Charlotte FC - FC Cincinnati (26-03-2022)

 

Charlotte FC is the newest “franchise” in Major League Soccer (MLS), the first tier of US soccer, and this is the third home game in its inaugural season. Like many other new “franchises”, Charlotte FC plays its first season(s) in a football stadium, in this case the Bank of America Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers.

 

I arrive about 30 minutes before kick-off, after a 3-hour drive, and see many people walk to the stadium. Parking is ridiculously expensive, but I find a spot in a neighborhood, hoping my car won’t be impounded during the game (and potentially saving $30-40). From my spot it is a 5 minute walk to the entrance.

 

Everything is done electronically and getting in goes very fast as it does not seem very busy. I have bought a ticket online, as they don’t sell them at the stadium. Even worse, the tickets are all resold by either season ticket holders or others, making them ridiculously expensive. I pay $90, which includes $25 “service costs” to Seat Geek, the monopoly seller.

My seat is row 2, which is actually the third row, in the corner. Pretty good view when the ball is on my side. The official attendance is 30, 242, which makes the stadium less than half full. As the upper tier is left empty, the lower tier feels pretty crowded. The audience is fairly mixed, by age, gender, and race, with notably few kids. The vast majority wear CTL gear, most notably their beautiful blue-white jersey. The CFC "ultras" are behind the goal. I see a few individual away fans.

In the 6th minute, in their first attack, Charlotte scores from an excellent counter: 1-0 and the crowd goes really wild — amplified by the unmatched sound system of the stadium. This keeps the fans in good spirits. The weather is also pretty good: mild temperature (17C) and sunny, but very windy.

The game is played on (seemingly dry) astroturf, which makes passing and controlling the ball easier, although the strong winds make particularly high balls problematic. Overall, the quality of the game is not too good. After a few minutes of injury break, the atmosphere drops considerably. Only the section behind the goal keeps going. The pace of the game also drops  considerable.

Although Charlotte FC has almost two-thirds of the possession, it feels the ball is mostly on their half and FC Cincinnati is at least as dangerous.  There are a few chances on both sides, but the hosts remain 1-0 ahead at Half Time -- mostly thanks to their goalie and the poor finishing of the guests.

A few minutes into the second half a Concinnati cross is pulled back by the wind and leads to good volley that goes just wide (but the goalie had the corner covered). In the 56th minute Charlotte scores another out-of-nowhere goal. A free kick just outside the box goes high in the far corner, picking up extra speed because of the wind: 2-0. While not really a mistake, it is also not the strongest goalkeeping.

 

After the sudden 2-0, FC Cincinnati keeps pushing, but remains ineffective. One long Cincinnati attack leads to a hidden shot from 10 meter, which is excellently saved by the goalie. As time passes, it becomes more and more clear that they won't score, and this leads to a quite lucky home victory, in which Charlotte FC scores 2 times from at best 4 good chances.

All in all, it was a quite pleasant experience. The atmosphere felt more like American football than soccer though, in part because of the stadium. It is difficult to foresee the future of Charlotte FC at this moment. It felt that many fans were there for the first time, like me buying extremely expensive tickets from "season ticket holders" who are just scalpers. I don't see that leading to a solid support base. I know I won't be back as long as the inflated prices are at around $100 or even higher.

KVC Sint-Eloois Winkel Sport – KFC Dessel Sport (20-02-2022)

 

It was good that we arrived more than an hour before kick-off to town, as it took us almost 30 minutes to find the stadium. The address online was more than 10 km from where the real Sportpark Terschueren is. Our last game of the weekend is again in the Eerste Klasse, the third division of Belgian soccer. We visit the KVC Sint-Eloois Winkel Sport, which was founded in 1940, during the Second World War, and has mainly made some promotions within the amateur divisions because of the many bankruptcies of Belgian soccer clubs.

 

After killing time to escape the still relentless rain and wind, we arrive 2 minutes before kick-off, park straight in front of the ground on a tiny parking lot that is nevertheless only one-third occupied. As we approach the small ticket booth, the guy starts to wave his hands and tells us enthusiastically that face masks are no longer necessary. He is also the first one this weekend not to check our vaccine status. We keep our masks on, completely confusing the man, and pay €10 ($11) for a generic ticket.

 

The stadium, if you will, has an Astroturf pitch and two small stands. We sit on the main stand, which is covered and has six rows of seats. On the other long side of the pitch is a small standing-only stand, also covered, with only 18 people on it. There are between 150 and 200 people in the stadium, including a sizeable section from Dessel, who are top of the league. The supporters are again older, white men from around town (which explains the lack of cars on the little parking lot).

 

In the 11^th minute there is an awful misunderstanding between a defender and the goalie of Winkel Sport, after having received a free kick some 25 meter from their own goal. The defender kicks the ball softly to his goalie, who thinks he is going to take the free kick himself, as a Dessel striker gets in between them, picks up the ball, goes around the goalie, who protests and motions that he is to take the free kick, and shoots from 20 meter in the goal: 0-1. The group of some 35-50 loud (and drunk) away supporters jumps up to celebrate.

 

Dessel remains better but by and large stops playing. Still, they do get some chances, often through breaks after poor defending by the hosts. In the 30^th minute, after a foul, a hard, low shot from 20 meter is saved by the home goalie, first with his hands and then the rebound from 5 meter with his leg. After that, Winkel Sport gets several chances. The most notable, in the 42^nd minutes, sees a beautiful action by the striker, who cuts free in the box and shoots hard in the short corner from 5 meter, but it ricochets off the post. In extra time, Dessel attacks and a saved header is rebounded with a beautiful half volley from 16 meter, but lands on top of the crossbar. Half time: 0-1.

 

Although Dessel has the much better team and cannot afford to lose any points at low-placed Winkel Sport, they seem uninterested in making the lead bigger. You see the confidence of the hosts grow, as they create a few chances. In the 55^th minute a Winkel-Sport break leads to a foul in the box. The penalty is scored and it is 1-1.

 

At the end of the game Winkel Sport becomes stronger and stronger. In the 85^th minute they have an excellent break, with a great through pass, a strong cross back, and a volley from 5 meter that is saved by the goalie. Unfortunately, three minutes later a player gets his second yellow and has to leave the pitch. It is only now, a few minutes before the final whistle, that Dessel starts to really pressure. But it won’t help them. They lose two points, as it ends 1-1, which is quite sour for Winkel Sport, who deserved more, particularly given the unfortunate goal they got against them.

 

 

KVC Sint-Eloois Winkel Sport is really just a small amateur team. Although they play in the third division of Belgian football, they have never played professional, unlike many other teams in that league (like Dessel). Not the most exciting groundhop destination.

KVV THES Sport Tessenderlo - FC Mandel United (19-02-2022)

The drive from Wegberg to Tesssenderlo is so short that even with an excellent pig out stop in Geel, we arrive to the town far too early. As it is cold and rainy, Belgium and the Netherlands are punished by a crazy storm (which would create major damage, particularly at the West coast), but we find shelter in a canteen opposite to the stadium, where we can also park. We are visiting the KVV THES Sport Tessenderlo, a team in the Eerste Nationale (First National Amateur Division), the third tier of Belgian football. Unsurprisingly, this is another fusion club, with THES standing for Tessenderlo, Hulst, Engsbergen and Schoot.

 

Two minutes before kick-off we cross the street to the stadium and pay €12 ($13) for a generic ticket. The stadium at the Gemeentelijk Sportpark (Community Sports Park) Tessenderlo has only one stand, on one long side, but it is quite big, giving the ground a more real football experience. The pitch is Astroturf.

 

There are some 250 to 300 people in the stadium, almost all sitting on one half of the main stand. The fans are local, almost all men (40+), and again very few women and children. As far as I can see, there are no away fans. KVV THES Sport Tessenderlo is somewhere mid-table, while FC Mandel United is bottom of the table.

 

The game is played under atrocious conditions. It rains almost the whole game but the real problem is the extreme wind, which is not just cold, but makes particularly passes high passes problematic. In the 13^th minute the guests have their first good attack, but the striker heads the ball wide. Two minutes later a too long THES free kick goes from right to left, the cross is missed by the goalie but the rebound is missed. A minute later, the hosts have a counter, the player goes around the goalie, but shoots hard wide.

 

In the 20^th minute a long ball is missed by a defender and a THES striker goes alone at the goalie, followed closely by three defenders, and scores cool: 1-0. Two minutes later, the hosts head a free kick at the goalie from close by. Ten minutes later they have a fantastic counter, with a brilliant cross in the run, and the striker totally misses the ball. Criminal! Three minutes before half time, the guests, who escaped several time, score in an unexpected move. 1-1 is the half time score.

 

After a classic Belgium stadium snack, a bit too crispy Mexicano Sandwich with Samourai sauce, it is time for the second half. The weather remains horrible. In the 57^th minute a THES cross is poorly boxed away by the Mandel United goalie, fantastically volleyed in the rebound, and even more spectacularly saved by that same goalie. Two minutes later a beautifully executed attack by the hosts is missed from 7 meter by a striker who shoots hard but wide.

 

The longer the game continues, the poorer the hosts play. In the 63^rd minute Mandel has an enormous chance, after a counter, but striker, who goes alone at the goalie, shoots wide. Although THES has been much better, and should have won this game easily, Mandel seems to win it in the last minute of extra time, when the ball is pumped into the THES box, and after a header a group of players jump and one heads it in from about 3 meter… 1-2. No, as the goal is disallowed because the goalie is attacked in his protective space.

 

So the game ends in a 1-1 draw, which is almost lucky in the end for THES, which should have easily have won this game against the bottom team of the league. They created enough chances, despite strong rain and wind, but failed to finish. 

 

Overall, not a good game, but many very good chances made it entertaining. And while there are few supporters, and there is not too much atmosphere, the big stand gives it a real football feel.

FC Wegberg-Beeck - Rot-Weiss Oberhausen (19-02-2022)

 

For our afternoon game we go to the Regionalliga West, one of the leagues in the regionally divided fourth division of German football. The FC Wegberg-Beeck is a fusion team just across the border with the Netherlands (and close to Mönchengladbach).

 

They play in the Waldstadion Beeck, a small stadium in a small town, not dissimilar to an average ground of an average local club in Germany or the Netherlands, except that it has one covered stand and a decent size canteen. Everything looks very new.

 

We pay 15 euro for a place at the one stand, which is also covered, as rain is predicted for later in the afternoon. Inside the stadium is a small statue commemorating the game against Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1998, which was also the formal opening of the stadium. To be honest, it looks even newer than roughly 25 years.

 

There are some 400 people, including almost 100 away supporters, who made the relatively short 80 km trip from Oberhausen. Rot-Weiss Oberhausen used to play in higher divisions and has a great ground. They are top of the league, which might also explain the very decent away support got the Regionalliga.

 

In addition to the loud away fans, there are some 15 cops, who are dressed in riot gear (a bit over the top). The home fans are clearly local, mostly older men, with few women and children. They are fairly quiet, perhaps used to disappointment, given that FC Wegberg-Beeck is near the bottom of the league.

 

In the 6^th minute the hosts have their first chance, a shot out of a rebound, which goes well over. The game is poor, which is not helped by the strong wind, but in the 25^th minute a quick counter attack is finished easily by the visitors: 0-1. A minute later, Wegberg has a good attack that ends with a very poor cross.

 

In the 42^nd minute, out of nowhere, from some 12 meter out, an Oberhausen player shoots low, quite soft, but it rolls in the goal because the goalie can’t see it: 0-2. Two minutes for half time the guests have another good attack, but the shot is cleared from line by an excellent sliding by a defender. Hence, 0-2 is also the half time score.

 

The second goal of Oberhausen was by and large game over, as Wegberg cannot and Oberhausen does not want to. But in the 67^th minute an Oberhausen player cuts in, gets himself free on the side of the box, and shoots low in the far corner: 0-3.

 

In the last five minutes the game comes alive again. In the 86^th minute a counter by the guests is stopped twice by the goalie and in the 89^th minute a powerful Oberhausen shot from outside the box is beautiful saved by the home goalie. And then, a minute later, a miscommunication between the Oberhausen goalie and a defender leads to a Wegberg goal:1-3. Few home supporters celebrate.

 

FC Wegberg-Beeck and the Waldstadion Beeck have the atmosphere of a small, local amateur team; more Oberliga than Regionalliga, which it soon might be again. Not the most inspiring destination in Germany.

FC Chambly-Oise - FC Villefranche Boujelais (18-02-2022)

 

The first game of my groundhopweekend with TM takes us to Chambly, a small town just north of Paris. The local FC Chambly-Oise plays in the Championnat National, the Third Division of French football and the lowest national and professional league. Although we left the Netherlands in time, despite me getting lost for a while, we get stuck in a long traffic jam around Lille and start to worry whether we will make kick-off at 19.00. Half an hour later we worry whether we will even make the second half. In the end, we arrive 5 minutes late.

 

We are surprised how many cars there are, but later conclude that, because the ground is in the middle of nowhere, and there is no public transports, everyone is come in their own car. After a COVID vaccination check, and confusion about my unprofessional US vaccination card, we buy tickets for the main stand (at €15 each).

 

The Stade des Marais looks like work in progress, with one stand behind the goal and one on just half of the long side. Both seem semi-permanent structures, one truly covered and the other covered by a weird, temporary tent structure.

 

There are some 400-500 people in the stadium. The audience is very male, mostly older (40+), and somewhat mixed ethnically (much less than the town, undoubtedly). Remarkable how few women and children are around. There don’t seem to be any away fans – Villefranche-sur-Saône is almost 500 km away from Chambly, so that wasn’t too surprising. FC Chambly-Oise is 14^th in the league, FC Villefranche-Boujelais 7^th.

 

We are internally divided whether the pitch is natural grass (T) or some modern type of AstroTurf (me). In any case, it looks good and smooth. Still, the home team struggles, while the guests have several half chances, before they finally score 0-1 in the 39^th minute, after a cross from the left is finished with a half volley. This is also the half time score, which flatters Chambly.

 

In the 55^th minute, a bit out of nowhere, the guests score with a dry, low shot from top of the box, which the goalie sees too late: 0-2.

 

The guests are much better, even if Chambly has more possession. They create at least five clear chances through excellent play — but also because the hosts are so poor. Fortunately for the hosts, the Villefranche strikers are off target.

 

Although the game ends 0-2, and was never a real contest, it was entertaining, mostly because of the guests. The atmosphere was decent. A small crowd of people used to seeing their team loose and a few who occasionally sing. Definitely in the margins of French professional football.

 

Portland Timbers FC – New York City FC (11-12-2021)

 

I have been a Portland Timbers fan since I moved to the US, in 2008, watching my first games when the team was still in the USL (Second Division), but already playing for many thousands of fans. I flew to the Timbers' first ever MLS game in Denver, flew in for the first derby against the Seattle Sounders in the MLS, and drove to the first MLS Cup Final they were in, and won, in Columbus. So, when the Timbers qualified for the MLS Cup Final, to play at home, I was desperate to get a ticket. Although I failed, my friend, and Timbers mega-fan IM, was successful in getting an extra ticket. So, I plundered my frequent flyer points and was on my way from Athens, GA, to Portland, OR (roughly 2,700 miles or 4,300 km).

 

The game started at noon, local time, and around 10 AM there was a loud group of most of the present New York City FC fans walking to the stadium from the city center. I arrived around 10.30 and could barely recognize the ground or area around it.

 

The last time I was here, it was still called Jeld-Wen Field and had some 10,000 seats less. Providence Park has 25,000 seats (?) and is a beautiful ground in the heart of Portland, truly Soccer City USA. After a 15-minute or so of cueing, they scanned my electronic ticket (which had cost $110), and I was in.

 

This might be the time to mention that the weather was absolutely terrible, even by Portland standards. It was cold, grey, wet, and windy. Moreover, my seat was uncovered! After walking around the stadium to find some food – poor options for insane prices – I met up with IM and took my seat with some of his friends. The rain was unrelenting, but fortunately the wind didn’t make it into the section of the stadium that I was in. In terms of view, the seat was quite good, in the corner behind one goal, quite close to the pitch.

 

Obviously, the stadium was sold-out, although NYCFC had not sold all of its 2,500 allocated tickets – despite allegedly subsidizing the tickets for its fans. I would estimate that there were at best 1,500 away supporters. Sure, New York City is literally on the other side of the (huge) country, but this would have never happened if Portland would have played the MLS Cup final in New York. Says a lot about the fan base of NYCFC, a truly corporate enterprise, co-owned by (the owners of) the New York Yankees and Manchester City.

 

The atmosphere was electric, despite the horrible weather. As always, the Timbers Army brought the songs and tifo, as many other parts of the stadiums joined in the singing as well. To be fair, the NYCFC supporters sang for most of the game as well. Overall, Providence Park is loud, really loud. It is an almost un-American, genuine football, atmosphere, which can hold its own with almost any other stadium I have been too.

 

Unfortunately, the game could not. Playing on a wet Astroturf pitch didn’t help either. From the start it was a combination of poor passes and pinball football, with NYCFC having the somewhat better of the game. Neither team was really better than the other, but Portland played too slow and predictable, and the strikers were almost invisible. NYCFC has tall defenders, who had few problems heading the high balls away.

 

As half-time was getting close, I was absolutely soaked, despite my “rain jacket”, and getting colder and colder. And then, out of nowhere, NYCFC scores in one of the few balls at goal. Almost directly it is half-time and the stadium went silent, with the exception of the away fans, at least for half time.

 

The second half was dreadful. The Timbers tried to create chances, but everything was too predictable and slow. The many changes helped a bit, with at least Moreno making some moves, but most final balls were high into the box, where NYCFC had a serious height advantage. If the Timbers won three headers up front, it was be a lot.

 

Where Portland could not, NYCFC did not want to. They just tried to get to the end of the game by wasting times, rolling around after the slightest of physical contact. The referee let a lot of things go, but he only started to punish this behavior late in the game, giving several yellow cards. When the referee indicated 4 minutes of extra time, I mainly saw it as four more minutes of suffering through terrible football and cold- and wetness. But, with almost the last shot of the game, out of nowhere, a loose ball was tipped in from close range, and the Timbers equalized in the fourth minute of extra time. Providence Park exploded and I experienced one of the most intensely emotional moments in my 50+ years of football fandom. 1-1 was also the full-time score: extra time!

 

After a short break, extra time started. The first fifteen minutes were completely dominated by the Timbers, who played their best football of the game (not a high bar admittedly), while New York was still dazed by the late equalizer. The Timbers created some chances, and even a few balls between the posts, but there were no goals. In the second period of extra time, the guests had come out of their shock and played slightly better, although both teams took few risks. Hence, it was still 1-1 after extra time. Time for penalties.

 

After 120 minutes of football, one of the most amazing things was that only a handful of people had left the stadium, despite the cold and wet weather and the uninspiring play by the home team. I am not sure how optimistic the home crowd was, but that optimism disappeared quickly, as the Timbers missed their first penalty. Although the guests missed shortly after, the hosts did too, which meant that when New York City FC scored their fifth penalty, it was all over. NYCFC had won the 2021 MLS Cup 2-4 on penalties and it was not totally undeserved.

 

As soon as the final whistle was blown, I left the stadium, with pretty much everyone else (except the NYCFC fans), and walked with IM and his friends to the Timbers Army “after party”, where most people were quiet but resigned. After a quick visit to the Fan Laden, I made my way back to my hotel to warm up.

 

 

As I flew back to Atlanta the next (very early) morning, I was disappointed but did not regret my decision to fly to Portland. Sure, it was an extremely expensive defeat, but I had been at the first home MLS Cup Final of the Timbers and experienced the enlarged stadium is all its glory. Providence Park is truly a unique US football stadium and the atmosphere will even impress hardened fans and groundhoppers from more traditional football countries. Portland is and remains Soccer City USA!