’d lose my mind. But while Doug and the guys went and held our place on line, Jimmy kept me company and did not flinch when I told him that even though we’d just met, I desperately needed to put my feet up, and if he was sitting next to me, they were going up on him. He was so completely accommodating, we’ve been friends ever since.
Through the magic of Twitter, this road trip has now snowballed to include plans to meetup with Peter Wilt at the tailgate, and I finally get to meet @EvanReam, who’s on the far more epic #MLSRoadTrip, 51 days, 12 cities. Who’s stoked to hear about how he planned that whole thing? This girl. I”ve been trying to figure out how I can get games with about 2-3 day in between at (in order) Kansas City, Colorado, Real Salt Lake, LA, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver. Schedule that for me, will ya, MLS? Still, I remember my pre-kid days when MLS first started and I was going to see every team at home…until Tampa Bay folded before I got to them and I gave it up. Maybe it’s time to start revisiting the #MLSRoadTrip ideas….or it will be, after a good night’s sleep.
Until later today….
Since 1994, I’ve counted my life in four year increments. In some ways, everything in my life is planned around the ebb and flow of the World Cup schedule. The qualifying build up, the anticipation of ticketing phases, the glorious tournament, and then the two years of darkness, when we have nothing but Gold Cup, friendlies, and Olympics (or not) to enjoy with our National Teams. So it’s pretty difficult to contain my excitement with the soccer on tap today.
As my friend Monty posted on Facebook this morning, “There are some great days that bring excitement each and every year. Then there are days like today that only happen once every four years … the first day of qualifying for the (2014) World Cup in Brazil starts today.” For people like us, the wait for “games that count” is over. The USMNT Road to Brasil starts tonight here in Tampa with our game vs. Antigua and Barbuda. It doesn’t really matter to me that this should be an easy game for the US, and we’re probably going to get soaked in the rain tonight…just so long as the wait is over.
As if that’s not enough, today also kicks off Euro 2012, with the host Poland playing Greece in Warsaw, which means a month of excellent European soccer. It’s a tournament second only to the World Cup in excitement….as I’m writing this, it’s 10v10, missed PK, tied game….it does not suck.
And who better to spend it with than my soccer family? I am staying with Andy Gustafson, one of the guys I met in Korea 10 years ago. Also with us is Jon Strauss, another World Cup traveler, and meeting us later, Rishi Bagel, who not only hits the World Cups, but joined us at Azteca for the game in 2005. For me, this is like a family reunion all wrapped up in soccer. It’s going to be a beautiful weekend, no matter what the weather.
A ripple went through the soccer world this week, as we passed the 10th anniversary of the US vs Portugal game in the 2002 World Cup. I smiled every time I read a “10 years ago I was….” post on facebook or Twitter, and I teared up watching babyfaced Landon Donovan in his disbelief scoring on the powerhouse on Portugal. As I thought about my “10 years ago today…” I got a little nostalgic.
Ten years ago, I was five months pregnant, with my darling girl, Aviva. I had taken the long flight to Korea with my husband, trying to keep my ankles from swelling on our way to our second foreign World Cup. We knew a few people from Iowa that would be in Korea, and we had met a few people through the “Yanks in Korea” Yahoo group (remember those days?) but otherwise, we were on our own. We headed out to the bar where Americans were meeting up, and came across many of the people that we continue to travel with to this day. It was like another world from where we are today. I had no idea the potential that US Soccer would display at that World Cup, and had no idea the bonds we would forge that day would lead to lifelong friendships with so many people.
US v Portugal would be my first time taking my daughter to a USMNT match (we called her’s “obstructed view seats”) and would start a lifetime of taking my kids into the supporters section. I remember her doing what felt like a full 360 spin when we hit the “wall of sound” that was the Koreans chanting in unison at the US vs Korea game. I remember cradling my belly at the US vs Poland game when it looked like we were headed home, all our work in the previous two matches for nothing.
I realize now, ten years later that there will never be another World Cup like that for me, where the unknown wonder of what was to come for our family and the team I love was so full and bright. I have loved every time I’ve brought my kids to games, but I find it hard to imagine a World Cup so far exceeding my expectation, now that the bar has been raised so high. It was a great experience to see the Germany Weltmeister through my then 3-1/2 year old’s eyes, and to travel South Africa with so many good friends was fantastic, but ten years ago, I was that pregnant girl in Korea, and I had the time of my life.
***If you want to read more about our trip to Korea and you can’t wait until I finish the book I’m writing about our travels, pick up a copy of Andy Gustafson’s “23 Days in Korea.” He is one of the people we met at that first game, and tells a great story of his trip, albeit misspelling my name and totally misrepresenting how that cab WAS mine! It is otherwise a great read. You can buy it here.
Filed under: Family Fun, Supporter Culture | Tags: Bavaria Soccer Club, Menace, Open Cup, PDL
There were moments when I thought I may have made a serious error in judgement driving to Milwaukee for Menace Soccer’s Open Cup game. Most of those moments involved storm clouds and unfavorable scoreboards, but ultimately, you can’t go wrong seeking adventure around a soccer pitch.
The kids and I rolled into Milwaukee about an hour before game time, and seeing some pretty serious storm clouds and not yet having a hotel plan, we pulled into the nearest hotel to check availability….and walked in as the Menace players were walking out. My kids were awestruck, (as were most of the players, seeing visiting supporters) and my stock rose about 20 points, never a bad thing with hungry kids on the road. We checked out the Bavarian Soccer Park and ran into the referees, two of whom were former friends of mine from my serious refereeing days. We got the report that there would be a lightening delay, which was fine with my starving kiddos who did not find anything dinner-worthy at concessions.
In addition at meeting my long time Twitter friend, Scott Viar (@BackSeatGaffer), we got to meet Karen, ticket taker extraordinaire, and her two kids who were close enough to my kids age to make the game an instant success with Junior Menace fans. I like any game where I get to sit with Menace owner Kyle Krause and GM Todd Meiners and talk about building a soccer stadium in Des Moines, running the Menace, getting to know the players…whatever. Let’s face it, as a soccer geek, it’s always fun to shoot the breeze with other soccer geeks.
Enter my World Cup travel buddy, @Hoover_Dam, who noticed @PeterWilt1 posting about the Menace coach, and directed him to look for me. Allow me to clarify two things: my soccer geeking is pretty supporter focused, and I have a terrible memory for names. So all I knew about Peter Wilt was his Twitter profile, which states “i launch pro soccer teams and write.” Two of my favorite things! And really, I’m trying to watch a soccer game and keep track of two kids…I’m not going to Google him to find out which soccer teams, if you’re building soccer in America on any level, that’s good enough for me.
So I ask Kyle if he knows where Peter Wilt is, and he points him out and says “Wonder what he’s doing here.” Now, I could have thought, “Hmm…Kyle Krause knows this guy…and he’s surprised he’s here” but I didn’t, because me goto is to be funny: “He heard I was going to be here on Twitter and wanted to meet me.” Kyle rolled his eyes and said “Yeah, right.”
Which made it so much more epic-ly awesome when Peter walked directly over at half time, hugged me and greeted “Hi Tanya!” Kinda glad I didn’t know that he was the founder of the Chicago Fire, Chicago Red Stars, and a hundred other amazing things, or I might have passed out either then, or certainly when he quoted my blog to me and wanted to meet my famous “yellow team” singing son. Because I get pretty excited when I hear that ANYONE reads this blog.
I got to spend the game shooting the breeze with so many really smart soccer people, I didn’t even mind the two rain delays, a sprinkler delay later, or what had to be a 20 degree temperature drop. Menace walked away with the overtime win. We’re going to need to play better on Tuesday against Minnesota, but for now, I’m pretty stoked about my new friends made and met in Milwaukee. I did finally Google Peter Wilt (when I returned home and my husband saw my Twitter feed and said “Is that THE Peter Wilt?”) And yes, my toes did finally warm up again.
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Twitter is the high school cafeteria of adulthood. There’s all sorts of gossip and information being passed, and every once in a while, someone says something that sounds just interesting enough to send you off on the next great adventure.
Such was the case as @Backseatgaffer, Scott Viar, and I discussing Midwest soccer over the past few months, culminating in a discussion last weekend of him scoping out the Menace Soccer team, who would be playing a team local to him in the first round of the Lamar Hunt Open Cup. I didn’t even realize the Menace were playing so close, since it’s not listed on their schedule. With one kid on intercession break, I could go to a Tuesday night game with only my preschooler missing a couple hours of school, which in our house is too good an opportunity to miss.
So thanks to a little recon from Twitter, the family and I are off to Milwaukee, to my first away Menace game. We’ll see how this goes….with our supporters section of three against the Bavarians! At least they’re not Barbarians….right? Frankly, I’m more concerned about the grilling I’m about to get about the Menace’s Womens Team being in the WLS instead of the WPSL. Here we go…Menace fans!
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It’s May, and that means the soccer season is in full swing, and it’s time to get ready for the Menace Soccer season! The Red Army, the supporters group that sits behind the goal at games, has some fun things planned for the season, and you won’t want to miss it! Plus, this season there will be several double headers with the Menace’s WLS team, so your daughters will have some players to look up to this year! The home opener is THIS FRIDAY!! So get your season passes pronto!
Yes…Season passes! There’s a significant discount if you buy season tickets instead of individual game tickets. With season passes you get:
1. Access to all home games including Open Cup (which we are in and hopefully host) as well as playoffs.
2. Red Army lanyard that gets you through the main gate as well as shows our VIP person who you are so you don’t get hassled every time you walk through.
3. The undying appreciation of the team we support!
Use the code REDARMY or RED ARMY to order your passes online, or contact Todd Meiners, Menace GM ( tcm@menacesoccer.com) for help with your season passes!
We look forward to having your help supporting our local Menace and taking the Red Army Supporters section to the next level this year! See you Friday and Saturday at Valley Stadium for home opener weekend!
Filed under: Family Fun, Supporter Culture, Uncategorized | Tags: kids, parenting, soccer mom, Stadium Language, supporters section
You may remember a while back, I posted about my son going to a Chicago Fire game and learning their song “Why Are You Such A Yellow F—ing Team?” I knew one day, he would hear the “Yellow Submarine” song it’s based off, and there would be some hilarious follow up story. I just hoped it wouldn’t involve a Principal’s Office.
Well, that day arrived Friday. My daughter’s school has All School Sings, where the school has an assembly and sings songs and shares what each classroom’s projects. This one was celebrating an art project that I had worked on, so I brought my son to the thank you ceremony. And as luck would have it, one of the songs for the day was “Yellow Submarine.”
My only regret is that I don’t have video to share of his sweet little face, as it morphed from excitement about the Sing, to recognition of the tune of “Yellow Submarine,” to the horrified look of further recognition that hundreds of kids were about to drop an F bomb, to finally sweet, blessed relief that there was a second set of lyrics to this tune. It was truly a priceless moment with him, and a great story for the dinner table that night.
I stand by our decision to bring the kids into Supporter’s Sections every chance we get. They get it. And then when one of our friends accidentally curses in front of them, they understand that there are some places where that language is acceptable, and many more where it’s not. That’s a lesson I’m to
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: kids, parenting, soccer mom, Stadium Language, supporters section
You may remember a while back, I posted about my son going to a Chicago Fire game and learning their song “Why Are You Such A Yellow F—ing Team?” I knew one day, he would hear the “Yellow Submarine” song it’s based off, and there would be some hilarious follow up story. I just hoped it wouldn’t involve a Principal’s Office.
Well, that day arrived Friday. My daughter’s school has All School Sings, where the school has an assembly and sings songs and shares what each classroom’s projects. This one was celebrating an art project that I had worked on, so I brought my son to the thank you ceremony. And as luck would have it, one of the songs for the day was “Yellow Submarine.”
My only regret is that I don’t have video to share of his sweet little face, as it morphed from excitement about the Sing, to recognition of the tune of “Yellow Submarine,” to the horrified look of further recognition that hundreds of kids were about to drop an F bomb, to finally sweet, blessed relief that there was a second set of lyrics to this tune. It was truly a priceless moment with him, and a great story for the dinner table that night.
I stand by our decision to bring the kids into Supporter’s Sections every chance we get. They get it. And then when one of our friends accidentally curses in front of them, they understand that there are some places where that language is acceptable, and many more where it’s not. That’s a lesson I’m totally happy to share with my kids. And no, son. You cannot sing the Yellow Team song at the dinner table because it’s part of the story.
Soccer....Family Style 