The Grid members in the stand at Rayo
Photo: Carlos Libreros
Despite a concerted effort to stop them doing so, the Oklahoma Energy FC fans finally managed their own Supporters Section for the away USOC derby at Rayo OKC.
Last week, we reported that the home side, an affiliate of Spain’s Rayo Vallecano, had withdrawn a dedicated away section at their Miller Stadium after being upset by a taunt from the Oklahoma Energy Supporters Group. known as the Grid.
Five minutes before the start of the scheduled sale, Rayo OKC tweeted that they were upset by comments made by the Grid about the state of Rayo’s pitch and were scrapping the away section in retaliation.
As if petulance wasn’t enough they invited Energy FC fans to buy general admission tickets where they would be placed alongside home fans in what by then had turned into a fairly bitter atmosphere of mutual hostility between the Rayo Front Office and the Energy fans.
The tickets now being offered were also twice the price of the ones withdrawn.
The Grid obtained tickets in one group despite the fan ban
Photo: Joseph Pugh
Luckily someone in Oklahoma soccer had a working brain and that person was the President of the Grid, Joseph Pugh. He set about exploring alternative methods of procuring tickets for his members to sit and stand together to overcome the truculence of the Rayo Front Office, and the resulting consequences for stadium security of their actions.
The Grid managed to obtain 151 tickets at $15 each which their members gleefully snapped up at a cost of $2265.
The build up to the match perhaps added to the atmosphere on the night with plenty noise from both sets of fans.
Billy Forbes opened the scoring for Rayo OKC minutes before half time when Energy keeper Laurendi palmed the ball out to his feet, but the home side could not even hold the lead to the interval. Sebastian Dalgaard equalised just before the players left for the break despite being off balance as he finished. The second half was scoreless sending the derby into extra time.
In the 106th minute, Kyle Hyland settled the tie with a header to send the Energy through to a meeting with MLS Side FC Dallas. He got goalside of Kosuke Kimura to powerfully finish an excellent Michael Harris cross.
Rayo OKC finished the match with just nine men after Derek Boateng and Michel were sent off, both for pretty nasty looking lunges.
Also See:
Rayo Oklahoma scrap away section for derby after ‘unsafe pitch’ jibe from Energy fans
After Oklahoma, all fans have the right to ask “who is in the room when decisions are taken?”
