This past week, business took me to Southern California. Luckily, there was an MLS game during my stay and I was able to finally visit the much heralded "Cathedral of the MLS" -- aka the Home Depot Center.
I haven't been to many MLS stadia, which I hope to rectify over time. I've been to Robertson (of course) and the Cotton Bowl (which the Burn have since vacated), so I don't have much to compare to the HDC. It is a very nice facility and easily better than the Dynamo's home. The seating is nice, with excellent sight lines. The luxury suites are, well, luxurious and of the highest standard. (I swear I saw a shaggy B-list star in one, but I just can't place the face exactly.) There are lots of snack bars, lots of Galaxy-related artwork festooning the place, and restrooms that don't look like they belong in a backwater prison. The field is large (which I prefer) and pristine -- no sign of the X-games on this night.
I came across a parking lot that was down Victoria Street a bit, along Birch Knoll Dr. It posted a $15 fee, which is $5 more than the stadium parking around Robertson. I thought parking any closer to the stadium would involve even higher costs, so I took it. This involved quite a hike through the campus of California State University-Domnguez Hills, and across the parking lots fronting the eastern edge of the stadium. Thankfully, the weather was cool and crisp.
I circled the stadium before finding will call (at the North Gate if you're interested). I got in line just as the gates opened, an hour and a half before game time. A couple from San Jose was in front of me and noticed the Dynamo hat and shirt I was sporting. We got to talking about the old Earthquakes, the new team starting out in San Jose next year, and how we hoped RBNY would end LA's dream that night. The couple had been to several Quake games before the move. They would travel down to watch them play LA in the HDC. In LA, they were able to stay with other supporters in the same hotel as the team, and would even have drinks with the players after the game in the hotel lounge. On Sundays when the Reserve team had a game, the fans would mingle with the first team players and their families in a picnic-style environment at an ordinary field where the game was held. Sounds like good times, and I can clearly see why the fans were sad to see the team go.
But while the fan support was ardent, it wasn't widespread. The couple mentioned that there were season openers where only 6,000 people showed up, and there was absolutely no media coverage whatsoever. They have been really impressed with how the team has been accepted by the Houston fans and covered by the Houston media. Last year the couple rooted for the Dynamo, but this year they said the team was Houston's team, and they're looking forward to next year's return of the Quakes. They do hope they're able to pilfer a few of their former players though.
I took a counter-clockwise ramble around the stadium. Besides the concessions and souvenirs, there were vendor booths and a local band was playing -- kind of like what Houston has outside its stadium. I grabbed one of the free t-shirts commemorating Cobi Jones' career (this being Cobi's final regular season home game appearance before retirement). I saw Rob Stone walking up the stairs from the field, then found a booth selling Guinness, Harps, and Smithwick's. For $9 a pop, it's only $2 more than the usual stadium swill, so I had to partake of a "Smithicks."
Sipping my drink I stood above the field level seats, not far from the supporters' corner, and watched the Galaxy warm up. Beckham was there, but not with the starting team. He was just booting the ball around, mostly with Chris Albright. I was actually standing at about ground level, with the field and seating section below me having been dug out of the ground. The field level seats are built on concrete terraces. The sidelines sport actual chairs, while the corners and areas behind the goals have metal bleachers with seatbacks. The second tier (which is on only the eastern side of the stadium) have a metal base and the same bleachers with backs. I moseyed up to my seats in the second tier: Section 234, Row PP, Seat 25. I was 4 rows from the top, right on the aisle.
The crowd was very light, even by time the teams and refs were trooping out onto the field. An American Idol contestant (Kimberly Caldwell? Never heard of her.) sang the Star Spangled Banner well, if way too slowly. Then there was a tribute to Cobi and his career. The video screen displayed well wishes from current and past teammates. Cheers rang out for Kevin Hartman, Sigi Schmidt, and especially Mauricio Cienfuegos. Boos rang out for Steve Sampson. Alexi Lalas and Don Garber (mild boos here) made some trite on-field comments, and then Paul Caliguiri, Eric Wynalda (more boos), and Alexi posed for a picture with Cobi. With the chill in the air, it was no surprise seeing the RBNY players passing the ball around in their half rather than participating in the ceremony. After a while, even the Gals started kicking the ball around trying to keep warm.
When the game actually started, the seats were filling up. I sat next to a family of Galaxy supporters, and behind a guy from NJ who was pulling for RBNY (though he also cheered for Becks and even Edson Buddle). There were a lot of youth soccer teams in the crowd. Being on the metal-floored second tier, the footstomping of the crowd seemed especially loud. Throughout the game, the chants of the supporters' group (just below me and to my left) were spirited, and the crowds cheers, jeers, and footstomping was raucous. I thought there was a good atmosphere.
RBNY came out seeking the early goal, but the match was filled mostly by poor passing and poor touch from both teams, and no rhythm by either team. Inattentive defending led to good opportunities for both teams. LA took the lead first off a blown corner kick, but RBNY's Jozy Altidore evened the score soon after on an unmarked header. The Galaxy wisely covered Juan Pablo Angel tightly, but he still had many opportunities, and missed at least two that he should have finished. Even with those fluffs, JPA looked to be a level above the rest of the players on the field.
Oh yeah, David Beckham came in around the 68th minute. I suppose a few people cheered at this event and a few flashbulbs went off in the crowd. His first two plays were a missed header then a foul from a poor tackle. His corners showed that he's a bit rusty, so it was good that he got some minutes in.
The score ended in a draw, so the Galaxy's chances for a post-season berth remain solid, tragically.
On the long walk back to my car, I asked a couple if the crowd was usually that lively. They said that the crowd was larger and louder than usual. Usually they're "pretty laid back except after a goal." They also said they hope they face Houston in the playoffs rather than Chivas. I'm not thrilled with the prospect of a mediocre Galaxy team making the MLS playoffs, with the media spotlight on the team throwing all other teams into the shadow of its mediocrity. If a team that bad is competing in the championship, the other teams must be worse, right? No, it's better if the "Superclub" sits out this post-season and waits until they're truly worthy of the spotlight. It will be better for the reputation of the league and for the status Galaxy as well. They would be better off rebuilding for the next season. If they want to be revered as the best, they had better be able to live up to the hype and not rely on skating by due to flukish results and a faulty MLS post-season structure. If they want be be respected, they need to be respectable.
At least they have a first class facility.
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