I lifted this picture from the Real Salt Lake Instagram page. Since Sunday night their Instagram page has been flooded with pictures showing athletes clan in cobalt and blue celebrating an incredible win, a win against odds, a win that--on paper and in most people's minds--should not have happened. The soccer team is ecstatic, overjoyed, very very happy.
But, there's something else in this picture...
The fans in blue.
The fans feeling blue.
We see a dozen or so fans and not a single smile on any of their faces. No, for them, the joy of the athletes is in direct contrast to what they are feeling in that moment. For almost an hour, the fans in Kansas City were confident their team would not only keep the lead, but be ahead at the end of the match. After all, Sporting Kansas City is a superior program. They beat this same team years ago to win the MLS championship. They have played better this year and many other years. In all fairness, that 1 - 0 lead they had should stand and the team should move on.
But in sports especially, fairness many times simply doesn't exist.
Oh, I've been there. I've been one of those fans--almost never wearing blue--but feeling blue after I've watched the teams I've backed fall, sometimes in close games, sometimes in blow-outs. The final score doesn't really matter if your team has fewer points than the other team...a loss is a loss. Of course, the closer the game, the tougher the loss is on the fans. At least, that's how it is for me.
I celebrate Real Salt Lake's past two victories. They went on the road and beat two higher-ranked teams sending fans of both teams home feeling like crap. They have another game where they'll go on the road and face a team they're not supposed to beat. Will the home fans go home happy, or sad? Will I be the one sharing the joy of my team, or will I have the look of those fans in Kansas City, looking blue?
We'll find out next Saturday night.
Go Real!
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