Good Game, Great Atmosphere

I traveled to Manchester, England to watch the USWNT take on North Korea in the third and final group play match. The U.S. topped Group G with a 1-0 victory and will play New Zealand in the quarterfinal. The U.S. had many chances throughout the match, but it was Abby Wambach who put away the lone goal in the 25th minute. Lauren Cheney sent a ball over the top to Alex Morgan, who touched it to Wambach, then Wambach beat the keeper for the game-winning goal.

The atmosphere at Old Trafford was fantastic. I knew it was going to be a great day when I saw multiple fans in US Soccer jerseys on the train from London to Manchester. The game drew 29,522 fans, who were predominantly U.S. supporters. The crowd was filled with U.S. apparel and you could spot plenty of "Where's Waldos" due to the amount if red and white striped kits being sported. There was a small contingent of North Korean supporters, who proudly waved their flag. It seed that most of the British people in attendance were supporting the U.S. and it was cool to hear them cheer for the team in their accent. However, there were two Brits sitting near me that loudly encouraged on the North Korean squad. It was a father and son duo, who added "North Korea" to a multitude of songs. This only added to the fun and gave me a sense of what the football culture is like in Britain. The match was played at Old Trafford, which is a stadium steeped in history and the home turf of Manchester United. Watching a game in the stadium brought a certain energy unlike any other place. Such greatness has been displayed on the field that it made me even more excited to finally watch the USWNT in-person.

Men's football garners cult-like devotion in the U.K., but the women's game does not have much of a following. It is not surprising that women's soccer has been a hard sell at the London Olympics. To begin with, soccer has never been a big draw at the Olympics. This, along with the attitude held towards women's soccer and the location of the matches causes low attendance figures. The Olympic Football Tournament is held in many venues across the U.K. and this makes it more difficult for tourist in London to go to a match. Therefore, 29,522 is a good draw for the USWNT, even though the stadium fits 70,000. Also, these Olympic Games have been marred with news stories of empty seats and frustrated fans unable to get tickets. The empty seats provide an awful visual on television. When I watched the previous soccer games on TV, I noticed the amount of empty seats and the fact that the first couple rows were empty I thought this was odd and didn't understand why fans would sit farther back when closer seats were available. I found my answer in Manchester: the seats farther back are cover and protect spectators from the rain. I had to move back to the 10th row for this reason.

Regardless of the rain, the crowd was energetic: "USA" chants ringed through the stadium and the wave undulated around the stands. The USWNT players lined up to thank the fans after the game and you could tell they were soaking it all in. They looked genuinely appreciative of the support.

It was a memorable experience. I'm hoping they make the final, so I can watch the USWNT play in another historic stadium.