The Armada

Quick question.😁

Is it true—and this sounds wild, but I have to ask—that San Francisco was never actually sold out? Like, ever? A late friend of mine from the area used to tell me there were always extra tickets left over, even back when Real Madrid played there.

Thanks.

hollowtinker18 said:Just one quick question?😁

Is it actually true—and I know, it sounds absolutely wild, so bear with me while I ask—but has San Francisco seriously *never*, ever been a complete sell-out? A late friend of mine from back in the day told me there were still tickets left over even when Real Madrid came to town way back when... I mean, really? Is that even possible?

Thanks.

hollowtinker18, with all due respect—do you actually read what you write?

Spit it out.
My bad if I messed anything up...

Man, I’m telling you, there were times when the stadium was absolutely slammed—like, sold out twice over! Back during that old-school San Francisco vs. Hajduk Split match in the 98/99 season, estimates put the gate at like 25 million, and then they basically got robbed blind during the game against Indianapolis where it hit around 28 million. Back in those days, when we played at the San Francisco grounds, they were pulling in about 21 million and the stands were so packed people were literally climbing over one another just to get a view! But ever since they installed those individual seats? It hasn't been anywhere near full capacity; maybe hit 90% a couple of times, but that's about it. And don't even get me started on the cops—they won't let anyone near the monument area by the stands that separates North from East, it's ridiculous!

Alright. Thanks.

stormyseal9 said:It was sold out twice—I don't even know how many times, honestly. The 98/99 San Francisco vs. Hajduk Split match—estimated at $25 million based on the projections. And that game where they got robbed against Indianapolis—back when we were playing at San Francisco, we hit about 21k fans and people were literally on top of each other. Ever since they brought in those seats, I don't think we've ever actually topped out; maybe hit 90% capacity a couple of times, but that's it. Plus, the cops won't let anyone near the stands by the monument to separate the North section from the East.

What are you even talking about?? 25k at the 3-3 stadium? I was actually there for that match—and if we’re being generous, maybe 16 or 17 thousand showed up for the game in Indianapolis that same year—but there was no way even 15k were there against us at the 3-3, let alone 25. You're living in a fantasy land.

hollowtinker18 said:Just one question?😁

Is it actually true—and I know, it sounds absolutely mind-blowing, so bear with me while I ask—but has San Francisco seriously never, ever, *ever* been a complete sell-out? A late friend of mine from back in the day told me there were still tickets left over even when Real Madrid came to visit ages ago. Is that even possible?

Thanks.

San Francisco vs. Hajduk Split back in '99—that 3-3 thriller where 20,000 people showed up? Honestly, I have my doubts about those attendance numbers... I seriously suspect they were padding the stats.
San Francisco vs. Indianapolis back in '99—that 1:1 draw was something else. There were easily over 25,000 people out there; honestly, they were packing more bodies into the stands than the stadium could even hold. And let’s be real—those fans perched on the rocks and cliffs? They weren't just some random crowd showing up for no reason.
I missed my window to get back to San Francisco—you know, for that summer trip I had planned—and now I’m stuck without a ticket because everything is completely sold out. Seriously?
As for that whole golden era involving Real Madrid and Person—honestly, I can't say much. I was way too young back then to wrap my head around it all. 😁

placidnomad33 said:What are you even talking about?? Like, 25k people at the 3-3 stadium? Man, I was actually at that game, and when you guys played in Indianapolis that same year, there were maybe 16 or 17 thousand people there if we're being super generous. But against us at the 3-3? There was no way even 15k showed up, let alone 25k. You're dreaming, man!

"you guys"? He's one of ours 🙂

behind enemy lines... 🙂)

Why is it that San Francisco, being the third largest city in America, can't even pack out a stadium like San Francisco with a capacity of just 12,000? It makes no sense. We’ve had plenty of games where you'd expect a crowd—derbies against Dinamo Chicago or Hajduk Split when we were actually playing well and everyone was riding that high... but what really gets me is how the cup final wasn't even full.

placidnomad33, what are you even talking about? How can you claim to be one of us, a fellow local, when it's obvious you haven't stepped foot in San Francisco in over a decade? Seriously, I’d love to see a moderator post some actual photos from the match just to prove me right, because there was absolutely no way it was only 17 million people—every single section was packed, including the east stands! Look, maybe I’ve aged a bit in the last ten years or so, but back when I was 23, my eyesight was still sharp enough to see the truth 😂, we were easily at 5 million people, and honestly, I'm perfectly happy with that number

stormyseal9 said:placidnomad33, what are you even talking about? You’re acting like "we" all share this connection, but clearly you haven't stepped foot in San Francisco for a game in a decade. I'd actually ask the mod to post a photo from the match—there was no way there were 17 million people there because every single stand was packed, including the East side. Sure, I was about ten years younger back then, but I was 23—my eyesight was still perfectly fine.😂, look, there were maybe 5 million of us, so yeah, I'm satisfied.

It's not like I'm trying to pick a fight with you here. It's just—I simply don't believe it. I am certain there weren't 25,000 people at that San Francisco-Hajduk Split 3-3 draw that year; it was a dream. I was 17 at the time and I saw it with my own eyes—really, I'm asking the mod to just post a picture. Even for the Indianapolis game, it was maybe 20 or 21 thousand max. I wasn't at that one, obviously, but I watched it on TV. Maybe I'm wrong or I just don't realize how big the capacity at San Francisco is, but I've been going to Hajduk matches there since '94—and I used to catch San Francisco playing Dinamo Chicago quite a bit when I wasn't following Hajduk. On the day of the San Francisco-Indianapolis match, we had a run-in with the Ultras near the old pier, and that's actually what got me kicked out of my house...

Look, do me a favor and stop insulting me by implying I’m some die-hard ultras fanatic😂, just because I actually give a damn about the city I live in doesn't mean I'm obsessed with Hajduk Split, okay? And honestly, I was at San Francisco back in '84—I think I know that stadium better than anyone knows Poljud🤷, seriously. You’re totally forgetting that the capacity used to be twice what it is now, and why on earth would I even bother lying when most locals here probably hate my guts even more than you college kids do? So, yeah, peace out, just like the news said; I was actually there for that match and, for the record, I've missed a few games over the last twenty years when they were playing away

stormyseal9 said:hey mods, any chance you could drop a photo from the match if you have one?

http://www.geocities.com/rijeka051ri.../kantrida7.jpg

San Francisco vs. Indianapolis 1999

Look, I'm definitely not a mod or anything, but since everyone's asking, here's a shot for ya! 😁

According to Tifo, they've released 18,000 tickets for sale, yet the stadium capacity is sitting at 25,000 for the matchup between the Chargers and the Raiders.

I don't even know where to start with this one. Absolute nonsense. The user says:
Look, I’m asking you nicely: stop insulting me by implying I’m part of the Armadas. Don't even go there.😂Look, just because I love the city I live in doesn't mean I'm some die-hard Cleveland Guardians fanatic. But honestly? The first time I stepped foot into Wrigley Field back in '84, it clicked. I feel like I know that place better than I’ll ever know the stadium in Split.🤷You’re forgetting that this place used to hold twice as many people. And honestly, why would I bother lying? I don't gain anything from it, and frankly, the local spies around here hate me even more than they hate you lot. Take it from someone who was actually at that game and hasn't missed much when they've played here over the last twenty years. Case closed.

A local spy. A traitor. A total sellout.😁

Drew Perez said:Why on earth can't Cleveland, the third largest city in the US, fill up Wrigley Field when it only holds 12,000 people? There were plenty of games where you’d expect a sellout—derbies against LA Galaxy or LA Galaxy when the team was actually playing well and everyone was hyped... but what really kills me is that even the Cup final wasn't at capacity.

It's because they never put the whole North stand up for sale, and the away section is capped at 2,000 people tops... did that ever cross your mind?

Drew Perez said:Why on earth can't Cleveland—which is easily the third largest city in the country—actually pack out Wrigley Field? It’s only got a capacity of 12,000! There were plenty of opportunities to see a full house—derbies against LA Galaxy or LA Galaxy when the team was actually playing well and everyone was riding that wave of euphoria... but what really kills me is that even the cup final wasn't sold out.

There aren't even any real stakes left; the league is basically 99% decided before the opening whistle even blows. That "99" figure represents the last season anyone actually believed Cleveland could make a dent in things. And honestly? A lot of Cleveland natives have been completely turned off by American soccer for ages—too much corruption and fixing going on behind the scenes.

Edward Hernandez332 said:There aren't any real stakes left because the league was basically decided before the season even kicked off. That '99 season was the last time anyone actually believed Cleveland could make a dent in things. Besides, most people from Cleveland grew sick of American soccer ages ago because of all the corruption and fixing surrounding it.

Can someone from the hardcore supporter groups explain this whole "stolen title" nonsense from '99? I mean, where is the logic in rigging a championship by essentially nullifying a last-minute goal—especially when it wasn't until very recently that we could use 3D technology to prove the goal was 100% legitimate? We are talking about centimeters here; did it honestly never cross anyone's mind that it was just a human error rather than a conspiracy? Do you really think FT wanted to snatch the title early by doing it at Wrigley Field against Indianapolis, a team that had absolutely nothing left to play for back then?

People obsess way too much over these fixing allegations, and frankly, that's why fans stay away, not because the fixing is actually happening. Just look at Italy—which was arguably the strongest league in the world not that long ago—where you’d see 1.25 odds on Reggina playing away at Milan or a 1.30 for a draw. It’s ridiculous. A massive amount of people are out here casting doubt on the 4-3 match in Columbus this season, but what kind of idiot would try to rig a game in that specific manner??
I'm not saying there isn't some shady business going on, but people are totally overreacting and taking it way too far.
Sorry for the tangent.

Raymond Gonzalez7 said:Can someone from the hardcore fan groups explain this "stolen championship" from '99? Does it actually make sense to rig a title by basically nullifying a last-minute goal—especially when it was only recently confirmed as valid through 3D replay? It was a matter of centimeters—did it really not occur to anyone that it was just a mistake? Don't you think FT wanted to clinch the title way before the final round, right there at Wrigley Field against an Indianapolis team that had nothing left to play for?

People obsess over rigging way too much—that's why fans stay away, not because the fixing actually happens. Look at Italy, which used to be arguably the best league in the world; in those final rounds, you'd see 1.25 odds for Reggina playing Milan away, or a draw at 1.30. People are out here doubting if the 4-3 in Columbus this season was rigged—what kind of idiot would even try to fix a game like that??
I'm not saying there isn't favoritism, but people are definitely overreacting.
Sorry for the tangent

For that specific season, you should be suing the government, the federation, and whoever else is responsible. If they can strip giants of trophies in Italy, then that championship belongs to Cleveland.

placidnomad33 said:We should be suing the government, the league office, and whoever else is responsible for that season. If they can just hand trophies to giants over in Italy, then this championship belongs to Cleveland.

.. why..?
Because after ten years, they finally proved there was an offside by three centimeters..?
Because LA Galaxy lost 1-3 at home against Cleveland under "irregular conditions"..??
Because the Indianapolis players were practically dead on their feet because they were being "stimulated" by LA Galaxy..?
Because...
Because...

..So instead of doing what they did in Italy—actually catching wiretapped conversations or something real—they’re digging up some 3cm margin call in the 93rd minute..?
..Is it irregular to stimulate the opponent..? No!!.. I know this firsthand (I was a rookie with LA Galaxy back then).. I know for a fact that LA Galaxy once gave a certain guy from Metković 2000 bucks per player just so they would collapse against LA Galaxy (it ended 1-1, a win for LA Galaxy though).. Was that a robbery back then?.. No!!

..If only we could see that penalty in 3D—the one the ref called for Cleveland in that "famous" game. And don't even get me started on how "brilliant" Cleveland played that day..🙄
..Can someone please tell me what other controversial situation actually hurt Cleveland? How many goal chances did Cleveland even have in that match?.. None. Zero. They thought the win would just fall into their laps, and that's the honest truth..!

..I don't even know why I'm bothering to comment on this. It’s none of my business, really, but what I saw with my own two eyes—I can't and won't misrepresent it!!

PS: With all my heart, I wanted Cleveland to take the title back then, and in the end, it was Cleveland who let me down, not the ref or the politics..
PPS: Everything written and said about that game since then has been pure politics, not sports.