San Diego Loyal Soccer Club begins the 2020 USL Championship season on Saturday March 7th at USD What will the SD Loyal games be like for fans
San Diego Loyal Soccer Club begins the 2020 USL Championship season on Saturday March 7th at USD
What will the SD Loyal games be like for fans and families? San Diegans got their first hint on Saturday February 22nd. Loyal took on Costa Del Este from Panama. Thousands were in attendance, and the stadium was rocking.
Fan Reaction: A+
The atmosphere was great
James Busch told me, “The atmosphere was great everything from Warren [Smith] coming out to the Locals hangout then out on the main plaza interacting with fans and just being very approachable, to the crowd being into the match from start to finish, the Locals bringing the energy like seasoned vets, and last but not least the play on the pitch was good to great all night. Obviously being a brand new team some kinks to work out but they looked good, pressed well, got back quickly when needed topped off with a great game by the keep. Definitely looking forward to watching this team for years to come.”
The Locals SG
Chris Garcia was also in “The Locals Supporters Group” section during the game. He said, “It was an incredible atmosphere for a friendly and you could really see how excited everyone was to finally see the team on the pitch. It was surreal to sit there and actually see this all come to fruition. Couldn’t have asked for a better night.”
Great facilities, thoughtful staff. “It was classy and edgy, like San Diego“
Afmir Lopez told me, “I can not understate how perfect it was. The dedication by locals leadership in the chants and the banners. Then to see Andrew V come up and greet everyone. Best part was to see Warren Come join and lead the chants. As far as the event there were shuttles every minute. The staff, and I don’t mean just the Loyal staff, everyone from security to the people selling the wristbands were exceptionally nice. Dudes selling beers were cracking jokes. The food and food trucks were exceptional. I saw a kid yacking by a trash can on my way to get nachos. As I returned there was EMT staff helping him out. Exceptional first class event. Attention to detail on everything. Loyal and Locals killed it. It was classy and edgy, like San Diego.”
Season Ticket Holder Reaction: “extremely impressed”
Chris Garcia is a season ticket holder. He told me, “From a season ticket holder and Local bum, I was extremely impressed. For being a friendly the stadium was relatively full and had energy. Getting a shuttle to the stadium was fairly quick and getting inside the stadium through security was fast. There were plenty of places to grab a drink and good food options from Mexican food to BBQ.”
“The Supporters Group section of the Locals was exciting. Everyone was welcoming and having a great time. I definitely feel like the ambiance is only going to get better. The game was great to watch in the intimate setting of the stadium. Of course the highlight was Jack scoring a goal in front of the Locals SG and it couldn’t have been any better celebrating in front of him. Warren Smith came out with the Locals and was one of us and will always be. True grassroot feel to the team. It was spectacular and looking forward to the official inaugural game against the Las Vegas Lights.”
Family Friendly Fan Engagement
The San Diego Loyal “Street Team” is the point of the spear when it comes to fan engagement in the community and at games. A Street Team member described the fan experience to me. “There’s a lot of fan engagement and lots of stuff for kids. Halftime parade. Inflatables. Face paint. Toy giveaways. The kids were loving it. People also were really happy with how close the seats were to the field. The facilities are solid because the USD arena is right there. That means indoor concessions and bathrooms. Parents loved that part. I saw lots of parents taking their kids there for a bit of a rest that all kids need sometimes.”
Stone Brewing!
The Street Team member continued, “For the adults, people LOVED Stone Brewing. I can’t say that strongly enough. They loved it. And the Stone staff was amazing. Getting Stone as a jersey sponsor and there at the stadium is just perfect.”
