Following the Sounders to El Salvador

Chris Coulter was one of about a dozen or so Seattle Sounders FC supporters who made the trip down on August 3rd to see the local club do battle in the CONCACAF Champions League Preliminaries against Isidro Metapan of El Salvador.

Chris had a unique view on the match because he was on the stadium floor as Seattle drew 1:1 and got a historic first result in international away competition.

Coulter sent us some stunning, emotional images from the match and I thought it would be cool to hear from him about how the trip went, to get some behind-the-camera insight. So Chris agreed to do a Q & A for Examiner. Read his story below.

We have two galleries of photos by Chris from the match online. They are here and here.

SSE:What was your trip to and from like? Smooth sailing or a few issues?
 
Chris Coulter: On the whole, my trip has been quite nice.  My travel to San Salvador was not the most ideal:  I departed Seattle for Chicago on a 6 am flight, Sunday morning, I had a 30 minute layover for my next flight, to Miami.  Upon arrival to Miami, I had about an hour to kill before boarding my flight to San Salvador.  My flight from Miami to San Salvador was by far the most pleasant and that may have to do with the fact I was excited about finally getting ‘there.’
 
Sitting across the aisle from me was a gorgeous and wonderful Salvadorian woman who was traveling with her three children sitting in front of me.  We never formally introduced ourselves but she spoke immaculate English and was quite wonderful to talk to.  Her 11 year old son had just taken part in a FC Barcelona camp in Miami and is quite the football fan.
 
I was set on doing my best at being an ambassador of the Seattle Sounders.  I invited the family to the Metapan vs. Sounders FC match—I’m not sure if they ultimately showed up or not but I think I may have peaked their interest.  At one point during the short flight from MIA to SAL, I pulled out my laptop to show the family pictures of the team and made sure to emphasize our Latino players.  The young Salvadorian asked if I had pictures of Senor Donovan—luckily I did!  I had some shots of Landon from the Sounders 4th of July match against the Galaxy.  I instantly became a hero in the eyes of a young Salvadorian boy, for having pictures of the Bueno Americano.
 
Clearing customs and immigration in San Salvador was as easy as possible and without any issue at all.  I breezed through both, found a taxi and was hotel bound.  Shortly after my arrival at my hotel, I ventured into the lounge, to get a scope of the scene and ultimately enjoyed some refreshments.
 
Shortly after I entered the hotel lounge, a trio arrived: husband, wife and teenage son.  The teenager was wearing an old-school LA Galaxy jersey.  I noticed the jersey and asked if they were going to a soccer game.  All three gave me a look that was somewhat bewilderment and amazement.  I knew the Galaxy were playing on Wednesday night in Puerto Rico and thought that they may be passing through.  As it turns out, they were on the same flight from Houston to San Salvador as the team.  Upon arrival to San Salvador, the teenager garnered attention from some of the team and in particular, Tyrone Marshall.  Marshall was quick to point out that he was responsible for 1 of the stars above the Galaxy crest.  The family of three ultimately found themselves in conversations with the team and staff and were offered complimentary tickets to the match at Estadio Cuscatlán.

 
I took a day trip outside of San Salvador through Rutas de Las Flores and some other local points of interest and it was well worth it.  While San Salvador may be completely unremarkable, the rest of the country is steeped in beauty.  There are miles and miles of beautiful vegetation and vistas and from what I’ve been told, wonderful beaches.  There are a number of wonderful, charming towns with great artisans and even better people.  The real jewel of El Salvador are the people.  The people here are very warm-friendly-bright and engaging.  El Salvador is somewhat untainted from tourism and there are pros and cons with that statement; however, as a gringo, you are NEVER hassled as you would be in places such as Mexico or Jamaica.   The people here are very respectful and do not have expectations of you to do something for them.  There is most definitely poverty and things that will make your heartache.  However, it’s hard to get caught up in guilt when you realize Salvadorians that may be struggling are some of the happiest, kindest and most welcoming people you’ll ever meet.
 
What did you notice about San Salvador as a 'soccer town?' As a city in general?
 
My impression of San Salvador as a city is that it’s quite nice and very unremarkable.  The city itself and infrastructure are very good, especially for a country that is viewed as ‘third-world’  I’ve been all throughout Mexico and Jamaica, a couple of countries that enjoy their fair share of the American tourism dollar, and I can say that San Salvador is far more advanced in their overall infrastructure.
 
It is quite apparent that El Salvador does not see many American tourists and especially not ones that have travelled to watch futbol.  My main objective was to talk futbol and Los Seattle Sounders with anyone and everyone I encountered.  I had some engaging conversations with folks about futbol, the Sounders and the Champions League tournament.  I only hope I was able to positively influence one of the people I spoke with and get them paying attention to the Sounders.
 
Describe the stadium from behind the scens to the pitch.
 
In pictures, the Estadio Cuscatlán looks quite nice, at least it does to me.  The stadium is very basic and I don’t mean for that to sound too disparaging.   I used two bathrooms, which consisted of a latrine, two stalls—without doors or toilet paper and spicket, no sink for rinsing one’s hands.
 
The field itself was pretty poor for anything to be used for a professional soccer match.  The field was reminiscent of a High School football field—come late October.
 
The post-game presser was held in a small 12x12 room just inside the stadium gate that many had entered.  The atmosphere and security seemed to be quite relaxed and that seemed appropriate.  There may have been police in full blown riot gear, there was definitely no need for it on this occasion.

 
What did the match look like in person? What's your review on how the Sounders played?
 
The Sounders started this match really-really poorly.  I felt like a complete ass.   I had been talking this team up and telling people how the Sounders were a superior team and that Metapan had no answer for the speed on the wings.  Well, Seattle looked like they were playing in quicksand to start the match.  There was zero team chemistry, speed was a non factor as Seattle appeared to be playing the LA Galaxy.
 
After Metapan scored, it seemed to awaken the Sounders and they began playing like I had expected and controlling the match.  It was definitely a sloppy affair and that should have been a detriment to both sides equally; however, I can’t help but wonder if the Sounders and playing in the ‘plush’ MLS confines were thrown off by the environment.
 
I thought the match was quite enjoyable to watch in person and in particular, from the sidelines.  There was a lot of battling going on and a lot of passion from both sides.  It was quite miserable to be standing in a torrential downpour for 90 minutes but the result made it worthwhile.
 
What are some of your favorite photos from the match?
 
I like the post-goal celebration by Fredy, Alvaro and team,  there are a couple of close ups of Fredy playing defense—flying through the air Ninja sytle, I like the picture of Nate on the ground where he’s losing his shorts and the defender’s face is in view from an upside down angle.  Lastly, I like the shot of Adrian and Fernandez after the game.  Adrian looks like such an adoring fan that is trying to gain the attention of his hero, to congratulate.

 
Are you planning another adventure like this soon?
 
Yes and No.  One of the last things I did before going to bed last night was check airfare from Seattle to Honduras for the match on the 19th.  The cheapest airfare was in the $1200 range and that has definitely ruled me out!  If I can possibly work in a trip to Costa Rica or Monterrey with my schedule and affordability, definitely!  I’ll be there.
 
The experience of this match is something I’ll never forget.  Although  the attendance numbers were low, the atmosphere was quite good and full of passion.  It was quite the experience and hope there are many more in the weeks and years to follow.