I played soccer regularly until my junior year in high school when choir took over. Believe it or not, this was in a world before even AOL had any real traction. The hard thing about liking soccer while growing up is that it wasn't anywhere. Some people had training videos, and there was this strange competition called the World Cup. That was pretty much what soccer was like growing up. When the MLS started up, I wanted to follow it, but TV coverage was awful and porn sites were only beginning to offer streaming video let alone an upstart league. For the most part I'd get glimpses, and that was it.
France '98. In case you missed it (which wouldn't be a surprise) the U.S. actually had an expectation at this World Cup (I'd say expectations, but... really? One was enough.) And they failed to live up to it. Steve Sampson vs. Alexi Lalas was all I really noticed until Netherlands vs. Argentina. (Flashback to high school soccer: our training videos comprised primarily of 3 things Maradona being awesome, Manchester United's history, and the Netherland's Total Football. I hate Maradona, and I despise ManU in large part because of what happened in the aformentioned game.) A good portion of the game was spent trash talking my little brother's friend over the phone, hating on Argentina's machismo, and reveling in the beauty of one player. My loving wife knows his name because he's my favorite player of all time: Dennis Bergkamp.
Here's the moment that changed my soccer fandom:
The game was tied 1-1 and in the final minute Bergkamp wins it. Without knowing it, at that moment, I was a Gooner.
Now, to get to the point, which is my facebook posting. (I'm skipping over my mission, which influenced me greatly when it comes to soccer.) I can't root for Sporting KC nor the Chicago Fire because there just seems to be a natural rivalry between those two cities and StL. I'm drawn to the Red Bulls for two reasons: 1) Thierry Henry is an Arsenal legend, and I can't root against him, I just can't. Even during the awesome French meltdown during the recent World Cup, I could laugh at everyone, but not him 2) It may sound ridiculous, but RBNY winning an MLS title would be very good for soccer. The main reason for not being a fan? My reasons are relatively short term reasons.
Real Salt Lake used to be the butt of all MLS jokes. They sucked, to put it nicely. However they now have more MLS Cup titles than RBNY (sure it's only one, but still.) I was born there. My first ever live professional soccer game was at Rio Tinto (3-0 RSL over D.C. United) They play attractive soccer. They're very fiscally sound. Have a good youth development program. In short, they're basically Arsenal here in the U.S. Which leads me to the team not mentioned in the facebook post.
The Colorado Rapids are Arsenal's official MLS partner. They're the current MLS Champions and owned by a large stakeholder of Arsenal and is from Missouri, Stan Kroenke. Oddly enough, I just don't care for them. When I think of them, all that goes through my mind is, "Meh."
So, in the end this is my solution is that RSL is my MLS team (unless StL ever gets one) and I hope for a draw if Thierry Henry is playing against them.
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