Video - "A Supportive Saturday Afternoon"

After all the hullabaloo we started up the other day over Americans supporting other teams it's nice to take in a video that show, really, how far we've come. For all the frustrations and struggles of being an American soccer fan and trying to grow soccer in America we've come a long, long way.

Our friend Eric Beard of "A Football Report" and his brother Jordan shot this amazing video over to two days last weekend in Boston, switching between an adidas Spain event and the American Outlaws tailgate (set up by their Boston chapter) and supporters section.

This is American soccer and this is evidence of a growing and thriving support in the United States. We've got a long ways to go, but through the efforts of groups like the Outlaws and fans taking it upon themselves through the power of a quality soccer to lure newbies (beer or not!) this sport has got some legs.

Enjoy "A Supportive Saturday Afternoon" by Eric and Jordan Beard.


A Supportive Saturday Afternoon from The Beards on Vimeo.

Get the NEW Free Beer Movement "Pint Glass" shirt! Only from Objectivo.com

The Great Jersey Question. Buy American.

This is how is should look.

At Saturday's shambolic U.S. National Team game the goal was the fill the stadium with red.

Nike had earlier debut their red national team strip and helped outfit the American's unofficial supporters group, the American Outlaws, with a cool Shepard Fairey designed "Indivisble" collaboration to add to the already red 2011 AO members shirt.

The result? A "Red All Over" supporters section to rival any other behind the goal.

The rest of the stadium, from crowd shots and close ups revealed a similar red wave, but fueled less U.S. fans, but the brighter red of the Spanish National Team and red and blue Spanish side Barcelona's jersey.

Sigh. Here we go again.

In the United States, a nation of immigrants and one of the most diverse countries in the world, American soccer fans are no longer surprised to be outnumbered within their own stadiums. Its one of the reasons the American Outlaws and the Free Beer Movement were founded; to grow the sport here and grow our presence each game day. It's readily conceded that for matches against teams like Mexico and other nearby Central American nations the visitors will turn out in force.

On Saturday, however, the USMNT was betrayed by its own. Americans in Spain jerseys. Americans with Messi's name splashed across the back. Americans in Manchester United jerseys!

Let's play a game. How many DIFFERENT jerseys can you spot?

For high profile matches this is also not uncommon. But it is infuriating. Americans who seem to go out of their way NOT to support their country of birth.

Were many of those people from Spain living in the United States? Yes. Completely acceptable.

Were many of those people of Spanish-decent honoring their heritage? Yes. Also totally fine.

Were many of those people Americans of little connection to Spain or Spanish teams sporting the colors of World Cup, European Cup, and Champion's League winners? Yes. Not OK.

The beauty of the Spanish National Team was on full display on Saturday and the dominance of Barcelona a week earlier at Wembley against Manchester United in the Champion's League Final and we can appreciate the fact that both of these teams are probably the best example of the greatest of soccer in our day and, for many, represent what has brought them to the sport of soccer and created their connect to it.

If this is what soccer IS for you... super. If this is what you want to treat people to for the Free Beer Movement... go for it.

But we just cannot condone wearing those teams to our National Team games.

It isn't something jingoistic or Tea Party-fueled nationalism, but a enduring and deep love for this nation and the desire to see AMERICAN soccer succeed so we don't replicate Saturday's result again and again.

We own loads of soccer jerseys. Many different clubs from around the world. Many different National Teams as well. One from Honduras where we once lived. Another from the Netherlands, our ethnic roots, and even one from Hong Kong where a sister once visited. They are worn with regularity, but NEVER on a U.S. game day.

We get it. America likes winners. Spain and Barca are winners. Here's Sporting News' Brian Straus, post-game in the media zone:

As someone said to us on Twitter, "That kid, if alive in 1980 would have worn a USSR hockey jersey at Lake Placid."

That's the mentality for many soccer fans in America, "Maybe if the U.S. wins a few more games."

Sure this Spain game was a set up, but what else does the National Team have to do for some people?

Isn't qualifying for six straight World Cups good enough?

Paul Caligiuri's 1989 "Shot Heard Round the World" (to qualify the U.S. for its first World Cup in 40 years) didn't get ya?

Didn't our magical run to the 2002 quarterfinals and oh-so-close knock out to eventual finalist Germany grab you?

What about Landon Donovan's stoppage time game winner against Algeria last summer? Really? That didn't do it?

What will do it? Maybe the goal posts (for lack of a better term) keep moving for some soccer fans in America.

__________________________________________________

What is comes down to is really a choice. A choice where, today, right now, we can make an investment in American soccer and not just soccer in America. We've got an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of building American soccer and soccer in America. To invest, to spread, to share, to love through ourselves and through others and to others.

It's not perfect, but it is ours. It still has a long way to go, but as the Preamble of the Constitution states, "In order to form a more perfect union". We're working on it.

Spain and Barcelona and Liverpool and AC Milan are going to be just fine, but Major League Soccer and the U.S. National Team need your support because if American soccer fails.... soccer in America fails.

No more high-profile international friendlies. No more World Football Challenge. No more World Cups in the United States. It all dies.

We're not being dramatic. If Americans can't prove they're hungry for soccer (and watching loads of English Premier League on Fox Soccer doesn't count) then the clubs take their business elsewhere. They chase the China yuan or friendlies in Qatar.

The Free Beer Movement wants everyone to become fans and everyone's path to becoming a soccer fan is different. In the end, though, we want you to become American soccer fans. Even for us our first experience with soccer was Michael Owen and Liverpool, but more crucial to our development was the 1998 Men's World Cup and the 1999 Women's World Cup. Locked. Us. In.

That the natural evolution we're going for. Get into soccer. Get into American soccer. (And, of yeah, do it with beer!)

When the United States National Teams rolls into your town, fold up your other jerseys, and put on the red, white, and blue.

Get the NEW Free Beer Movement "Pint Glass" shirt! Only from Objectivo.com

FBM DrinkWear: Nike/American Outlaws Collaboration T-Shirt

If you're going to be in Foxboro for the U.S. Men's National Team game against Spain AND a member of the U.S. supporters group, American Outlaws, you are in for a pretty sweet treat.

In addition to another victory over the defending World Cup champions, every AO member is going to pick up one of these awesome Nike/AO collaboration shirts to to help pain Gillette Stadium red for the afternoon's match (too bad that's also the main color of Spain's jersey, but whatever.. make it easier, really.).

From Nike:

"First a kit inspired by supporters. Then a team motto, Indivisible, written by the fans and emblazoned on the jersey sleeve. Now Nike joins forces with Studio Number One, a creative agency founded by world-famous street artist Shepard Fairey to create a series of limited edition t-shirts to again pay homage to the supporters and tie us to the Gold Cup as one:

One nation Indivisible.

Inspired by vintage Americana, liberty, justice, and military/street art, the T-shirts will be given away to all American Outlaw members on matchday June 4 in Foxboro, MA. With the Gold Cup approaching, it’s time now more than ever to band together as one, indivisible.

It’s more than just 11 players on the pitch. It’s coaches, families, friends, and fans. It’s you. Only the divided shall fall. All the way to the Gold Cup final on June 25, We Are Indivisible."

Sorry if you not heading up to the birthplace of American freedom, but AO has mentioned that this is only the first and definitely not the last collab we'll see from them and the Beaverton boys.

Gold Cup, perhaps?

Get the NEW Free Beer Movement "Pint Glass" shirt! Only from Objectivo.com

NEWS WATCH - U.S. Men's National Team Roster for Gold Cup (and Spain Friendly)

United States Men's National Team coach Bob Bradley announced his squad for June 4th's international friendly against Spain and for the upcoming Gold Cup.

We'll post with nearly no comment except we "accidentally" called Freddy Adu in our "The Shin Guardian" Gold Cup beer-view piece.


U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION


GOALKEEPERS (3): Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS (8): Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Etienne), Jonathan Bornstein (UANL Tigres), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Eric Lichaj (Leeds), Oguchi Onyewu (FC Twente), Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

MIDFIELDERS (9): Freddy Adu (Rizespor), Michael Bradley (Aston Villa), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (New England Revolution), Jermaine Jones (Blackburn Rovers), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

FORWARDS (3): Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Jozy Altidore (Bursaspor), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

Get the NEW Free Beer Movement "Pint Glass" shirt! Only from Objectivo.com

In Barcelona, the Soccer Sells the Beer

One of several Estrella ads extolling their ties as Barcelona's official beer sponsor.

By Eric Beard / Señor Spanish Correspondent / Editor, A Football Report (@AFootballReport)

Americans love a good beer, and a free beer more so. Catalans, amongst tapas, sangria, fine wine, Gaudi, and Shakira, love their local beer, Estrella Damm. They're also buying it for a new reason this Spring, as it helps them see little Lionel and the rest of FC Barcelona. Not that the average guy or girl in Barcelona doesn't already follow the Blaugrana, but by buying five Euro worth of Estrella, or about 15 beers, you earn a code to get 15 Euro off of a ticket to the Camp Nou.



(Notice the highest rank comment on the Youtube video explaining the promotion. Translated: Drink beer to help Barça!)

Another ad from Estrella's Barca campaign.

So it's unofficially official, the Free Beer Movement has been embraced in one of the last places on earth where it actually needs to be spread. With the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Barça fans in the region of Catalunya, the club has created a fairly intrinsic partnership with its official beer sponsor. The average culé drinks beer at a bar or whenever they have friends over for Friday night copeo, but they also try to go and see Barça at least a few times a season.

The main difference between this partnership and one between, say, Sam Adams and the New England Revolution, is that clearly the PR boosts Estrella more than it does for FCB. In short, it's a variation of the FBM that the FBM could only dream of. Instead of buying a beer to convince your friend to go watch MLS with you, this is, at least to a degree, buying beer to help fulfill your desire to take in the beautiful game.

Following the Free Beer Movement grow and become relatively mainstream amongst the MLS and U.S. Soccer community has been refreshing and unbelievably enticing. Whether it was earning the support of Alexi Lalas or the American Outlaws or Kyle Sheldon (D.C. United's Marketing Director, who's hosting a Free Beer Movement event in May), the mission to "build American soccer one beer at a time" is undoubtedly a noble one. But how exactly can we gauge when the FBM becomes a success and American soccer to here to stay?

Well, that debate is for another time and another place. However, when Sam Adams goes out of its way to create a promotion with the Revs or any other brewery knocking down MLS's door to get in on the action that's when we'll know the FBM has struck a chord. Maybe the FBM ends when MLS and U.S. Soccer fans are able to enjoy a beer with the beautiful game with all their friends for non-ulterior motives, just like the Barcelona beer and footy-lovers who are hitting two birds with one stone.

But as for now, I'm going rogue and using this little Estrella Damm opportunity to convert fellow Americans studying abroad into fans of the game. Converting Spaniards into MLS fans, well that's a job for someone far more ambitious than myself.

About Eric


Eric Beard is the editor of the highly-praised, "A Football Report". He is a philosophy major and soccer player at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, but is currently studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain.

You can follow "A Football Report" on Twitter here or Eric's personal account here.

Support the Movement. Get the Free Beer Movement T-Shirt. Only from Objectivo.com

Going Suds Up: The Best Soccer, The Best Beers

By Kirsten Schlewitz / Senior West Coast Beer and Aston Villa Correspondent

After tomorrow, it will all be over. The thrills, the chills up the spine, the vuvuzelas buzzing, the waving flag anthem, John Harkes’ banal commentary, Pulpo Paul, having to watch Nike’s “Write the Future” ad over and over…

Some of the elements of the World Cup will be missed more than others. But what won’t be missed is being able to watch football, and talk about football, nearly every day. It will be four long years before soccer fans have a full month to obsess once again. So don’t take Sunday’s match lightly, boys and girls. Revel in it. Grab your friends and head to a bar, or even better, bring them over, ask them the following questions, and, based on their responses, hand them these beers, specifically chosen to perfectly complement the Holland versus Spain World Cup 2010 Final:

Do you love wearing bright orange? Are you struggling to come to terms with early onset male pattern baldness? Do you just enjoy the idea of having legal access to marijuana? If so, you’ll be supporting Holland on Sunday. The Oranje haven’t made it to the final in over thirty years, so supporters have plenty of reason to celebrate.

Raise a glass (preferably a lager glass) of Anderson Valley "Summer Soltice" Cerveza Crema to commemorate the occasion. This is a honey-orange beer that won’t clash with your kit, with a fluffy head that takes quite a while to fall, rather like Arjen Robben. Cerveza Crema is AV’s summer brew and it fittingly tastes like a grownup version of a creamsicle, with just enough spicy hop to keep it balanced. Whether you’re seeking comfort after yet another display of poor decision making from Robin van Persie, or rejoicing when Wesley Sneijder manages to score a header despite being only four feet tall, this is the perfect beer to have at hand.

Do you regularly swoon in the presence of men who look as though they model Maybelline mascara? Is red your best color? Are you in the habit of eating dinner after 11pm? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you’ll be pulling for Spain on Sunday. Although La Fura Roja are the reigning European Champions and are considered one of the top footballing nations in the world, this is the first time they’ve participated in a World Cup final.

This match has the potential to be a whole lotta sweet or a whole lotta sour for them, so bring out the Lindemans Framboise and pour it in your best champagne flutes. Lambics are known for being great starter beers for people who believe they don’t like beer—and, as much as I hate to generalize about my gender, much of the time it’s the ladies who believe they don’t like beer. So while they’re drooling over the tasty cupcakes of the Spanish squad, pass them a glass of this deep red liquid, with a pink head and plenty of rising bubbles. The taste is of fresh raspberries, but it packs a tart punch as well. Both sweet and sour, it reflects the sensation felt while watching Spain pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass missthechanceongoal. But there’s a beauty to balance, both in beer and in football, and this balanced lambic is befitting of Spain’s equally balanced squad.

About Kirsten:

Ever since Brazil caught my eye during the 1994 World Cup I’ve considered myself a soccer fan, but it wasn’t until the summer 2008 that I decided to find a club. I focused on the Premier League and eventually chose Aston Villa. Initially drawn in by the pretty clarets and blues, I found I liked their organization, their owner and their manager. I fell hard and now it’s too late—I can’t give them up. As for MLS, that was easy, as I live in Seattle. I also support Exeter FC, SSC Napoli, FC Koln, Estudiantes Tecos and Tooting & Mitcham FC, all for a variety of reasons including cider, tattoos, scarves, owls, and a soccer player texting while on the pitch. I’m the Managing Editor of SB Nation’s Aston Villa site, 7500 to Holte. I also will be contributing to Two Footed Tackle after the World Cup.

Support the Movement. Get the Free Beer Movement T-Shirt. Only from Objectivo.com