MLS DC United at San Jose Clash Inaugural Match 4/6/1996

[orioledan8]

lolol I love how pumped the commentator gets for the first goal of the game. i wish every MLS regular season game had the enthusiasm by a commentator like that

[thecelebratedmisterk]

@orioledan8 Every MLS game is not the first game in the history of the league.

[fabiolealcrf]

the Earthquakes should have a 3rd kit retro-style like that

[jascl22]

Who is the player at 0:30?

[fabiolealcrf]

@jascl22 Marco Etcheverry

[indiansoccerfan10]

That game had like 32,000 people there for a San Jose match...

today San Jose gets about 10,000 people a game (although that is understandable considering the stadium they play in today.

[thecelebratedmisterk]

@indiansoccerfan10 Yeah, given Buck Shaw only seats about 10k. I liked Spartan. Short-sighted of the University to be hardasses about it.

[indiansoccerfan10]

@thecelebratedmisterk I agree and we all know San Jose can get 40,000 easy every game like with the Red Bulls match but once again the university would rather have a handball (american football) team rather than a MLS team that could make much more money

[thecelebratedmisterk]

@indiansoccerfan10 It wasn't a choice of one or the other. The football team and soccer didn't overlap that much. There was a dispute about how much it was worth to the University to have the 'Quakes there and who would pay for what. And, no, San Jose can't easily get 40,000 every game. They've been one of MLS' underperformers for years now.

[indiansoccerfan10]

@thecelebratedmisterk fine maybe 40,000 was way to much but maybe 20,000 would happen week in and week out. Heck maybe even 30,000 for most big games.

[thecelebratedmisterk]

@indiansoccerfan10 Fact: In 153 home games between 1996-2005, San Jose drew more than 20k exactly 15 times (and one of those was at Stanford). After the inaugural match, they got 30k at Spartan exactly once, and after the inaugural season, it never happened again. The average was <13k, so, no, 20k wouldn't happen week in and week out.

[hands575]

Oh man, it's Phil Schoen!

[LongueTiedNoLunger]

To tell you the truth, I miss the days when MLS was experimental and uniquely American in that regard. Unlike today when MLS is being generically Eurocentric with team names, jerseys, etc. -- while it continues to be an artificial, corporate entity.

It feels like MLS has gone from one extreme of being too experimental (90s) to today of being too generic.

[thecelebratedmisterk]

@LongueTiedNoLunger There's something to be said for the charm of early MLS, for sure. But being "uniquely American" was, eventually, not seen as a positive for business. It's hard to argue that the "generically Eurocentric" approach hasn't been good for business (as much as I can't stand Europosing).

[snackonthis09]

dam i see moreno, etcheverry, valderrama, lalas, balboa, when mls starting they had talented players dont forget theres way more even mamdou diallo, lassiter, cienfuegos, it keeps going

[sykotik04]

Ah, back when the broadcasters thought it was "DC United" as in "The United from Washington DC" and not "a group of people who are United that are in Washington DC". People need to learn how soccer clubs are named..

[no1cp]

Oh boy, back when MLS tried to have the clock count down.... so glad they did away w/ that.

[juankrloz]

@ min. 4:00 The peruvian flag!! =)

[landolfc1991]

wow just the passion of the crowd when they scored, at that point i and most people thought the MLS would TAKE OFF!! i mean its getting biiger now in present day, but it really started pretty slow..

[RomanJoseRoman]

a record crowd... the highest attendance for an MLS match yet!

[Hoppercool]

@RomanJoseRoman um, that's not true.

[RomanJoseRoman]

@Hoppercool it's a joke... at the time it was. think about it

[gcgcgcg]

Major League Soccer has begun!

*offside call*

BOOOOOOO

[dankoleary]

SOOOOOOOO many mullets

[SanJoseEarthquakes74]

I can't believe we won that game with that name and THOSE uniforms. I was there, Wynalda rules! San Jose!!!

[riccorich]

Back when braodcaster wanst forced to say NIL LOL.. more american announcers Phil we love you!!!

[FRSFreeState]

United in the first MLS game ever

[FrsBigeasy]

I remember this game I saw it on TV & looked forward to seeing it. I just wish the United won.