NYC Soccer Hooligans Brawl Over Red Bulls vs. NYC FC Match

Empire of Soccer – A melee erupted in Newark shortly before the start of the Red Bulls, New York City FC encounter, pitting supporters from both teams in an English style hooligan clash. The brouhaha, which lasted all of a few minutes, involved fans tossing garbage bags at each other, engaging in fisticuffs and using restaurant signs as weapons before New Jersey Transit cops broke up the fracas. Why did it happen? As it turns out, there is a bit of history behind the scrap. It all began in the second ever Hudson River Derby at Yankee Stadium. Both the Red Bulls and NYCFC franchises planned a secure arrival for the traveling Red Bull fan contingent in the Bronx that would include, amongst other things, an awaiting security detail at 3 p.m. at the River Avenue subway stop. The Red Bulls supporters arrived in timely fashion. The security detail, however, was nowhere to be found. That set off an ugly scene as members of the Garden State Ultras, a European fashioned Red Bulls supporters group consisting of several English and Irish transplants, found themselves thick in the territory of NYCFC supporters where fans of the opposing club began some friendly banter at the arriving GSU. That friendly spirit didn’t last. Tempers flared quickly with both groups engaging in a small melee before GSU members made their way through the City supporters and into the stadium. Word of the ruckus spread quickly in NYCFC fan circles. A European styled NYCFC supporters’ group who made a name for themselves in an incident involving alleged nazi chants at Yankee Stadium earlier this year caught wind of the confrontation, setting the stage for Sunday’s melee. A small group of NYCFC Ultras came into Bello’s, the home of the Garden State Ultras, to “size up” the group in hopes of exacting revenge. “They came looking for us,” one GSU insider tells EoS. Once comfortable with the competition, the group engaged GSU outside of the establishment. What they didn’t account for, however, was the second floor of the establishment, which housed the majority of the Red Bull support. What ensued was captured on video by Associated Press writer Rob Harris, featuring a flood of GSU members chasing away the NYCFC Ultras with trash bags and sandwich signs before transit officers broke up the melee.

Listen I know how sports fandom can get out of control. I’ve seen it plenty of times. Experienced it. Caused it. We all gave our best examples of Sports Muscles last week. We’re all guilty of it. And I know that across the globe, soccer is probably the number 1 sport where things get out of control. I’ve seen Green Street Hooligans.

But give me a fucking breaaaakkkk with this MLS soccer hooligan BULLSHIT. The NYC FC has been around since 2013. 2 fucking completely irrelevant years. (UPDATE – I have learned they were founded in 2013, but this is actually their first season. Been around 6 fucking months.) The notion that this team has a fan base at all, let alone one that should be brawling in the street, is a goddam joke. The Red Bulls arent any better. I didnt even know the Red Bulls were the same franchsie as the MetroStars until like 30 seconds ago when I wikipedia’d them. Who are these fucking assholes brawling in the streets about 2 soccer teams in a city, thats in a country, where absolutely nobody gives a flying fuck about soccer? There is just no chance there’s anyone who is this passionate or angry or violent about 2 soccer teams in New York City. You’re the ultimate try hard if you’re trying to be an American soccer hooligan in New York City. Brawl over Mets vs Yankees during a subway series. Throw blows over Rangers vs Islanders at MSG. I’m all for that neanderthal behavior. Thats been earned. Thats been established. Theres enough hatred to momentarily snap and act like a fucking idiot over other grown men playing a game.

But get out of here trying to pull this off for Red Bulls vs NYC FC. I simply wont allow it. I dont have enough room left on the Hate Train for New York City Soccer Hooligans. I’ll have to rearrange my entire Hate Power Rankings and shit if I have to start focusing on how much I despise these assholes.