As one often does this time of the year I took stock of 2003. Generally speaking it was not a good year, either for me personally or for my beloved Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Although the Hounds went on a winning streak late in the year that created a buzz throughout the USL community they failed to make the playoffs, and then announced to a depressed and saddened Pittsburgh that they would not return to the A-league next year.
This was a shame for several reasons. For in 2004 I had planned on making a few road trips to cover my Hounds in Rochester, Cincinnati and wherever their travels might take them. In the four years that I have written for A-league.com, I had never taken a road trip with the team. I will still cover the Hounds and still plan to travel. Only this time the places will be the exotic Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and into the wilds of Indiana.
I plan to make a pilgrimage to the mother of all soccer specific stadiums and cheer on the Columbus Crew, a trip I have made a few times now but it was to watch the National team, never the local hometown boys. I might even catch a PDL game while in the crown jewel of Ohio.
In fact, I intend to do a bit of traveling this year as I follow the bouncing ball. Harrisburg, Columbus, Charleston (West Virginia), Norfolk. If I can afford it a four-day weekend in Puerto Rico is on the agenda. Of course I plan to be at the final to be held in Portland, Vancouver or Seattle this year. I don't plan to make a trip like Allison did last year but I plan to see parts of America I've never been to.
Not only do I hope to see America but also to watch and report on games at every level of the soccer pyramid. I also intend to find, and define, that most elusive of characters - the American soccer culture.
This is just the first of what I hope will become a continuing series of articles about what makes up the character of your average soccer fan. Is it the twelve-year-old boy or girl playing in the hot summer sun? Is it the old ethnic guy kicking the ball around dreaming of his home country's glory? Is it the small knot of people who gather round the glowing TV in a bar on Saturday mornings to watch the English league?
Or is it a combination of all of these things?
A wise man once said "I can't define pornography, but I know it when I see it." I cannot define if we have a "soccer culture" yet. I have heard it best described like the underground music scene - something bubbling just below the consciousness of the American psyche ready to explode into mainstream popularity.
If that is true then I hope to capture a special moment in time for soccer fans, before DC United shirts and Timber Army scarves become the fashion statement of the day. Before Freddy Adu sneakers outsell Air Jordan's, if that day ever comes.
My journey is limited by only my imagination, will and pocketbook. Of course my wife's understanding and love will determine exactly how much traveling I do, so far she claims that as long as we take "one non-soccer related vacation" this year she will allow such a voyage of discovery.
If she is willing to join me on my journey, why won't you?
