Every time there is a big game or big tournament that involves U.S. Men’s Soccer, there are many optimists in this nation that say soccer is about to take off in this country. I think there are equally as many pessimists who say that soccer will never be popular in the United States. From my observations that I have accumulated while being in DC for the World Cup, I have concluded that despite what some pessimists say, soccer is a growing sport here in America, and the fan base especially, is growing at a rapid rate. I am not sure we are on an equal level with Europe as far as intensity of the cheering goes, but I do know the World Cup has captivated the hearts of many in America.
One reason why the world cup is so popular here in DC is that there are people from all over the world here. America itself is a place with so many different cultures and nationalities. Many Americans are glued to the World Cup games just because they wish to watch their country of heritage play in addition to watching the United States play. In a way it resembles the Olympics. I think with just one team, a group of 22 men, there is a much more personal or intimate connection between the team and the country as a whole. In addition to this connection, which certainly attracts myself and many of my American friends, DC has a great number of foreign people either working here or visiting. There is a great story here to illustrate this fact.
The first weekend of the tournament, June 12, saw the United States play England. Dupont Circle, in the Northwest part of the city was playing venue to two big projector screens which would broadcast the games to the public. This was the same location of the famous DC snowball fight of 2010. The event was attracting a lot of news and excitement. Three games were to be shown. From what I hear, the first two games before the U.S. vs. England game attracted a more mellow crowd. There was enough room for fans to sit down on the lawns in front of the screens, relax, watch the game, and in a few cases smoke their hookahs. About two hours before the 2:30 kickoff for the U.S. game, the circle began to attract American and English fans, both groups it is safe to say are very loyal and obnoxious. I guess it is in our blood. Soon thousands of people were in Dupont Circle. I arrived about a half hour before kickoff and was still able to navigate around the park easily. I decided to drop into a bookstore to check on a part-time job and get out of the heat until kick off. This was probably wasn’t the smartest idea because when I left the bookstore just before kick-off, I could barely move in Dupont Circle. The place was packed and pedestrians walking through the park had either stopped to watch the game or were watching as they were walking. It was a very painstaking process to find a spot to stand to be able to see the screen (by this point, it was impossible to be seated and still see the screen). I did eventually find one, next to one of the crazier English fans in the park. Five minutes in when England struck first, this fan’s outbursts nearly knocked me off my feet; first came the yells of jubilation and then the five minutes of chanting and mocking which follows a goal against a great rival. I tried to congratulate the man on the goal but there was no response from him acknowledging my attempts of striking up a conversation. I realized he wasn’t interested at all. He was a true English fan and all that mattered for him that day was an English victory, which he would celebrate later in the bars with only other English fans.
It was very hot outside that day, especially amongst such a great crowd. Had I gotten there earlier, I would have found a spot in the popular area of the fountain, which by game time was certainly over capacity. After a half hour, I decided to head back to my air-conditioned apartment three blocks away from Dupont. This was certainly more comfortable, although without the awesome atmosphere. A group of fellow WII friends joined me at my apartment and together we watched Clint Dempsey’s goal shatter that Englishman’s plans for the night. In the end it was a 1-1 tie, giving the American fans a reason to celebrate!
As a quick note, it would be interesting to study how much an event like the World Cup affects work production. Where I work, at the Woodrow Wilson Center, everybody is constantly checking back to the online game casts to see the updated scores throughout the work day. Either people check scores throughout the day or they are working extremely hard to finish all their tasks before 2:30 so they can leave to catch the daily 2:30 kickoff. We in the Western Hemisphere or the Far East have it rough with the games taking place during the work day or during unpleasant hours of the night. 2014 Brazil will give us our chance to enjoy the games at home, relaxing with our feet on the table. Until then, this tournament is our focus. No matter the difficulty, true fans, and there are lots, will find a way to tune in for every minute. The games may be exciting, they may be boring, but they will always have those watching on edge.
