Before the match when I was filled with joy.
I have had this post partially written since way back in December when it happened.
We went to our first preseason match last weekend and the new season starts tonight so it was time to finish it up.
My team made it to the championship and about 10 major things had to fall our way for us to get the match at home.
And we did.
This has been my dream to see my team play a championship match in my home stadium.
These are our seats. I don’t know what this setting is on my phone but it looks magical so I’m using it.
But the club doesn’t run the championship match, the league does and the first thing the league does is scrape a whole bunch of seats off the top for all their corporate cronies.
There weren’t even enough seats left for all the season ticket holders.
Twelve years of loyalty, good years and bad, rain or sizzle, US Open Cup, pre-season, friendlies — showing up for the team.
And we had to sit there in front of the computer clicking refresh to try to get tickets.
I will never be over this.
This was our view. Like it?
The only thing available, when we finally got through, were general admission. We both balked and then decided we’d rather be there in shitty seats than not at all.
We couldn’t even see the entire field. You can’t see in the photo but we could see a video screen. So, yay.
And even worse I spent the whole match looking across the field at my seats.
We made the best of it. We always wanted to see a match sitting in the Army section, so crossed that off our list. And at least we didn’t get rained on.
The seats we had were so bad, they aren’t usually even available.
It’s hard to say if I would feel differently if we’d won. I’m not sure. I think I might be less salty, but still salty.
I wouldn’t want to go through that again. What is the point of doing all this if getting to see a championship game is out of reach unless you can pay $1000 a seat or you’re special friends with crony?
I was happy to be back at the park. I hugged my seat.
