We’ll go with the benefit of the doubt and call it 500 or so that showed up at Lincoln Park and then marched down East Capitol Street to RFK Stadium this afternoon ahead of tonight’s match between DC and Toronto. At the very least, they ensured a packed “loud side” for the match tonight. D.C. United’s fan groups did themselves proud, even though I think they were realistic in understanding that the mere show of support might mean little when it comes to the whims of the politicians that will ultimately determined where and when United gets a stadium.
“I think the idea is that we show the economic activity that we’re going to bring to wherever the stadium is,” said Screaming Eagles president Paul Sotoudeh. “All of us, I think there’s a mentality in the American community that people don’t know soccer. They think it’s all a bunch of twenty-something jerks that are going to run around, drink and break stuff. That’s not us. We run the gamut — ages 8 to 80, parents, single people, young, old — and we have disposable income. We need a place to go before and after the game, and we’re very loyal to the community that supports us. It’s something that we’ve learned over the years as soccer fans. I think what we need to show is that you may put money in, but you’re going to get a lot more money back because of the economic activity that we’re going to drive in whatever community we go to.”
The rally began with Sotoudeh and Barra Brava founder Oscar Zambrana with shoulders around one another to address the crowd. A dozen or so Toronto FC supporters were in attendance, and even DCU owner Will Chang showed up at the end. But the quote of the afternoon came from DCU president Kevin Payne to the amassed crowd before the march began, letting everyone low that the team is talking to Maryland, D.C., and Virginia, but more importantly: “We will be successful the next time. I promise you.”
Here were Payne’s remarks leading up to the guarantee: “This is a special day and a great show of support, but we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us to get the stadium that all we believe we deserve. We know what promises are worth on this subject, don’t we. It’s time for us to come together and start to hold people to their promises. We can’t do that alone. D.C. United can’t do that alone. It’s only with the support of all of you that we’ll able to hold the politicians’ feet to the fire and get the stadium that makes sense for the community and for our club and for all of you. Now we don’t know yet whether that’s going to come together in D.C., or in Maryland or in Virginia. Personally, I want to go where I’m wanted.”
