La Murga Report – 3/20/2022 vs. Seattle

If this is your first time visiting the La Murga Report, you can see what this is all about here. For the rest of you, let’s talk about exactly what happened immediately before, during, and after Austin’s goal last night.

The Sound of Chaos

Last week, we talked at length about the goal that was scored during a moment of silence. While this was an anomaly unlikely to be repeated any time soon, it did give me cause to think about what other bizarre occurrences we might encounter this season. What if we scored during a between-song break? What if we scored while the south end was out of sync and section 104 was singing something completely different than 102? What if we scored, it went to VAR, and then the goal was confirmed only after La Murga moved on to their next song? The weird possibilities are endless.

Sunday night offered exactly this type of peculiarity. When Austin FC scored in the 70th minute, La Murga had just transitioned into a new song. Having rewatched the ESPN broadcast of the goal several times, my best guess is that Diego Fagundez scissor-kicked in the equalizer within five seconds of the start of “Ole Ole Ola.”

While every goal that Austin scores is traditionally punctuated by La Murga quickly kicking into “Alright Alright Alright,” last night was a different animal. Because the goal was scored so soon after starting a new song, and (I’m assuming) because of the catharsis of scoring a second-half equalizer, what happened next can only be described as a cacophony. “Alright Alright Alright,” from what I can tell, was skipped altogether. I think some stalwart members of La Murga tried in vain to continue playing “Ole Ole Ola,” but the efforts were drowned out by cheers. Instead, what transpired was a minute or so of formless improv the likes of which would make Sun Ra proud. It was a Whitman-esque barbaric yawp of acoustic joy, difficult to categorize but impossible to dislike. As a result, I feel it necessary to introduce a new concept into my weekly run-downs: SKRONK. Any time the band is gleefully disjointed for an extended period of time, whatever sounds they produce will be noted in the setlist as “SKRONK.” Now let’s get to the numbers.

What Songs Were Played, and How Many Times?

Note: this is the first time this season that the “Listos Verde” chant has been performed during the run of play, which seems a little odd? It feels like it should either be a normal part of the repertoire or else consigned to pre- and post-match festivities only.

What Songs Were Playing When Austin Scored

What Songs Were Playing When Seattle Scored

Season Totals

Final Thoughts

“Ole Ole Ola” still continues its pursuit of Song of the Year, as it is the only song that has been responsible for goals in every home match so far this season. It is still the official position of The False 9’s editorial board that this song be performed as often as possible. Meanwhile, “McKalla” has apparently had a bit of a glow-up in the offseason, as it has not yet resulted in any opposition goals.