writetofillthespace

I’m tired. Yesterday was not a good day, and unfortunately it has nothing to do with the loss. There’s something to say about nwsl culture and what exactly defines it and makes it what is is. You hear about experiences people have at these games that make them want to come back, that make them feel like they have family. I can’t say that any part of yesterday felt like we were safe or welcomed as away fans, and none of it is at all surprising.

Traveling support always comes with its ups and downs. You’d be remiss to expect smooth sailing while coming into an away stadium as an opposing fan, much less an entire group of opposing fans. But what you don’t expect, and what should not be tolerated or enabled by any means, is the absolute harassment that occurred last night against angel city fans and players around that entire stadium and even in the parking lots ahead of the match. Don’t get me wrong, we completely take any and all banter, boos, and jokes that we get when we come into an away stadium. Yesterday had some of that, and that was fine. But I’ve heard accounts from all over the stadium, not just in the away section, about how horribly people were treated. What we didn’t anticipate, and maybe we should have, was being aggressively yelled at by home side fans and even having folks targeted by racism. One of our own made the decision to not stand during the national anthem, to which he and his partner were met with an angry woman yelling to “stand for the flag or go back to your fucking country” at them.

Back to that part about there being something to say about nwsl culture… this is a glaringly obvious issue that continues to be enabled by the way clubs cultivate their fan bases. It’s one thing to make jokes of the nwsl for being a “soccer mom and youth club” league. It’s another thing to actually address the fact that this league and these clubs cater to certain audiences and completely neglect their fans and supporters that are minorities and come from non-white communities.

Yesterday’s match began with a complete display of nationalism - from the skydivers flying in with a ginormous USA flag, military helicopters flying over, red white and blue fireworks going off during the national anthem around the stadium, and the audience absolutely eating it up. That shit makes people feel brave and protected enough to be racist and discriminatory in public and, on the flip side, makes fans that are minorities and part of targeted communities feel unsafe.

It boggles my mind that a club in a city as rich with diversity and culture as San Diego has built a fan base as white and elitist as it has. Not only did our people deserve common decency last night, but the city of San Diego deserves better than what it’s gotten.

Tobin Heath and Christen Press dedicating their goals to one another while the other was out due to serious injury (July 2022/July 2016)

Tobin Heath | Angel City FC vs. OL Reign - July 30, 2022

Christen Press | Chicago Red Stars vs Orlando Pride - July 22, 2017

Tobin heart eyes Heath looking at Christen Press: a series

June 22,23,24.

Tobin at training today with OL Reign