Mark Madden: Pittsburgh gets to see what makes Liverpool FC special

I’ve lived in Pittsburgh my whole life. Pittsburgh believes the best soccer team in the world plays in Acrisure Stadium.

This will happen for the first time on Friday evening.

I don’t know exactly where my devotion to Liverpool Football Club comes from.

It certainly became more popular in the late 90s when more Premier League games became available on American TV. It wasn’t passed down through my family. It’s not plastic, as it is for so many American fans of English football. (Hello, Manchester City.) It wasn’t a glory hunt, although Liverpool have always been competitive and often better than that. (Nineteen times, six times, etc.)

I just know it happened, and it happened pretty organically. Sometimes the team picks you.

It’s nice to be part of something bigger than yourself, to be unconditionally loyal. To share something with a city in England, but also worldwide.

I don’t quite have the same vibe with the Penguins. Almost. But my profession interferes with that.

Friday’s friendly with Real Betis (not Jerome) won’t feature many Liverpool players. But the logo will be there. Lots of red. The electricity. Fans from all over the world.

Mohamed Salah too. The Egyptian king. Not bothered by the EC or the Copa America, he could do a shift. Few are better. An absolute top player.

Friday is the first match for new coach Arne Slot, who succeeds the irreplaceable Jurgen Klopp. Big shoes to fill. But Slot has millions of supporters to lean on.

I could preview the season: It was always going to be tough to top Manchester City, who have won the last four Premier League titles. But in Klopp’s nine seasons in charge, Liverpool were the only team to consistently keep pace with City. Liverpool won the league in 2020 and have also finished second twice and third twice since 2019. (He did what he said.)

No play-offs in English football. It’s as real and legitimate as a championship can be. You play every team home and away.

I could speculate on transfers, which is even crazier than American sports free agency. Players were sold for hundreds of millions. Saudi money ruins the math.

I could promote the monster talents of Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, or polish up the legends of the greats of the past, some of whom will be in Pittsburgh for the match on Friday.

Including John Barnes. I had Barnes on my radio show and tried my best not to be a fanboy. I mostly succeeded. I think. Okay, probably not. Barnes got the ball and slalomed through defenders. Check out YouTube.

I could replay great moments, like Liverpool’s comeback from 3-0 down to beat Lionel Messi and Barcelona 4-3 over two legs in the 2019 Champions League semi-finals. “Quickly taken corner…”

But where do you stop? It’s a club of countless great moments. More than one “Immaculate Reception.” Not necessarily all driven by luck.

But the most important thing is that Liverpool are playing in Pittsburgh.

It’s just a nice gesture, but I don’t have to cross an ocean for it. (I will next month.)

The allure is hard to describe. Anfield, Liverpool’s home ground, is ground zero. But the track stretches on forever. Once you’re in, you get closer and closer. No half measures. No fair weather. Let’s go again.

You will never walk alone, as they say.

I was at Liverpool’s home game against Sheffield United on April 4th. Liverpool were fighting for the top of the table. Sheffield United were in last place. The game was tied 1-1 late in the game. Should have been easier.

Things get grim in Acrisure Stadium as the Steelers chase Cleveland in the second quarter. Bench someone, trade someone, fire someone, fire someone.

Anfield held its nerve. Anfield didn’t shrink. It grew. The support never wavered. You don’t see that in American stadiums.

When Alexis Mac Allister scored the winning goal in the 76th minute, Anfield exploded. Over the top. Cody Gakpo made sure. 3-1 final score. The crowd deserved it.

That’s what makes Liverpool special. That’s what makes Anfield special. That’s what makes English football special.

That won’t be repeated Friday at Acrisure Stadium. But it’s a small piece.

Now that my career is coming to an end, I’ve been asked what I’m proud of. That’s a tough question. What I do is completely disposable.

But I talk about Liverpool on my radio show. My dedication seeps through, not least when Liverpool are playing while I’m on the air. I blurt out, I babble, I show emotion.

That’s why sometimes kids come up to me wearing Liverpool kits. They are supporters because of me.

That means everything. It’s important. Because Liverpool FC will be around long after I’m gone.