Thoughts on the eve of Revolution vs. Manchester United

(Credit: Yoon S. Byun/Boston Globe)

 So I suppose this site is usually half op-ed style writing and half news but I am going to just ramble on here today (OK ya that is pretty much what I always do).

We wrote in the past of our disappointment in the fact that for the first time the Revs have not used a season ticket special event ticket for an international friendly and the questionable reasoning behind it.  Yet despite that I decided to purchase a ticket and go anyways, it's my team and I want to support them and show the bandwagon/pink hat/euro-snobs/what-have-yous that there are in fact people here who care about our local team and will support it. 

Supporting your local is the only way that soccer will take off in this country. Those who rather sit on the sidelines and only show up for the big stars aren't doing themselves justice and are not doing justice to the sport they claim to be a fan of.  Don't get me wrong, seeing that troll Wayne Rooney and Co. will be a blast and it will be exciting to see a team of that quality first hand.  I love the sport and when it comes down to it I am a sucker to see ManU play, even thought I hate them (COME ON YOU IRONS!).

I am also very conflicted about tomorrow.

1) We are second to last in the league, we are not winning, and the team just looks lost these days.  We are about to take on one of the best teams in the world.  Listen, I would be beside myself and elated with getting a draw in this game.  When the game was announced I never thought it was a game we would win, just being realistic, but now I worry about a blowout.  A blowout in front of 50k+ potential fans would be a disaster. Yes I realize that the Kansas City Wizards/Sporting KC beat them last year, but even they were surprised at that.  I just hope Sir Alex shows Nicol, a former player of his on the Scottish national team, some mercy if things start going badly.

2) Fortgate. If you are stumbling across this blog click that link to get caught up.  I am apprehensive about being a supporter in The Fort at the first game since that incident/movement started.  What are we going to do? I imagine everyone is going to be a little sheepish at first, and this is not a game for that.  We need to be at our loudest and at our best... we will be away fans in our own home.  Defending and supporting The Fort tomorrow is very important.

Things are going to be different however, we are going to be in a post Fortgate era and we do not know if that will be a positive or negative yet.  As of right now with the amount of friends planning on giving up season tickets and not attending further games after Sunday's match with Philadelphia, I have to think that the initial phase of this is going to be very negative.  All of this will be on the minds of the supporters in The Fort tomorrow the question is how will it affect our normal raucous support.

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So I attend tomorrows match with the excitement of the rare opportunity to see some of the best soccer players in the world and one of the best teams in the world, yet I also attend with a heavy heart over the events of the past month and questioning the future of this team.  I will cheer and sing and support our guys as I always do, but with the suspicion that my actions and words as a supporter will be scrutinized more than ever in the past.  These things always have a negative affect on a supporter, I just hope we can all overcome that for tomorrow.  Oh and Revs front office... for the love of God can we not wear our away jerseys this time?


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