Tierney: Fan Support ‘Next Level’ at RBA
- Updated: November 24, 2014
HARRISON, N.J. – It’s amazing what a few packed sections of road support can do for its club.
Over 1,200 Revolution supporters made the trip to New Jersey for Sunday’s first leg of the Eastern Conference Final at Red Bell Arena. And while they may not have collectively made a key pass or scored the winning goal, their presence was impossible to ignore during their team’s 2-1 win over the heavily-favored Red Bulls.
“I’ve been a part of the team for seven years, and it was something I’ve never seen before in my career,” Revolution left back Chris Tierney. “Today was just next level from our fans.”
Two weeks before Sunday’s match, the Revolution organization announced that it would provide bus transportation for close to 1,200 of its supporters from points across the region. Seats on the buses filled up within days.
But the story didn’t end there, of course. An hour before kickoff, the traveling support had already filled upper-tier sections afforded to them. As the players warmed up in front of them, it was evident that the pro-Revolution crowd was already in mid-game form.
(Instagram video courtesy of Joao Vieira)
Indeed, there were times during the match where the pocket of steadfast support drowned out the chants and cheers of the home crowd, despite being overwhelming outnumbered by the many thousands of Red Bulls supporters who helped make it a certifiable sellout.
“We really felt it out there,” Tierney said. “The whole game, I think we heard our fans more so than the rest of the fans at Red Bull Arena, which is a testament to our support.”
It was fitting that Tierney’s spot at left back allowed him to soak up the most of the chants, cheers and celebrations during the first half, during which he played right in front of the supporter-occupied sections. Tierney is the longest-tenured member on the squad, and has seen crowds large and sparse during his seven-year career.
“The traveling support the fans gave us was just next level,” Tierney said. “It really felt like we had 12 of us out there so that gave us a huge boost.”
After the match was over, the entire team journeyed over to their pack of partisans to applaud them for their unwavering support, especially at a venue where success had been fleeting for the squad over the years.
“We want to let all of them know that their support really does help us, and push us on, and give us that edge,” Tierney said. “Credit to our fans, and we hope to see you next weekend.”
About Brian O'Connell
