Freddie spoke up to soon: Pitch looks fine
Posted By Don Ruiz on November 8, 2009 at 9:45 am
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Robertson Stadium today, with football lines mostly gone
Sounders designated player Freddie Ljungberg spoke up a little too soon (see post below), as Houston's Robertson Stadium seems to have been transferred overnight into a proper soccer pitch. Some football lines and University of Houston Cougars logos remain faintly visible -- and not so faintly at the end zones. However, the club clearly did what it could to turn the natural grass American football field into a soccer pitch for today's game with the Sounders.
Meanwhile, I will mention that there is a nice pregame vibe around Robertson Stadium. Behind the stands in the picture, there is a nice little fan festival/fiesta with giveaways, games, and live Tejano music. Lots of fans are decked out in their "Orange Forever" shirts and jerseys.
However, more ominous clouds have rolled in, and the breeze has kicked up. I'd be surprised if weather doesn't end up playing a factor before the day is through.
Nice ... I see we brought the good weather!
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Sure to be a tough physical match today. Although I really like our chances today, I am a little nervous given there is so much parity in the MLS, makes me a little nervous. Think even the most rabid ECS supporter would agree that if the Sounders were to play a random MLS team five times, the opposition would win one of those matches (based on a fluke goal, red cards, poor ref, etc., etc.). Well, we are 2-0-2 v. Houston. Let's hope we get that 3rd win!
On another note, I see John McGrath wrote another column about the Sounders in today's TNT. Not a bad column, until the end where he once again starts complaining about ties in the regular season. (For those of you who don't remember, he wrote a very poorly received piece after the Sounders tied at home in April about how the MLS should not allow regular season ties).
Although he has obviously learned more about soccer since that April piece (he does mention away goals rule in Champ league and Copa Libertadores [and in it is Concacaaf Champ League too, plus WC home/away qualification games for the final Cup spots], he does not address two underlying issues - 1) how did those 11 regular season Sounders ties (as opposed to having a shoot out or something) really impact the 32,000 fans enjoyment of this season and the game, if any, and more importantly, 2) every other soccer league in the world has tie matches - so is the world wrong, or John McGrath?
Oh well, at least he is talking about soccer and the Sounders.
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One final note on the McGrath story, at least his print editors helped him out. In the on-line version, he repeatedly call today's opponent the Houston Galaxy. In the newspaper version I read, that had been cleaned up - one vote for still reading the sunday paper the old fashioned way!
Still a poor effort by him, but glad he is at least part of the soccer conversation.
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Actually, I remember I once called the Dynamo the Galaxy or vice versa. Odd little mind blip between the names for some reason ... which all could have been avoided if they just would have kept it the Houston 1836.
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Well, DR that may be be true, but the Houston 1836 name lasted about a week, and if it had lasted, there would probably be only 1/3 the fans in attendence. Houston area hispanics found the proposed name very offensive, which is why that name only lasted a week.
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There's a guy with and 1836 jersey a few rows down from the press box.
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I'd say that Freddie's assessment of the field was pretty spot on.
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That pitch must have looked much better in person than it did on the tube, because it sure looked lousy on TV. Not just the markings, but thye field condition. I hope everytime someone starts whining for grass at Qwest they are shown a picture of Robertson in "playoff condition"...
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