As a fan of Major League Soccer, I often find myself needing to give an explanation as to why I watch this league. Which is a bit odd, because I’ve never had someone ask me, “why do you watch The Yankees?” or, “why are you a New York Giants fan”, because the answer is usually pretty clear. I live in Manhattan, I grew up in North Jersey, so it makes sense. Around here, Baseball fans are generally Yankees or Mets fans, NFL fans are generally Giants or Jets fans, and there’s not really a lot of questions beyond that. But, when I tell people that I’m a soccer fan and that I support NYCFC, I’m generally met with a few questions.
Most of these questions surround the idea of the perceived quality of MLS as a whole, rather than why I support NYCFC in particular. And to be honest, the questions are usually pretty brutal.
“How do you watch that shit?” I’ve been asked a number of times. Or “Why don’t you watch some real football?” I’ve ironically been asked by an Arsenal fan. And to an extent, I understand where they’re coming from. As much as I love MLS, it’s hard to shout from the rooftops about how good the level of play is, even though it’s pretty widely agreed that the league’s quality has improved in recent years. But, if you are supporting any team solely for its quality, ability, or results, I would argue that you’re missing the point of fandom.
Split MLS and Premier League Logo (Via MLSSoccer.com)
But, if I could make one point to anyone that’s every asked me such questions, it would be this: you can support two teams. In fact, you could be a die-hard fan of two teams, and supporting one club likely won’t diminish your fandom for the other. You just have to do it the right way. For me, what works is supporting my local club, NYCFC, and my foreign club, Manchester United.
Why I think this pair of clubs works for me, is that they are both capable of offering me something that the other simply can’t. In the case of Man U, I get to watch some of the most talented footballers on the planet compete every week in the highest quality competitions in world football. I can watch one of the greatest players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo, bag a hat-trick in the Premier League vs Tottenham. I can watch Marcus Rashford score a stoppage time penalty in Les Parc des Princes to down PSG in the champions league. I can watch a sold-out Old Trafford sing “Glory Glory Man United” and give me goosebumps on a Sunday morning at 9:00am when I’m hungover as all hell, and I wouldn’t trade any of those things for the world.
Marcus Rashford Celebrates his Stoppage-time Winner at PSG (Via The Independent)
But, I can’t escape the fact that I watch all of these events unfold over 3,000 miles away. And, no matter how many games I get up early for, how many fan channels I subscribe to, or how many kits I buy online, there will aways be that little piece missing - that feeling that I’m not really there.
That’s where I relish being an NYCFC fan the most. With a local club in your own city, you can become as engrossed in the club, the culture, and the movement as you’d like to be. The fact that you can go to games in-person is an unbelievable privilege, and one that those who only support European clubs may never experience. And to that extent, who cares that United would run circles around NYCFC on the pitch? I can hop on the 4 uptown be in the outfield bleachers in a matter of minutes, and that’s honestly so damn cool.
No. 4 Train outside Yankee Stadium in the Bronx (Via The New York Times)
So, when I absolutely lost my mind as Alex Callens' MLS Cup-clinching PK smashed the back of the net in Portland, the questions about “how could I watch this shit?” or “why don’t I watch some real football” didn’t even enter my mind. Because at the end of the day, football is football. Yes, you’d like the quality to be as high as it can be, but your love for a club shouldn’t be for that. It should be for the club, and whatever that club means to you.
So, support your local club, support your big foreign club, and enjoy both of them for what they are, because there’s way too much soccer in this world to just enjoy the experiences of a single team.
Comments