Grant 1

Kevon Grant
Professor Lawson
English 113B
23 February, 2015
Project space
Word count: 1482
Enjoyable Soccer
With its vibrant atmosphere, fascinating entertainment, and relatively low cost to attend.
Individuals from different cultures and subcultures enjoy watching soccer. After all, it is the
most popular sport in a majority of countries around the world. According to the Fdration
Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), there are over 200 countries playing this sport.
StubHub Center, located in Carson, California, is one of the many places created for different
cultures and subcultures, to enjoy soccer also known as football. However, the intriguing
question is. How does the StubHub Center, located in America, differs in comparison with other
places created for soccer enjoyment, such as, the Allianz Arena in Europe? Well, at the Allianz
Arena in Europe, ticket prices are inexpensive and the sport is widely celebrated by many
subcultures. While at the stub hub center, ticket prices are expense and the sport is
underappreciated by some American subcultures. Some American subcultures perception of
soccer configures to the basic footage they observe in-front of their television sets; Ignoring the
other aspects associated with soccer, such as skills, technique, atmosphere and passion that is
also an important part of the sport they love. Their perception range from soccer is just a group

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of guys running back and forth to prevent the opposite team from scoring, in a game that does
not have moments of excitement because there is barely any goals involve. However, football is
more than just a group of guys running back and forth; it involves passion, pride, entertainment
and aspiring imagery to be one the individuals playing to entertain others.
In recent years, soccer in America has begun to accommodate a rapid growth in appeal
and increase in appreciation; resulting from the creation of Major League Soccer (MLS).The
creation of MLS that took place in 1994, oversees the first professional soccer league to be
created here in America. Based from the leagues creation, the establishments that have been
critical to its growth in appeal and appreciation is, the Los Angeles Galaxy along with the Home
Depot Center; recently changed to the StubHub center. StubHub center, located in Carson,
California, on the Campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills. 27,000 capacity
stadium has been the home of the LA Galaxy since 2003. The LA Galaxy is the most successful
team in major league soccer; winning five MLS Cups and four Supporters' Shield cups. With
their success, along with their free flowing style of play that utilizes players skills to maximize
entertainment the Stub Hub Center is a popular place to visit.
On a recent visit to the StubHub Center. Upon arriving in the parking lot, there were
display banners enlarged with players photos; welcoming supporters. As you enter the stadium
after a brief security check you are then met again with photos of players. Yet, this time the
photos werent of current players but former ones. In the collection of photos pertaining to
former players, a specific one was receiving more attention from fans. When I got a chance to
see the photo up close; it had a picture of David Beckham along with a description of how he
help contributed to the club. David Beckham, a former player from two of Europes top elite
clubs in Real Madrid and Manchester United, is a well-known sport figure. In the description of

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the photo regarding to how David Beckham help contribute to the club, a piece of that
information caught my attention. It was, how his arrival to the club in 2007 help them draw a
record crowd of 66,000 at the giants stadium to watch the team take on the New York Red Bulls
and how his move helped them gain a larger fan base. With 25 minutes to go before the match
starts, I proceeded further along the outskirt of the inner stadium. Along the way a group of
supports gathered around four boys performing acrobatic tricks with soccer balls beside a
trashcan. On the trash can was information encouraging people to be environmental friendly and
how the StubHub Center is committed to reducing environmental impact. A few ways how they
help reduce the environmental impact is by linking their heating and air conditioning systems to
motion sensors, while upgrading machines and urinals to more energy efficient Models. On the
opposite side of the bar whose slogan is building American soccer one beer at a time; a room
was designed with posters for fans to create signs or chose a shirt to cheer the team on
.Eventually, it was time for the match to begin, so I took my seat among one of the 27,000 seats;
looking down on the pitch. At both ends of the stadium giant television screens are in place to
display live action from the match, including replays. As the players made their way to the pitch
fans wearing jerseys in support of the home team Galaxy stood up with scarfs embalmed with
the team colors and crest. When the referee blew the whistle for the game to start; the clubs
support group Angel City Brigade along with the fans standing up and erupted singing the
following Cheer LA. Galaxy, LA. Galaxy, LA. Galaxy. Midway through the first half, Galaxy
forward Robbie Keane scored a goal charging the score of the game to 1-0. As he began to
celebrate with his teammates; confettis went off around the stadium. Visiting the StubHub
Center, is a fascinating experience for most, if not all fans, because the club does an amazing job
to ensure no specific culture feels uncomfortable. A couple ways how they achieve this is by

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having a bar so people can lighten up after having a few drinks and giving all fans the chance to
choose or create signs so they dont feel like an outsider.

Observing the stadium surrounding and its viewers closely, I noticed, while its fan base
contains people from many ethnic groups. A large portion of the LA Galaxy supporters were
college students or individuals from Hispanic descent. The reason for this can be connected to
the area where the stadium is located, in Carson, California has a relatively large Hispanic
population and the site is located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills.
However, a more accurate reason why the LA Galaxy is mostly supported by Hispanics is the
relation people from the Hispanic cultures share with football. Hispanic heritage is closely
connected to soccer. Among Hispanic households, from the time that a little kid is born, they
have their room decorated with colors and logos related to the team that a family member
supports. They also dream that their kids will support the team as them, or better yet, become one
the worlds greatest player to ever grace the pitch similar to players like Pele and Messi; both of
Hispanic. On the negative side, Galaxy fans consistently mostly of Hispanic and college students
will soon be priced out of the game. As the number of fan appeal raises the cost of ticket prices
have increase at the Stubhub center. While at the Allianz Arena in Germany ticket price stay the
same or decrease as the fan appeal grow. The reason being that the organizers at the Allianz
Arena subside ticket prices to make it affordable to fans from all economic back ground. In
Contrast,organizers of the LA galaxy do not have a set ticket prices for games. They adjust it
game by game depending on the opposition they are playing, creating an equilibrium price for
each game. An equilibrium price seat from game to game causes, the price of tickets to change;
for the first game of the season, fans pay twenty five- dollars for seat supplied, but by the end of

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the season fans will pay ninety to a hundred dollars for the seats supplied. Such practices by
organizers might pay off dividends in the short run, but over a longer term they will have
unintended consequences. One of the obvious consequences is that the high prices will prevent
college students and Hispanics from seeing soccer games and they will start to lost appeal.
Another unintended consequence, it can cause is changing the association Hispanic culture along
with other cultures and subcultures have for soccer.
Despite, its under appreciation by certain groups and subcultures. Soccer in America is
not entirely underappreciated or seen as inferior in the eyes of some groups and subcultures in
America. It is appreciated and supported by many individuals from different cultures and
subcultures. These individuals from different cultures and subcultures enjoy watching soccer;
mostly because of its vibrant atmosphere, fascinating entertainment, and relatively low cost to
attend. Visits to places ,stadiums created for soccer are valuable to individuals in different ways,
with some seeing it as entertainment while others see it as a way of life in their culture. In
addition to seeing it as entertainment and a way of life, some imagine playing to entertain people
and changing their family economic status. However, organizers decision to make the game of
soccer all about money affects such feeling of association. After all, the game was designed to
provide entertainment and not to take money from fans pockets precisely.

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Works Cited
"About StubHub Center | StubHub Center." About StubHub Center | StubHub Center. Web. 20 Feb.
2015.
Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 1 Mar. 2015.
"Better Know A Supporters Group: Angel City Brigade (LA Galaxy)." Better Know A Supporters
Group: Angel City Brigade (LA Galaxy). Web. 27 Feb. 2015.
"History of Major League Soccer." History of Major League Soccer. Web. 28 Feb. 2015. <
"The Organization." FIFA.com. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.
"2007 Season Recap." MLSsoccer.com. Web. 27 Feb. 2015.