Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Loyal to the beautiful game of soccer

“The harder my life gets, the more I watch soccer”

The Loyal begin their first-ever game at home.
The Loyal begin their first-ever game at home.

My friend Bill used to pay for the NFL Sunday Ticket. Then, “in January of 2017, the Chargers announced they were leaving, the Patriots won the Super Bowl again, and I said, ‘That’s it. I’m getting the kids into soccer.’” Bill’s mom is Argentinean; back in ’86, he sat on her lap and watched Maradona & Co. win the World Cup. “So it went deep. Today, I can’t watch Argentina play; I’ll start shaking. So I’ll tape it and watch after I know the final score.”

But Argentina is a long way away. When Bill heard that the USL was planning an expansion team in San Diego, he joined the focus groups that helped decide on the team’s name (Loyal), colors (Torrey pine green and sunset orange), and logo (a soccer ball sun sinking toward a tumultuous ocean). He attended the kit reveal to see the inaugural uniform and sponsor (Stone Brewing). He joined the supporters group, The Locals, and picked up a scarf featuring its mascot, former Town Dog Bum. (There’s a statue of the three-legged half-St. Bernard/half-Spaniel in the Gaslamp.) He started listening to the various podcasts devoted to the team’s formation and future. (“The Unnamed Soccer Podcast is the best of them.”)

Sponsored
Sponsored

And of course, he attended the team’s first home game on February 22 at USD: a friendly against Panama’s Costa del Este. I joined him, marveling at the merch for a team that just barely existed ($75 for a hoodie, $50 for a kids’ tee, $25 for a trucker cap), at the branding in the pregame video (Loyal to our soil, to my tribe, to my country, to my city, to my friends, to my family…), and at the practiced chants echoing from the Locals’ section behind the goal.

“The harder my life gets, the more I watch soccer.”

“The harder my life gets, the more I watch soccer,” Bill said. “It’s a much better coping mechanism than other things. With my mom in the hospital, I’m watching three games some days. Something about the game pulls me back to a time when things were simpler. Before my parents got divorced, before I had responsibilities of my own. To me, soccer is play, its a return to the innocence of sitting around my elementary school cafeteria and choosing our team name (The Blasters!), or hearing my mom scream at the players on TV. What I wouldn’t give to hear her do that again.”

It wasn’t a brilliant game, but the Loyal’s Jack Metcalf did manage a goal in the 44th minute, and there was some talky drama surrounding Irvin Parra that earned the forward a red card at minute 60. “Now I’ll have to tune into the podcast to see what that red card was about,” said Bill. “Because even though it doesn’t matter, I want to know.”

The red left the Loyal a man down, and their gameplay shifted into an effort to preserve that 1-0 lead. They packed the defense, but Costa del Este still managed several rocketed near misses as the fans trickled out. “That’s San Diego for you, leaving beforehand,” sighed Bill. “That’s why I wonder if they’re going to get it” — if they’ll ever love soccer enough to support a team. “It’d be good if this ended 1-1. It would let the fans know that that’s what soccer is about: 1-1 ties. That’s okay with me, if it’s a beautiful game.” For better or worse, the Loyal hung on to win; they’ll face the Las Vegas Lights for their first official game on March 7.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Nation’s sexy soldiers stage protest at Pendleton in wake of change in Marine uniform policy

Semper WHY?
Next Article

20 Best Online Casinos USA For Real Money (2024 List)

USA Online Casinos: Top 20 Online Casino Sites of 2024
The Loyal begin their first-ever game at home.
The Loyal begin their first-ever game at home.

My friend Bill used to pay for the NFL Sunday Ticket. Then, “in January of 2017, the Chargers announced they were leaving, the Patriots won the Super Bowl again, and I said, ‘That’s it. I’m getting the kids into soccer.’” Bill’s mom is Argentinean; back in ’86, he sat on her lap and watched Maradona & Co. win the World Cup. “So it went deep. Today, I can’t watch Argentina play; I’ll start shaking. So I’ll tape it and watch after I know the final score.”

But Argentina is a long way away. When Bill heard that the USL was planning an expansion team in San Diego, he joined the focus groups that helped decide on the team’s name (Loyal), colors (Torrey pine green and sunset orange), and logo (a soccer ball sun sinking toward a tumultuous ocean). He attended the kit reveal to see the inaugural uniform and sponsor (Stone Brewing). He joined the supporters group, The Locals, and picked up a scarf featuring its mascot, former Town Dog Bum. (There’s a statue of the three-legged half-St. Bernard/half-Spaniel in the Gaslamp.) He started listening to the various podcasts devoted to the team’s formation and future. (“The Unnamed Soccer Podcast is the best of them.”)

Sponsored
Sponsored

And of course, he attended the team’s first home game on February 22 at USD: a friendly against Panama’s Costa del Este. I joined him, marveling at the merch for a team that just barely existed ($75 for a hoodie, $50 for a kids’ tee, $25 for a trucker cap), at the branding in the pregame video (Loyal to our soil, to my tribe, to my country, to my city, to my friends, to my family…), and at the practiced chants echoing from the Locals’ section behind the goal.

“The harder my life gets, the more I watch soccer.”

“The harder my life gets, the more I watch soccer,” Bill said. “It’s a much better coping mechanism than other things. With my mom in the hospital, I’m watching three games some days. Something about the game pulls me back to a time when things were simpler. Before my parents got divorced, before I had responsibilities of my own. To me, soccer is play, its a return to the innocence of sitting around my elementary school cafeteria and choosing our team name (The Blasters!), or hearing my mom scream at the players on TV. What I wouldn’t give to hear her do that again.”

It wasn’t a brilliant game, but the Loyal’s Jack Metcalf did manage a goal in the 44th minute, and there was some talky drama surrounding Irvin Parra that earned the forward a red card at minute 60. “Now I’ll have to tune into the podcast to see what that red card was about,” said Bill. “Because even though it doesn’t matter, I want to know.”

The red left the Loyal a man down, and their gameplay shifted into an effort to preserve that 1-0 lead. They packed the defense, but Costa del Este still managed several rocketed near misses as the fans trickled out. “That’s San Diego for you, leaving beforehand,” sighed Bill. “That’s why I wonder if they’re going to get it” — if they’ll ever love soccer enough to support a team. “It’d be good if this ended 1-1. It would let the fans know that that’s what soccer is about: 1-1 ties. That’s okay with me, if it’s a beautiful game.” For better or worse, the Loyal hung on to win; they’ll face the Las Vegas Lights for their first official game on March 7.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Best Sports Betting Sites - 10 Online Sportsbooks Ranked for 2024

Best Sports Betting Sites (2024) - Reviews of TOP Online Sportsbooks
Next Article

San Diego Reader 2024 Music & Arts Issue

Favorite fakers: Baby Bushka, Fleetwood Max, Electric Waste Band, Oceans, Geezer – plus upcoming tribute schedule
Comments
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
March 7, 2020
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.