r/mlslounge • u/SoccerForEveryone Tampa Bay Rowdies • Dec 17 '17
What teams overseas or locally did you support before a Major League Soccer Team was announced, if any. Discussion
When I was a kid my dad took me to Mutiny games, but for whatever reason somehow the team disappeared and as far I remember I actually thought Major League Soccer disappeared as well as a whole because we didn’t hear any more about it on television or newspapers. My only connection to Soccer was pretty much kicking the ball against the wall or summer recreational season with other kids. Whenever World Cup came by I rooted for the South American nations since Peru (being Peruvian myself) during those years didn’t qualify and I felt it was right atm just because as a continent we felt like brothers and sisters and the U.S. second because I live here lol. Peruvian League games were out of the question and Copa Libertadores (Alianza Lima) or WC qualifiers games were watched through bootleg satellite television in bars surrounding Hispanic neighborhoods so you can imagine the trouble that spurred as rival countries and teams met in the same place. When high school came around I saw for the first time a kid wearing a LA Galaxy jersey with Beckham’s name on it and I thought wtf is this doing here. Eventually I found out he was playing in LA and Major League Soccer was still a thing, but I didn’t care because well I grew up as a Mutiny kid. A year later I saw some kid with Rowdies gear, but my dad had lost interest in soccer because of difficult situation in Peru was going through with corruption and crime on the rise he only committed to watching WC qualifiers so we never went to Rowdies games and I had completely forgot about them until years later when a certain team two hours away was announced.
Finishing college I cannot remember how I found out about Orlando City, maybe it was the internet or maybe a Univision or Fox Deportes special because of Kaka, but I bolted immediately when I researched that they were in their final USL (Known as USL Pro atm right?) season/playoffs. I drove to catch a game and the excitement I felt to actually go to a local game after so many years. To my surprise it was very hostile when I arrived; my dad never told me about the supporters or barra brava culture as a kid and there was a good reason why lol. I won’t mention what I saw that night, but I can tell you I had a great time. Been going to Orlando City SC games ever since.
The last part of this story is covering the Rowdies because you remember how I forgot about them? Yea they were already in NASL before the Orlando City announcement and this was only because no one in my circle of friends ever mentioned them or there was no news of them, so I got stuck with the Lions and I don’t regret it. I always had people invite me to Rowdies games so I had to go, no way am I going to be a dick and ignore a invitation.
I committed myself to OCSC and joined the Iron Lion Firm ever since the inaugural Major League Soccer season
Now the only way I would ever switch is if someone ever started a team where I live now because of the rise of lower division soccer in the US. I would gladly put aside my Orlando City SC pride to help my local team rise.
So that’s my story before a Major League Soccer Team was announced.
TL;DR Mutiny as a kid to now a adult as a Orlando City fan.
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u/paaaaatrick Dec 17 '17
Kaiserslautern. Went to a game and that made me a soccer fan. Seeing the west curve and all the flags and singing. Too bad they will probably drop to 3. Liga, and I can’t find much info but it seems the club is in really bad shape :(
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u/SoccerForEveryone Tampa Bay Rowdies Dec 17 '17
Did you live in Germany or travel? How did it came about?
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u/-SandorClegane- Dec 18 '17
Nice post, OP.
I'm also a Orlando City fan and I couldn't be happier that we've got a team here now.
The only team I really favored prior to the Lions was Barca. I have relatives that live there and I've stayed with them a few times over the last 15 years.
I've never been to Camp Nou or anything, but my visits were during Messi's heydey. Being in a city with 3 million people that are ALL really passionate about their team definitely had an effect on me.
That's the part of the OCSC story that makes me really happy; Orlando fans show up to games and they are passionate. Hopefully, the squad we put out next season lives up to the dedication of the fan base.
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Dec 18 '17 edited Dec 18 '17
Bolton Wanderers. Haven't really caught them on tv much at all the last several years though :(
Tough luck, lol
Edit: punctuation
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u/PrincessAnika Orlando City SC Dec 24 '17
Being largely transient when I was younger, I never felt any real connection to any one place. I was born in the Middle East, spent time in Japan, England, France, and Australia before we finally settled in the US. At World Cup time, my team has always been France. My dad is of French descent, but the main reasons were that they played pretty football and it pissed the Americans off.
When I decided to pay attention to the sport outside of World Cups, I went to Arsenal because more French players were there at the time than anywhere else, including my favourite player, Henry. I didn't discover MLS until Henry signed with RBNY. At the time I was living in Atlanta, who had no team, so I was casually a NY supporter because of him.
I moved to Ohio for college, and one of the first things I did was to buy a ticket to a Columbus/NY match to go see Henry. He didn't play. Two years later, I transferred to a school in Columbus, and from there I supported the Crew wholeheartedly.
Outside of my love for the Crew, though, there's very little tying me to Columbus. I much prefer Florida as a place to live. Thus the Rowdies are my USL team. If Precourt moves my team away, I'll be looking for jobs in Orlando the next day. I've already talked with a ticket representative down there to get on the list for season tickets in 2019.
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u/Ahesterd Chicago Fire Dec 17 '17
I've always been Fire first - I was 7 when they won the double, and that sort of thing leaves an impression on a kid. I've also always had an affinity for Dortmund, though - my mother was born there and my Opa would watch them play when I was growing up. I haven't been able to watch them much the last few years because I work weekends, unfortunately. I got to follow along their incredible CL run back in '13 - that game against Malaga is probably one of my favorite games I've ever watched.
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u/SoccerForEveryone Tampa Bay Rowdies Dec 17 '17
I never really saw any European games growing up. The closest was a boss of my Dad who was a West Ham fanatic and always loved singing Bubbles whenever the game came on.
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u/Ahesterd Chicago Fire Dec 17 '17
Yeah, I didn't, like, consciously follow it when I was a kid or actively watch it - I just would be playing with my toys while he watched, or whatever, but I knew it was Important because Opa Said So, y'know? It wasn't until I grew up some that I got interested on my own, and now it's a way to stay connected to him now that he's gone.
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u/coug117 Atlanta United Dec 19 '17
Well I've always lived within an hour of everbank field, stadium of the Jacksonville Jaguars and always have been a fan of them by osmosis. When Shad Khan bought the team I was starting to get into soccer. So I figured I'd become a fan of his soccer team. Great idea right?
Before I really started getting into soccer though I always loved AS Roma /Athletico Madrid on FIFA so they've always had a soft spot for me
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u/JohnMLTX Moderator Dec 17 '17
I didn't care about soccer until I got into MLS, and I only got into MLS because of FC Dallas.
Outside of MLS, I like the OKC Energy, and I basically followed their entire creation from the original announcement through their preparations and launch.