Isla Vista Hooligans
December 4 – 2006
There was a time when the NCAA championship was the keystone of American soccer. The finest players in the country sucked the marrow out of their 4 years of eligibility and dreamed of getting to a Final Four.
Though you could argue the quality of play is better than ever, college soccer is now a bit of an afterthought. Project 40 (er, Generation Adidas) gobbles up young talents before they can enlist in communications classes, and National Team players with actual alma maters are increasingly rare.
That said, the American soccer landscape is of little import when you’re standing on the sidelines, brown-bagging a forty of Pabst. And this is why the college fan is still the gold-standard for American soccer supporters. Their penchant for heckling, willingness to transpose football rivalries, and comfort with public intoxication makes them the closest thing we’ve got to world-class supporters.
Not that the UCSB student body had time to ponder the matter while carrying a goal through campus (first clip) and throwing it into the Pacific ocean (2nd clip).
Brilliant…I had no idea that UCSB had soccer fans, why didn’t I go on a recruiting trip there??
Comment by Lukey the Czech — December 4, 2006 @ 9:18 pm
Someone tell me the wisdom behind holding the finals in St. Louis on the first week in DECEMBER!!!
Comment by Matt — December 5, 2006 @ 11:34 am
Don’t forget that in 1969 this same breed of enthusiastic Gaucho attempted to burn the IV BofA. Evidently, Argentine soccer fans and cowboys are equally excitable.
Comment by grandeagle — December 5, 2006 @ 10:19 pm
Grandeagle speaks the truth: http://www.islavistahistory.com/ivhistory/chapter2.1.html
That’s some craziness. And I believe a “Gaucho” is an Argentine cowboy…so there’s your double helping.
Comment by garth — December 5, 2006 @ 11:37 pm
An alternative to NCAA soccer
The experience offered at BYU is unique for male soccer players. They don’t have to worry about eligibility, play against some of the top teams in the world, and play in the PDL, a semi-pro league. This last year we played in the U.S. open, the biggest tournament in the country. There are a lot of players from the league that are recruited to play professionally.
Comment by BYU soccer team — December 8, 2006 @ 5:42 pm
That’s one of the more confusing pieces of spam I’ve ever encountered in blog-land. Throw in a case of Xango and guaranteed salvation, and I’ll gladly suit up for Brigham’s army.
Comment by garth — December 8, 2006 @ 11:39 pm
So, that’s how they landed Jim McMahon! (Xango must be good shit)
Comment by grandeagle — December 9, 2006 @ 11:13 am
The BYU dude forgot to mention that you have to be part of a cult as well…
Comment by LG — December 9, 2006 @ 9:57 pm