American soccer fans gather to watch Women's World Cup final
WASHINGTON — For hundreds of soccer fans in the nation's capital, American spirit far outlasted holiday cookouts, parades and fireworks this year.
The Fourth of July may have been all about America's forefathers, but inside the standing room only Laughing Man Tavern — home of the D.C. chapter of The American Outlaws and host of the organization's World Cup Final watch party — July 5 belonged to the women.
The USA's 5-2 win over Japan made sure of that.
At the final whistle, a crowd of about 500, some casual U.S. supporters but many more hardcore soccer fans, launched into a deafening round of the American Outlaws signature "I Believe" chant. The crowd was the second largest the tavern saw this World Cup, trailing only the semifinal match against Germany.
The event was one of 175 watch parties the American Outlaws had lined up across the country, according to the group's Twitter feed.
"The score, it's unexpected," said Donald Wine, president of the D.C. chapter of the American Outlaws. "But when Carli (Lloyd) played that long shot from midfield, we all stood around like, 'How do we react to that?' I think at that point, we knew."
Wine was at Laughing Man Tavern in 2011, when he watched, devastated, as the U.S. lost to Japan on penalties in the World Cup final.
He also remembers watching the U.S. beat China in penalties to hoist the 1999 World Cup trophy. A high schooler in Detroit at the time, he watched a replay of the penalty kicks on SportsCenter.
Wine helped found the American Outlaws D.C. chapter six years ago and watched as it became the national organization's largest chapter. Now, it's hard to compare the 1999 and 2015 wins.
But he's sure of one thing. This game was worth the wait.
"It's like babies, you don't like to choose them," Wine said. "But this, this was perfect. To be here for this is unbelievable. Those fans in Vancouver are having fun, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
With each goal, the crowd – a mix of Washingtonians and tourists in town for the holiday weekend – to its feet and singing. The crowd started anti-FIFA and FIFA President Sepp Blatter chants during the game's few slow moments.
Even for those who recently started following the women's national team, the final game — and especially the U.S. lineup – proved women's soccer to be just as entertaining as men's.
This was the first Women's World Cup for Juan Navarro, a visiting member of the Miami American Outlaws chapter.
"Don't tell anyone, but I actually like the women better than the men," Navarro said. "There's something about them that the men could stand to learn. There's such a passion, a togetherness, that's different and great to watch."
"I hope this is the first of many World Cup wins we get to see, and it's exciting to be a part of," he said. "Now is the time to be a part of it."
PHOTOS: Women's World Cup final