So How Many Of You Are New To Mls?

I'm fairly new to MLS. My first experience with pro level soccer was the EPL back in the mid 90's and I've been following the league since. I've tried to get into MLS over the years, but never felt much connection to the teams. When there was a good game on I'd definitely watch it, but never followed to the same degree as the EPL. Over the last few months I've been watching a lot more and really enjoying it.
 
I kinda feel like I'm somewhere in the middle between a noob and a Eurocentric fútbol/soccer fan. As my avatar shows, I'm a fan of Swansea City despite the fact that I live in Texas. I haven't really connected with the MLS or any of its teams. However, when I was younger I rooted for the Dynamo because they had Brian Ching, who at the time was my favorite player. Since he has retired I haven't exactly followed the league with any fervor. (Not that I did when he played.)

Following the World Cup I decided to give the MLS another chance. Having really no idea what team to root for I decided to join this forum to grow my knowledge of the MLS and to connect with other people who enjoy soccer.
 
So maybe someone here could help me. I watched RB play last night in Chicago, and it seemed like the field was much smaller, the players looked bigger, and it looked easier to shoot back and forth up the field. I'm not used to seeing that in the US games. Do you think the camera angles are different? are the fields smaller?
 
Toyota Park's pitch measures at 120 yards x 75 yards (110m x 75m), which is actually about the same as 5 other MLS pitches. Only the Montreal Impact have a larger pitch than that at 120 yards x 77 yards.
 
I grew up a massive sports fan (Yankees/Jets/Notre Dame etc.) but soccer was always my main passion. I grew up playing as a kid and went to a 94 World Cup game at 8 and have been hooked ever since. I would watch any soccer I could, due to crappy cable in the late 90's early 00's, it was extremely difficult for me to watch any EPL or other big leagues. My best day as a soccer fan was in 2006 for the USA-Italy World Cup game in Kaiserslautern. Even though we only managed a draw and had an otherwise dissapointing cup, the atmosphere in the stands at the game was just incredible. Of the probably 1,000+ Pro and College sporting events I have attended, I have never experienced anything like that before, and probably barring another great World Cup match, will never match that.


I went to a few Revolution games in the early years and that just sort of became my team, Once I got my license I got season tickets and had them for several years. As those of you familiar with MLS know, the Revolution are arguably the worst franchise in the league (-Chivas). Over the years I stopped going to games even though I had tickets. I actually could not even GIVE AWAY my unused tickets because nobody wanted to go. The stadium is horrible for MLS and the apathetic ownership has rubbed off on ever level of the organization and nothing has changed since they moved into Gillette in 2002. The league has long passed them by and the Kraft family has no ambition (see Grant Wahl's annual MLS Ambition Ranking) to make improvements. In about 2011, after years of waning interest, I began to despise the club more than I loved it and pretty much stopped following the club and only passively following the league, especially now that times have changed and I can easily access great EPL and UCL coverage, among others.


When NYCFC was announced, I took notice quickly, but kind of sat back and observed what they were doing and how they went about their business at first. As a person with New York roots, who happens to also support the Yankees (even though I don't have much more than a casual interest in other sports these days) it was very tempting for me to jump right on board, but I was of course concerned, as I have said in other posts here before, that this would simply be a brand of Man City and the Yankees and not have a real club feel. Over time they tend to have proven me wrong and between the aggressive hiring of Jason Kreis, the promise of big signings and the proof that are very eager to build a quality stadium. I decided earlier this year that this was the club for me! They were showing and promising everything I long desired from the Revs but knew I would never get. This club spends money, they are committed to building a stadium, they will aggressively pursue top players and coaches and have built a quality organization, instead of a bare bones front office.
I hope for great success for this club on and off the field and PLEASE get a stadium built while i'm still young!
 
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