Tag Archives: san jose earthquakes

by | February 23, 2011 · 3:47 pm

Lost in translation

The pride of Essex took a pounding this week, not just when a bunch of visiting Yanks better known as the San Jose Earthquakes (which is a bloody stupid name, if you ask me) put a 3-0 whupping on my hometown XI, Colchester United. No, the worst of it was that the press release sent out by the visiting MLS team got the name of their English opponent wrong, alleging that the California tourists had posted a triumph over Colchesterville United. Whoops. That wouldn’t have gone down well with the Barside lads at Layer Road.

At The Rails feels it has to stand up for the little clubs like Col. U. After all, we’ve got a bunch of U’s fans whooping up a promotion-clinching victory up there on our banner at the top of the page. And among that Where’s Waldo of Escort-driving Essex lads and lasses are two of my cousins, including one who’s contributed to this site. So, stuff your corrected press-release, San Jose. I don’t even care that you’ve got a partnership with Tottenham and played this warm-up match at the Spurs Lodge in my home county. We of Colchester (and Colchesterville) all say sod off to Leicesterland, or wherever your next match is, and don’t come back.

Ian Harrison

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by | November 10, 2010 · 7:17 pm

Praise for MLS, but Toronto still in proper mess

High praise this week for MLS from veteran football reporter Gabriele Marcotti, who penned a piece in The Times of London that said the North American soccer circuit “has grown into a proper league with proper fans.”

I’d love to link to Marcotti’s piece, which describes contrasting experiences at two New York games, the first in year one of the league and a return trip for this season’s Red Bulls playoff game against San Jose, year 15 of MLS. But The Times website is subscription only, so I’ll just clip his final two paragraphs for your reading pleasure:

When MLS was launched, the founders talked abut growing the league slowly, from the bottom up, putting stability above all else. In that regard, it’s mission accomplished. The other part of the challenge wasn’t just about pushing football – the multitude of European and South American games on TV and the web can more than satisfy the armchair supporter – it was about peddling the real-life experience of going to games and creating a fan culture specific to MLS. Here, too, they’re well on their way.

The biggest difference between 1996 and 2010? 2010 feels real.

Kind words, to be sure. But while MLS may be a proper league and, in cities like Toronto, draws proper fans, those fans don’t always get to watch proper football. They might when the MLS Cup comes to BMO Field on Nov. 21, but they seldom do whenever TFC takes the pitch.

Juergen Klinsmann and his SoccerSolutions company have been called on to solve the woes of our local lads by serving as consultants during the hiring processes for a new coach and general manager. The German will make his first trip to Toronto on Thursday afternoon to outline his plans for world domination successful football by the shores of Lake Ontario. We’ll check back tomorrow with a look at what he says.

At The Rails

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