Man United 1-0 Arsenal [The Olde Ship, Santa Ana]

The Gooner On The Road unbeaten run in the Premier League has finally come to an end. I tried my best to send good vibes to the team, through multiple pints of Harp and Guinness (no orange juice this time guys) but it just wasn't to be. The team looked tired from two massive games prior, and in the end, we didn't have what it takes to win three massive games on the trot. I don't write about key moments or decisions, because there are plenty other people on the interweb who do that just fine (there are also others that do a terrible job). But, if I was writing about it, I'd be commenting almost entirely on the refereeing, or lack of, that is atypical of an Old Trafford beating.

Hollywood Hills. Gabs [and Nilu, not picture] flew all the way from Austin for the fundraiser. This guy loves Tequila.

In the end, it was a disappointing result but one that we could essentially afford to lose because we're still top of the table going into the international break and, as many have said already, if you were to look at us playing Liverpool, then going to Dortmund and Manchester and say you would take two thirds of the points up for grabs, you'd be a happy man. It's still a sickening feeling when you lose to United but we can take comfort in those six points.

Venice Beach. Massive sunglass failure

Of course, the blow was softer for me than others because I was watching the fixture with the OC Gooners in Santa Ana, approximately 30 miles South of Los Angeles (45 minutes hours in typical LA traffic). We didn't get a result at Old Trafford but we got a result at The Olde Ship, as the boys there raised $2,150 for the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation, the charity I'm supporting whilst On The Road. They blew Arsenal Supporters Club Madison out of the water completely, which is really saying something. Everybody deserves a pat on the back here for being so supportive to the cause. So noble, so classy - it's things like this that make us, the Gooner Family, proud to be who we are.

The OC Gooners. NYC Arsenal Supporters' biggest rivals, atmosphere-wise. 

To make things better, the Austin Gooners and the Portland (PDX) Gooners raised roughly $1200 between them on the same day, taking advantage of big crowds who came to watch that Dutch guy score and celebrate in a sporting, ungrateful manner. This means we raised over $3000 (out of a $15000 target) across three supporters clubs in the US. Not a bad day, not bad at all.

And that brings me on to my final thought today. I've passed the $7000 mark for all donations so far this season. I'm ecstatic about that, BUT I know I wouldn't have been able to do it without the support from the local clubs mentioned above. The thing is, I don't want to only rely on these big hitters coming in, I would be in a much better position if I could count on volume, just $5, $10, $15 donations from a much bigger audience. And that requires exposure. So, if you're reading this and you feel like you're an influential figure that can help spread the word, please DO IT! You can find me on Twitter, you can find me on Facebook, Youtube and more. And of course, last but not least, you can find my FUNDRAISING page HERE. Please don't be the one that says "other people will donate, I don't have to", it all makes a difference.

COYG