Sunday, May 11, 2008

AWOL fans

If you watched the Chivas USA-New England match, you may have noticed the large number of empty seats at the match. While this is nothing new - empty seats commonly outnumber filled ones at Chivas home games - what was different from this particular match was the absence of a certain fan group.

Legion 1908 was not present at the match, and no the Mexican Chivas did not have a reserve-laden match within driving distance on Sunday.

Apparently, a member of Legion and a member of the new Chivas USA supporters group Union Ultras were involved in some sort of altercation. A Chivas staffer told us that one member of each group committed an "act of violence" at the last Chivas USA match at HDC, on April 26 against the Galaxy. Apparently, there was one altercation inside the stadium and a retaliatory one outside.

Chivas USA banned the fans involved, one from each group, for two games - Sunday's match against New England and Saturday's game against DC United. Apparently in solidarity for the banned Legion member, the bulk of Legion chose to sit the games out as well. Union Ultras, a fledgling and hearty band of supporters, were present and did their best to support their club. I heard there were some members of Legion at the match but went on their own and not as part of the supporters club.

That Chivas USA banned a member of Legion is a positive sign. Violence won't and shouldn't be tolerated no matter the circumstances and the club is apparently not turning a blind eye toward such nonsense. As is often the case, several bad apples can tarnish the rest of the bunch, and from what I could tell at the stadium today there weren't anything but stand-up Chivas USA fans there, albeit a small band of them.

If Legion chose to support themselves over the club and the players, so be it. At least those who do go and do care about Chivas USA can rest easy that there won't be any threats of violence in next Saturday's match.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

So what's more embarrassing, this nonsense from fans, or the streamers?

The Hammer said...

How ridiculous... a supporter's group that cares more about themselves than the team they "support"

Anonymous said...

streamers

CACuzcatlan said...

Obviously this is more embarrassing. The streamers are constant, we can put that aside for now and get back to debating that later. This violence is not to be tolerated at all and should be dealt with immediately. Its not the first time we've heard of violence from the Legion. Seems like Chivas USA is heading down a dangerous financial path. Very few fans for an average home game and violence from their supporters group. I believe the official attendance is tickets sold and Legion probably have season tickets, which is how the came up with over 10k. I guess as long as Vergara is willing to throw away his money there isn't a problem, but I wonder how long it will be before he gives up this little experiment.

Anonymous said...

Legion showed they're not a supporters group for the team. They only support their own who perpetrate violence. Disgraceful.

According to reports before the season Chivas has under 900 season ticket holders. The 10,000 reported attendance is a figment of the imagination of their front office.

Rebrand the team and move them. Period.

Anonymous said...

This subject has been beaten to death and then some on Big Soccer.

Bottom line,
LK 1908 = Chivas de Guad
Union Ultras = Chivas USA

Look for an ACB/Ultras friendly before the next clasico to promote anti-violence in the stands. The ACB was also asaulted at the last clasico by the LK.

Anonymous said...

What kind of supporters fight among themselves? Are they supporters, wannabe hooligans, or merely punk-thugs. I truly hope it's just a couple of bad apples. In the past, I've actually admired "Legion's" loyalty to Chivas USA, but now, I'm not so sure. There should be enough room under the umbrella for all supporter's groups, especially for a team hurting for fan support. C'mon, look at DCU. Those are supporters. Also, going to a soccer match in the USA should be family-safe. This isn't Argentina or some other third world country where the inmates run the asylum. Here, you pull that shit, you go to jail jack.

--PGF

Anonymous said...

An ACB/Union Ultras friendly seems like a good idea.

A while back a LARS/Legion friendly was speculated, but it was soon discovered that the guy who challenged LARS on Legion's behalf was speaking on his own behalf and Legion wanted nothing to do with it.

Anonymous said...

According to LK members, it's not over. There will be blood.

Anonymous said...

i would really like to hear from the fans (las barras) here, rather than just from the club. luis -- as a reporter, how about talking to reps from both barras and getting to the story?

i find it appaling that we are so ready to take the club's side here. at the end of the day, this is a business, so i applaud the barras for staying away from the game if they felt unfairly treated.

if management wants to sell even less seats and alienate the few fans that do show up, then so be it. we'll see how long the club lasts with this mentality.

saludos, d

Anonymous said...

The previous comment is laughable. A "business"? It's well know that virtually no one in La Legion pays for their tickets.

Luis, there really is a story here for you. If you dig a little, you'll find that the violence of the Legion is not incidental to the group. Their trophy hunting stealing of other groups banners and scarves, their gang mentality regarding their "turf" and their insistence that anyone who "disrespects" Chivas Guadalajara or the idea of Chivas will get "dealt with" are all well established.

At the last match, they attacked not only the Galaxy supporting Angel City Brigade but also the Chivas USA supporting Union Ultras - who are legitimate targets in the eyes of the Legion because they don't support Chivas GDL.

The Chivas USA FO would very much like to attribute the violence to individuals - but even a little research and reporting will show that this is a systemic problem. The Legion are bringing the criminal barra mentality from South American to MLS, and stopping it will require far more than suspending a few individuals

Anonymous said...

Good points on the so. american criminal barra mentality. We also see that alot in mexico. Coupled with the 'hood attitude in so cal and you have what went on. Like the guy said earlier, there's a place for punks or opportnists like this. It's called jail. So don't do the crime if you ain't got the time...this really ain't your home court, it's the USA hommie wannabes!

Anonymous said...

Is it possible to re-brand and stay in LA???

"Los Angeles City" as the team name?

Is it possible to change name and colors/logo (just like San Jose Earthquakes becoming the Houston Dynamo) but stay in LA and stay in the HDC???

I'm concerned about the financial situation of the team. I like the team... I like the style of play... but if fans (whether they are Chivas de Guadalajara fans or Galaxy-haters or just average soccer fans) don't start showing up, something is going to have to be done.

And I don't want to have LA Galaxy to be the closest team to watch. I'll have to cheer for Seattle Sounders FC (because I lived in Seattle for a year) and only get to see one MLS game a year!

Anonymous said...

LA City. That sounds cool. Do the teams continue to share the HDC?

or Does LA city get involved in a smaller SSS and thus the name is formed.

Anonymous said...

Screw LA City. Move them to one of the potential expansion sites, like Portland, Montreal, St. Louis. They actually DESERVE a team. LA has one. I hate them, so if you live in LA and hate them too, what to you do? You support the Quakes! Or RSL! Or Colorado! Or anyone, really.

And these thugs obviously don't care as much about the games as they do about themselves, so how much will they really care if their team is taken from them? I just feel bad for the Union Ultras, having to put up with that shit.

Anonymous said...

L.A. fans would never support a No Cal team.

so if the Galaxy haters don't have a second team they'll just ignore soccer (like the rest of the country).

Anonymous said...

aWaNTE La * 1908 KALI
jejejeje
Chivas MaNDa
JEJE
MaS que Un ULTRa Se qUeR MaTAR