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Pivoting By Necessity
Careful observers of La Murga know by now that there is no predetermined setlist of which songs are played when. Instead, it is our understanding that songs are chosen in the spur of the moment based on some combination of game state and general vibes. However, there have been two steadfast exceptions to this rule: “Wolff of Sixth Street” is always playing during opening kickoff, and it always transitions into “Alright Alright Alright.” But what happens when an early opposition goal throws off the routine?
Orlando scored in the second minute on Sunday night, before La Murga had even finished “Wolff of Sixth Street.” So rather than switch to “Alright Alright Alright” (which is almost always the song performed after Austin scores), the band opted for “Dale ATX.” It was a clever pivot, but hopefully not one that will need to be made again. Now let’s get to the numbers!
What Songs Were Played, and How Many Times?
Random Notes: For the first time in stadium history, “Alright Alright Alright” was not performed at all in the first half.
What Songs Were Playing When Austin Scored?
Random Notes: It was a big night for “Pepas,” which opened its scoring account in only its second game. As it stands right now, the two new songs of 2022 that have been performed during the run of play (“Pepas” and “Ole Ole Ola”) represent 31.57% of the total goals scored by Austin this season.
What Songs Were Playing When Austin Conceded?
Random Notes: A night to forget for two classics, as both “Wolff” and “Submarine” suffered their first knocks of the season. In fact, our memory may be fuzzy, but we think this is the first time a goal has ever been scored (for or against) during “Wolff.” We’ll check the tape from last season and will publish an update if necessary.
Season Totals
Final Thoughts
There’s movement at the top after this week, as “Bella Ciao” bagged another goal to reclaim second place in net success percentage. At the other end of the table, “Wolff of Sixth Street” plummeted to the bottom of the standings. This is definitely a time when a song’s relative scarcity in the setlist means that goals scored will have an outsized effect on its success percentage.
And one last housekeeping note: Austin FC won’t play at home again until June 25 (boo), so there will not be any regular La Murga Reports. However, we’ll be taking that time to develop some new statistics and data visualizations, so watch this space.
H.E. Pennypacker
H.E. Pennypacker spends far too much time thinking about Austin FC, much to the consternation of his friends, family, and employers. He could really go for a sandwich right about now.
I cannot express how much I love these LMdA reports! As a Dave Matthews Band nerd who has seen them play 139 songs, and thankful there’s a fan website called Ants Marching to tell me these details; I’m blessed to have this similar report available to my other cult, that of Los Verdes and all the sub groups that come with it, including being a False9 Stan! Thank you!