Australia v Turkiye @ BC Place

 It's only day 3, and I'm exhausted.  Another huge day in Vancouver.

The day started at Yolks, right next to the Airbnb, where the first of many Aussie fans were spotted leading up to tonight's big game.  A hearty breakfast before we jump in an Uber out to the University of British Columbia, where we are going to spend the morning at the Museum of Anthropology.  I had caught the bus out here in 2000, and I remember it being a blast.  A friend had also mentioned it to A, so it was a no brainer.  And it was as good as I remembered.  The Pacific Northwest Native Art is all over this place.  Totems, sculptures, paintings, I can't get enough of it.  The Museum definitely scratched an itch.

After spending a couple of hours inside, we waled around outside and found a trail which lead to some stairs down to the beach.  It's a long way down (460 steps we counted on the way back), but we thought we'd go and have a look.  The weather was good, not too hot, and we're out to explore things so we made the trek down.  Then, only 10 steps off the beach is a sign telling us that the beach is clothing optional.  Great!  We've just dragged 2 x 15 year old boys to a nude beach.  Parenting 101! I was surprised about the variety of people, and available clothing, but it was a learning experience for everyone, topped off by 2 boys squirming when we wanted to talk about it more later that day.

Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver

Bill Reid's "The Raven & First Men", 

Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver

DMB&L, Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver

We caught an Uber straight back to lunch.  The boys and I had spotted a pie shop, so Peaked Pies supplied all the Australian favorites for lunch, including a lamington.  Good food, hopefully we'll get another chance to eat here the day we come back to Vancouver.

After lunch it was a couple of blocks to be down on the water at English Bay, so we followed the path all the way along the seawall until we got to the Burrard Bridge, where we cut up to the Airbnb.  We hung there and relaxed for a while before making our walk over to BC Place for the World Cup match of Australia v Turkey (the reason we're in Vancouver)  I wanted to take one of the little ferries down to the stadium, but L was insistent that we walk.  And I'm glad he won that argument.  The city , from Granville Street onwards was jumping.  And chock full of Aussies!  There is a much larger contingent of my countrymen than I thought.

We reached BC Place near 6.30pm - kick off is not until 9 - but we just soaked it all in.  There are a ton of Turkish fans here as well, and the atmosphere is electric.  There is is positive energy coming from both fans.  We lined up for some merchandise for the boys, each one of them got a either a home and away Aussie shirt, and B took a half and half scarf as well.  Overpriced, but delicious, meals were bought before we walked down to our seats.  Wow!.  We are 6 rows from the field and sitting in line with the 18 yard box.  I was like a kid in a candy store.  My American family decked out in Aussie gear (though it may not go that way next week).  The Aussies warming up right in front of us.  At the same end, but the opposite side as the official Australian Supporters Group, whose yellow wall dominated the landscape of the crowd.  The crowd built and built, and BC Place was packed at kick off.

BLM&D inside BC Place, Vancouver

DBL&M, BC Place, Vancouver

I was surprised Mat Ryan had been dropped.  The captain left out for a young Patrick Beach.  Not sure what that was about, but not the start I thought  Turkey attacked our end of the field in the first half.  Not that the Aussies were walk overs, but the Turks dominated possession - yet.  Especially Baris Yilmaz, playing on the left wing in front of us.  He was a constant threat.  Italiano worked hard to keep him under wraps.  Then a hydration break changed the whole game.  Turkiye had a cross they volleyed, and new Aussie keeper Patrick Beach made a good save.  15 seconds later a long ball put Irankunda through on goal.  Two touches from him, and he slotted the ball past the Turkish keeper.  The Aussies are up 1-0 in the 27th minute, almost against the run of play.   The Turkish fans, while outnumbered 60/40, had been loud up until this point.  Whistling and booing every time we had the ball, and chanting every time the Turks pushed forward.  They remained relentless all through the first half, even after going down.  3 minutes after our goal, Turkiye's Bardakci blasted a left footed shot from outside the box, only for Beach to push it on to the woodwork and keep us in front.  Phew!  Irankunda had another chance just before the break, but his shot was straight at the Turkish keeper.  It would've been amazing to be up 2-0 at the half, but it wasn't to be.  We seemed to pick up steam after the break.  Harry Souttar dominated in the air and almost had a goal from a corner early in the 2nd half.   Turkiye's Gular was a problem for Australia.  He was everywhere and a handful for the defenders.  It was a huge relief when Beach pushed away his good free kick in the 58th minute.  Another near post save from Beach from Celik, in the 72nd minute, saw the now quietening Turkish fans start to get nervous.  Not 3 minutes later they were silenced when Connor Metcalfe picked up the ball in the Turkish half, turned, ran at the goal , and slotted in a 25 yard, left footed belter.  2-0 The Socceroos.  We were going mental!  Not to mention Metcalfe's knee slide was right in front of us.  Beach made another vital save Akturkoglu from 6 yards.  And after that, the Turkish fans were leaving quietly.  The noise at the fulltime whistle was just as loud, and we stuck around until the Socceroos did a victory lap as we all sang Down Under.  They stopped at the next section over from us.  It must have been where their families were.

MBD&L, Pretty Good Seats, BC Place, Vancouver

BC Place was rocking as we left, and the walk back to Granville Street was electric.  Aussies everywhere, singing and chanting.  But that was nothing compared to Granville Street itself.  It was a zoo.  Yellow shirts everywhere, and party mode had been hit by a boost of Aussie steroids.  What an amazing night.  I hope that is something we will never forget.

Australia 2 (N. Irankunda 27th, C. Metcalfe 75) defeated Turkiye 0

Crowd: 52,479

Socceroos 2 - Turkiye 0, BC Place, Vancouver, BC

USA vs Senegal @ Bank of America Stadium

Great day for it.  Cloud cover keeping the temperature down, great seats on the club level, and a crowd ready for some for football.  Here to see what the USA is up to coming into the World Cup.

I've never seen it so busy to get into Bank of America before any game, even Metallica for that fact.  But we made it into our seats just in time for the national anthems, the American flyover and then kick off.  It was an interesting line up for the USA.  I understand Pochettino is looking for his best starting XI, and you'd assume this was an indication, but I was surprised to see Weston McKennie & Brendan Aaronsen on the bench.

The US wasted no time in trying to stamp dominance as a beautiful inside pass from Pepi put a Pulisic break on the left, which lead to a inch perfect cross on the 6 yard box to Dest, and the US were up 1-0 within 7 minutes.  Crowd happy!  The US kept up the intensity on Senegal, and the pressing up front was impressive.  Not long after the referee pulled up Pulisic for an off the ball incident.  I missed it and they didn't show a replay on the big screen, so I'm not sure how serious it was.  It didn't phase Pulisic.  In the 20th minute, he took a nice pass from Pepi again.  This time though, he took a touch around the Senegal keeper and slotted it in for a 2-0 lead.  A great team goal that started all the way back with Matt Turner.  Surprisingly, it was the Senegalese crowd who then made the most noise.  Where did they come from?  It was a road that took the stadium aback, and seemed to be the boost the Senegal players needed.   A couple of defensive errors saw Senegal nearly get one back.  Turner made a good save denying Ndiaye.   Then another off Mane only a minute later.  That pressure paid off just before half time, when a Robinson mistake midfield, lead to a nice run from Mane, who scored Senegal's first.  2-1 at the half.

Wholesale changes to both teams at half time (being a friendly) saw both teams have a renewed push.  A good press by Tillman forced a mistake and it looked like his ball allowed Balogun to restore the 2 goal lead, only for it to be called offside.  Another Balogun goal was called back for a foul on defender.  Not a popular decision with the crowd, made worse when Tillman was monstered by Jackson, whose touch over debutant keeper, Grady, let to Mane bundling in his 2nd and bringing the score to 2-2.  It only took 11 minutes for Tim Weah to get down the right and put a cross in that Balogun finished.  And this time it counted.  US up 3-2.  And he could have had his 2nd moments after the restart, only to sky it over the crossbar.  In the 75th minute Balogun had a shot parried straight to McKennie, who hit a post, for it to bounce back to Balogun, who had a 2nd shot stopped by Senegal keeper, Diaw.  Can't quite put this game to rest, not the crowd at ease.

The US did hold on though.  A 3-2 victory and a good warm up for the World Cup in less than 2 weeks.  Overall it was a strong attacking performance, though a few defensive errors may be cause for concern.  Or happiness for us Aussies cheering on the Socceroos, with the US team in our group.  Time will tell.

USA 3 (Sergiño Dest - 7, Christian Pulisic - 20, Folarin Balogun - 63) defeated Senegal 2 (Sadio Mané - 44', 52)

Crowd: 57,741

Charlotte FC v Miami CF @ Bank of America Stadium

I mean, of course we're here to see Lionel Messi!  He is one of, if not the, greatest players, especially of this era.  He was a big drawcard as seen by the number of Miami shirts in the stadium during the night.  Even non-football fans know who he is, but the disrespect he was given tonight was a blight on a great night for Charlotte.

The boys, Uncle D & I had prime seats.  Front row in the club level, in line with the penalty spot at the non-supporters end.  While the top bowl remained empty, the Bank was mostly full on a warm September night.

Miami started strong, down towards the end we were attacking.  Early on Messi went over to take a corner, and was booed.  Why?  A great player, who has boosted the profile of MLS, stays away from controversy and has literally won everything in world football.  I was really disappointed in this.  And Charlotte piled on from there.  

After half an hour Messi was bought down in the box.  Had my Charlotte goggles on and didn't think it was a penalty, even after seeing it on the big screen (that changed when I saw it later on TV - clearly a foul).   Messi stepped up to take it.  We were about to see him score.  Right in line with us!  Until he stepped up with a weak Panenka, which Kalina calmly and easily saved.  Then is seemed like we hadn't finished celebrating when Toklomati went up the other end and finished off a great move.  1-0 Charlotte.

So many people weren't back in their seats after half time when Toklomati slotted in his 2nd, after a nice cross from Bronico.  Charlotte 2 Miami 0.  Miami still dominated possession, and I watched everything Messi did, though he wasn't as involved as I expected.  But every time he touched the ball, the crowd were waiting for something to happen.  But it never did for Miami.  Instead, with 8 minutes to go, Zaha drove into the box only to fouled.  Penalty Charlotte.  Toklomati stepped up and completed his hat-trick and Charlotte want on to keep a clean sheet and win 3-0.

While he didn't set the world on fire, I'm glad the boys and I got to see Messi.  He is and always will be a legend and even to see one moment of brilliance from him was a priviledge.  But I'm much happier that Charlotte took the 3 points.

Charlotte FC 3 (Toklomati 34, 27 & 82) defeated Miami CF 0

Crowd: 35,607

Charlotte FC v Atlanta United @ Bank Of America Stadium

 

So now for 3 out of 4 seasons, we have hit the home season opener for Charlotte FC.  This year it's a mid-afternoon kick off and the weather was hot, unlike last season when we were scrambling for anything to keep us warmer.

We are sitting in the lower deck, down by the corner flag, so to sit with the Martins, who have their season tickets there.  Although down one end, still a great view.  Atlanta must have won the toss, as Charlotte was attacking towards the supporter's end in the first half.  The first half was pretty quiet and evenly poised.  People were barely back in their seats when Biel opened the scoring 4 minutes into the 2nd half.  A long ball down the middle was headed into the path of Zaha.  He looked like he was winding up to shoot, but at the last second was blocked off ,but found Biel in space inside the box who slotted the ball past Guzan.  Within 5 minutes, another long clearance was poorly dealt with by Atlanta.  Agyeman took off down the right and blasted a ball at Guzman.  The keeper could only parry the ball up, and Zaha was following throughout.  He didn't hit the volley cleanly, but put in the corner past Guzan.  Charlotte 2-0.  For the rest of the game Charlotte matched Atlanta and chances were few and far between for both teams.   Charlotte held on for the win and left the fifty odd thousand fans going home happy.  Let's hope they can keep the momentum continuing all season long.

Charlotte FC 2 (P. Biel 49', W. Zaha 54') defeated Atlanta United 0
Paid Attendance: 51,002

Liverpool v Manchester United at Williams Brice Stadium

Brian, Mike & I, Williams Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC

I've only been back from our summer trip for 2 days, when I get in the car again and drive down to Columbia with Mike & his mate, Brian, to go and see Liverpool again.  This time against Manchester United.  Things did not look good, as were caught in a storm on the way down.  So severe, that you could barely see 10 feet out the window.  Fortunately it passed quickly.

Getting into the parking lot was a mission.  It was so poorly organized it took nearly 45 minutes once we got off the 77.  Thankfully we left Charlotte with way too much time.  Cowden and their entire clan were tailgating in the parking lot, so we went to hang with them before following the masses into the stadium.  Thought we'd get our beers before getting to our excellent seats, (in the Liverpool section, 20 row behind the goal) only for the woman in front of in line to buy the last beer.  What?  It was still 15 minutes until kickoff.

Liverpool started strong, and within 10 minutes we were up 1-0, when Carvalho put one away from the top of the box at the other end.  Before the half Salah made one of his strong runs down the right, his perfect cross hit Curtis Jones in the 6 yard box and we were up 2-0.  The game settled a little in the 2nd half, with both teams rotating their squads and bringing on B squads.  But we got another.  When Liverpool attacked, Jota had a strong shot parried by Onana, straight into the path of Tsimikas, who put the ball in the back of the net.  3-0 us.  And before the restart the Liverpool fans were calling for 7 - reflecting the score of the Liverpool win in March 2023.  Unfortunately that didn't happen, but I'll take 3-0 over Manchester United any day.

Good atmosphere in this game, maybe slightly better than the Philly game on Wednesday.  Coming in it looked like there was going to be a lot more United fans, but inside I thought it was pretty even.  And our Liverpool end, while no Kop, was more vocal than Man U's at the other end.

Three Post Scripts:

1) 77,559 is the largest crowd to see a soccer game in South Carolina.

2) If I thought getting into the parking lot was tough, getting out was a clusterfuck on a massive scale.  And we were lucky enough to sneak out quickly, then sit in non-moving traffic for over 90 minutes.  Surely the stadium and police have had practice with football games for years.  We sat within a block of the stadium for longer than a regular trip back to Charlotte should take.

3) A couple of days later I found this picture on Liverpool FC's Facebook page.  Obviously I stand out in a crowd when singing You'll Never Walk Alone.

Liverpool 3 (F. Carvalho 10, C. Jones 36, K. Tsimikas 61) defeated Manchester United 0

Crowd: 77,559

Liverpool v Arsenal @ Lincoln Financial Field

 

CF Montreal v Atlanta United @ Stade Saputo

Atwater Market
Lachine Loch walk

Uber to Saputo

Charlotte FC v DC United @ Bank of America Stadium

Woke up to a text offering us tickets to tonight's Charlotte FC game from out generous neighbour.  Even though it's 90 degrees, it's Father's Day weekend and I couldn't think of a better way to spend it.

We parked in our regular spot and walked to the stadium with plenty of time before kick off.  Just before we got into our seats, we ran into Steve, Woltz and Bean, who were to sit 2 sections over.  Drew and Vince were also in that section - but they had the front row.

Cowden's seats are fantastic.  Close to halfway, 20 rows up - a good view of the whole field without being too high up.  And being on the Club Level, where we can escape to air conditioning if need be, is a blessing in this summer heat.

Charlotte are doing alright this season and while we dominated the start of the game, once DC settled in, it was pretty even for the first half.  The only goal came a little controversially in injury time of the first half.  After clattering someone in the box, Privett got a yellow card, but DC didn't get the free kick, as the corner had yet to be taken.  When it was, Vargas put a strong header into the back of the net, in front of the supporters section.

The second half say few chances for either team, but I still am nervous when Charlotte hold a slim lead.  Previous seasons have not held well for us in those situations, but tonight the defence held strong (just like the the first game of the season we were at).  A good win in front of a good sized home crowd.  Lets hope we keep marching on this season.  Currently we sit at 5th, but still a long way to go.

Charlotte 1: Vargas (45+7) defeated DC United 0

Paid Attendance: 30,468

Charlotte FC V NYCFC @ Bank of America Stadium

A bitterly cold night for the season opener.  We had bought the boys the new Charlotte FC kit, hoping to give it to them for their birthday later this year, but opted to give it to them early for the game.  This was a celebration for trying out for, and making, their middle school team as well.

A good size crowd got the noise started early, thanks to the magnificent supporters end, and Charlotte started off really well.  The opening 15 minutes they dominated and were rewarded with a well headed goal by Malanda in the 8th minute.  This, and the frigid weather, kept the crowd on its feet for most of the first half.  NYC seemed to get into the game in about the 20th minute, and kept the game even from there.

After the half, again, both sides were evenly matched, though NYC never really threatened on Kalina's goal.  When a handball in the box in the 63rd minute was finally called, after VAR took forever, it looked like Charlotte were ready to put a seal on the game.  Unfortunately a poor penalty from Vargas made for an easy save, and the home crowd had to wait nervously as we held onto the 1 goal lead.  But unlike previous seasons, Charlotte defended and we ran out 1-0 winners.  A good way to start the season.

Charlotte 1 (A. Malanda 8) defeated NYCFC 0

Crowd: 62,291

Colombia v South Korea @ Allianz Stadium

We're in Australia and the Women's World Cup is on.  How could we not go to a game!  Even though we couldn't get Australia tickets, and the US is playing in New Zealand, this was still a spectacle to behold.

After driving home after the Yeah Yeah Yeahs last night, it was back on the freeway and into the same parking space for the game next door at the Allianz Stadium (I know it's a completely new stadium, but it will always be the Sydney Football Stadium to me).  This time with B, L, Dad and Kathleen in tow.

We got there pretty early and soaked in the atmosphere around the ground.  I was confident there would be a good contingent of South Korea fans, but I was really surprised by the amount of Colombians that were there - and in large groups at that.

We got into the stadium pretty easy and watched the Colombian team warm up.  Then we made the hike up to our seats.  We weren't given a choice when I bought the tickets yesterday, but I thought Row AA would be good.  It was actually the 4th last row - way up in the nosebleeds.  Oh well!  Once I calmed down about the height it was all about enjoying the game.

The crowd around us was evenly supporting South Korea and Colombia, but we chose Colombia, as their national anthem was much more upbeat. The game started evenly with South Korea maybe having a slight advantage.  South Korean Son Hwa-Yeon seemed strong on the ball and was causing some problems with movement around the pitch.  But in the 30th minute a handball in the box allowed Colombia to take the lead. Catalina Usme sent the keeper the wrong way, and Colombia were fortunate to be up 1-0.  Less than 10 minutes later Linda Caicedo got Colombia's second.  This time from a mistake by Korean keeper, Yoon Young-Guel.  A relatively gentle shot slipped through the keepers hands (above her head) and into the back of the net.  You know she's made that save a million times, but at the worst possible moment, it didn't go as planned.  I felt bad for her.

After going into the half up 2-0, Colombia came back out and took control of the game.  While their attacks weren't completely effective, they killed the game when Korea got the ball, not giving them an inch.

Nearing the end of the game we went down to the exit level and watched injury time closer to the pitch, and were there when the final whistle went.  Viva Colombia!

We picked up a World Cup shirt for mom on the way out.  Though got nothing for ourselves.  A great day had by all and an experience I hope the boys remember for years to come.

Colombia 2- Catalina Usme (30 min penalty), Linda Caicedo (30) defeated South Korea 0

Colombia: C. Perez, D. Arias, J. Carabali, M. Venagas, L. Santos (M. Restrepo 76 min), D. Montoya (D. Ospina Garcia 87 min), L. Bedoya Durango, C. Usme, M. Ramirez, L. Caicedo.

South Korea: Y. Young-Guel, L, Seon-Joo, S. Seo-Yeon, K. Hye-Ri, J. Sel-Gi, C. Hyo-Joo (M, Mi-Ra 88 min), J. So-Yun (P, Eun-Sun 68 min), L. Geum-Min, C. Yu-Ri (C. Phair 78 min), S, Hwa-Yeon (K. Chae-Rim 68 min).

Crowd: 24,323

Charlotte FC v NYCFC @ Bank of America Stadium

The Boys, A & I were lucky enough to be gifted our neighbor's tickets as they travelled out of town.  Hoping for a big win for Charlotte versus NYCFC.  We have great seats in the last row of the club section, pretty much mid field.  A disappointingly small crowd for a Saturday night (not half the bottom section was full - though as always the supporters section behind the goal was packed to the rafters and providing all the atmosphere).  But you have to expect this with the high price of tickets.

Charlotte FC got off to a good start, with Enzo Copetti finishing off a great move down the right with a simple tap in inside the 6 yard box.  The crowd thought Charlotte had a second, only for it to be ruled offside.  At the ground the crowd did not see the linesman's flag go up, so we were unaware as to why the keeper was taking a free kick afterwards.  No replay was show, nor was there any explanation from VAR, nor announcement at the ground (for Christ sake, they announce when the ball goes out for a corner!).  A weak tackle allowed NYCFC to equalize in the 37th minute, but Copetti got us back in front with a header off a Swiderski corner.  That took us into halftime with a 2-1 lead.

I was thinking the worst when NCYC converted a penalty in the 57th minute after a bad hack in the box.  Were we going to see Charlotte blow two leads?  Apparently not.  An own goal from a header from a Swiderski free kick restored Charlottes 1 goal lead in the 74th minute.  A tricky chance for New York was saved by Kahlina only moments later, and Charlotte survived the last 10 minutes to hold on to a 3-2 win.

I know it says attendance was in the 30,000 mark, but the upper deck wasn't open and the lower bowl was half full at most.  I wonder if that number was closer to 20,000.  The atmosphere tonight came totally from the supporters' section behind the goal.  This is a great group, who don't stop the whole game.  I hope in future games this enthusiasm infects the rest of the crowd.  More wins like this should do the trick.

Charlotte FC 3 (E. Copetti 8, 39, R. Ledezma OG 74) defeated NYCFC 2 (G. Pereira 37, S. Rodriguez Penalty 57)

Crowd:  30,454

Charlotte FC v DC United @ Bank Of America Stadium

Because we had considered purchasing season tickets to Charlotte FC last year, we had a $100 credit to use.  So while looking for things to do with the boys in summer vacation, a football match seemed like a great idea, especially after how great the first game was.

Was great to run into a mate, Daniel from Trader Joes, on the way in.  What are the chances?  I didn't know he volunteered for the club.  We'll have a lot to talk about next time I see him.  We sat down in the lower section again (such good seats), further away for the supporters section, but this time with fewer people around us.  We went the whole experience and made a mortgage payment to have dinner in the stadium and got to our seats just before the national anthem.  Not sure if  it is now a tradition for FC games, but the singer of the anthem only sang the first 2 lines, and let the crowd take over.

Down to business and it wasn't long before a play down the left wing, in front of us, was crossed and a Swiderski header rebounded in for an own goal and we were 1-0 up.  We then kept control of the first half and while we were unable to add to the score Charlotte FC looked good.  McKenzie Gaines down the right side was fast.  Blistering speed made a mockery of the DC defense a few times.  At the break we went for a drink refill and we were back in our seats for the start of the 2nd half.  DC came out stronger in the 2nd, but in the 64th minute a parried save by DC keeper Romo only fell as far as Swiderski who had the easiest of tap ins.  And then 3 minutes later another Romo save fell to Gaines whose cross back made for an easy finish for Quinn McNeil.  And with that Charlotte killed DC's hope of a win.  Again Charlotte took control for the rest of the game for a comfortable win.  

Was good to see Charlotte win, and I feel they are doing alright for a first season team, we just need to get some better results on the road and push for a playoff spot.

It says the attendance tonight was 31,250, but I don't think to came close to that.  The upper deck was not opened at all and the lower deck was not 2/3 full.  I'm sure that's how many tickets were sold, but it would be more accurate to know how many people were there.

Charlotte FC 3 (Steve Birnbaum (13' OG), Karol Swiderski (64'), Quinn McNeill (67')) v DC United 0

Attendance: 31,520.

Charlotte: K. Kahlina, A. Walkes, G. Corujo, J. Mora, H. Afful, B. Bronico, Q. McNeil (D. Jones), Y. Reyna (A. Shinyashiki), M. Gaines, K. Swiderski (D. Rios), B. Bender (J. Alcivar).

DC United: . R. Romo,  B. Hines-Ike (T. Alfaro), S. Birnbaum, S. Guediri, C. Odoi-Atsem (A. Najar), R. Morrison (S. Djeffal), R. Canouse (M. Berry), C. Durkin, T. Fountas (M. Rodriguez), O. Kamara, J. Hopkins

Charlotte FC v LA Galaxy @ Bank Of America Stadium

Charlotte FC - the newest MLS franchise - is having their first home match EVER on my birthday.  Was there ever a chance I wasn't going to go?  Thanks to A and the boys, who got me tickets, and boy was I stoked they did.

We got the Bank of America Stadium early in the hope of getting into some of the festivities, but the party started on the other side of the stadium as supporters groups marched in together.  We got into our seats well before kick off, even after trying to get food and into the merchandise store and the atmosphere was electric.  Charlotte has some shit sports fans.  Once things start to go south, season ticket holders don't bother to show and the atmosphere at some Panthers and Hornets games have been close to funeral-like.  Lets hope FC can keep the fans interested.  Though the thought of sitting in that stadium during the summer, and the high cost of tickets, is what stopped us becoming season ticket holders.

Just before kick off and sad but amazing moment happened.  The poor young lady who was to sing the national anthem had her mike cut out, but 74,000 people picked up the slack and gave a rousing rendition, the likes I've never heard at any sporting arena before.

There was no sitting down during any of the game, and Charlotte had a huge advantage of the home crowd.  I kept forgetting the kids were there and gave the referee and Chicharito plenty of stick when absolutely needed.  Play was even throughout the whole game, but nerves made Charlotte commit more small mistakes.  It was their 2nd game ever after all.  Ultimately the Galaxy's pressure paid off when a minute after Fuchs and Bender had chances in quick succession, the Galaxy moved the ball upfield for Alverez to perfectly drift one over Kahlina's head from a shot outside the box, giving us the only goal of the game.  Rios could have tied it up in ht e last minute of injury time but, alas, his headed from 6 years out went straight to the keeper.

Obviously the result was disappointing, and I'm sad that none of the Charlotte players got to score in front of that crowd, who has to be mentioned.  The stadium was full!  74, 479 people is a MLS record and not one of them was quiet for the whole 90 minutes.  Everyone was on their feet, willing the team on, and the supporters section behind the goal was absolutely rockin'!  Ma, we need to sit in that section for at least one game.

I hope Charlotte can get their first win soon, and that us locals keep interest and support this team, though I am skeptical (but more than happy to be proven wrong).

LA Galaxy 1 - E. Alvarez (77) defeated Charlotte FC 0

Attendance: 74,479

Charlotte FC: K Khalina, G. Corujo, C. Makon, C. Fuchs, J. Lindsay, A. Franco, B.Bronico (S. Ruiz), C. Ortiz (B. Bender), J. Mora (M. Gaines), K. Swiderski (D. Rios), Y. Reyna (C. Hegardt).

LA Galaxy: J. Bond, R. Edwards, N. DePuy, S. Coulibaly (D. Williams), J. Araujo, V. Vasquez (K. Kljestan), M. Delgado, R. Raveloson (E. Alverez), D. De Souza (J. Joveljic), K. Cabral (S. Grandsir), J. Hernandez

Charlotte Independence v New York Red Bulls II @ Memorial Stadium

It seems like forever since we've interacted with friends, and now with Covid settling down a little bit, we took the chance to hang with the Lochmans and go to the opening of Charlotte's revamped Memorial Stadium.

We met them at 1900 Mexican Grill for dinner al fresco before walking the 2 blocks down to the stadium.

The stadium looks great, and we have seats with our backs to the setting sun.  For an opening night, it is a little disappointing to see the stadium not half full, but it is blazing hot and people are still weary about being around other people in these strange times.

The game itself was a good one.   It was good for the boys to be so close and to hear the way the players and coaches communicate.  Unfortunately the result was not the best for the Independence, though it always looked like the game could go either way.  The night finished with a massive fireworks display before the short drive home. 

It will be interesting to see how successful this move is for the Independence with Charlotte FC joining the MLS next season and taking home at Bank of America Stadium

Charlotte Independence 2 (Dane Kelly 19, 41) vs New York Red Bulls II 3 (Jeremy Rafenello 13, Omar Sowe 70, Austin Brummett 79)
Attendance: 4,231

Charlotte Independence:  Brandon Miller, Hugh Roberts, Christian Dean, Kevin Riascos, Marcelo Palamino, Brandt Brianco (Noah Paravincini), Jake Areman, Clay Dimick (Blake Pope), Dane Kelly, (Jordan Bender), Irvin Parra (Sylvain Marveaux), Valentin Sabella (Tresor Mbuyu)

Unused Subs: Distel Zola, Austin Pack

New York Red Bulls II: Luca Lewis, Emir Tombul, Joseph Zalinsky, John Cortez (Samuel Williams), Matthew Acosta, Serge Ngoma (Austin Brummett), Daniel Edelman, Michael Knapp (Kyle Zajec), Omar Sowe, Jake Lacava, Jeremy Rafanello (Nicholas Nee)

Unused Subs: Timofey Timchenko, Samuel Joseph

Arsenal v Fiorentina @ Bank Of America Stadium

When it was announced that Arsenal were coming the Charlotte, there was never a question of if we were going, but where were we going to sit.  Tickets went on sale early in the year so it was the perfect birthday present for the twins in April.  We just hoped they could wait it out.

B, A & L with The Invincibles Trophy

It was well over 90 degrees game day, so I can't tell you how happy I am how the day panned out.  Thanks to a neighbor, we got a parking spot close-ish to the stadium and we walked through the Fan Fest at Romare Bearden Park, where the boys got a couple of fake tattoos, and soaked in the atmosphere.  The family got to pose in front to the 2004 Invincible's trophy.  We were near the stage when they bought out Arsenal's Rob Holding and 2 of L's favorites, Hector Bellerin and Pierre Aubamayang.  His head almost exploded.  We then marched the 3 blocks to the BofA stadium with the Arsenal Supporter's club which definitely had the crowd pumped.

Me, A, L & B, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

Unfortunately the atmosphere inside the ground didn't live up to the pre-game hype.  While we had some excellent seats in the shade the whole game and near the air-conditioned concession area, we looked across to a near empty east side of the stadium, where folks must have roasted in the blistering heat.  Also I'm not sure Fiorentina was a big drawcard for Charlotte.  I saw more Liverpool, Man U and Chelsea shirts than Fiorentina's.  Initially Arsenal was supposed to play Roma, but they had to withdraw to qualify for the Europa League.  Though I'd not seen so many Arsenal shirts since we went to Highbury in 2005.

The game was entertaining with Arsenal dominating.  Not sure how those players survived out there but I'm sure they were appreciative of the many substitutions that were aloud.  While Arsenal looked shaky at the back at times, going forward was aggressive and fun to watch.  A deserved victory for the Gunners.

I love that these games come to Charlotte each year, and already looking forward to seeing who'll play next year.  Whoever it is, we'll be watching from the same shaded seats.

Arsenal 3 (E. Nketiah 15, 65, J. Willock 89) v Fiorentina 0
Crowd: 34,902

Liverpool v AC Milan at Bank Of America Stadium

My beloved Liverpool....here....in Charlotte!  I can't believe this.  I had my ticket the minute the went on sale and couldn't be happier.  Well almost.  A lack of available babysitter meant that A could come with me, but Drew bought Erica and Vince instead.  So still a good crew.

We arrived early and, as usual for Bank Of America Stadium, there are a lot of people milling around before heading in.  I'm not sure what I expected but I would guess roughly 90% of the crowd had Liverpool gear on, a few AC Milan shirts could be seen, and then a spattering of other English Premier League team shirts.  I paid good money and was happy with our seats, about half way between the penalty box and the halfway line.  And high enough up, but not in the nosebleeds.  We walked to our seats, past one of the boxes to see Robbie Fowler and Ian Rush having a beer.  I'm 10 rows in from of God and a Liverpool great who was a hero when I started supporting them.  I wish Nicky Meyers was with me - I didn't have the balls to ask for an autograph.  So before kick off and I'm already on a high.

Bank Of America Stadium  -Liverpool v AC Milan

Liverpool looked really good from the outset and Joe Allen reacted quickly to slot a rebound off the post into net at 17 minutes.  Liverpool then continued to surge forward and won a penalty, which new boy Ricky Lambert took (a great penalty taker in years gone by).  He couldn't capitalize.  I hope this is not a sign of his season to come.

At half time I went and bought myself a scarf as a souvenir (a bit weird for the middle of summer) and the second half saw both teams make excessive changes as heat and pre-season fitness come into play.  The match became a little more back and forth and it wasn't until the last minute that Suso, right in front of us, secured the win from about 25 years out.  AC Milan don't have all the great names they used to and looked lost at times.  Having said that, Liverpool looked quite cohesive and attacking.  This result puts them up against Manchester United in the final on Monday.  I hope this is the start of a winning season.

Great to get some football in Charlotte.  Let's hope they bring it back here next year.  I'm pretty sure the 70,000 that showed up would be back.

Vince, Me, Erica & Drew

Liverpool 2 (Joe Allen 17, Suso 89) vs AC Milan 0

Attendance: 69,364

Liverpool: Simon Mignolet, Kolo Touré, Sebastián Coates, Martin Kelly, Jack Robinson, Jordan Henderson, Lucas, Joe Allen, Rickie Lambert, Raheem Sterling, Jordan Ibe

Subs: Brad Jones, Glen Johnson, José Enrique, Mamadou Sakho, Martin Skrtel, Steven Gerrard, Philippe Coutinho, Emre Can, Conor Coady, Suso, Kristoffer Peterson 

AC Milan: Christian Abbiati, Mattia De Sciglio, Adil Rami, Ignazio Abate, Daniele Bonera, Sulley Muntari, Riccardo Saponara, Michael Essien, Giampaolo Pazzini, M'baye Niang, Stephan El Shaarawy

Subs: Gabriel, Michael Agazzi, Philippe Mexes, Michelangelo Albertazzi, Cristián Zapata, Kevin Constant, Alex, Marco Pinato, Cristian Zaccardo, Keisuke Honda, Andrea Poli, Bryan Cristante, Mario Balotelli, Hachim Mastour

Central Coast Mariners vs Melbourne Victory @ Bluetongue Stadium

Melbourne 5 (Adrian Cacares 4, Danny Allsopp 23, 62, Archie Thompson 45, Kevin Muscat 45) defeated Central Coast 2 (Mile Jedinak 32, John Aloisi 63)

Crowd: 18,686

Central Coast

Matthew Trott, Andrew Clark, Andre Gumprecht, Alex Wilkinson, Bradley Porter, Mile Jedinak (Nigel Boogaard 90), Tom Pondeljak, Sasho Petrovski, John Aloisi, Damian Brown (Paul O'Grady 46), Tony Vidmar (Matthew Simon 46)

Melbourne

Michael Theoklitos, Rodrigo Vargas, Sebastian Ryall, Matthew Kemp, Kevin Muscat, Leigh Broxham, Daniel Vasilevski, Nick Ward, Adrian Caceres (Joseph Keenan 67), Daniel Allsopp, Archie Thompson (Kaz Patafta 90)

What I remember (in 2024)

Went with Dad, K & J.

Sat in the stand facing west.  Pretty good turn out for New Years Eve

Arsenal vs Blackburn @ Highbury, London

We spent the morning with the Upcrofts in Portobello Market, walking distance from their place.  WE found a pub later where we met Saffa, Gretchen, Kerns for a drink.  Then A, Rob, Kern & I caught the train out to Highbury to see Arsenal v Blackburn.

Kern had bought tickets off a workmate.  I couldn't believe we were 7 rows from the pitch, behind the goal, at the Arsenal end.  It was amazing.  We saw Fabregas and Henry give Arsenal a 2-0 lead before the break.  Before the game Robbie was warned not to say anything positive about   Blackburn, despite the fact there were 2 Aussies on the field, Lucas Neil and Brett Emerton, we were not at home at the local footy, and the English take their support seriously.  SO when he said he wished Blackburn scored to make it more interesting, we did the right thing...and turned our backs on him like he was a stranger.  He later said the guy behind him looked ready to kill.  He was warned.  Eventually we were rewarded with a beautiful Van Persie goal at our end in the 90th minute.  Arsenal 3-0 winners.  All 4 of us got to leave the stadium in 1 piece.

Arsenal 3 (Fabregas 4, Henry 45, Van Persie 90) defeated Blackburn 0

Crowd: 38,192

Arsenal

Jans Lehmann, Lauren, Kolo Toure, Kevin Campbell, Pascal Cygan, Robert Pires (Matthew Flamini 77), Cesc Fabregas, Gilberto Silva, Jose Antonio Reyes (Freddie Ljungberg 72), Dennis Bergkamp (Robin Van Persie 82), Thierry Henry.

Blackburn:

Brad Friedel, Lucas Neill, Ryan Nelsen, Andy Todd, Michael Gray, Brett Emerton (David Thompson 61), Steven Reid, Robbie Savage, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Shefki Kuqi (Paul Dickov 79), Craig Bellamy.

Bob, Me, ABH & Kern @ Highbury

7 Rows Behind The Goal @ Highbury

Kern, Bob, Me & ABH @ Highbury

We ended up in a pub near Highbury station, where we were joined by Tawnie, Linda & K&J.  From there we caught the tube to Angel where we had dinner at Carluccio's.  A quaint Italian restaurant, where we took up a huge table in the middle of everything.  All in all a fantastic day.

Liverpool vs Borussia Dortmund at Anfield

It was the best of Tuesdays. No work. The tickets had been ordered and delivered, the crew had been selected, the car had been hired, the directions sorted. Necessary clothing purchases were made during the day to ensure I was one of the gang. That my allegiance could never be questioned. This was to be a night to remember.

Traffic on the M62 had me nervous. We were meant to be doing 70mph – but we were stopped - being overtaken by dead turtles on Valium. But I need not worry. We still had 3 hours to spare and were probably less than 40 miles from Mecca. We would make it.

The Place: Liverpool, England

Easy enough to find! Get on the M62 from Leeds and just drive west till you see the signs. But to pinpoint the destination would be tricky. It was already dark. We were hungry - and all the Maccas were on the other side of the road. The traffic was heavy, one wrong lane and we may have been playing the fruit machines in Blackpool. And the pressure of the event was starting to see butterflies appear in the stomach. In the end it was good signposting on the part of the Merseyside Council, half a dozen illegal U-turns and a makeshift school car park that put us where we (more specifically I) needed to be.

Anfield.

The Event: Champions League Qualifier Liverpool vs Borussia Dortmund.

5 minutes before kick off - Where is everyone?

We ended up being so early that the gates hadn't even opened. This didn't stop the nervousness. My boys had to at least draw to get through to the next stage. With Houllier in hospital, I was ready to take charge in case Thomson had his own heart attack. We stood outside and watched the Dortmund fans get ushered into the stadium by well over 60 stewards. They were in fine voice - but who could understand them? Not I - nor did I care to - they were the enemy. (Do I sound English yet - just scared myself). Finally the gates opened and we climbed the stairs of the Centenary Stand to our seats. As we come through the doorway, there in front of me, I see an empty Kop. All red seating except the white ones spelling out LFC. I had made it. The Dortmund fans were in and still in full voice. They were unopposed as the ground was virtually empty. A few Dortmund players ran out to warm up bringing new chants. Great timing is the stuff that Liverpool fans are made of because is seems as though as the first of the Reds were running onto the pitch, every seat in Anfield had magically filled and all of a sudden the Dortmund fans had been silenced by a chorus of 'When the Reds Go Marching In'. Just before kick off was the moment that I think I wanted more than the game itself. Music started over the loudspeaker. 41000 people rose from their seats. Initially I thought it might be a national anthem. But no. It was bigger than that. 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. This song will make hairs on the back of my neck stand, bring a tear to the eye and make the bottom lip quiver. United even with Dortmund for these minutes, there was hardly a person not singing. But its not just singing. If you have a Red and White scarf - its stretched above your head. If you have a Red and White flag - its waving. If you have a voice - its at full volume. The Kop has disappeared under 3 of the hugest Liverpool flags that could probably been awnings for The Colosseum. I could've gone home there and then and been more than happy. But wait there's more..............

The Kop - Full & Loud

The Game

90 minutes of football = 90 minutes of singing and cheering. A wonderful volley from Smicer saw Liverpool take and early 1-0 lead. They scored at the end we were sitting. The crowd went nuts. Heeeeeeyheeeeeey Smicer OOOOh! Ahhhh! I wanna knooowwwwwwww woah. If you'll score my goal.

Half time and Liverpool are on fire. No way were we going to lose and when Steven Wright scored in his Champions league debut. Liverpool at 2-0 were going through to the next stage. And I was there to see it. Could it get better? You betcha! When Michael Owen was substituted the crowd gave a standing ovation for a local hero who had terrorised a brilliant Dortmund defense. When his sub came on, Robbie Fowler, the crowd went fucking apeshit (sorry mum but they did). No-one has more respect in football than Liverpool fans for Fowler. Best way I can explain this is by telling of the kiddie outside the ground wearing a Liverpool shirt with Fowler's number 9 and the name 'GOD' on the back. With minutes remaining and no chance of losing it was back to an old faithful. I thought the singing before the game was loud. When we sang 'You'll Never Walk Alone' near the end, it was a wonder you didn't hear it from where you were.

Liverpool Cross Into The Penalty Area

WHAT A RIPPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Comedown

The other boys fell asleep on the drive home. But I was still buzzing. It would be a long time before I slept. And I will do everything to remember this night for a long time. Like the Liverpool shirt which hangs proudly on the back of my door. Or reliving it all through this blog.

You'll Never Walk Alone

Leeds United vs Middlesborough @ Elland Road

Leeds 1 (Robbie Keane 55) drew with Middlesborough 1 (Alan Boksic 27)

Leeds

Paul Robinson, Rio Ferdinand, Dominic Matteo,Gary Kelly, Lucas Radebe, Olivier Dacourt, David Batty, Lee Bowyer, Jason Wilcox, Mark Viduka, Robbie Keane (Alan Smith 75)

Middlesborough

Mark Schwarzer, Alan Boksic, Robbie Mustoe, Paul Okon, Christian Karembeu (Phil Stamp 66), Curtis Fleming, Steve Vickers, Dean Gordon, Gianluca Festa, Ugo Ehiogu, Hamilton Ricard (Noel Whelan 81)

Crowd: 39,251

Leeds vs Middlesbourough

Robbie Keane Scores A Penalty beyond Mark Schwarzer

Leeds Corner