SAN JOSE, Calif. — As the United States finished a memorable run through the World Cup’s group stage, fans waving flags, carrying scarves and sporting a colorful mosaic of soccer jerseys filled San Pedro Square in downtown San Jose and nearby watering holes, including Jack’s in Japantown.
A crowd featuring Latino fans, Black fans, Asian fans, soccer super-fans, newcomers and those supporting the U.S. along with family teams from other nations cheered on the Stars & Stripes, a blend that resembles the evolving makeup of the team.
The diversity of the fan base might not be noticeable in some parts of the U.S.
But in the multicultural Bay Area, it is.
Such will probably be the case again Wednesday night when the United States plays Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 at Levi’s Stadium, in front of a crowd of nearly 70,000 fans, the vast majority of whom are united across their differences by supporting the American team.
For years, a stereotype of U.S. national team fans was that they were largely suburban and white, a byproduct of the sport’s pay-for-play system at youth levels and the composition of the team.
When the World Cup was last held in the United States, 32 years ago, the team’s 22-man roster had five Latino and two Black players. This year’s roster of 26 has 13 Black and three Latino members.
The question now is whether that changing roster, paired with a World Cup on home soil, is helping the U.S. team reach fans who once saw American soccer as something narrower.
Dave Romero, a Mexican-American from San Jose and longtime member of the U.S. national team’s fan group, the American Outlaws, sees a cultural change happening in real time.
“I’ve seen people of every color, every religion, everything,” Romero said last week while watching a U.S. match at Jack’s, a meeting spot for the American Outlaws’ San Jose chapter. “It’s truly a melting pot of just unity. I mean, I don’t know if there’s any other better way to describe it.”
Recent data indicates that younger United States soccer fans are more racially diverse than their older counterparts. A study from Isos Capital highlighted that most U.S. sports fans who identified as soccer supporters were under the age of 45, with Major League Soccer having the youngest base of any men’s pro league in the country.
Forty percent of U.S. soccer fans are people of color, a study from Morning Consult reported, and about 30% are Hispanic or Latino, according to MLS.
Non-white American audiences also planned to watch the World Cup at higher rates, according to a Gallup poll survey taken before the start of the competition.
“When you come here for non-World Cup games, it’s the usual suspects,” patron Jared Slaybaugh said about the crowd at Jack’s. “I recognize a lot of the faces. So this is definitely more people than normally come here, because the games aren’t normally as big.
“Normally, it’s a semi-diverse crowd. But there are a lot of people here for this game. In general, it’s a global sport. Everybody loves soccer.”
Since the 1994 World Cup, soccer culture has expanded in the United States beyond its affluent niche. But many stakeholders hope it takes hold this time around as a phenomenon that transcends demographic barriers.
At Jack’s, the setup featured two tables of regulars who were members of the American Outlaws and enough red, white and blue onlookers to fill the main bar area and back patio.
The gathering included newcomers, too. Robert Florez, Romero’s nephew, stopped by to get more acquainted with the family tradition.
“I would say I’ve been a fan of soccer for about 10 years now,” Florez said. “But actually getting into it more and understanding the rules and the way it works, I would say within the last few years. I’m a Liverpool fan, but USA, Mexico, Brazil and Germany are all the squads I’m rooting for.”
Florez represents the type of fan the U.S. hopes to attract. A self-described soccer skeptic who is growing into the game, his family background includes Black, German and Mexican heritage.
He had been to San Pedro Square for earlier matches and was impressed with what he saw — Mexican fans supporting the U.S. and Colombian, Japanese and South Korean fans taking in the scene.
“It’s a joy seeing all the cultures mesh together and making it a fun, enjoyable, memorable time,” Florez said. “It’s crazy. Regardless of what’s going on right now in the country, we’ve seen everyone mesh together and just have a good time and partying, and that’s what it’s supposed to be. That’s what the fun is all about with all this. So I’m glad the World Cup is here in the States.”
With the backdrop of a divisive political climate, the specter of ICE raids and the possibility of a combative law enforcement presence at matches featuring teams from the Middle East, there were worries of small crowds and a muted fan presence.
That has not been the case.
Levi’s Stadium, with a capacity of 68,827, has been filled or a few hundred shy of full every game by a passionate array of supporters from around the globe.
In downtown San Jose, San Pedro Square has become World Cup central, welcoming in tens of thousands of fans for watch parties.
Matches featuring the U.S. and Mexico have been especially popular downtown, reaching into the 20,000-30,000 range.
And smaller watch parties have brought in fans as well.
During the U.S. match against Turkey on Thursday, star-spangled revelers of all stripes packed Jack’s despite the Americans’ game having no effect on their placement in the knockout round of 32.
Romero said showing support for the USMNT is important to him regardless of the consequence of a given match.
“It’s hard because there are no stakes,” Romero said. “But they deserve the same level of passion from the fans.”
You’d have a hard time convincing those who showed up to watch that the game was meaningless.
“I would assert most of us are rooting for the USA, so that’s always cool,” said Kristianne Solchaga, a Mexican- and Filipina-American who was at Jack’s for last week’s U.S. match.
On U.S. Soccer’s website Tuesday, one video particularly stood out. Recorded during Black History month in February, it was titled, “One Nation: Imani Williams Breaking Barriers.”
Williams, a Black woman from Texas, is a capo for the American Outlaws’ Austin chapter. In the video, she spoke to the changes unfolding within the U.S. fan base but also noted a disconnect between the Black people who play soccer and the Black people who support it.
“People worry about the ability to have their own cultural expressions,” Williams said. “There’s a handful of us at the forefront of the U.S. soccer movement who are Black and it’s important for us to be seen. It’s important for us to be part of the conversation because it’s all American culture.”
With marquee Black stars such as Folarin Balogun, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Chris Richards and Alex Freeman playing significant roles, the current version of the USMNT presents something — and someone — for just about anyone to root for.
Latino players Gio Reyna and Ricardo Pepi have also had their moments, making the absence of Bay Area native Diego Luna sting less for those who were disappointed by his exclusion from the World Cup roster after a strong performance in the Gold Cup last year.
The groundswell of support is building. Whether it continues after Wednesday night’s match and this summer’s World Cup remains to be seen.
