Friday, August 24, 2007

Part of the story

Thursday's win was memorable for Chivas USA. There were so many storylines, it was hard to choose just one to focus on. So I saved some for another story, which I just filed, and used most in the MLSnet sidebar.

Obviously when David Beckham plays these days, that's the big allure but we needn't have worried about getting some response from him because he wasn't made available after the match. It actually saved me a bit of a dilemma because I had planned on going to Chivas' locker room and hopefully catching some of Beckham later.

Anyway, the game was more than just about Beckham, which is exactly what Jesse Marsch had told me earlier this week. Chivas is now in a good position to seriously challenge FC Dallas and Houston for the top of the Western Conference table. Had they lost or even tied, I don't know if that would have been the case.

Also, Chivas is now 19 points ahead of the Galaxy in the table with having played just two more games. I don't know that there has been such a disparity before in Chivas' favor. I think the first year the Galaxy had something like 45 points at year's end while Chivas had 18. Those days are over.

As far as the Riot Squad wearing the sombreros, that didn't exactly sit well with Pancho Mendoza and Claudio Suarez and by proxy Maykel Galindo. That's why both Galindo and Mendoza celebrated goals by walking toward Section 138.

I'll save their reactions for the game story but I will tell you what Antonio Cue had to say about it here. He said he wasn't offended by it and said something to the affect of 'If that's the way they choose to celebrate, so be it.'

7 comments:

Bob Ramsey said...

Our (LARS) point in wearing the hats and bringing in the mariachis is to undercut the whole Chivas idea that they are the only representatives of Mexicans and even Latinos in SoCal.

So Suarez and Mendoza were mad? It just further proves the point. Week after week more Latinos show up to support the Galaxy than the entire crowd Chivas gets. LARS is at least half Latino, and we support our team rather than a brand or idea, as Legion 2005 proved when they bailed on Chivas USA to go watch a Senior Chivas friendly.

LARS was not mocking Mexicans - we were mocking the maximalist kool-ade drinking mentality that is Chivas

Nathan Henderson-James said...

"LARS is at least half Latino, and we support our team rather than a brand or idea, as Legion 2005 proved when they bailed on Chivas USA to go watch a Senior Chivas friendly."

Amen. What kind of fan supporters group in a top-flight league bails on their team to go to the friendly of another team (even if they are related) esp. if that game is 400 miles away?

Classless the whole way down the line.

I do like their flag/banner, though.

Anonymous said...

Watch for a new group at Sunday's Real Salt Lake game.

LARS makes a good point. However, if the current makeup of Chivas USA's line up versus Galaxy's line up is any indication of diversity, the LARS is counterdicting itself. Bufoonishly, at that.

Not every Latino cheers for Chivas. Not every Mexican cheers for Chivas. Nevertheless, look at at the diversity of the Chivas USA team and try to accept that the 2005 ideology of "Aqui esta el futbol" has been trashed for good.

Diversity is good.

Anonymous said...

My LARS friend explained to me why they were doing it and it made sense to me. I'm mexican but I like the Galaxy not the Chivas.

I seriously doubt there is an America fan who would rather see the Chivas win and not the Galaxy.

I think Mendoza and Suarez need to be explained this and have them apologize.

Anonymous said...

Hey bob, so now the Galaxy represents Mexicans in SoCal? If that were so, they would include them in their roster.

Anonymous said...

We know that's not the reason... They wanted them there to mock chivas and their fans, that's it...Why would you need Mexican sombreros and Mexican mariachis to celebrate latinos or even Mexicans? It reeks of ridicule, and racist undertones.. Seems like just another day at LARS

Bob Ramsey said...

We know that's not the reason... They wanted them there to mock chivas and their fans, that's it...Why would you need Mexican sombreros and Mexican mariachis to celebrate latinos or even Mexicans? It reeks of ridicule, and racist undertones.. Seems like just another day at LARS

Hey, glyconerd, where can I get your ability to read minds? It seems like it would be a really useful ability to have.

And how was Chivas' lineup more diverse than the Galaxy's? Is "diversity" code for "Latinos"? Chivas started more white Americans than the Galaxy last night.