(no subject)
Last night I got to attend my first real life professional soccer match. FC Dallas played the Chicago Fire to determine who gets to keep the "Brimstone Cup" ... in Europe, or in soccer watching countries elsewhere that speak English, this would be a "derby" game.
Very, very brief game summary:
FCD only needs 6 points to clinch a playoff spot, Chicago needs every point they can get to do the same and get that last spot. FCD dominated the first half but was unable to find the back of the net, the second half belonged to Chicago and they finally slipped one past our goalkeeper Sala (who was having an otherwise stellar night). Actually, the goalkeepers for both teams had a great night.
Things looked grim for the home team until Carlos Ruiz banged in a shot in added time and turned a defeat into a tie, so now we only need 5 points, and with a tie it means we get to keep the Brimstone Cup for another year.
We went to watch it with some friends, and even a coworker was there with his son. I really was impressed with Pizza Hut Park. I know that it's only a 20,000 capacity stadium (and it was only about half full) compared to the 60,000 capacity Celtic Park from which I remember watching broadcast matches in college... or dreaming about one day visiting when I read post-game summaries as a boy... or listening to on the internet when technology had gotten to that point ... but I was there in person cheering the players, rather than sitting in my living room watching and wishing I was there. That made all the difference. FC Dallas is not Celtic, but they're the local boys and I'll cheer for them happily... they even call themselves the Hoops, which of course endeared them to me even more.
Maybe one day, I'll get to watch a game with my Green Hoops sitting there at Celtic Park or I'd even "settle" for Saint James Park watching Newcastle United or San Siro watching AC Milan... but until that day (if it even comes) I think I can enjoy watching my local Red Hoops and enjoy it just fine thanks.
Per a previous comment from lance_work we'll have some terms to help yall that aren't as familiar with soccer:
Derby = rivalry game
FC = Football Club (hence FC Dallas... Football Club Dallas), a token to our English roots, similar to a lot of Teams in England/Ireland/Scotland with names that include "FC" or "United."
Points = A victory is worth 3 points, a tie is worth 1, a loss is zero. Points determines who's ahead of who on the ranking tables. In soccer, 'points' is fundamentally all that matters. All that matters is a win (3), tie (1), or loss (0). Usually the "points" earned during the game that are tracked on the scoreboard are called "goals."
MLS Playoffs = top 2 teams from each conference (east and west) and next 4 teams as determined by points, goes to the playoffs (8 teams) to play for the MLS Cup.
Half = 45 minutes (a game is two halfs and a 15 minute halftime plus any added time)
added time = time added to the end of each half or the end of the game to make up for the fact that the clock doesn't stop during the half for out of bounds, throw ins, penalties, etc. etc. In american football, the clock is stopped at the time these things come up, in soccer the clock keeps going and "made up for" at the end of each half (or the end of the game).
Brimstone Cup = A cup (trophy) created by the fans of the Chicago Fire and the Dallas Burn (today FC Dallas) and awarded to the team with the better MLS season record between the two in head-to-head meetings. It's called the brimstone cup because once upon a time, both teams had "fire" type names and the inscription on the base is from Virgil's Aeneid.
- The more the kindled combat rises high'r, The more with fury burns the blazing fire.
and also
- Dedicated to the victor of this unquenchable rivalry from the supporters of the beautiful game.
Hoops = one of the many nicknames for Glasgow Celtic FC, also the "official" nickname for FC Dallas. The name comes from the horizontal stripes of the home kit which look like hoops.
Kit = the uniform; jersey, shorts, socks. Teams usually have 2 kits, home and away, some big teams in Europe have a third kit for International Play
Very, very brief game summary:
FCD only needs 6 points to clinch a playoff spot, Chicago needs every point they can get to do the same and get that last spot. FCD dominated the first half but was unable to find the back of the net, the second half belonged to Chicago and they finally slipped one past our goalkeeper Sala (who was having an otherwise stellar night). Actually, the goalkeepers for both teams had a great night.
Things looked grim for the home team until Carlos Ruiz banged in a shot in added time and turned a defeat into a tie, so now we only need 5 points, and with a tie it means we get to keep the Brimstone Cup for another year.
We went to watch it with some friends, and even a coworker was there with his son. I really was impressed with Pizza Hut Park. I know that it's only a 20,000 capacity stadium (and it was only about half full) compared to the 60,000 capacity Celtic Park from which I remember watching broadcast matches in college... or dreaming about one day visiting when I read post-game summaries as a boy... or listening to on the internet when technology had gotten to that point ... but I was there in person cheering the players, rather than sitting in my living room watching and wishing I was there. That made all the difference. FC Dallas is not Celtic, but they're the local boys and I'll cheer for them happily... they even call themselves the Hoops, which of course endeared them to me even more.
Maybe one day, I'll get to watch a game with my Green Hoops sitting there at Celtic Park or I'd even "settle" for Saint James Park watching Newcastle United or San Siro watching AC Milan... but until that day (if it even comes) I think I can enjoy watching my local Red Hoops and enjoy it just fine thanks.
Per a previous comment from lance_work we'll have some terms to help yall that aren't as familiar with soccer:
Derby = rivalry game
FC = Football Club (hence FC Dallas... Football Club Dallas), a token to our English roots, similar to a lot of Teams in England/Ireland/Scotland with names that include "FC" or "United."
Points = A victory is worth 3 points, a tie is worth 1, a loss is zero. Points determines who's ahead of who on the ranking tables. In soccer, 'points' is fundamentally all that matters. All that matters is a win (3), tie (1), or loss (0). Usually the "points" earned during the game that are tracked on the scoreboard are called "goals."
MLS Playoffs = top 2 teams from each conference (east and west) and next 4 teams as determined by points, goes to the playoffs (8 teams) to play for the MLS Cup.
Half = 45 minutes (a game is two halfs and a 15 minute halftime plus any added time)
added time = time added to the end of each half or the end of the game to make up for the fact that the clock doesn't stop during the half for out of bounds, throw ins, penalties, etc. etc. In american football, the clock is stopped at the time these things come up, in soccer the clock keeps going and "made up for" at the end of each half (or the end of the game).
Brimstone Cup = A cup (trophy) created by the fans of the Chicago Fire and the Dallas Burn (today FC Dallas) and awarded to the team with the better MLS season record between the two in head-to-head meetings. It's called the brimstone cup because once upon a time, both teams had "fire" type names and the inscription on the base is from Virgil's Aeneid.
- The more the kindled combat rises high'r, The more with fury burns the blazing fire.
and also
- Dedicated to the victor of this unquenchable rivalry from the supporters of the beautiful game.
Hoops = one of the many nicknames for Glasgow Celtic FC, also the "official" nickname for FC Dallas. The name comes from the horizontal stripes of the home kit which look like hoops.
Kit = the uniform; jersey, shorts, socks. Teams usually have 2 kits, home and away, some big teams in Europe have a third kit for International Play