Last night, Gillette stadium in Foxboro, MA played host to a soccer double-header. First, the US Women’s National team kicked the crap out of Mexico’s women, winning 5-0. Then the New England Revolution played their home opener against Toronto FC, the newest addition to Major League Soccer. The Revolution won 4-0. Although the outcome of both games proved victorious for America, it flagrantly violated the trilateral stipulations of NAFTA.
The air was rift with calls for “Revolution! Revolution!” Spurred by the sporadic shotgun blasts of the mascot brigade (pictured below, holding flags), the largely young and entirely white crowd tossed flares, staves, firecrackers, stones, and stadium seats at the red uniformed Toronto FC players. After the Revolution’s third goal, a posse of teenaged girls wearing identical Chelmsford Youth Soccer jackets lead a celebratory pitch invasion onto the field. Some of them attacked the opposing team with knives, while others sought to violently embrace Revolution heartthrobs like Taylor Twellman and Jeff Larentowicz.
The Toronto FC fans (pictured below) proved to be a small but feisty bunch. They sang songs and chanted even as their team bore out just how ineffectual they were. We took pictures so that we could identify them in the parking lot after the game, and then rough them up real good for holding allegiance to a team that is not the Revolution. After the effigy-burning of David Beckham, the cops descended with tear gas and batons. Major League Soccer ain’t for pansies.
