Catch them on the rise

I need to get something off my chest. I've been avoiding saying this since 2006. But with the help of a therapist, the night terrors and panic attacks have finally subsided. I'm ready to publicly admit it; I like soccer.

It started with the 2006 World Cup. A massive heat wave hit Ohio, my house had no air conditioning, and the TV remote disappeared a couple days earlier. The first match of the World Cup was on after Sports Center. My roommate and I argued about which one of us was getting up to change the channel. I didn't budge and neither did he. We watched the first match out of mutual spite. We watched the rest because we wanted to.

Then I lived in Rome, Italy for a summer the following year. All I have to say about that summer is this. Imagine the celebrations in the streets if the Browns, Cavs, and Indians all won a championship on the same day. That's what it was like when A.S. Roma (the city's soccer team) won the Italian Cup.

After that summer for some reason my interest level in soccer dropped. Until last month when team USA beat Spain. It sucked me back in. This time it was for real. The only problem was I didn't have a team to follow.

Becoming a fan of the Columbus Crew was out of the question. Nothing against the Crew but they won the MLS Cup last year. As a lifelong Cleveland sports fan, I would need six cold showers a day to scrub off all the guilt and shame associated with being a frontrunner.

Going out of state wasn't happening either. For five years at BGSU I listened to countless Toledoans explain their loyalty to Michigan teams. The reasoning: Toledo was close to Michigan. My counter: when did Toledo move to Michigan?

But I officially called off the search party Wednesday July 15. That fateful morning my editor sent me an e-mail. He asked me if I wanted to write a column about the Cleveland City Stars; a USL soccer club. Up until that point, I completely blanked about my friend Matt who works for the team. It was like figuring out Verbal Kint was Keyser Soze. My team was right in front of my face.

Before I could commit to following the Cleveland City Stars, I had to do some research. I wanted to make sure of three things:

I wasn't joining a bandwagon

I wasn't getting involved with a horrible team destine to lose every year

The USL wasn't to the MLS like the XFL was to the NFL; a joke

Thankfully everything checked out. And then some.

First off the USL is legit. It's not full of a bunch of guys trying to relive high school glory days. The players are world class athletes from around the globe.

Second, I love the set-up of the league more than any other professional sport. The USL has two tiers; USL-1 and USL-2. The teams in USL-1 are the better teams and only play each other. Likewise, the teams in USL-2 aren't as good and only play teams in their tier.

But there is a twist. The USL-2 Cup winner can enter USL-1 the following season. Consequently, the team finishing last in USL-1 might find themselves back in USL-2. Unlike in other sports the phrase, every game counts, isn't a cliché in this league.

Also there are rumors of the MLS becoming the top tier of the USL. Meaning the Cleveland City Stars would have the opportunity to play their way into the MLS. If this happens I'm buying a personal defibrillator. I don't know if I can make it through an entire season that acts as the playoffs without at least one heart attack.

Then there is the team. Currently they are tied for last place with 11 points. But that stat is misleading. A team gets 3 points for a win and 1 point for a tie.

The City Stars have five tie games which is fifth most in the league. One of those recently came against the top team Puerto Rico. They also haven't lost by more than one goal since May. And The City Stars are only 7 points out of a playoff spot midway through the season. That's only two wins and one tie.

This is a new fan's dream scenario; a team on the brink of greatness. Because here's how you know a team is good but just had some bad luck:

They always give themselves a chance to win by keeping it close

They play great defense

They get better as the season goes on

It's important to note this is the City Stars first year in USL-1. Last year they won the USL-2 Cup. The craziest part is the City Stars didn't even exist until 2007. This tells me the players are really good and the owner, Jonathan Ortlip, is committed to winning.

As a sports fan, what more can you can ask for than an owner who wants to win instead of just having a team? How about a roster full of names that could easily double as the cast for a Dirty Dozen remake?

A fan's perfect storm is when talent comes with a cool name. The City Stars aren't in short supply of either.

There's the goal keeper Hunter Gilstrap. Backing him up are defenders Anthony Stovall, Ibrahim Kante, Troy Roberts, and Stephane Guillaume. Controlling the neutral zone are midfielders Pato Aguilera, Alioune Gueye, and Warren Kanu. Attacking the goal are Israel Sesay, Josh Boateng, and Leo Gibson. Seriously, when I go to buy a jersey I'm forcing someone else to make the decision. There are just too many great names to choose from.

Then there is my favorite part about the City Stars and really soccer in general; the fight songs. Picture this, instead of being force fed steady doses of Gary Glitter and Jock Jams Volumes 1-4 after a great play or during a timeout.

Imagine everyone in the stands chanting fight songs specific to the team in unison like student sections at college football games. It truly makes the game more enjoyable as a fan. You feel a part of the team instead of some schmuck singing along to I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night.

I may have missed the first part of the season but I'm all in for the second half. There are really no good excuses for you not to be either. This team is without a doubt good enough to make the playoffs. The most expensive ticket is $15 and they run as low as $5. The games are on Sports Time Ohio. If you don't have STO the games stream live on US Llive?.com.

Take my advice. Check out the Cleveland City Stars now. This is the last chance to become a fan before the bandwagoning begins.

by Jeff Biasella

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