If you make your way to Red Bull Arena for today's New York-FC Dallas, you're likely to find it much, much quieter than usual.
The Red Bulls upset many of their fans for their recent treatment of the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals (sending a complete reserve team and not even flying in first-team coaches in an eventual 4-0 loss to the Chicago Fire) and now New York Supporters Groups are ready to let the club know just how upset they are by staging a protest at tonight's match.
The protest is thoroughly justified given the team's embarrassing decision to essentially give up in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals by sending a full reserve team, and flying that short-handed team into Chicago on the day of the match. The Red Bulls were one of seven MLS teams still alive in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, but were the only team not to field a team with more starters than substitutes. In fact, New York didn't field a single player who could be called a regular starter.
That decision was a terrible one, and one made more embarrassing by the fact that a handful of Red Bulls fans actually made the trip from the New York area to Chicago for the match.
What do you think of the decision by New York's Supporters Groups? Think their anger is justified? See the team issuing a formal apology?
Share your thoughts below.
They weren’t unhappy with the team, they were unhappy with the way the front office handled the Open Cup. A tournament that most of the supporters don’t show up for (not just mid-week games). I can understand people being upset with the front office, but a silent treatment protest? It seemed like a total overreaction. And there is a difference between not everyone being able to make mid-week games, and not caring to make mid-week games. And the US Open Cup brings out the latter. And that includes both supporters and the other fans. So when the coach and front office see that, why should they bust their asses for a tournament that obviously doesn’t seem that important?
Ives, so now only “some” of the games should matter? The way the supporters are talking, they make it seem that EVERY game should matter. There is a lot of inconsistency in their protest. If they care this much about the tournament, they should be at every game. They go to mid-week regular season games.
(SBI-Sorry, but that one doesn’t fly. Not everyone can make every game, and not everyone can make mid-week games. That doesn’t just apply for the Red Bulls. You don’t have to attend every singly match your team ever plays to be considered a fan, nor do you have to attend every singly match your team plays to have a right to be unhappy with your team.)
Half full for a midweek game against a team in its first year of existence isn’t bad. Anyway, that’s not the point. The suggestion was that people have no right to protest if they didn’t go to the early round games. 1) that’s silly 2) no matter what, every single person in that photo has a right to have their voice heard.
Full? Does this look full?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/20387392@N07/5886029136/in/set-72157626955163277/
(SBI-This is from a mid-week Open Cup game against FC New York.)
This is standard operating procedure for the MLS brass, agree to play in tournament, and then totally make the League look foolish with half hearted efforts against sub standard teams. If i had a nickel for everytime an MLS team mailed in a performance in the Champions League tourney, i would be a rich FN man. Sending reserve teams to play teams made up of cab drivers and cabana boys,when bragging rights for your league are on the line, and then get embarrased is absolutely unacceptable. DC United set the blueprint, and now the rest of these teams have decided to follow suit. If i hear one more MLS team complain about having to play 2 games in one week, im gonna take a Lambeao Leap off the San Pedro bridge. Thats why MLS was ranked the 53rd best Soccer League in the World last year.
scargosun: check miles and travel time. rarely do euro teams travel more than 1.5/2 hours per trip. US is 6 hours xcountry.
jay: sure you can merge. just get rid of mls and have the us open cup winner the only cup winner. technicalities like CL spots can be adj, easily.
all: and with FA cup, etc how many times do we hear the same thing, esp this last season, that top teams would field weakened lineups. go check rosters.
Uh, ok. I didn’t mean they didn’t. I meant they shouldn’t have.
I cannot believe that this idiot is going to come out of the gate ignoring this stance with a response like this. What a waste of water/skin/organs.
Mr. Heck’s response to the protest letter.
Thank you for the note as I appreciate understanding your reasons to express yourself in this manner. We love your passion for New York’s Soccer Team and value your support through good times and not so good. I believe that it is your right to protest in a peaceful way even if I don’t agree wi…th your reasons. I believe this is one of the greatest gifts our country affords us every day. On a day when a terrorist act takes the lives away of innocent individuals (Erik’s home town of Oslo, Norway), it certainly puts sport in proper perspective. Sports in general, soccer in this case, should be a place to appreciate our freedoms and allow us a safe environment to enjoy ourselves with friends and family. Please enjoy this game and every Red Bulls game in the future. Sincerely, Chris Heck Go New York Red Bulls!
Last time i checked LA are still in first.
Speaking of stupidity- almost everything you post on this site makes me want to puke. Your thinking is entirely one-dimensional, and you think too highly of your franchise. Get over yourself.
Were you at the RBNY vs FC New York match? That was played at Red Bull Arena so not sure what you’re talking about.
And given the firestorm, I believe people do care about the US Open Cup. We can agree that chris doesn’t care but have you considered the opinion of the protesters in 3 supporters groups?
Season ticket holder here. Will also b protesting w silence in the 1st half. Absolute crime the way the open cup and youth prospects/bench/subs have been handled.
This Metro/RBNY fan agrees! Go Cosmos! I love ’70s nostalgia and am a fan of the real Cosmos.
Unless you’re talking about the Kelmsley-owned fashion company that incidentally has the same name. No, I don’t think I’ll be buying any of that merchandise. I prefer my real NY/NJ team 🙂
Gee, Ives, care to inject any more of your opinion into this??
I have only one question to ask: do you value the MLS Cup or US Open Cup more? Because the way I see it, NYRB can’t win both this year. They simply don’t have the depth. I think their Starting XI is the best in the league, but they simply don’t have a plethora of quality players at each position. Hans Backe recognized this, gave up on the Open Cup, and didn’t call any of his players into the All-Star Squad.
Don’t complain, New Yorkers- he did the right thing for the long term. This team isn’t built for multiple competitions.
(SBI-So the Red Bulls have the most expensive team in the league and can’t field ANY starters for an Open Cup quarterfinal while SIX other MLS teams could? Sorry but that one doesn’t fly. And yes, I interject my opinion. Not exactly new around here.)
Well then support your team today.
We may have no history but you have the same amount of cups as us because ur FO says MLS Cup is priority yet you’re losing 4-1 on the road to the current champs. You should be pissed about the USOC match but protesting is just silly when you’re not having the success expected in league play. Philly is 1st in the east after all, not to mention 2-1 against your beloved energy drinks.
Go join NotHansBacke, he would love you…or not.