Just sat down in Fado to kick off pre-game festivities for the big game tonight. May post updates in this space if the mood strikes.
UPDATE: Fado is now packed. If the Sounders play as poorly as they did on Sunday, this could be an ugly game. This is like a Spanish pro hoops team playing the Lakers. At least Ljungberg should be back tonight.
UPDATE: The Mariners found some offense tonight. 8-4 in the 4th inning in KC.
UPDATE: Stone Roses on the speakers in Fado. It reminds me that one of the reasons that soccer has been so popular in Seattle is because a lot of people here are familiar with the European leagues. A lot of people wearing both Sounders and Barcelona attire this evening.
UPDATE: Barcelona has pink jerseys. Ok.
UPDATE: Messi is the footballer of the year for a reason. Damn.
UPDATE: 4-0. Disappointing but not too surprising. If anyone can locate Knute Berger’s column in Crosscut about how soccer won’t survive here in Seattle, please post in the comments. Hyperlinks are tough from the Blackberry. Thanks.
Wish I was going to the game.
It’s on ESPN 2 tonight as well.
My scarf’s at the ready. I’ll be in my regular seat for the match.
@2
In section 213. Might see you there.
Excellent! As you may recall, I’m in 210.
Should be a fun game to watch….
Section 104
@6
Nice. Enjoy the game!
Soccer is a pussy sport highly regarded in the gay community. That’s why the pink jersey’s are so popular. Trying to appeal to pansy-asses like Lee.
@8
Insecure much?
Could tell who is the best team in the world. Damn, they’re fast to the ball.
The jerseys may have looked pink on the tube, but in person they were orange. The big screens in Qwest Field also showed them as pink, so I could see them simultaneously in different colors.
Why did it always seem like Barca had more players on the field than the Sounders?
One correction: Barcelona FC is a team that represents Catalonia not Spain. It would be considered a insult to associate this team with anything Spanish. The club slogan “mes que un club”or “more than just a club” meaning is that they are not just a soccer team but represent the Catalan culture and it’s people. Thus your reference “Spanish pro hoops team playing the Lakers” is a misnomer. 17 million Catalans also speak Catalan not Spanish which in part defines their independence and autonomy within greater Spain.
@8
Your the one concerned about pink shirts asshole.
@14
Concerned? LOL! Moron.
Hey artistdogboy, I’m not up on the Catalonia-Spain situation. But I suspect that that’s why — in contrast to the friendly a few weeks ago against Chelsea — there was only one national anthem played last night. Under adb’s scenario, playing the Spanish anthem would be a far greater insult to a Catalan patriot than would failing to play the anthem of Catalonia (if there is one).
Also, I read somewhere (DailyKos, perhaps?) that FC Barcelona is a stronghead of progressive political activity, that their stadium was a gathering-point for the Republicans (in 1936 Spain, those were the good guys).
[Aha, supporting documentation]
@8
So you’re a fan? After all a real man can’t get enough pussy.
@16
Well said my friend. Catalan nationalism, autonomy, and activism have a long history of resistance against foreign interference, which includes Spain. Franco, the fascist leader of Spain, attempted to destroy the Catalan culture by brutally suppressing it and doing such things as making it a crime to speak Catalan up to the time he died in 1975.
The football team sweaters proudly advertise UNICEF, the UN agency for children, not a corporate sponsor because, as you said, the team is actually an extension of Catalan altruistic activism which is supported by its fans. who, by the way have a vote periodically when it comes to determining who actually runs the club, for example. During Franco’s reign the football club became one of the the major symbols of the aspirations of the Catalan people. Thus the long standing and bitter rivalry with Real Madrid that goes on to this day. A defeat by Barca of Real Madrid became much more then just another game, it’s payback for years of Spanish suppression.
Today the Catalans living in the autonomous regions of Catalunya view their contributions to the culture of greater Spain as a benefit to Spain that is not fully reciprocated by the Spanish state. Catalunya is the economic and creative engine of greater Spain. Many great public figures and artists, who Americans recognize as Spanish, are actually Catalans. Picasso, Dali, Casals, Miro, Gaudi, even LA Laker star Pau Gasol. To name just a few.
Yes there is a Catalan national anthem. Thanks for answering my question of why it wasn’t played last night at the game. Here is a link to a MIDI file if you like to hear it.
Visca Catalunya
http://www.nationalanthems.info/cat.htm
I recall watching the Sounders play at Memorial Field in 1975.
Then I recall the move to the Kingdome and some fantastic Soccer…especially 1980.
Then things kind of fell apart after ’81.
Years ago, one of my clients was Frank Coluccio. I was in his office and there was a huge trophy in his office closet. He referred to it as “$7 million”!!! He financed some great soccer for our community. But it was a loser financially..I can assure you.
PS–
A buddy of mine is visiting from Florida. He played college football back in the mid-60’s.
He posted some stuff as “Real Man”. He has been teasing me about playing soccer and actually enjoying it!
PS–
Real Man is a hard-ass Conservative that was howling reading some of your sophmoric posts.
He thought this was all a big joke…but I told him you morons were serious!
Real man is a moron like you then. Mentally incompetent and probably an overweight bag of crap now….so what.
We all know that klynical is a lying sack of crap….with no ability to have any empathy for human beings. An person lacking basic christian values….
Bet if we put “real man” out on the pitch he would last a few minutes and get his wimpy ass kicked.
Soccer is a demanding physical sport. You don’t see fat linemen in soccer. You don’t stop the play every 15 seconds. You get no breaks for 45 minutes.
You get hurt – you get up or they cart you off the field (or at least they are supposed to do it that way).
cnr–
Real Man is pretty f’d up physically.
Bad Hip…needs to be replaced.
Bad Knee..
But he is a real bad-a$$.
Even though he ias 63, I don’t think you’d want to try him in a cage match.
We can both outrun him though!
@23
Why did this comment make me think of the Mendelbaum episode of Seinfeld?
Lee–
That was one of my all-time favorites!!
You can watch 6 minutes of it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS3NsSUIDfo