U.S. Soccer Fan Stories 2021

First U.S. Soccer Match

We’ve been to so many that I really don’t remember our first game. I’ve been taking my daughters for almost 20 years now.

 

My Daughters, ages 27, 14 and 11, all play or played soccer. It was their love for the game that got me interested, so much that we attended the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.

 

The USWNT vs France in the Women’s World Cup quarterfinal may be the most exciting sporting event I’ve ever been to – and I’ve been to the World Series and NBA finals, among other events.

 

I am of mixed race, Black and White. “Fútbol is life.” We all need to find and keep a common ground of respect towards each other, no matter what our differences may be.

First U.S. Soccer Match

6/9/1996 - USMNT vs Ireland in Foxboro, MA

It's a bit of a mystery, as we didn't have soccer in Maine when I was growing up, but I got hooked somewhere around the USA qualifying for Italia 1990. After that came 1994 and it took off from there, and we've never looked back.

Hands down my best memory has to be the 2010 World Cup when the USA beat Algeria 1-0. To conjure up the winning goal in stoppage time was simply amazing. Remember, if it had been a tie, we would have gone home. The security at Loftus Versfeld Stadium let us celebrate well into the night!

Our motto has been: Follow soccer, see the world! And following the U.S. National Teams has taken us to five different continents, with the hope that we make it to continent number six when Australia and New Zealand host the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Simply being American, especially in the early days, was unusual and made us ambassadors. Soccer has given us tremendous experiences and memories, especially at the World Cups with two-week-plus visits.

 

First U.S. Soccer Match

10/9/10 - USMNT v. Poland, Chicago, (however I've been watching the USMNT since birth)

 

I am a lifelong U.S. Soccer fanatic. I've watched the team play for as long as I can remember, and have been traveling and attending games for the last 11 years. My grandfather and mother cultivated a love for the national team in me from birth.

My grandfather actually played soccer in Greece and came to the United States as a young man. He instilled a great pride and love for soccer, the United States, and the U.S. National Team in me from a very young age.

My favorite U.S. Soccer memory is Landon Donovan's 2010 World Cup goal against Algeria. That goal inspired me massively and continues to do so every day! Eleven years later, his celebration is my desktop background, and Ian Darke's call of the goal remains my text message alert tone. My favorite memory that I have seen in person is a tie between being at the Azteca to witness Michael Bradley's GOLAZO v Mexico in 2017, the Nations League Final in Denver, and the most recent Dos a Cero vs. Mexico in Cincinnati.

 

It's amazing to see the melting pot of cultures and walks of life of fans that support this team. Being a passionate supporter of the U.S. National Team has introduced me to many amazing people from across this great country, and around the globe! Traveling the world to support the U.S. Men's National Team has made for some of my favorite and fondest memories

First U.S. Soccer Match

12/10/2015 - USWNT vs. Trinidad & Tobago

 

I have played soccer since I was two years old. When I was 10, I got to go to my first USWNT game. I have supported U.S. soccer since 2016, when I had the privilege of attending my first Fantasy Camp.

My favorite U.S. soccer memory was all the experiences I had at Fantasy Camps. From meeting the team to training with the best players and making great soccer relationships. I will never forget the impact U.S. Soccer has had on me.

 

As a female soccer player, I have admired the USWNT my entire life. From Lori Lindsey to Julie Ertz, I have had examples of strength and perseverance as a woman through soccer. Watching women change the game throughout the world has continued to fuel my desire to be a leader in soccer as a female player on and off the field.

First U.S. Soccer Match

It’s too long ago to remember - my first match in attendance was probably a friendly at Soldier Field in the early 2000s.

 

I played as a youth but didn't get hooked as a fan until the 2002 World Cup, when I was newly living on my own in Chicago and bars were showing matches at all hours of the night (and morning!) I now have two kids who play competitive soccer and have joined the National Women's Network to help grow the sport with women players and coaches.

 

My family went to the 2015 Women’s World Cup final in Vancouver, and in a stroke of luck we ended up staying at the team hotel. On the morning of the match, our elevator down to the lobby opened to the entire USWNT roster and they all crammed into it, with Carli Lloyd front and center. She shrugged, we laughed, and then I said, “Go get ‘em!” and she grinned at us as the doors closed. Then, of course, she went out and scored a hat trick in 16 minutes to win us our third star.

First U.S. Soccer Match

6/21/1998 - USMNT vs. Iran (1998 World Cup – France)

 

I grew up playing soccer in Cincinnati, OH.  My first recollection of becoming an avid U.S. Soccer fan was the 1994 World Cup in the USA.  Watching players like Lalas, Stewart, and Renya inspired me to follow my childhood dream of playing professional soccer.  I later went on to play soccer at the University of Dayton where we won two Atlantic 10 championships.  After college, I was blessed to be able to play professionally for 4 years in the USL A-League (rebranded USL Championship) for the Cincinnati Riverhawks while working full time at Proctor & Gamble.  After retiring, my love of soccer took me down the path of acquiring my USSF “A” and “Youth” Coaching Licenses to help bring along the next generation of soccer players in the U.S.

 

Up until recently, my favorite memory was the USA vs Iran 1998 World Cup game in France where we dressed up and ended up in the magazine Soccer America.  However, now my favorite memory is the USA vs Mexico “Dos a Cero” game this year in my hometown Cincinnati.  It’s amazing to see the growth of soccer in the U.S. and Cincinnati over the years:  FC Cincinnati (2019 average attendance of 27,336), TQL Stadium (one of the best in the world), and U.S. Soccer choosing Cincinnati for the biggest game in North America.  The entire day was like a soccer family reunion running into old coaches and former teammates.  Seeing Sam’s Army march down the streets downtown and fans travel from all 50 states made Cincinnati “the center of the soccer universe” for one unforgettable night.

 

I feel that soccer is the most universal language in the world. It is able to transcend ideologies, cultures, and language. I have had teammates, roommates, and best friends from almost every ethnicity and continent.  We were able to bond and break barriers thanks to a game we loved and respected. I have personally seen a soccer ball open doors, have a generational impact in changing lives, and unite people in the fight for equality not only in the USA but also in service trips to Haiti & South Africa.  My goal is to pass along the same life lessons soccer and my coaches instilled in me and my teammates of a courage in commitment, integrity in treating everyone with respect, and teamwork in giving back to the community.