Who do you support?

We’re at a difficult time in RSL history, and while we still support our team, in times of struggle it only makes sense for fans to look at other organizations we follow for success. Given the recent ending of the NHL and NBA seasons, following our teams happens at a slower pace, and our interaction with our teams comes in the form of transfer news and draft-picking compared to gameplay. As a result, now seems like a good time for us at RSL Soapbox to talk about the other teams we follow, and we want to hear from you as well.

Wirtjo Leonard

As indicated by a previous article written, I’m a diehard Feyenoord fan and eagerly await August 13th when the Eredivisie season kicks off for the 62nd time.

Most people tend to follow the big clubs who win a lot of trophies win they look abroad. I’m the opposite and I always look to see the underdog knock out Man United. I’m a fan of Crystal Palace and Watford, both teams who narrowly avoided relegation in the EPL last year. Why? I like clubs who are close to home, who have community involvement, where fan stands for family. Both Crystal Palace and Watford are small clubs who rely on a lot of community support. I originally took note of Watford when my beloved Feyenoord picked up Steven Berghuis on loan. My interest was heightened when I saw a special on ESPN halfway through the last premier league season which took the viewer behind the curtain which I thought was really cool. Watford has also instituted a sensory room for Autistic fans who can watch the game in comfort, something which hits close to home and I really wish RSL would do something similar. It would definitely make games a lot more accessible.

I follow Crystal Palace for a couple of reasons. In short my initial interest was sparked when I played with them on FIFA but it was accelerated by several other factors. My research interests and work involves following human rights abuses and genocide among ethnic lines in Africa, and anytime you see people get out of those kinds of environments and either themselves, or their kids use soccer as an outlet to become one of the best in the world is really cool. The role that soccer plays in uniting violent communities and functioning as a method to escape poverty is amazing, so look for an article soon on that. Crystal Palace over the years, like other clubs have picked up lots of these kids from places like Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo and others, like Watford they are also a very family oriented club. Additionally, it was cool to see them play the role of giant killers last year beating the likes of clubs like Liverpool at Anfield, and Arsenal.

Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images

A good season for me this year would be to see both Watford and Crystal Palace avoid relegation. Knowing that your team has no chance of ever winning the league really gives you a whole new appreciation for the beautiful game.

Outside of soccer I really hope to see good seasons for the Jazz and the Miami Dolphins as well as a tire fire for Ajax and the Dallas Cowboys.

Benjamin Smith

Leeds United are the obvious choice. They are my hometown team and the reason I got into football. I remember my friends and I finding an advertising board for Yorkshire Electricity, who had the acronym "YEB" and adding "OAH" on the end to make YEBOAH, as in famed striker Tony Yeboah. We've ridden high and been one of the top team in England and then fallen on real hard times, so much so that we almost didn't exist anymore. Now, we're back within a stones throw of the Premier League again and it's so exciting and heartbreaking to be a fan but that's what sport it about!

Outside of that I'm a Jacksonville Jaguars fan. I have a thing for underdogs it seems. I've no team in Baseball but I love watching it when I can. Not strictly a team but I always back Tyrone Woodley and Daniel Cormier to do the business. And then there's wrestling, which I adore and love all of it and will gladly gush about how great it is!

CJ Guadarrama

I’m a hater. I’ll admit that, and I have no problem admitting that. I will never, ever stop hating Monterrey. I will never stop hating all LA teams, and I will never stop hating all Ronaldo. There, I said it. I hate Cristiano Ronaldo. But this isn’t about that, it’s about liking other teams. The first soccer jersey I remember getting was a Toluca shirt. I wore it religiously and watched them any chance I could, which wasn’t often, honestly. Since then, I have leaned more towards the north, in Torreón. I like Santos mostly because I could always count on them to stop LA or Seattle after RSL failed to claim the cup. League be damned as far as I am concerned. It’s always been RSL or bust for me as for as the CONCACAF Champions League is concerned. I don’t want anyone to win it before us. I guess that means that I should like Club America too (for stopping Montreal) but I am happy to draw the line there.