ENGLEWOOD, CA– It was a stadium like any other, packed with American sports fans wearing their favorite team’s jerseys and red, white and blue face paint, cheering as the players took the field.
Just this time, The sport was football.
The U.S. team’s home World Cup opener on Friday brought 70,492 eager soccer fans to the massive stadium near Los Angeles, where they watched the U.S. beat Paraguay 4-1. They have paid, in many cases, thousands of dollars to see their team play on the world’s biggest stage in a sport that has long been overshadowed by the United States — a sport that many say has finally reached its moment.
Many fans said they grew up playing football in recreational leagues as young children, and in high school and college. Nakisha Gutierrez, a 37-year-old occupational therapist from Los Angeles, practices the sport with her sister. She said that their Argentine father raised them on football, and the next generation is now learning it as well.
“It runs in the family blood,” Gutierrez said, her cheeks painted with sparkling red and blue stars. “It’s American culture, it’s starting to be that way.”
The World Cup is held every four years, and fans around the world follow their national teams, hoping that they put in a strong enough showing to qualify for the tournament. In many countries – e.g Friday discount paraguay – Simply arriving at the tournament can lead to street parties, fireworks and national holidays. But in the United States, the response is often more muted. Football, basketball, and “America’s Pastime” have long eclipsed football.
But soccer’s popularity has soared in the United States since the country last hosted the World Cup in 1994. Major League Soccer was launched two years later, and soccer has gained particular popularity. Among young athletes. There has also been increased interest in immigrants coming from countries where “football is life,” as Gutierrez put it.
Ava Cubitt, 14, traveled with her family from Franklin, Tennessee, to cheer on the American team, dressed as the Statue of Liberty. Her great-grandfather was from Spain and helped bring soccer to their small town, building stadiums and promoting the sport.
“He made us all fall in love with her, and our whole family loves soccer,” said Rachel Cobbett, Ava’s mother. “The people who got married became a part of it, too.”
Jose Contreras, a self-described soccer “addict,” said he grew up playing the sport with his uncle in Mexico because it was cheap and accessible. He traveled from Georgia to support the United States in its opening match, although there are games he can attend in Atlanta, closer to home.
“This is one of the happiest days of my life,” Contreras said.
At the massive stadium in Inglewood, Calif., usually home to soccer games, the stands shook with the roar of fans. The seats were a sea of red and white. Fans wore bright high-tops, stars and stripes, overalls, robes and the team’s signature T-shirts. Some of them were dressed as the ultimate symbol of American patriotism, Uncle Sam, with long white beards and top hats. A few of them wore George Washington costumes.
They came to show their support for their team, and to show that Americans, like the rest of the world, can be passionate about soccer, too. Many were trying to attend all of the US national team’s group stage matches. One spectator said he came from Texas after watching the US team previously face off in international matches in front of large crowds supporting their opponents.
Hector Garcia (63 years old) said that he is participating in the World Cup finals for the sixth time. He believes the US team is the best ever, and the players will be energized to see so many fans dressed in the stars and stripes.
“This is the atmosphere of the World Cup, and I think this will really lift their morale,” he said.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup