The Armada

Jose Ruiz5 said:The only thing I can't wrap my head around is how a city of, say, 150,000 people can have a supporter group that tops out at maybe 1,500 during the massive derbies—and even then, the stadium is usually half-empty or just sitting there looking halfway full during those same big games. Which basically means you've got maybe 5,000 Cleveland fans showing up for a derby. A city of 150,000, and there's nowhere to be found? And away games? We're talking an average of 50 people. Can someone please explain this to me objectively? I’m not trying to be provocative here, I'm just stating facts. The math simply does not add up.

People just don't trust soccer anymore. The fixing—we all know who started it—is real, and Cleveland plays like they're part of some criminal enterprise run by a totally incompetent front office.
That whole tradition of heading down to Santa Monica is dead; after the '99 season, a huge chunk of the fanbase just walked away for very well-known reasons. For instance, my old man hasn't set foot in Santa Monica since we played Indianapolis...

goldenbear17 said:Stop lying. We had 2,000 people show up for the Chicago game, and if you think there were 30,000 people in town that day, you're delusional. The truth is, a hell of a lot of people have their own "reasons" for skipping games, and most of those excuses are stupid as hell...

There were that many people in Chicago because everyone knew the second leg was just a formality (even though it turned out to be way harder than expected)🙄

bluewalker92 said:I swear, I want to take all you malicious trolls who showed up just to ruin our biggest home game of the season and... well, let's just say you're a disgrace...

Look, this is the season of the Armada's comeback—from here on out, we only go up. Sure, the Club is sitting at the bottom of the standings right now, but honestly? We’re actually stronger than we were last year when the stats looked way better... Over the last few seasons, things have just gone downhill—never more pyrotechnics, never more choreographies, never more noise... 👍

If only you guys would actually step up and focus on "fixing" those idiots running the front office—where you'd actually make an impact. In my opinion, you're the only ones capable of putting real pressure on them, so it’s a damn shame you're all just obsessed with how the stands look.

The turnout at the USA game was massive; people just wanted to see their club lift a trophy again. This wasn't some hollow formality for a team that’s only managed five titles in its sixty-five-year history.

Cleveland plays in a small stadium that holds maybe 6,000 or 7,000 people. If we had seen 9,000 fans against Dinamo back in 2008, sure, maybe that happened—but even then, 2,000 of those 9,000 were probably just BBB supporters.

The Armada shows up regardless of how the team performs on the pitch, and frankly, that’s the only thing that matters for this discussion.

Robert Adams6 said:The turnout at the USA game was purely driven by people who actually wanted to see their club hoist a trophy again—it wasn't some hollow formality for a team that’s only managed five titles in its sixty-five years of existence.!

We walked away with a 4-0 win in the first leg, so—on paper, at least—the second leg should have been nothing more than a victory lap.

Edward Hernandez332 said:If you actually put even half as much effort into "cleaning up" those idiots running the front office as you do with everything else, we might actually get somewhere... I honestly think you’re the only one with enough leverage to actually lean on them, so it feels like a bit of a waste to focus entirely on how the stands look.

Just stick to Reddit.

loneridge23 said:Just stick to Reddit.

I just read their posts—I don't see why you're even bringing them up when I'm not even a member over there...

You aren't even part of the Armada—I came to that conclusion just from your first few posts on here.

And honestly, who was in or out of the USA... I don't see why we're even debating that here. The Armada was there. Period.

loneridge23 said:You aren't even an Armada fan—I figured that out just from reading your first few posts here.

I used to be one, but now? I'm just a disgruntled fan.🙂

Edward Hernandez332 said:I used to be passionate, but now I’m just a disgruntled fan🙂

Joe, you're practically right next to Italy—just head over to a game... there are enough fan clubs scattered around Cleveland to satisfy anyone... My God!

loneridge23 said:Joe, you’re practically right next door to Italy—why don't you just head over there and catch a game? Honestly, you could find a fan club in Cleveland if you looked hard enough... Good God!

What is there even to talk about? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. 😢
I’m expecting some serious choreography this Saturday—and I mean actually good, not just some half-baked effort. 👍

Robert Adams6 said:The crowd at the USA game was huge because people actually wanted to see their club grab another trophy. It wasn't just some formality for a team that’s bagged 5 titles in its 65-year history.!

Cleveland plays in a small stadium—maybe 6 or 7k capacity. If we had 9k people showing up against the Dinamo back in 2008, maybe... but even then, like 2,000 of those 9,000 were the hardcore ultras.

The Armada shows up regardless of how the team is playing, and honestly, that's the whole point of this thread....

HAHA, 6-7 thousand? Seriously, Robert Adams6, how old are you? Honestly, screw everything everyone is saying on this forum. I know one thing for sure: I love my team. I'll be cheering them on even if they drop down to the 5th division. Nobody else can pull off an atmosphere like ours.

loneridge23 said:You aren't even part of the Armada, I figured that out from your first few posts here.

And who was in or out of the USA? I don't see why that matters here. The Armada existed.

This whole thing where the Armada is isolating itself is easily one of the top three worst things people are doing right now. Sure, there needs to be a hierarchy in the stands, but the fan base is being split wide open between the hardcore crowd (the ones traveling for away games, doing the choreos, etc.) and everyone else who shows up to home games and loves Cleveland just as much.

Instead of building the Armada so that everyone, from the kids to the old-timers, feels included and drawn to the stands under that name, they are doing the exact opposite. 😕

But whatever, when we finally win a championship one day ( 😍 ) and conquer Europe ( 😍 ), people will talk, they really will!

Jacob Newman74 said:This whole movement toward turning the Armada into an exclusive club is easily one of the top three worst things people are doing right now—it’s just misguided. Sure, there needs to be some level of hierarchy in the stands, but currently, the section is being split wide open between those who are fully "all-in" (traveling for away games, organizing choreographies, etc.) and everyone else... the people who still show up for the home games and love Cleveland just as much, even if they only make it to three or four away matches a season.

Instead of fostering a sense of belonging where everyone—from the youngest kids to the old guard—is considered part of the Armada and drawn to the stands by that shared identity, they are doing the exact opposite 😕

But hey, whatever... I suppose when we finally win a championship one day ( 😍 ), and we finally conquer all of Europe ( 😍 ), people will suddenly care... right?

You have a point there, somewhat. Perhaps things get a little carried away at times. We have certainly made our fair share of mistakes. And honestly, I would love nothing more than to see us grow—having the youth and the veterans all united... it sounds wonderful, doesn't it?
But let's be real—we aren't making up some ridiculous excuse for why we don't follow Cleveland. We've swallowed a lot of crap over the years, and yet, here we are, still going...

Jacob Newman74 said:Isolating the Armada within itself is easily one of the top three worst things people are doing right now. While there certainly needs to be some hierarchy in the stands, the crowd is becoming drastically split between those fully immersed in the culture—handling away trips, choreographing displays, and so on—and those who aren't quite that intense but still show up for home games and love Cleveland just as much.

Instead of fostering a sense of being part of the Armada from the youngest fans to the oldest, where the name serves to bring everyone together in the stands, they are doing the exact opposite 😕

But fine, I suppose when we eventually ( 😍 ) win the championship and conquer Europe ( 😍 ), people will finally come around... maybe...

The decision to become more exclusive was necessary four years ago for very specific reasons. Now, the focus should be on growing our presence, but... Not everyone can be "Armada" level supporters, nor should they have to be. Personally, I am satisfied, and even proud, that the other fans who show up for derbies and major matches follow the chants, participate in the choreography when appropriate, and wave flags. That is what counts and what is expected of them, something others simply don't provide. Unfortunately, winning games remains the most powerful tool for drawing crowds to the stadium, as does having a fair and balanced league. All our other efforts and great displays simply aren't enough on their own.

loneridge23 said:Ali, look—we aren't making up some stupid excuse for why we don't support Cleveland. We've swallowed this crap a hundred times already and they just keep pushing it down our throats...

What if I’m just disgusted by the people running things and a good chunk of the players, and that’s why I’m distancing myself from Miami? It feels like they’re straight-up messing with my head—treating me like I’m not a "real" fan or not loyal enough because I won't just take their bullshit.
I’ve been showing up to the West Stand consistently since '97—both as a die-hard and as someone who stays low-key—so why are you lecturing me and people like me, acting like we’re just inventing pathetic excuses for staying away?
My love for this Club runs incredibly deep; it just manifests differently than yours does. And frankly, that’s exactly why it hurts so much to see who is steering this ship and how the club is being handled. I refuse to hand them my money and I refuse to be pushed around.
Now, I can already hear you typing out some lecture about how I should show up for the Club, regardless of the management—but honestly? No. I am not going back to a place where I’ve been treated with such blatant disrespect for a long time now.
In fact, even while I’m sitting here typing this, I’m actually looking up the kickoff time for tomorrow's game...
Do you get it?

Edward Hernandez332 said:What if I’m just disgusted by the management and half the players—and that’s why I’m distancing myself from Miami? I feel like they’re playing me for a fool... basically lying to my face and acting like I’m not a "real" fan just because I don't fit their mold.
I’ve been a regular in the West Stand since '97—both as a die-hard and as one of those quieter supporters—so why are you lecturing me and people like me, claiming we’re making up some ridiculous excuse for staying away?
My loyalty to this Club runs incredibly deep; it just manifests differently than yours does. And honestly, that’s exactly why it hurts so much to see who is actually running things and how the Club is being handled... which is precisely why I won't hand them my money or deal with their nonsense.
I can already hear you typing out some lecture about how I should show up for the Club regardless of the leadership, but frankly, I have no intention of returning to a place where I’ve felt openly disrespected for quite some time now.
In fact, even as I’m sitting here typing this, I’m looking up the kickoff time for tomorrow's game...
You get what I'm saying?

Look, if you don't want to come to the games, then fine... just don't take it upon yourself to chime in on the Armada threads telling us what we should or shouldn't be doing.

loneridge23 said:Look, if you aren't going to show up to the games, then fine... just don't act like you have any right to lecture the Armada on what we should or shouldn't be doing regarding our own business.

Since when does it matter who sits on your Club's board of directors or how they run things?
I never said what you *should* be doing—I was merely suggesting what you *could* do...

Edward Hernandez332 said:Does it really matter who sits on your Club's board of directors or how they run the show?
I never actually told you lot what you *should* be doing—I simply suggested what you *could* be doing...

Honestly, I don't even want to see where this conversation ends up, because at the end of the day, we're talking about the Armada!!!!
See ya!

loneridge23 said:I honestly don't even want to guess where this conversation is headed—because let’s be real, the topic is Armada!!!!
See ya!

And what about you people? Are you not tied to this Club? Have you all become your own little cause célèbre—basically playing your own separate game while these losers on the field absolutely humiliate your team? And all just to prove yourselves to some other fan groups?
Yeah, we're talking about an Armada, but not some Spanish thing—we're talking about Armada Rijeka.

loneridge23 said:Then just stop showing up to the games—period. If you do, don't act like you have any right to lecture us on what the Armada should or shouldn't be doing.

He’s saying we need to step up and actually push the dead weight out of the Club. And honestly? He's right. Forget all this "growing the group" nonsense. The whole point of the group is to support the Club. You aren't going to grow a group more effectively than by actually building up the Club itself.

Edward Hernandez332 I'm with him 100%.👍