‘Proud of the team.’ Fans pack Sacramento watch party as World Cup run ends for U.S.
Team USA’s run in the World Cup ended Monday with a 4-1 loss to Belgium, but there was a silver lining for Tim Holt.
Holt is president and general manager of Sacramento Republic FC, which hosted a series of free World Cup watch parties in Sacramento that drew approximately 45,000 guests. This included a watch party at Memorial Auditorium for Monday’s game that attracted about 3,500 people.
The club, which is in the midst of building a 20,000-seat stadium in the Railyards, already plans to have more watch parties for future World Cups.
“What we found is there’s a lot more passionate soccer fans in this market than we ever anticipated,” Holt said.
Thoughts before the game
Lindsay Murdoch, a UC Davis graduate student, said she’d been to multiple recent watch parties including for Team USA’s victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina.
“One of the best things about this is that it’s free,” Murdoch said. “It’s so easy to take an event like this and … put up barriers and have cost-per-entry. And I think this brings a lot of people together.”
Doors to the event opened at 3:30 p.m. There was a casual feel in Memorial Auditorium in the hour before game time, as children kicked a ball around on the auditorium’s sloping floor.
The event drew people like Carmichael resident Melanie Groth and her partner. Groth said they had watched previous games from home but that her partner had been able to score tickets the day before. “It’s exciting, I haven’t been in this building before,” said Groth, who moved to the area about a decade ago.
Others like Richard Anglin, a Sacramento resident, were on the floor of Memorial Auditorium last week when Team USA punched in its second goal, sealing the U.S. victory and sending the Sacramento crowd into pandemonium. “It got loud,” Anglin said. “Very loud.”
North Natomas resident Craig Hobbs attended Monday’s watch party with his sons. Asked if he thought Team USA had a chance to win, Hobbs replied, “I think they have a great chance … but hey, every game gets played on the field when it kicks off.”
His son Jeremy Hobbs predicted a Team USA victory. “They’re the best team we’ve ever had,” Jeremy Hobbs said.
Game gets underway
Almost immediately, it was clear that U.S. fans at the watch party might have to adjust their expectations. Belgium got a shot off early in the game and scored in the ninth minute. By halftime, it was 2-1 in favor of the Belgians.
Menno Dijkstra, who played basketball at UC Riverside and is now plays professionally in the Netherlands, was at the watch party with a friend from college.
“I think Team USA is lucky it’s only 2-1,” Dijkstra said at halftime.
Another person having second thoughts about the game’s outcome by halftime was Sacramento resident Lana Stanic.
“Before the game started, I was like, ‘USA has got it in the bag,’” she said. “But after the two Belgium goals, I’m kind of nervous.”
Paz Perez drove from Napa on Sunday for the watch party for the Mexico game. She returned for the watch party Monday.
Standing near a food concourse during halftime, Perez paused when asked how she saw the second half proceeding for the Americans. Her boyfriend Eric Lopez looked at her, making a thumbs-up sign with both hands, which made her laugh.
“I’m very hopeful,” Perez said.
Fan apprehensions proved to be grounded when Belgium scored a third goal about 12 minutes into the second half. Belgium scored one more goal late, to make the final score 4-1.
Reactions to the loss
Some people began to stream out of Memorial Auditorium after the fourth Belgian goal, even though there were about two minutes left in the game.
Kyle O’Neill, who lives in Natomas and was draped in an American flag, didn’t leave early.
“I got to show the passion for the team, the loyalty,” O’Neill said. “I mean, leaving early has never been a thing of mine. So, honestly, I got to support them, win or lose. I’m proud of the team, I’m proud of how far they went.”
Matthew Doane, a Sacramento resident, also stayed until the finish. “We support them all the way when they’re winning, support them when they’re losing, too,” Doane said.
Sharon Anderson of Elk Grove said she was disappointed and that the Americans didn’t play to potential. But she didn’t leave early, either.
“I have all my friends here, none of us leave, we’re not quitters,” Anderson said. “We also are season ticket holders at Sac Republic and we don’t quit — we stay to the end.”
Another soccer event was already on the horizon for Anderson, too.
“Women’s World Cup is next year, so we are all looking forward to supporting the squad there,” Anderson said.
