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Philadelphia Union Year(s) Founded The Sons of Ben supporters group formed in 2007 to gather support for a Philly-based team and show that Philly had a passion for soccer. The league created the Philadelphia Union as the 16th MLS team in 2008 and kicked off play in 2010. The upcoming season will be the Union’s fourth season in MLS Union aside, soccer has a great history in the greater Philadelphia area. From the five time U.S. Open Cups champs Bethlehem Steel F.C. and the Philadelphia Fury/Atoms of the old NASL, to the greats Len Oliver and Archie Stark, many memorable teams and players have called the Philly area home. The Union look to continue this great tradition by (hopefully) wining trophies and show that soccer fanatics exist outside of Cascadia. Owner Jay Sugarman technically owns and bankrolls the team, but for all intents and purposes in just a guy who exists. May or may not have any actual money. The “face/brains” of the front office/ownership is CEO Nick Sakiewicz. Nick has a long history with MLS serving as an executive with the clubs formerly known as Tampa Bay Mutiny and New York Metrostars. He’s a guy who does stuff and has a mixed reaction, mostly due to the Nowak debacle and having a reputation of not spending money. This past offseason put a stop to that and time will tell if the moves he made were any good Manager  John “Hack” Hackworth The current manager of the Union is John Hackworth. A member of the Union from day one as the assistant manager, he took over as interim manager midway through the 2012 season after the sacking of Peter Nowak. Earning himself the permanent job by not being an asshat, the team finished the season with marked improvement. The 2013 season was mediocre at best with high levels of inconsistently throughout. Though one could argue he was still dealing with Nowak’s players and thusly limited (which is true), he still was at fault for other issues. (CRUUUUUUUUUUUUZ  )It is now 2014 and it is the first time this is Hackworth’s team, with Hackworth’s players, playing Hackworth soccer, whatever this is. Expectations are high and Hack is on a stealth hot seat this year. If its around the ASB and the Union are languishing in the bottom half of the East, Hackworth may want to send out his CV. Kit  The Union got some new jerseys for the 2014 season. Featuring the same blue/tan color scheme as past iterations, the jerseys are now sporting gold pinstripes. Home kits are a darker blue than last year and more gold. Away kit is basically the same with electric blue and white The Union’s killer third jerseys are a homage/throwback to the great early 20th century club Bethlehem Steel F.C. They are awesome and ball so hard. Up the Irons.  Stadium  PPL Park PPL Park is a beautiful soccer specific stadium in Chester, PA, that seats 18,500 fans. The “River End,” the section of the stadium that sits on the Delaware River, is the exclusive Sons of Ben supporters section. The Commodore Barry Bridge can be seen from The River End, and it is a generally awesome bridge. PPL was the home of the 2012 MLS All-Star Game v Chelsea, which featured this memorable moment.  Cons: Chester is a shithole. Do not go to Chester. (Except for Union games) Oh, and The Union may or may not owe the City of Chester back taxes due to the construction/use of PPL Park. I think they don’t, but Union finances are a mystery Significant Achievements Uh… The same number of MLS Cups as New York and New England  Supporters Groups Sons of Ben -  The original, and biggest, Union supporters group, they are the primary reason Philly has a team of their own. Formed to show support for Philly area soccer (and troll new York on the side), MLS decided these guys would be a killer fan base and the SoB’s got themselves a team. Noted goon aBagorn was a member of the original SoB’s way back in their humble 2007 beginnings. As a gift from the Union FO, the SoB’s have their own specific section of PPL, “The River End.” The SoB’s have a bit of a reputation as assholes, thanks to being loud, brash, abusive, and passionate. [timg]http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2011-02/04/gq-sport-america-mls-philadelphia-football-soccer-hooligans]They were the subject of this hilarious GQ article[/timg] and are the subject of the documentary Sons of Ben, hopefully premiering on June 15 this year. Other Groups  (The IllegitimateS) – The IllegitimateS are an offshoot of the SoB’s they are residents of section 133, normally the away fan section, they exist to “defend the corner” from the away support. (The Bearfight Brigade) – Another group that has origins in the SoB’s, they take their name from the “Bearfight” drinking game. They sit in Section 136, but they have members all over. (I think) (The Bridge Crew) – Not a SoB offshoot, The Bridge Crew was formed by a RSL ex-pat in Section 120/121. A more “Family Friendly” SG, maybe. (eh)Fan Culture DOOP – The Union’s goal chant/song. After a goal, the Union play Maria by Scooter. And the fans chant along to the part of the song that goes “doop doop doop.” The Philadelphia Flyers YSA – When the opposing goalie takes a goal kick, the River End chants “You Suck rear end in a top hat.” While this happens everywhere in MLS, Philly gets more of a bad rap for this than any other club for some reason Stache Bash/Help Kick Hunger/River Cup – Charitable efforts set up by the SoB’s/Union management. Very successful, raised a decent chunk of money for their causes. Historical Rivals NE Corridor Hatefest gently caress New England -  gently caress New York -  gently caress DC -  RIP FarfansEverybody Hates Philly -  Notable Current Players  Sebastien “Seba” Le Toux The Union’s record holder in just about every offensive category, Seba is an original Union and arguably the “face” of the franchise. After a one year Nowak-induced exile, Le Toux retued for 2013 to much fanfare. Seba changed his game a bit from a do-it-all center forward to an assist producing right-winger hybrid player. Le Toux is getting older though and it remains to be seen how much longer he can produce at a high level.  John Seamus “Jack ‘Jack’ Mac” McInerney Last season’s breakout player, JackMac started the season with 10 goals in 14 games and earned a call-up to the US Gold Cup squad. Unfortunately for him, he got benched in favor of Chris loving Wondoloswki and this destroyed his confidence and he only scored two more goals the entire season. In a contract year and with a new quality midfield behind him, it is JackMac’s time to shine. He should have plenty of chances to convert and prove himself a top tier MLS goal scorer.  Maurice “Mo” Edu 2007 MLS Rookie of the year and occasional member of the USMNT, Edu has ended his European adventures and came home to America in search of a plane ticket to Brazil. He was a superb box-to-box midfielder for TFC and hopefully will be again for Philly. The big prize for Phily during the offseason, he cost a Jeff Parke to trade up for, so he better deliver. (Seattle and TFC didn’t need to trade-up for Deuce/Bradley. gently caress off MLS you calvinball motherfuckers) Also a pro at the Twitter thing. Notable Former Players Carlos Ruiz – gently caress this guy. Now on DC. gently caress DC even more. Best thing he ever did was get kicked by Ricardo Clark.  Danny “Captain” Califf – The original Union captain, Califf was exiled by Nowak because… After stints with Chivas and TFC, Danny Califf has functionally retired. While there were attempts by management to bring him back, things did not work out. Hope remains he will return to the Union as a coach or something Carlos Valdes – A Pretty drat good center back who hosed off to Columbia in order to improve his chances of a plane ticket to Brazil. He went on a yearlong loan to Sante Fe last year and a six month loan to somebody this year. Supposedly, Philly fans will see him again, but I’m not holding my breath Freddy Adu – One time American wunderkid, now pariah. Kicked out of Philly by Philly to Bahia, he sucked there and got cut. Last seen wondering the streets of Blackpool Farfan Wonder Twins – Marfan and Garfan. Grafan was traded to Chivas last season and Marfan was sold to Cruz Azul over the winter. The Union will be far less farfantastic without them. Say what you will about their style of play and combativeness, they always made games vs DC a blast to watch. You will be missed Thoughts on the current roster After much whining from the fans after the team not seemingly doing anything except selling off players, the Union shocked us all with a flurry of high-level moves in the span of a week. First was Chaico Maidana, a Argentinian DP midfielder bringing Latin flair to the club. Next was Mauie Edu, a box-to-box midfielder with MLS dominance and high expectations. Finally was the transfer in of Sochaux’s captain, Vincent Nogueria, another ball-winning midfielder. Add in the addition of Austin Berry, 2012 MLS Rookie of the Year, a few weeks later and the Union have remade the team in time for 2014 Despite some errors, Zac MacMath made a huge improvement during the latter half of the season and looked to have a grasp of the starting GK job. He finished last year with the third most clean sheets in the league, a good defensive record. But the Union surprised everybody by trading up in the draft to select Andre Blake, the “LeBron James of goalkeeping.” The team now has two young, talented keepers that both need playing time. A GOALTENDER CONTROVERSEY. MacMath is starting the season, for now, but Andre Blake is looking to usurp his job at the first sign of weakness. I expect one of them to be traded to Vancouver sooner or later. Despite being drafted as a defensive midfielder, Amobi Okugo has developed into a top tier MLS centerback and looks likely to stay there for a while. Last year’s partner, Jeff Parke is with DC now and the Union brough in former rookie of the year Austin Berry to replace him. The Okugo-Berry partnership has the potential to be one of MLS’ best. At RB is the criminally underrated Sheanon Williams, speed demon and long throw-in master. LB is the hole in the Union’s defesne with Fabinho and Ray Gaddis splitting time. Fabinho is a natural left footer while Gaddis is maybe the best back-up RB in the league. Both don’t offer much defensively but the left foot of Fabinho is marginally more useful. Expect Fabinho at LB and Gaddis at RB for now, because Williams is injured. Notable back-ups: Ray Gaddis, Richie Marquez Last year’s midfield was objectively terrible. Players out of position, players with no creativity, very lethargic, and Danny Cruz were all huge issues with the team. The new additions of Maidana, Edu, and Nogueira were brought in to fix this, and on name recognition alone, looks to be the answer. I do wonder how they will gel however. The biggest question is what to with Brian Caroll. His primary skills have been made redundant with Edu and Nogueira doing the same things Carroll does, but better. The solution is drop Carroll for Riberio, but Carroll is the club captain however, and has a zero percent chance of being dropped anytime soon. The expected midfield trio of Edu, Nogueria, and Carroll are all good at winning the ball, but have little offensive spark between them. Maidana will start on the left wing. Notable back-ups: Pedro Riberio, Danny Cruz At forward, the Union have a couple good options that can score goals. The before mentioned JackMac and Seba Le Toux remain the primary options. Experienced MLS vet Conor Casey hangs around to throw his big, fat, bald body at opposing center backs. Antoine Hoppenot remains to come off the bench around the 60th minute to harass and annoy the other team as MLS’ best super-sub. With the new midfield, the Union forwards won’t be hurting for chances and it’s up to JackMac and co. to convert them. Playing Style This is now officially Hackworth’s team, with Hackworth’s players to play Hackworth’s soccer. What is “Hackworth’s soccer”? Good question. No one really knows. The Union have always been a reactive type of team dating back to day 1. The opponent style has generally dictated how the Union have played for most of the clubs history. The new additions signify an emphasis on possession soccer, which is a good thing, though the style will be different from, say, the Vermes-KC style. The Union are the Stoke City of MLS. With a heavy dose of physicality (RIP Farfans) and long-throw-ins, Philly make a good clone of the Fightin’ Tony Pulis’. The Union have never been good at width and wing play and one thing MLS as a whole is good at is crowding the center of the pitch. Wide play must be something the Union focuses on this year and they have the talent to do it. Will they?  Defending set pieces is also a must-do. Cause drat, are they bad at that. Expect to see the below lineup as the opening day players vs Portland. Though Gaddis will probably get the start at RB because Williams is hurt Thoughts on Previous Season  Last year was a disappointment. Despite starting off strong, general inconsistencies and an inability to hold leads doomed the team to just missing the playoffs. There were some good signs (JackMac getting a call-up, Okugo’s emergence, Seba coming back) and some bad (the midfield, blown leads, no definitive style of play). The 2013 Union were a flawed team that despite the flaws, could have done better, but didn’t. But 2013 was 2013 and it is now 2014.  Thoughts on Upcoming Season Cautious Optimism. The 2014 Philadelphia Union are a new look Union team not previously seen before. The additions of the Midfield Three and Austin Berry have added a buzz to the Union within the team and around the city. Playoffs are a must. But there still are a few questions? How quickly will the new midfield gel? Who will play left back? Will JackMac regain the form that got him a Gold Cup call-up or will be the young, slumping striker who sulks a lot. This is the most talented team in Union history. Expectations are high and it’s all on Hackworth. Prediction: 4th in the East. Compare your team to a Kyle Beckerman's Bare Thrusting rear end Stoke City The Peter Nowak Memorial Award For Complete and Utter Incompetence and Douchebaggery 2010 Toni Stahl Memorial Red Card 2011 Carlos Ruiz, the human fish 2012  Peter “Feelings are not part of my job description” Nowak May we never speak his name again 2013  Freddy Adu and being real bad SomethingAwful Union Supporters aBagorn Badfinger DOOP (double) sulk Gin Soaked Ape Lamont Cranston rex rabidorum vires Xenoletum (SOB/DD) Your Weird Uncle (anyone else let me know and I'll add you) Why You Should Root For the Union 1. Everybody Hates Philly 2. We Have A Sweet Bridge 3. Cool Latin Phrases 4. Williams-Farfan-Motercycle.jpg 5. We Cheat on Our Taxes 6. Everybody Hates Philly 
Nissin Cup Nudist fucked around with this message at 02:29 on Mar 11, 2014 |
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Mar 8, 2014 20:36
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Built 2/3 of a team, saw it was 11:27, scrambled to autocomplete and joined the league as SA Meat Commission. All glory to the Portland midfield. Also, do we have a matchday/month/whatever thread yet? Also-also, I trust I didn't miss anything important around these parts in the offseason?
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Mar 8, 2014 20:37
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I thought I heard that KC and as sending 400 supporters to this game? There are not 400 people up there.
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Mar 8, 2014 20:39
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I like the Seattle Sounders and wish them success this year. I wish the opposite on the Portland Timbers.
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Mar 8, 2014 20:40
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Sounders bought our Shalrie Joseph's contract 
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Mar 8, 2014 20:45
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March GDT yay MLS
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Mar 8, 2014 20:47
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In today's edition of a good marketing plan, Pablo Mastroeni is now the Rapids head coach. And I'm here at the Celtic now, great turnout.
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Mar 8, 2014 20:54
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 DC United - America and God’s Team History: DC United is, historically speaking, the greatest club in MLS history. Having won 4 MLS Cups, 3 US Open 2-Girls-1-Cups, 8 Atlantic Trophies, 1 CONCACAF Champions Cup, 1 Copa Interamericana and 4 Supporter’s Shields, DC United has more trophies than the following teams combined: Seattle, Portland, New York, Chicago, Montreal, Vancouver, Chivas, Colorado, FC Dallas, Columbus and Philadelphia. DC United has also been represented by some of the best players in MLS history including but not limited to Marco Etcheverry, Jeff Agoos, Ben Olsen, Jaime Moreno, Christian Gomez, Dwayne DeRosario, Nick Rimando, Andy Najar, Lionard Pajoy and 2-game superstar Thor Lee.  Imagine the alleged history of the Seattle Sounders, dating back to, according to some Cascadian scholars, the Stone Age- with all its supposed lore and honour. Now imagine that history condensed into 19 years and it isn’t totally imaginary and the team in question actually won real awards. That’s DC United. DC United owns. MLS Cup 1996 (MLS Cup I) and other cups available online in their complete glory. You will see the glory and the football lines in all of their magnificence! Uniforms and Sponsor (Leidos) DC went ‘plain’ this year, reducing their uniforms to something fairly generic, along with adding a new sponsor following the withdrawal of financial support from VW. Please ignore the fact that our sponsor has poisoned the environment and covered it up; undertaken billion dollar contracts they failed to fulfill completely (and intentionally) and create weapons of rear end destruction- at least we don’t have a mid-level marketing scam for a sponsor, right?  Crest As seen in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."  Stadium - RFK DC United plays at a decrepit pit of a hole in the ground, RFK Stadium. A multi-use stadium, intended primarily for Baseball and Football, DC United pays exorbitant rent to occupy this dump.  It’s falling apart and no one wants to or can renovate it due to the politics surrounding the dream of returning the Washington Redskins American Football team to the district from the Suburbs of Maryland.  This is the latest computer generated prediction of RFK stadium in 5 years.  However, there are of course plans to build a new stadium at Buzzard Point in South DC. New renderings have been released of the stadium and negotiations are underway, with support from some actors in the DC Mayor’s Office and City Council. Some opposition has emerged due to Mayoral Elections, and some anti-spending activists have emerged to counter the project regardless of the financial benefits to the city, which is experiencing a massive budget surplus.  The only current issue (aside from DC politics and mayoral race of course) associated with the complicated land swap that would result in the stadium is appropriate compensation of a small scrapyard that stays open by selling dank weed out of their back lot. Leidos is of course helpful here. quote:
Coach – Ben Olsen  Ben Olsen is a hero to DC United fandom. He helped us secure several trophies and he has brittle knees, which I am told is very attractive to women. His wife is hot. Olsen spent the 2013 season basically creating a case study for the decline into depression game after game: A typical Ben Olsen press conference. Olsen became temporary coach after Onalfo poo poo the bed. He was retained due to his legacy with the club- allowing him to get a pass from fans and pundits alike because, hey, who can be mad at Ben Olsen? Olsen’s strategy, “Benny Ball,” boils down to long ball passes from defenders or outside backs, and limited midfield play. He values strongly the hold up play of guys who can’t score and benches players who can score but do not ‘play defense.’ The following pie chart depicts fairly clearly the traits Olsen values in his players:  Assistant Coach Chad Ashton Chad Ashton is a big poser idiot. He knows nothing about soccer. He was hired from lower rank college soccer where he had a sub .500 record. He also seems to just stand around in the same coaches poses pretending to be doing work.    Rivals I use rivalry loosely here, because real rivalries require both teams to actually be good and contest for awards. The primary rivals of DC United are the New York Redbulls of Harrison New Jersey, New England Revs, and the Philadelphia Union, who, up until a few years ago, were all fans of DC United anyway. Looking Forward – 2014 – The Team DC United is coming off, statistically speaking, the worst season in MLS history. They earned less points in total than any team earned from home games alone in 2013. They spent more in dollars for each point than any team in the league (230,000 per point) by a wide margin. Let us never forget the 1000 minute stretch where DC United did not score in the run of play. Yes, 1000 minutes. Significant turnover in players, particularly on defense provides some hope for the future. However, very little was done with the midfield, and DC's wingers remain injury prone and 'untested.' Expect better defense, but only slightly higher scoring potential. Notable roster changes for 2014 Out Dejan Jakovic Lionard Pajoy Ethan White Dwayne DerOldsario John Mr. Glass Thorrington In Eddie “Grown rear end Man” Johnson  Davy “Poutine” Arnaud Fabian Espindola Jeff Parke Christian (HE'S SPANISH HE MUST BE GOOD RIGHT? Also, broke his hand the first day of practice) Sean "Runs Funny" Franklin  X-Factors Chris Pontius’s Groin  Nick DeLeon’s Cheeseburger Consumption  Eddie Johnson’s Locker Room Presence  Can DC United put in a cross without falling down?  Supporters Groups of DC United  Screaming Eagles District Ultras La Norte La Barra Brava Quiet Side Poser Squad – AKA The Groupon Goon Squad Supporters sit on the side with sections 132 and 231 and 333, for reference. SIT AROUND HERE IF YOU GO TO A GAME Supporters on SomethingAwful.com NattyBo XyrlocShammypants Howdy Rammstein Prototype Guppy FancyAssHo JoshtotheMaxx Celebrity Supporters of DC United Barack Obama The Dalai Lama Jennifer Lawrence Jesus of Nazareth The Pope Samuel L Jackson The guy who makes my coffee at Starbucks every morning If you like DC, you may want to visit the following sites: DC United on Facebook DC United on Twitter Soccer Insider at the Washington Post Steven Goff on Twitter United Mania Podcast and articles DC United at BigSoccer.com DC United at SoccerbyIves If you’re a homer idiot who doesn’t like to think critically you can visit BlackandRedUnited blog Shammypants fucked around with this message at 23:46 on Mar 8, 2014 |
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Mar 8, 2014 22:40
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NattyBo posted:Just thought you guys should know that DC United will win a match of Association Football, today. You must be thinking of a different DC United, because the Crew is in town today.
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Mar 8, 2014 22:45
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DOOP posted:This continues to be my most enduring contribution to this forum
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Mar 8, 2014 23:05
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Everything is as it should be,
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Mar 8, 2014 23:32
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Deal with it, no-point-havers!
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Mar 8, 2014 23:33
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I'm okay with that Eastern Conference.
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Mar 8, 2014 23:35
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Oh hey, raise your hand if you also had Barrett on the bench in Fantasy today?
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Mar 9, 2014 00:25
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 Team Name Colorado Rapids Year Founded 1996 Manager Hello there, Pablo.  Former US Men's National Team and Rapids legend Pablo Mastroeni was officially named head coach of the Rapids today. Oscar Pareja was going to be Colorado's head coach, but then some stuff happened that's probably best not to talk about. (  we got a draft pick for him) There are some people who are trying to claim that the team had no head coach for the past several months. These people are dumb; Pablo has been doing all the duties of a full-time head coach since the preseason started. The only thing that changed is that his interim tag got torn off and now I won't be able to laugh at the more hilarious members of the Rapids fanbase talking about how the team is surely dissolving from the inside because of the lack of legitimacy surrounding the coaching hire. Anyway, how he'll do as a head coach is up for debate. There has obviously been success in terms of former players taking over teams before (Petke, Kreis, Vermes) but his lack of coaching experience might mean we're in for a bumpy ride his first year. Or they could win the Supporters' Shield like Petke did. Probably best not to count on that. Uniform  The Rapids may be a middling team on the field, but they've always had some ace shirts, at least since they went through their most recent rebrand back in 2007. Both shirts this year cover up the lack of a shirt sponsor with an embossed 'C' reminiscent of the Colorado flag. We're big on state pride in the Mile High City. Stadium  Ah, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, aka 'THE DICK'. It's the shining gem of Commerce City, Colorado. (There is nothing else in Commerce City, Colorado.) It's the largest soccer complex in the country and is one of the nicer SSS in the league. It's a bit of a cut/paste sort of stadium, and it's about 20 minutes from Denver proper, but it's home. The biggest flaw with the stadium is the fact that it's got way too much open air and is horribly built for keeping sound in. If the Supporters Group sounds quieter than in other stadiums, it's less because C38 doesn't have enough people and more because of that. Significant Achievements MLS Cup Champions: 2010 MLS Cup Runners-Up: 1997 Open Cup Runners-Up: 1999 The Rapids are probably the most middling team in MLS history. They've almost never been really bad, but they've only had a few seasons where they've been decent to good. ('05, '06, '10, '13 are the four years that come to mind.) As such, it's not a surprise that their list of accomplishments is short. Historical Rivalries Honestly, there's really only one true rival for the Rapids. The rest are all minor. Real Salt Lake - They've got one dad, they've got 10 moms, and they're mad because they live in a shithole and we don't. People from Utah and Colorado naturally hate each other, sports be damned, so it was a match made in heaven for one of the most fierce rivalries in MLS when they joined the league. After the Rapids easily took home the Rocky Mountain Cup the first two seasons, RSL dominated and held it every year until last year. Now, the Rapids have it back, which mysteriously resulted in RSL fans on twitter claiming they never really cared that much about it. (Whether they will ever choose to care about the other 30 trophies they've lost in the last several years is yet to be seen.) Both teams now have new head coaches and are going through some player changes, so this rivalry should see even more heat in the coming years. FC Dallas - Every game since the 2010 MLS Cup has been a good one. Dallas was mad when the Rapids took Oscar Pareja away from them, and now they've got him back in return for a draft pick (did I mention ?) and some cash. Both teams have the potential to be good and now, with the Rapids keeping Pareja's old style through a new era, they'll both be playing similar styles of soccer. Should be fun to watch when the two meet again.Sporting Kansas City - Just kidding. Supporter's Groups  Centennial 38 - A few years back, the Rapids had three groups: Bulldog Supporters, the Pid Army, and Class VI. Unfortunately, there were a lot of stupid people causing a lot of in-fighting between the groups. Eventually, the Supporters' Terrace was merged and the groups merged as well, creating the more harmonious Centennial 38. C38 is a pretty cool bunch of dudes. Notable Former Players Pablo Mastroeni - We covered this earlier. Paul Bravo - Played a lot of games in MLS, most of them for the Rapids. Currently their technical director. John Spencer - Was not very good as the Manager of the Timbers. Scottish as gently caress. Robin Fraser - Was not very good as the Manager of Chivas USA. Plays defensive as gently caress. Marcelo Balboa - Was very good for the USMNT for a long time, liked to attempt bicycle kicks. Currently does play by play for the Rapids. Might be head coach of Colorado's new USL team, the Switchbacks. Chris Henderson - Technical Director of the Seattle Sounders. Conor Casey - Now with Philly, the best striker in Colorado Rapids history. Left because the Rapids didn't want to pay him $400,000 a year anymore to sit injured on the bench. Notable Current Players We like to call them the RapKids. Chris Klute - The best left back in MLS last year, probably the future of the USMNT at the spot as well if he can keep rising. Dillon Powers - The American Xavi. Surprised everyone by storming into the league and being the consensus Rookie of the Year in 2013 as a central attacking midfielder. Deshorn Brown - The prodigal Jamaican son. Scored 10 goals last year on about 3,000 shots, should raise and lower those numbers respectively this year. Came in second in Rookie of the Year. Clint Irwin - Twitter legend and pretty darn good goalie as well. If he ever makes an MLS Cup final, will probably do what Jimmy Neilsen did with the piece of paper in the PK shootout, but unironically. Gabriel Torres - The best player in last year's Gold Cup, and the first Rapids Designated Player. Did this last year, will probably have to do that again a few times if the Rapids want to make the playoffs in 2014. Playing style A very fun to watch 4-2-3-1 that they're keeping from the Oscar Pareja years. They enjoy playing a style that encourages possession in the back and quick attacks up top, with a dazzling display of runs to create isolation and open players in the box for crosses to meet. If the team's finishing is better this year (dear god please) it should translate into lots of goals. Oscar Pareja single-handedly ruined this style several times last year by playing too conservatively and starting noted slow guys Atiba Harris and Nick Labrocca at forward. Hopefully, Pablo does not make that same mistake. Thoughts on the Current Roster It's young and appears to lack depth... again. That worked out last year, but I think we all know it was a bit lightning-in-a-bottle. The main core of the team is mostly those kids that did so well last year, and a sophomore slump or three will probably knock this team down a few pegs. If the Rapids fail to grow much this year it will probably be because of that, not because of anything that Mastroeni does as coach. Thoughts on the Previous Season Colorado surprised the hell out of everyone last year with the rise of the RapKids, and would probably be considered Shield contenders this year had Pareja stuck around. Thoughts on the Upcoming Season It's tough to say where this team will end up. I could see them finishing as high as third or as low as eighth. If there is no bad injury bug like last year, if Pablo is at least a passable manager, if Jose Mari (the only big signing of the off-season) lives up to the hype and if the offense finally goes from being frustrating to unlocking their potential, this team should be in the playoffs. It's a delicate balance, though. Supporters Shenanigans Behold, the Colorado Rapids fan in his natural environment.  Compare your team to a Kyle Beckerman's Bare Thrusting rear end If left out in zero degree weather for a few hours, it would likely resemble our secondary shirts a bit. SA Forums representatives UZworm The Boy Blunder Moktaro Riven Star Man Gutbomb I know there's at least one more... UZworm fucked around with this message at 20:05 on Mar 14, 2014 |
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Mar 9, 2014 00:39
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Sounders FC trip report: 1) Love my new under cover seats. Have fun in the rain, suckers. 2) KC fans must like the concourse, because they were pretty sparse until kickoff. Pretty impressive showing though. Not sure if they tried to chant or make any noise, but I didn't hear them at all. Guess they were watching the game or some other nonsense. 3) Offense sucked. 4) LOL Chad Barrett. 5) LOL tifo deployment problems. Good concept, poor execution. I feel bad for all the people that put in time making that thing.
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Mar 9, 2014 01:22
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Casey was not better than Wee Man.  Otherwise good writeup, agreed that Pareja could be his own worst enemy at times.
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Mar 9, 2014 02:15
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tk posted:Sounders FC trip report: I was wrapped up in kit, sweater, trench coat, wool socks, hot pink Docs, and Seahawks poncho. Nearly everything in my purse was wrapped in plastic. I had to nearly argue for an Accessibility Row seat, despite, you know, DISABLED, and then having them let in some standing drunk guys a few minutes later. I made a babushka out of the blue plastic we were supposed to hold up as part of the tifo, because my thick skicap was already soaked through. Half the time, I couldn't see through my glasses. If I pitched or yawed my head, water cascaded down my neck, and when I tried to eat my salmon onigiri, the dried seaweed stuck to my poncho like Elmer's glue on construction paper. So did the Jello green paper streamers. I lost my La Barra Fuerza Verde bandana. I could see my breath. And then, in the 93rd minute, the Sounders scored   I had a fantastic time; I really needed this  Oh yeah - the two for one deal at Chipolte also really helped. Now I have Student Chow for the next couple of days.
Qu Appelle fucked around with this message at 03:09 on Mar 9, 2014 |
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Mar 9, 2014 03:02
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Yeah, Seattle looked *soggy* today. Was it raining particularly hard, or was it just the typical March drizzle that won't ever stop and oh god why is it still so gray Jesus there are still three more months of this poo poo I'm going to die? I'm a born and raised Washingtonian but there are some pluses to living on the east coast.
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Mar 9, 2014 04:20
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MechaFrogzilla posted:Yeah, Seattle looked *soggy* today. Was it raining particularly hard, or was it just the typical March drizzle that won't ever stop and oh god why is it still so gray Jesus there are still three more months of this poo poo I'm going to die? It varied, but certainly by the end of the game it was raining hard. I'm barely under the roof, so I only noticed the rain when I was going to get more beer.
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Mar 9, 2014 04:39
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I'm down in front on the South End and it pissed down through the entire second half, watering my beer to a level even we Americans cannot appreciate. One of the rainier games I've been to, but not as bad as that Portland game two years ago where it just bucketed nonstop the whole time. About halfway through the game my coat started leaking in the neckline and sleeves, plus shunted all the water onto my legs, so it was a pretty damp outing.
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Mar 9, 2014 04:53
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gently caress SOCCER until next week
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Mar 9, 2014 04:54
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MechaFrogzilla posted:Yeah, Seattle looked *soggy* today. Was it raining particularly hard, or was it just the typical March drizzle that won't ever stop and oh god why is it still so gray Jesus there are still three more months of this poo poo I'm going to die? It was in between 'normal misty showers that last for 56 days oh god oh god why' and 'torrential downpour'. Also - it's still raining, that heavily, and not predicted to stop for hours. It's also been raining continuously since 10 am or so.
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Mar 9, 2014 05:04
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Hoover Dam posted:gently caress SOCCER  it's been a rough footie day 
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Mar 9, 2014 05:19
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Hoover Dam posted:gently caress SOCCER until next week This, but for completely different reasons
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Mar 9, 2014 05:19
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request, nay, order this be added to the Crew intro under fan highlights
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Mar 9, 2014 05:20
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Hoover Dam posted:gently caress SOCCER until next week At least I got out this time without a copy of your dental records. 
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Mar 9, 2014 05:23
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I wish it was warm enough to rain, gently caress you
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Mar 9, 2014 05:24
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Hoover Dam posted:request, nay, order this be added to the Crew intro under fan highlights This is amazing.
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Mar 9, 2014 05:25
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Hungryjack posted:At least I got out this time without a copy of your dental records. Hah, oh, man, I'd forgotten about that. Good times, good times. DoHimJob posted:This is amazing. Isn't it? Lot going on there.
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Mar 9, 2014 05:26
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Hoover Dam posted:
I'm still looking at it. I can't stop.
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Mar 9, 2014 05:28
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Hoover Dam posted:Hah, oh, man, I'd forgotten about that. Good times, good times. Its no yankeesfans.gif, I can tell you that
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Mar 9, 2014 05:35
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As a Crew fan who didn't make the trip to DC, I have no idea what's going on in Bathroom_Pic.jpg. That said, go Crew.
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Mar 9, 2014 05:40
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JAY YOU SUCK JAY BAD TEAM Fagundez is too good for this circus of turds
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Mar 9, 2014 06:06
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I wish to die.
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Mar 9, 2014 06:32
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LA should have won 3-0 over RSL, yet at the same time they should have lost 2-0. their finishing + replacement refs
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Mar 9, 2014 06:36
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So which of the replacement refs did an OK job today? I thought Kelly was pretty good, if a little whistlehappy.
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Mar 9, 2014 06:43
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Was Taters posted:So which of the replacement refs did an OK job today? I thought Kelly was pretty good, if a little whistlehappy. The guy who did Philly-Portland didn't seem to do that bad of a job.
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Mar 9, 2014 06:50
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Was Taters posted:So which of the replacement refs did an OK job today? I thought Kelly was pretty good, if a little whistlehappy. Houston game wasn't bad. I really didn't feel like it was below the standard of MLS reffing that I'm used to.
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Mar 9, 2014 06:59
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| # ? May 12, 2024 15:32 |
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Kelly and Ioannis Stavro-greek-guy-whatever are probably the two most experienced scabs PRO got, not surprising they had decent games. Probably in a day or two I'll feel like there were a lot of good points to take from that game and a lot of reasons to be optimistic for the season, but I pretty much want to die also
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Mar 9, 2014 07:02
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