Because soccer isn't gay, but once in awhile it kinda is.
MLS
Soccer Ally May: Chicago Fire
05/11/12
So far this month we’re averaging just about three new allies a day from Major League Soccer clubs. It’s an amazing growth and a great lead up to June when we’ll give everyone an opportunity to recruit allies in an all new way.
Will the Chicago Fire help us keep up the pace? Goalkeeper Jay Nolly became a list member last week when he volunteered a pretty awesome Tweet:
Soccer does not discriminate. More people should become allies for @gay4soccer. #soccerally
— Jay Nolly (@JayNolly) May 1, 2012
Thank you Jay!
So help us light a fire under some of Jay’s teammates and get them to join him on the #soccerally list. We’ll keep an eye out for that hash tag and tweets to us all day.
Here At Last! Houston Dynamo Prepare to Finally Go Home
05/11/12
The inaugural match at Houston’s long awaited BBVA Compass stadium is right around the corner. The stadium will officially open to Dynamo fans on May 12th when the men in orange take on D.C. United. Dynamo President Chris Canetti must have realized that fans couldn’t possibly wait that long, and the organization hosted back to back events over the past weekend that gave fans a sneak peek inside of the venue.
Colin Rolfe and Calen Carr sign autographs at the Dynamo Team Store Grand Opening
The events were kicked off by the grand opening of the official Adidas Team Store at the stadium on Thursday evening. Fans had the opportunity to shop around, and there was an autograph session with the entire 2012 roster. Reception was amazing and Canetti reported that there were a few fans who even camped out over night in order to be the first through the doors. The store itself is breathtaking. Like everything else in BBVA Compass Stadium, it is orange all over. The store features jerseys and scarfs and all of the obligatory merchandise that a soccer fanatic needs, but also features some amazing extras that could only be found in a team store. Dynamo fans can now purchase everything from shot glasses to tank tops to office supplies.
A Whole Lot of Question Marks for Chivas USA
05/10/12
If you’ve been trying to follow my posts about Chivas USA on here this season, and are disappointed by the lack of updates, well, two things: 1) I apologize and 2) Looking at the results, can you blame me?
While Chivas USA got off to a decent start, their current form seems to have brought fans to an all too familiar place. Three straight losses has put the team in second to last place in the Western Conference with 9 points in 9 games played. They still have not won at home.
Small silver lining: they finally scored their first goal at home this season last weekend in a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Fire. Another interesting stat: the goal was off a penalty, the first one given to the team since August 2010. However, with a last-minute goal by Marco Pappa, many Chivas USA fans left the match with the “different game, same story” attitude. To be quite honest, it’s the same attitude that has been plaguing my mind for the past month.
What exactly is wrong? It is difficult to pinpoint. The team tends to be strong in defense. Relatively of course, considering the losses they’ve undergone. Most goals scored against them have not been until the waning moments of the game. So would that lead to lack of focus? Sure. The two paired together brings about the horrid defensive lapses that have led to all of the losses, a majority of which were games that ended 1-0. We could also discuss play at the other end. The team builds up well, yet continuously struggles in finishing. The play seems to tighten in the finishing third and the team loses their creativity that built up to the scoring opportunities.
Soccer Ally May: FC Dallas
05/10/12
Yesterday five New York Red Bulls joined teammate Dax McCarty as members of our Allies List.
Today we look at Dax’s old stomping grounds of FC Dallas, also starting out the campaign with only one ally. Goalkeeper Chris Seitz joined the list back in February via Twitter, and has been immensely supportive ever since. Thank you Chris!
Let’s work today to get more Dallas players on the list with Chris. Help us tweet at his teammates below and ask them to join the list as a #soccerally, or to send us a tweet @gay4soccer.
We’re gay4vancouverdefenders.
05/10/12
Chabala, Lahoud, Braun, Wingert, and Dunseth. These are the American soccer pros who have participated in the NOH8 Campaign prior to this week.
We are immensely proud, happy, and grateful that Vancouver Whitecaps defenders Jay DeMerit, Jordan Harvey, and Michael Boxall all joined them by participating in NOH8 while they were in town this week.
Originally started as a protest to Proposition 8 passing in California, it is now a silent protest working toward LGBT equality in all realms.
NOH8 co-founder Jeff Parshley talked about the project at the shoot Tuesday night:
Thank you Jay, Jordan, and Michael! We look forward to seeing the results!
Red Bull New York: Grinding Out Results
05/09/12
by admin
in New York Red Bulls
So that was unexpected. The flatness of the Galaxy and the amazing commanding of the area by Ryan Meara. While some people have complained about the dullness of the Galaxy game, this is a result business as many euro commentators always remind us. A win is a win no matter what. In this case we were going to the most powerful (on paper) attack in the league to the MLS cup winners and where they were undefeated last year with almost the whole first XI injured. They did what was need to win. They didn’t just park the bus there were lots of attacking runs by New York. Our inexperience defense is doing great, I see lots of bright spots. Ryan Meara is justing getting better and better every game. This is proven by the talk of Rookie of the Year already.
The good part is with Jan Gunnar Solli and Juan Agudelo back, and with Miller and Marquez coming back. The unavailable list is getting shorter and shorter so hopefully the wins with continue to come with some more entertainment. I hope the shutouts continue though. Meara’s confidence is starting to fly off the charts which can only be good for the rest of our season.
I curious how Hans Backe is going to field to team against Houston with the defense doing so well in the past two games but we will see if they won a vote of confidence from Backe or if its back to the bench.
Soccer Ally May: New York Red Bulls
05/09/12
Well, we’ve gotten through the first six days of our May campaign and the six teams who didn’t have any players on our Allies List. And with your help, at least one player on each of the teams joined!
Now we look at the teams who have players on the list, while we continue to recruit more.
Dax McCarty is the sole player on the New York Red Bulls who has stepped up as an ally, joining the list via Twitter in April. Both the Viking Army and Empire Supporters Club are also on the list.
So let’s not keep Dax as the solo New York representative. Help us contact his fellow players and have them join our ranks. Just have them Tweet to us or use #soccerally as a hash tag.
A #SoccerAlly Milestone
05/09/12
Every team in Major League Soccer has a player on our Allies List!
It’s been almost exactly four months since we started asking players, media, staff, supporters, and others to join us in supporting LGBT rights in soccer and we can now say that all nineteen MLS teams are represented by at least one player.
Thank you to everyone who has helped us reach out to players and supported us in other ways.
Later today we start acknowledging teams that already have Allies on the list, and working to recruit more to join them.
Thank you Eddie – Anthony – Rich – Darrius – Justin – Efrain – Mike – Brian – Danny – A.J. – Jay – Dilly – Andrew – Kevin – Logan – Brad – Gabriel – Mike – Sam – Jordan – Cyprian – Andrew – Jon – Dan – Brad – Michael - Sébastien – Roger – Zac – Chad – Dax – Jimmy – Jay – Amobi – Heath – Kelyn – Luke – Aaron – Chris – Clyde – Babayele – Carlos – Konrad – Matt – Josh – Chris – Krystian – Josh – Chris – Sal!
Soccer Ally May: Colorado Rapids
05/08/12
Well, yesterday was our first strike out day with no LA Galaxy players joining the Allies List. We will continue to press for their support, especially if after today they are the only team with a goose egg on the list.
Today we focus on the Colorado Rapids, the final club without any players on our list. But Club President Tim Hinchey and Media Relations Director David Lindholm are both Soccer Allies.
Supporters group The Pid Army is also supportive of the GLBT community including our own Colorado writer Teddy who has been able to fly a pride flag in the supporters’ section at matches this year, including on their Rocky Mountain Cup trip to Real Salt Lake.
So let’s get some players on the list! Help us tweet at the guys below asking them to be a #soccerally!
Soccer Ally May: Los Angeles Galaxy
05/07/12
Our first week of May was a big success. Four days. Four teams without Soccer Allies. And an average of four per team joined up last week.
And, if you want to compare that to the list as it stood a week ago, the player portion of our list grew by fifty percent in just those four days.
There are only two MLS teams left without an ally and today we go after the big Kahuna, the white whale, the LA Galaxy.
Over half the team’s roster is on Twitter, and they represent one of the most cosmopolitan, gay-friendly markets in the country, but yet they stand at zero. Their stadium even hosted an Equality Night last year, but it was a project of Chivas USA.
What gives, Galaxy?
Help us reach out to the many players listed below, asking them to be Allies. Have them tweet back to us or use the #soccerally hash tag.
