It Takes All Kinds

Photo by Rick Bowmer, AP

The Seattle Sounders have one of the most ardent groups of supporters that I've ever experienced.  For the record, there was never a professional soccer team in my hometown of San Diego and our other sports teams are routinely below par.  Perhaps there are other MLS teams with equally enthusiastic fans but, nonetheless, I'm always impressed at the sight of a sea of blue and green on game days.
In Germany last week, a riot broke out at a DFB Cup match between Hannover 96 and Dynamo Dresden. This is the latest in a series of fan aggression in the last two decades. The following is from Deutsche Welle's report on the incident:

"Violence initially broke out before the match began when around 1,400 Dresden fans pressed against the gates at a section of the ground. Some 300 supporters then overran security officials and broke into the AWD Arena, clashing with police and delaying play for 15 minutes.

Dresden went on to lose the game 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes of play. After the loss, Dresden fans stormed the pitch, requiring police intervention. The violence left nine people injured and 18 fans were taken into custody."

I've done previous research on football hooliganism, such as the violence in Dresden, and I find it interesting that there are regions in Eastern Europe, South America, etc where football violence is extremely common.  But to my limited knowledge of MLS, this kind of occurrence is rare.  I asked some knowledgeable Sounders fan about fan violence before I went about drawing my own conclusions.

Point 1
There is little fan violence in the MLS as a whole.  Having spent a great deal of time in Seattle these past few years, I can vouch for the existence of fierce rivalries such as the one between the Sounders and the Portland timbers.  Rival fans will shout (often vulgar) chants at one another before, during, and after matches.  This is completely normal for the league and, some might argue, enhances the competitive environment.  But physical acts of violence don't seem to be tolerated.  In fact, my sources tell me that even the hardcore supporters' groups fpr the Sounders have a zero-tolerance policy.  This is in stark contrast to places in Eastern Europe for example where football hooligans have created a mafia-like system in places. (see Franklin Foer's How Soccer Explains the World for more on this)

Point 2
It's only fair that I make a differentiation between everyday fans of a soccer team and the die-hards (or hooligans, fanatics  whatever you would like to call them).  I love my team, FC Bayern Munich.  LOVE.  But I cannot imagine inflicting violence on another Bundesliga team or vandalizing the stadium after a particularly merciless defeat.  I'm a rational human being and this is not something I would probably ever be inclined to do.  So, please note, hooligans are a special breed.  Please don't be scared to attend your local MLS match after reading this.

Point 3
The following observation is just an observation from someone who's grown up in middle-class suburbia in Southern California.  Please don't take it as the opinion of an expert and make of it what you like.  Football is different around the world than it is here in the US.  On so many levels.  It just is.  Here it's a middle-class form of entertainment in a way.  In places in Eastern Europe, it's the working man's way of releasing whatever tensions have built up over the course of a week.  There are more academic ways of saying this but the point I'm trying to convey is that the people that follow soccer here are not necessarily the same types of people who follow Dynamo Dresden.



To conclude, soccer/football is THE beautiful game.  There will always be people who act out and threaten to ruin it for the rest of us.  And if you really want, we could have a seriously intellectual discussion on football in Europe and its numerous impacts.  I'd be down for it.  From this piece however, I hope you take away just a few things.  First of all, all sorts of people consider themselves to be fans, in  one form or another.  Hooligans are fans; they're just really extreme fans.  Second,  American soccer ≠ European football.  Third, the next time you catch a match on TV, whether it's MLS or Premier League or any other league, please watch it for more than 30 seconds.  Try and look beyond the 0-0 scoreline.  And then maybe you'll become a fan too.


My many thanks to Peter Dwersteg, Andy Fulton, and Josh Larkin for providing me with more insight into this matter than I could have ever possibly hoped for.

Bis bald!