Today, I am going to RFK for the last time. For me, RFK Stadium is strictly a soccer stadium. I never saw football there, and I never attended a concert there. I walked into to RFK for the first time in 1992 to see the US men's national team (USMNT) play Ireland the a friendly tournament called the US Cup. I went with my friend Tom. We had seats in the lower bowl, and when we walked in I was amazed at the size of the place. I looked up and turned around. The upper bowl seemed a giant maw biting up into the sky. I stood with my mouth open. It was the largest structure I had ever been in. I don't remember details of the game, but I remember that the US won 3-1.
I saw USMNT several other times and saw World Cup games and Olympic games there, too. I saw Italy and Mexico play to a draw in the "Group of Death" in the World Cup. I had acquired second hand tickets that were exorbitantly expensive for a college student, and involved meeting a complete stranger in a public place to make the ticket and cash exchange ("I'll be the tall guy wearing the purple hat"). The most amazing World Cup game I saw was Netherlands vs. Saudi Arabia. We had somehow gotten tickets on the second row at midfield. We were close enough to hear the ball being kicked and had to stand up to see over the chain link fence that had been erected around the pitch. I was cheering for the Netherlands, but I was amazed at the athleticism of the Saudi goalkeeper. There is one stop I remember as him leaping several feet in the air -- like a frog -- to stop a missile of a shot. I remember also that the Dutch had to come back from a deficit to win 2-1. I also saw the Belgium-Saudi Arabia game which I have heard others say had an amazing goal, but that game didn't make nearly the impression on me.
I also saw at least one World Cup qualifier game at RFK. The one I remember most is USA vs Jamaica in 1997. The US went up early, and we were happy. Later in the game, though, Jamaica equalized and the stadium erupted with green, yellow, and black flags. I thought me and my friend (including Deb and Jen) might have been transported to Kingston. That game is where I learned that home games for the US sometimes needed to be written in quotes.
Since 2007, I have attended DC United matches regularly. I missed out on DCU's most successful years except for one game my wife (girlfriend at the time) and I attended in 1999. We were on the quiet side and saw that the people across the stadium in the stands were having a lot of fun. I didn't get to RFK again for another eight years. In 2007 and 2008, my friend Deb introduced me to the Barra Brava. I went to my first tailgate and game in 2008 and was hooked on the experience. I desperately wanted to belong in the group, and I discovered many, many welcoming people.
I attended the 2009 US Open Cup Final, which ended poorly for DCU. At that game, I learned that what I perceive at the stadium isn't always what really happens. From my vantage point in section 135, I saw our goalkeeper Josh Wicks ejected from the game unfairly. I learned from my wife later on, who had watched the game on TV, that Wicks had stomped or kicked an opposing player. I just couldn't see it from where I was. Even though we lost, I still look back on that game as the most exciting I have seen at RFK.
I moved up to Northern Virginia Virginia four years ago and have attended many more games. Some have been excited wins, others have been losses and unsatisfying draws. When the team plays poorly, the tailgate in Lot 8 becomes more important to me. This is where I have made friends among the Barra. This is where I have shared food -- often vegetables and other side dishes (often involving either farm market produce or items I have grown myself). Lot 8 is what I am going to absolutely miss the most. Many times, after cooking and in between conversations with others, I sit and look around. I am thankful in those moments to be surrounded by friends and like minded people. I feel at peace and I smile. I won't have that experience next year at the new stadium
Each year, RFK looks a little more rough. I see more rusted areas on the superstructure. At one game, I stood next to a hole in the stands where a chair should have been. Many other chairs have come apart (I might have a bolt from one of them). Each bit that falls off, cracks, or crumbles is another sign that it is time to go.
I look forward to the new experience at Audi Field. I also know that I will miss those calm, contented moments in Lot 8. Vamos United.
