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Washington, DC - The NJB went down to the nation's capital with hopes of seeing the US National team pick up a win and practically assure itself of a spot in next year's World Cup. Unfortunatly US fans will have to wait. This time the Honduran national team and its fans left RFK celebrating as Honduras picked up three vital points on the road with a 3-2 victory. As for US fans, we got to witness the United States' first home loss in a World Cup Qualifier since 1985 and are left to ponder what could have been since the US had a 1-0 lead and also blew a PK during the course of the game. We will have to wait untill next Wednesday in hope of a better showing as the US travels to Costa Rica, a very unfriendly place for the US National Team.
The NJB crew left North Jersey on Friday night,
packing Rob's sister Jen's 92 Ford Station Wagon to the limit with
Big Flags, Coolers, Streamers and more. This time four of our members
made the trip. Ed, Rob, Dimitri and Monika, perhaps one of our most
vocal fans. This Polish Princess has attended a few MLS games before,
but this would be her first international cap. Having left her house
around 7pm we were able to arrive in Virginia around midnight and
spend the night at Rob's sister Connie's house. Since It was sad to see so much Blue and White all around us. Sad because we still can't get 50,000 American fans to go out and support their Nation team and sad because practically all the people wearing Blue & White didn't come from Honduras to see the game, if you know what we mean. Both Dimitri and Monika were not born in this country (probably like many of the Honduran fans at RFK) and both spent about 10 years in their native homelands before they came to the US. BUT the main difference is that when the US plays the Ukraine or the US plays Poland, Dimitiri and Monika are still wearing red,white and blue. And that is why we love Dimitri and Monika so.............awww
With Rob being on the shelf with an injured
shoulder, we had lost the NJB's strongest man so Dimitri and Ed had
to carry in the Big Ass Flag. And it wasn't pretty....... talk about
needing to hit the weight room. We were pretty disappointed that we
didn't find anyone to put the baby flag to use especially since the
BAF was the only US Flag that
The match itself couldn't have started out any
better. Before Ed and Dimitri could even finish their first beers,
the US had already scored. The Honduran keeper failing to control a
US cross, Earnie Stewart had a wide open net to shoot on and with
that the US was up 1 - 0. With the US not conceding a goal at home so
far in Qualifing, it seemed unlikely that the US would relinquish
that lead. However, Honduras applied the pressure and made the US
defense look rather ordinary. Moments after having a goal called back
for offsides, Honduras scored on a great cross to tie the score. Then
the turning point in the game. In the 42nd minute, the US got a PK.
It was a BS call but most PK's always are. Earnie Stewart stepped up
and shot the ball with no conviction and the Honduran keeper who had
guessed right easily made the save. If you pick a corner and shoot
the ball with enough pace, no goalie in the world would be able to
Honduras came out applying all the pressure and in
the 53rd minute was rewarded with another bogus PK call. This time,
although Friedel guessed correctly, he was unable to reach the ball
and Honduras grabbed the lead for good. Honduras kept breaking down
the horrible US defense and had two breakaways that both were put to
waste. In the 77th minute, Honduras wrapped up the game as they
scored yet another goal to make it 3 - 1. The first time the US had
given up 3 goals in a WCQ in 41 years. Realizing they had to throw
everything forward, the US finally started to get some offense
generating and in the 84th minute, Earnie Stewart scored again to
draw the US within one. At least they made the last 10 minutes
interesting as every chance the US had was a possible game tying
sequence. They generated a few good chances but were unable to break
through and the US lost a home WCQ for the first time in 15 years. So
the win in Honduras became a loss as we only were able to get 3
points from them. Now the great start is wasted as the US is still in
second place with 13 pts and more than likely will be playing their
last game in Trinidad & Tobago still unsure of a World Cup berth. njb@njbrigade.com
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the NJB is an extremely cheap bunch, we are very greatful to Rob's
sisters for allowing us to save our money for more useful things than
rental cars & accodomations (ie Streamers).As 6:00 rolled around,
the coolers were all packed with beer and food and we were on our way
to RFK. Ed always tells people that "RFK is always a Zoo"
and this game didn't disappoint. Upon arriving to the Stadium trying
to find the US tailgate, we had to drive through a whole crowd of
Honduran fans. And we use the word "drive" very loosely as
our car was completely surrounded by Honduran fans hooting and
hollering. Rob even had to put the car in park cause he knew this
might take a while. Luckily we found Lot 8 and the US tailgate.
Special
for the tailgate, we brought Rob's stereo and Ed also made a special
"USA" game day cd comprised of such classics as "Living
in America" by James Brown, "The Pledge of Alliance"
done by John Wayne and Hulk Hogan's theme "I am a real
American." Ed put the stereo to good use as he went up and down
the lot blasting the music for all to hear, screaming along to the
words. Ed also thought he was a Santa Claus of sorts as he went
around with bags of streamers giving a few to every Red wearing
American he saw. But Ed ended up screwing the US. Ed had the honor of
doing the first ever NJB kegstand and for every 10 seconds he was up,
that meant the US would score a goal. He went for 20 seconds.....he
should have gone for 40. During the tailgate, Monika took it upon
herself to be the official 
Photographer
and we ended up with some really nice shots. Rob being the bum that
he is, slept in the Wagon through the whole entire tailgate because
well 5 hours of sleep just wasn't enough for him. Dimitri was very
active in the tailgate and he would have made Mikey proud as he was
busy taunting almost every Honduran fan he saw, albeit in a lot
politer way than Mikey would be accustomed too. However, Mikey would
have been proud of Dimitri after the game though. Pissed about the US
loss, Dimitri said that we better watch him because he was going to
go after the first Honduran that started with him. And that happened
to be the direspecting Honduran who walked on the Big Ass Flag as we
were folding it up to place a small Honduran flag on it. Dimitri went
running after him and had to be restrained by a few American fans
before he finally settled down.
went
up during the anthem. We thought La Norte would take it but like
typical DC fans, they couldn't measure up and wound up bringing in a
smaller flag. Once inside, we set up our shop in Section 138 and 139,
where the NJB always can be found at RFK for US games. During the
Anthem, the Big Ass Flag went up and looked menacing as it always
does. After the anthem, it was paper city as US fans threw streamer
after streamer onto the field creating quite a scene. Quite possibly
the best picture we have ever taken at a US game.
save
it. But instead Stewart hoped the goalie guessed wrong and he
didn't. Maybe if the US had players rushing in the box, they could
have pounced on the rebound, but they missed that opportunity too. So
instead of going in at the half up 2 -1 with all the momentum, the
score was tied with Honduras having all the momentum.
