Brickyard Battalion board members Josh Mason (@masonzbt) and Gabe Peters (@gjpeters) had the opportunity to experience the International Champions Cup from a perspective witnessed by few. The two have written about their experience here as well as added a little surprise at the end.

Josh –

For me, the experience started the day this game was announced it was coming to Indianapolis. This tournament. An EPL team in Indy? It created a sense of anxiety. I have been playing this game for 32 years, and I have explained time and time again to those who do not know this game just how big I felt this event was going be. Anxiety. What if no one comes? What if all those years of hype and mornings at Union Jack and the Tap didn’t translate into people at the game? I wanted so badly for this to work on so many levels, especially with the disappointment of not getting the World Cup (floating air conditioners my ass). Instead, 41,983 people reaffirmed my love for the game and all that anxiety turned into just being elated. On a personal level, I dislike Chelsea on so many levels as a Manchester United supporter, but I still found myself smiling ear to ear that even THAT team was in MY city.

The energy outside the stadium was electric, in a European way, sort of like when Formula One was still in Indianapolis. It felt worldly. Chelsea flags dominated the scene (20,000 free ones provided by Adidas will do that). Families galore and it only made me wish my boys were old enough to stay up that late. It was able to witness the passing down of their dad’s team to their kids. A new generation of supporters. The action off of Georgia Street was full of Guinness and good times, music, and merriment. I was also particularly proud of the Brickyard Battalion tailgate run by Mr. Peter Evans and the Slaughterhouse 19 BYB, as well as the Indiana Soccer tailgate and Steve Franklin working together to truly demonstrate only the beginnings of what’s to come from the BYB on Indy Eleven game days.

I spent the rest of my time examining how this would translate to the Indy Eleven coming this spring? My expectations are now extremely high.

Gabe-

Not only was it the first time two European soccer giants would visit and play in Indianapolis, but it was also a first for me to be on the pitch at a professional match. I have seen soccer played in Europe so as excited as I was to see the two (which by the way I don’t support either), it wasn’t as much the teams as just the opportunity for the city that really got me excited.

In the days leading up to the match, I volunteered to help out on the field carrying the 60 foot Guinness banner that went into the center circle. We were asked to be there a couple hours prior to the match so we could get instructed on what we would be doing exactly. This only took about 10-15 minutes and then the little kid in me came out quickly. As we walked around down at field level, I decided I wanted to go through one of the tunnels, that just happened to be by where both teams would walk through, and look out at the pitch and stadium.

I’m standing there taking in the incredible view and then I look to my left and Chelsea captain and one of England’s top center backs ever, John Terry, is standing right next to me taking photos of the stadium. Of course, with all of my allegiance tied to Manchester United, I wanted to shoot a comment at him that would degrade Chelsea, but the opportunity that was at my fingertips I just couldn’t pass up. So, I walked over to him and said, “Alright, John? Care if I get a quick photo?” and he said sure and gave me a snap. (Insert hiding your wife jokes here). Then I think the better part was a guy walked up to him and said, “John, what do you think of the stadium?” and he said “This place is unreal!” John Terry, who has played at stadiums all over the world built for entertainment thought Lucas Oil, the home of our beloved Colts, was unreal. Now if he would have said, this stadium is cool or awesome I would have been unimpressed, but “unreal” is a statement to be made about what the Colts call home.

After Terry walked back, I thought I would follow him back out to the main hallway where the rest of the Chelsea and then Inter Milan players were just walking casually by like I wasn’t there. Shook a few of their hands and thanked them for coming to Indianapolis, even Esteban Cambiasso – what a LEGEND!

Josh –

While Gabe was down the hall, as we were preparing to roll up the Guinness banner. The teams found their way sauntering down the hallway to the locker rooms, so we all were able to watch the likes of Ruiz, Essien, Terry, and the Special One himself all see the stadium for the first time. There were a lot of dropped jaws and cell phone photos. Give credit to Indianapolis for having World Class sports facilities (no pressure Indy Eleven). As Jose went by I noted, “Welcome, Special One”, which elicited a chuckle and a smile. You almost cannot believe they are not larger than life as the play on the field. Juan Mata is not a large man, and there is a good chance I may be taller than him (I am not a tall man). A special moment for me was seeing BYB support (Zoo), a die-hard Newcastle supporter, meet Demba Ba. What a special moment for him. I was a bit star struck by both teams; it almost made me ashamed I wasn’t more familiar with Inter Milan.

Gabe –

One of my best friends was doing security detail for the referees of the match and I had seen him earlier in the day when we first got to the stadium. He called me on my mobile as I was wandering around and said “Do you have cones in your car?” Well the coach in me doesn’t let them leave my trunk so I said “of course I do, why?” He then went on to explain that Chelsea had forgotten their cones and needed some ASAP. As I’m thinking to myself I should tell the Blues to go on and find their own – it was another opportunity the wee kid in me couldn’t pass up. So I ran to my car grabbed all of the cones in my trunk and ran them back in for Chelsea FC, 2012-13 Europa Champions, to use. A few minutes after I had given them to my friend to deliver to Chelsea’s locker room, he comes back with a cone signed by the majority of Chelsea’s team. Again, I do not support Chelsea and never will, but that was pretty sweet. As I was looking at the players who had signed the cone, they included Torres, David Luiz, Mata, Cech, Schwarzer, Ramires, Oscar, Ba, Van Ginkel, Lukaku, Ivanovic, Terry, Moses, Cole and others. What a moment that was!

Gabe –

The whole experience of being down on the pitch was something definitely on top of my soccer experiences this far in my life, but something that made it a little more special was having my dad down there with me. My dad has played and coached at high levels and was the one who instilled the love of the game into me at birth. I can’t remember not playing soccer and all along the way my dad was right there making me into the player I became and the soccer fanatic that I am. The experience of helping with the banner and being down there with the players was more than I could have asked for in the first place, but having him with me was the icing on the cake.

Josh –

So much for buying seats, as I never made it there. Having that kind of access for a game of this magnitude, it was going to take a slide tackle to get me off the pitch. Now, the pitch certainly left a lot to be desired, but as a Colts fan, it almost made me wish for grass in the stadium permanently. The weather was perfect, the roof was open, and I sat there in awe watching the teams playing small side games to warm up within yards of me. Looking up into the stands, everyone looked to be having an amazing time. It amazed me the next day when I heard somewhere in the ballpark of 22,000 fans only made it to the game in San Francisco.

Gabe –

As if the day couldn’t get any better, post-match, Josh and I were able to sit in on the press conferences with Inter Milan manager Walter Mazzarri and none other than Chelsea’s own The Special One, Jose Mourinho. Although Mazzarri didn’t speak any English he had a translator there with him that portrayed his thoughts. When Mazzarri was asked what he thought of the city, the stadium and the pitch he responded, “The city has been fantastic, the stadium is incredible, the pitch a little less”. Even though the pitch was talked about quite a bit, both managers were satisfied with the conditions granted the pitch is actually an American Football stadium and they knew this coming in. Listening to these guys speak was incredible, but the quote that will never leave my mind was when Jose Mourinho was asked the same question and Mourinho responded, “I have played in many stadia and this is one of the most beautiful stadiums I’ve ever played”. Do you understand the power of this statement? Mourinho has managed at some of the top clubs in the world and he just said that about Lucas Oil Stadium. This statement made me not only feel proud for the city, but also gave me this huge glimmer of hope of what this could mean for potential big time matches in Indianapolis in the future.

Josh –

After the game as Gabe and I attended as a member of the media (which is in correlation to this article), I was having a tough time containing the “fan” in me. I was torn between watching the coaches in the press conference and watching the players leaving for the buses. I was impressed with the tough job John Koluder of Indy Eleven had to deal with trying to corral Jose Mourinho for his post-game interview. It just felt surreal sitting there knowing I could have asked something. I could have, I just didn’t. Though, we joked I should have asked the Chelsea manager to participate in the ceremonial polo shirt swap at the press conference. Missed opportunity.

Gabe –

The question “what is to come?” has filled my thoughts for the past couple days since the match and this event just made me all the more excited for our beloved Indy Eleven to take the field. Can you imagine the atmosphere we will be able to create in Carroll stadium and in a few years our own stadium? It will be fantastic and without a doubt in my mind the BYB will be the Brickers 12th man! Capitalizing on the Chelsea v Inter match is imperative to keep the ball rolling forward for Indy Eleven and I am not concerned one bit that Peter Wilt and the rest of the Indy Eleven staff will do just that.

I think it is a must that I thank John Koluder, Indy Eleven PR Director, on the work he put on for the media that was present at the event that will absolutely continue the positive press on the match and growing soccer in Indiana. The rest of the Indy Eleven staff that also put in so much hard work and all the others that made this event a success also deserve a round of applause. Thanks to all those who volunteered or just simply showed up to the match who made it becomes what it was – 42,000 fans strong. I’m XI til I die.

Josh –

My expectations are now very high for Indy Eleven. I am hoping that those same local people who came to support their EPL team will have the same level of passion for Indy Eleven. We need to create that first generation of fans that will be with the team win or lose. We at the BYB have to lay the foundation and write the songs and create the culture, so there will be a second generation of fans to sustain it all. Carroll Stadium should be amazing, and based on what I read about the NY Cosmos first night, and comparably what we are creating, I believe we should expect to lead the league in attendance and atmosphere. Go ahead and create that expectation for yourself, and hold yourself accountable as a supporter. Bricker for life.

The Race

Josh and Gabe –

So what do you do at midnight when everyone else has left Lucas Oil Stadium? You revisit the pitch and you test just how good or bad it really is. We did just that. We decided to start something, which unfortunately, may become a running gag for the BYB website. We raced – mid field to end line. It seemed perfectly logical at the time, and we decided to tape this endeavor. Gabe has me both in fitness and in years, and I ran in dress shoes and pants versus shorts and tennis shoes, so let’s just say I am not unhappy with my performance given my circumstances, but I will say, we are both fast son of a guns. So, look for the rematch to come to you from Carroll Stadium and other places, and place your bets now on the victory. You can see the video below and laugh at just how giddy we were.



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Photo Credits: Kyle Higdon and Jerry Seiler