She’s a Galaxy Girl…

Soccer is boooorrrring.  Can I get an Amen?

I mean, I’d never had reason to think otherwise.  Sure, I got a bit into the World Cup every four years, especially in New York where every other bar had national affiliations and was filled with cheering expatriates.  But I’d never been to a soccer match, wasn’t captivated by any match I’d watched on t.v.  I wasn’t even sure if you referred to it as a soccer game or soccer match.  And I sure as hell didn’t follow a team.  Why would I?  The Galaxy?  That was the name of the roller rink where I grew up and I only remember it because I was crazy about Dina Ranger in 7th grade, and she spent every weekend there.  So I went one time and was trying to be all cool in my rental skates, acting like I was just like the regulars…if the regulars went with their parents and rented ugly brown skates instead of black speed skates, leading the first lap of the boy’s race because douche bags with rentals got a half lap head start, only to be blown away by every speed skating kid with hair that feathered cooler than mine……  Eh, she was into older guys anyhow.

So, here I was driving the Crew down to the Home Depot Center to catch an LA Galaxy match vs. Real Salt Lake Saturday night.  Now, I have to tell the truth:  I was skeptical as to whether it was worth going.  But one of the benefits of this website has been to continually push us out there when opportunities arise, to stay in motion, try new things, and to be all about the YES.  Ok, to push me – Mick has always been all about the yes, which is one of the reasons I love her….and one of the reasons I’ve knocked her up three times.

Watching the futbol on t.v. does not do it justice.  Walking in on a perfectly crisp night, we found the initial sites and sounds to be immediately captivating.  The atmosphere was great, spirited, energetic, and fueled by the play of the Galaxy, the intimate nature of the Home Depot Center, and the chants and cheers of the fantastic LA Riot Squad. We were in for an unequivocal blast.

The venue is great.  Easy to get in and out, beautiful, intimate at 27,000, open air, and not a bad seat in the place (seating map). Seb is also happy to report that the men’s room we visited has exactly 23 urinals, though I counted 24 but he insisted, and it was cleaner than I’ve ever seen a sporting venue’s men’s room.

Spending a cool Saturday night watching the action on the pitch (that’s what we soccer aficionados call the field) with a sliver of moon in the clear night sky was perfect.  And, despite the relatively late start of 7:30pm, there were kids galore all around the stadium. Seems Galaxy matches have been a well kept secret that a few families have discovered – an easy, great time for everyone with the added benefit of being affordable. Packages include a family pack that’s four tickets, for hot dogs, and four sodas at $20 per ticket.  If you like you can choose to sit close to the Riot Squad, which occupies section 138, as we did, or further toward midfield if you prefer a quieter experience.  Ticket prices vary according to section, and either way you’ll hear the drum beats and chants.  Of course, adult beverages are being imbibed, and the feel is more rowdy closer to the Riot Squad, but we didn’t see a single example of behavior or outbursts inappropriate for kids – it was just good fun.  We certainly can’t say that about Yankee and Dodger games.  We happened to sit next to a couple of those loyal Galaxy families that felt the same way, enjoying and joining in the whole atmosphere of the match, and filling us in on the general atmosphere they’ve encountered. Seems Galaxy day matches are an even bigger family affair, with kids running around the grassy incline at the opposite end of the stadium .   Even met one set of parents that have three girls ages 6, 3, and 8 months – it’s always nice to run into people who also have what is considered these days to be a big family. Crazy loves company, and we hope to see them there again with their whole crew (and to see their comments on this site!).We’ve been to many baseball games and a couple basketball games and Saturday night with the Galaxy may have been the best atmosphere  of them all, certainly the most original – we couldn’t help but join in – even when we didn’t know the cheers we pretended we did.  The season just started, we will be back, and next time we’ll be there early for the chant and song rehearsal so as not to have to fake it.  Hopefully we can convince some of you to come along with us!  After all, being all about the YES has its benefits.

Thanks to Christian Cammayo and the LA Galaxy for inviting our crew to the game.  You put on a great show, got the 2-1 victory, and gained five new Kickass fans.

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