When Celtic FC takes the field Thursday, they are certain to be met by a good showing of local supporters, demonstrating the reach of one of Europe's most celebrated teams.
But they will also be met on the field by a pair of coaches with Scottish roots, including MLS All-Star head coach Steve Nicol, of the New England Revolution, and assistant coach John Spencer of Houston Dynamo.
While these two coaches are currently rooted in Boston and Houston respectively, their allegiances go back to Glasgow and the heated 120-year rivalry between Celtic FC and Rangers, bringing a special significance to the rare opportunity to take on one of the two Scottish powerhouse clubs.
"Being Scottish, it's fantastic," Nicol said of the chance to pit his MLS All-Stars against the reigning Scottish Premier League Champions. "Being a Rangers supporter, obviously I want to beat Celtic."
Nicol won the post of the All-Star head coach by virtue of the Revolution's top points-per-game average on June 25, and ironically the appointment pitted him against fellow Scottish soccer legend Gordon Strachan, the manager of Celtic FC. Adding another generation of highland legacy to the mix, Nicol invited fellow Scottish international Spencer to be his assistant coach for the contest. In addition to the national connection, Spencer spent his MLS career playing for the Colorado Rapids.
"I've known John a long time, and he's obviously got a connection with Colorado," Nicol said of his invitation to Spencer. "He's doing great in Houston. It's a great opportunity to work with him and bring him in, and see him work at close quarters."
While Nicol's "Beat Celtic" sentiments are uncompromised, Spencer actually grew up a Celtic FC fan before signing with Rangers.
"There was a big commotion," Spencer said of his defection. "These people live and die for the club."
Believe it or not, that may be an understatement. One of Spencer's charges in Houston, Paul Dalglish, is another Scot who knows the longstanding passion of his countrymen as well as anyone. Dalglish's father, Kenny, played for Celtic and is often considered the best player in Scottish history.
"In America, you've got so many choices and things for people to get involved in," Dalglish explained. "In Scotland there's one choice, and that's football. And at Celtic and Rangers it's a way of life. It's a religion in itself."
The roots are constantly intertwining, as Kenny Dalglish once coached Nicol with Liverpool and was in the locker room to celebrate with his son when Dynamo beat Nicol's Revolution in last fall's MLS Cup.
Nicol calls these Scottish degrees of separation "connections," noting that he was drawn across the pond after watching earlier countrymen succeed in the States, and that current players make a similar leap based on the same comfort level in following the familiar.
"If one of your own is somewhere, you obviously think it's a good place to be," he said.
Current Celtic FC manager Strachan doesn't have that same personal past with his storied club, but the Scotland Football Hall-of-Famer has a past with Nicol, his national team teammate from 1986.
"He is a friend of mine," Strachan said, dousing the idea that old allegiances and rivalries could be reignited so many years and leagues later. "I coach against my friends regularly. There are not problems."
If anything, the familiarity adds a level of intrigue to the match, with enough mutual respect on either side of the field that neither team is likely to underestimate the other.
"I'm more happy that he's the manager than a player," Strachan said of Nicol. "He was a heck of a player."
"Celtic will come here prepared," Nicol said. "I think they were a bit surprised last year when they came over and played D.C. and played us. I think we took them aback with the quality of play. So I think this year they're coming in knowing exactly what they're facing."
Strachan, to some extent, has used the now-opposing coach as his Major League Soccer scout.
"I speak to Steve Nicol now and then," Strachan said. "We talk about players and the league all the time."
And Nicol likewise, knows what to expect from the revamped Celtic FC, which he describes as playing a more "European-style approach, rather than a typically British approach," thanks largely to some new foreign acquisitions, most notably Italy's Massimo Donati.
"We need to make sure that we're on our toes and we try to take every advantage that we can, as far as this being during our season," Nicol said. "We need to pass the ball. And if we can keep control of the ball, then they're going to expend energy trying to get it back off us."
The coaches can take comfort in the realm of Xs and Os, knowing that when a common love of country comes up against generations of deep-rooted, ancestral rivalry, the only place to settle up is on the field.
Owen Perkins is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
