Washington Post: United Force
By Josh Crockett • Aug 14th, 2007 • Category: American soccer, Media • 3 responsesWednesday’s Washington Post Style section features an excellent report, complete with multimedia online, on D.C. United supporters groups — particularly the Barra Brava.
In the beginning, 11 years ago, a real estate agent from Bolivia named Oscar Zambrana bought 15 tickets for the first D.C. United home game. The only way he knew to root for the home team was the way they do it back home in Santa Cruz.
He went to a pawn shop in Wheaton where the owner, a Uruguayan, offered to exchange drums for a ticket. Deal.
Stadium authorities did not understand this exuberant form of fan love. The second game, drums were barred.
But Kevin Payne, president of D.C. United, did understand. “This is not other sports,” says Payne. “Rather than have a band getting up occasionally to play a rehearsed song, our fans make their own music.” Deny this urge, and the cost to a franchise in passion, atmosphere, noise and ticket sales is incalculable.
In a season when Toronto fans have received much (justifiable) praise for the excitement they’ve brought into MLS in their first season, it’s worth remembering that other MLS fanbases have been in fine form for over a decade.
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Ah, I was just, just about to post on this when I saw yours go up! What a great article. Easily the best capturing of DC fans I’ve ever read, it was easy to recognize my experience in the article and what makes me love the team and the Barra so much. And I think Montgomery did a great job of touching on a lot of the reason MLS fans and especially DC fans have a unique character in world soccer.
[...] week have come three more articles in the mainstream press: one in the Washington Post, as Josh and Max noted yesterday, was excellent; another, in the New York Observer by Vince Levy, was also very good; and today [...]
While I enjoy soccer a lot and love to see fans support their team, it would drive me crazy sitting next to a bunch of drubs and such the whole game.