3 Years After Kansas City Wizards vs Manchester United: A Reflection.

For the past two years, I've retweeted and mentioned a certain game on this date, the day that truly proved the potential of Kansas City being a major soccer market. I remember some media from other parts of the country, and hell, even some of ours, looking at the attendance and the outcome as an outlier. To them, this was no proof at all, just a bunch of regional United fans coming down to KC to see the Red Devils play for perhaps their first and only time in their lives. I didn't see it as such on that day, and I certainly do not see it as that now days. July 25^th, 2010, the preview party of things that lay ahead…

I vaguely remember the rumors and rumblings about United coming here, just seemed so impossible that it almost certainly had to happen. The (at the time) Wizards needed something big to pull people into buying season tickets at the new stadium, something that a regular season game at Community America Ballpark was never going to do. The official announcement confirmed all that craziness was to happen, as the first official event at the “new” Arrowhead. $30 for a Cauldron ticket, against Manchester United, holy balls. Pretty sure that ticket would be around $80 or more if it were to happen again anytime soon.

The tailgate was a preview of things to come as well. A massive joint Cauldron/AOKC tailgate with all that food and kegs on kegs on kegs of beer to be had. As a 20 year old loser at the time, I was pumped to drink as much and as fast as possible, getting thoroughly trashed pregame, but luckily not enough to forget the game. My poor ticket is in bad shape now days from a spilt beer near my pocket because of my negligence, but I still cherish that thing.

Row 4, I was up at the front, and it was beautiful. If I remember correctly, the only person I knew around me was Mike Kuhn, in row 3 right in front of me. Didn't matter, didn't speak to anyone, only sang and chanted my drunken rear off for the majority of the match. I remember walking in; the stands were covered in red, and not from the seats. Spots of blue were all over but dammit if the Cauldron didn't represent that day, we were fantastic. Few, if any, drums allowed in, so they banged on the metal overhang about 15 rows up to keep the beat, wonderfully improvised. God Save the Queen, Star Spangled Banner, the anthems were sung right near an ever rosy cheeked and slightly sunburned Sir Alex Ferguson. This was shaping up to be one of the oddest and most triumphant sporting events I had ever attended.

That 11^th minute, that Davy Arnaud goal, I’m so glad to this day that he scored in that one. If Davy and Jimmy Conrad would have scored in that game, I probably would have died of the happiest heat exhaustion that anyone has ever croaked from. The red clothed folks started cheering on those boys in blue, which was no surprise. The stadium got loud though, sounded like all 52,424 fine taxpayers had jumped on the Wizards bandwagon. And then those wheels seemed to fall right off.

Damn you Terry Vaughn, damn you. If the Wizards would have lost that game because of you sending off Conrad in the 39^th minute, in a goddamn friendly, I would take a dump on your picture on your birthday every single year. I shouldn't hate you for it though, because that red card instead made the game more historic. The Dimitar Berbatov goal, easy penalty, deserved. The crowd….went….absolutely….mild. Sounded as crazy as an Iowan town hall meeting in November. Down to 10 men, seemed like the blowout was incoming, a 7-1 win for the Reds or something.

Kei Kamara had a pretty decent start to 2010 and felt that he should have been voted into the All Star Game in Houston that season. Kei Kamara was not on the All Star squad and that irked him, so he decided to have his own All Star Game, and his own All Star jersey. Ball placed back at the center, Wizards take it down, goes out for corner, played in, BOOM, hits crossbar dead center, pops down, DID IT CROSS THE LINE? WHO CARES, TERRY VAUGHN SAYS SO, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!! Kei Kamara debuts his KCW All Star shirt underneath his jersey, the man who never wanted to come to Kansas City at all the year prior was now beginning his run to a lasting KC legacy and the English Premier League. Arrowhead got loud, not as loud as a 1993 Chiefs regular season game, but damned if I didn't pound my seat and yell til I was near hoarse. I twirled my brand new blue and white bars KC Cauldron scarf harder than I ever had before

Halftime rolled around shortly after. While I sat, baking in that hot July sun, many people in the stadium were inquiring about the future Sporting Park, some placing deposits to this new stadium without much knowledge of the Wizards but a want, a deep down need, to learn about the beautiful game in Kansas City. Those roots started there for many, on that day.

I cannot remember much of the 2^nd half. All those beers, the sun, humidity, finally caught up with me. I remember quite a few Kronberg saves and the last ever appearance of Sunil Chhetri, who would leave the club forever the following day. I remember those last 10 minutes though, I remember looking up at the clock every 30 seconds or so, expecting United to equalize, if not outright win, before time expired. I saw the board rise for how many minutes of 2^nd half injury time would take place, keeping those precious minutes counting down in my phone. Those few minutes felt like an eternity, til finally, Mr. Vaughn blew the whistle three final times to call an end to the insignificant Wizards period and the start of a movement that was finally achieved and perfected a little over 2 years later on August 8^th, 2012. The Cauldron went wild, our beloved Wizards had just taken out a slightly B squad but still one of the best in European soccer Manchester United. They show me during the closing parts of the Fox Soccer feed, I look damn near tears, scarf held high, singing my praises towards the yellow piped home team.

There are no friendlies scheduled this season for Sporting Kansas City, with the All Star Game and CONCACAF Champions League taking the time left for friendly practice games. The lasting legacy of that game started something in the minds of many Kansas Citians on both sides of the state line. This MLS team, those guys that used to wear rainbow jerseys, that had mini ponies at halftime for children to ride, those Wizards who were ridiculed at Arrowhead in the past, were now in the minds of more locals than anyone, possibly even the ownership too, could ever imagine. July 25^th, 2010, the day where David defeated a Devil.

What KC Wiz Means to Me and What it Means to You.

Feels like a good bunch of people have forgotten what the supporter culture is truly about and has taken to starting little spats online and offline with each other about things that include random invites on the Cauldron Facebook page, taken spots in the Member's Stand, and tailgate shenanigans. What the hell people? Have you forgotten what you paid for prior to the start of this season in a season ticket? There comes a point where one man breaks from all the song arguments, nerds dressed up as various attention seeking superheroes, and the worst, friends arguing with friends. When did the Cauldron become more of a job for people than a fun getaway from real life?

I often think back to my own humble Cauldron beginnings, back when the Cauldron was a two deep third base line bleacher area and the opposite stand was a grassy knoll that only politicians and parents with toddlers would be fearful of. I remember going to a game or two before getting season tickets, sitting near the Cauldron but not in it, remembering the days of Arrowhead, of the small group that had blossomed to a nicely sized group of what looked to be great friends. I sat in my chair most of the game, looking at that group, knowing I needed to get in with this, before the move to Bannister, because this thing was gonna take off and I wanted to be on that train of fun and excitement. MLS was sold to me in a minor league baseball park in what was once a wheat field in Kansas.

I could go on and on about the rest of my origins in the Cauldron, including picking my season tickets up in a shady transaction from Sam Pierron, the slick pieces of paper in a small Ticketmaster envelope. But I’m not, told those stories a million times. What I want is to hear your origins now. What brought you to the games, what sold you on the experience? How can we harken back to the wonders and glory that arrived for us in 2011 with the new stadium opening? I want to feel that again, and I hope you do too in a way. Let’s get back to having fun again. I hug less people and shake fewer hands at tailgates now days, feels more territorial than ever. Let’s all be friends and bros again. Join in, game on.