Fans around country cheer, push for increased funding
Amid a crowd of red, white, blue and purple gathered at the Lake Eola amphitheater Sunday to watch the Women’s World Cup finale featuring local stars, Becca Haidet stood out in the crowd.
When she was younger, Haidet lived in the Netherlands for four years with her aunt, who was in the military. She fell in love with soccer while watching the Euros.
She joined Orlando fans dressed head-to-toe in orange, including a Dutch jersey and windmill glasses.
Her boyfriend, 28-year-old Stephen Cornell, sat next to her in a United States jersey and watched with a bemused grin as Haidet drew stares.
“It’s been fun, even when we knew we’d be cheering against each other,” said Haidet, 28. “I haven’t too many opportunities to cheer for [the Netherlands] against the U.S., so it’s something I’ve really enjoyed.”
Pedro Meza brought his daughters, Anna and Leah, to watch the game in matching Orlando Pride jerseys. As a soccer coach, Meza brought up both of his daughters to play and watch the game. He takes them to Pride games regularly so they can see their favorite players up close, and Anna sported an Alex Morgan autograph on her left sleeve.
The U.S. women’s team gives Meza an opportunity to teach his daughters to believe in themselves.
“The way they represent themselves and the way they play the game, it’s a great experience for them,” he said. “It gives them courage to follow their dreams. Especially [Anna]. She looks to them as role models. She wants to be one of them someday.”
Orlando was one of many cities from coast to coast with fans cheering on the Americans during their World Cup win.
Boston, Kansas City, Chicago and other major hubs hosted massive viewing parties.
In Nashville, Tenn.; Durham, N.C.; and New York City, smaller groups gathered at bars and outdoor plazas where they cheered in unison.
Teacher Bria Lawrence, 23, decided to go to Dumbo Archway in Brooklyn to watch with fans instead of quietly observing it at home.
She hopes the World Cup buzz translates to more support for women’s soccer and helps grow the game.
Lawrence added that American soccer leaders should “keep financial support, fund [the sport] more” to encourage future generations to continue in the U.S. team’s path.
Equal-pay chants broke out during the World Cup final in France and at various watch parties.
The U.S. women’s national team filed a lawsuit on March 8 for equitable pay. Many players have said they would choose to focus on the mediation with U.S. Soccer after the Women’s World Cup.
“I’m a big soccer fan and I’ve supported the players in this tournament because there are big things going on behind the scenes,” said Julian Wagner, a native Californian who moved to New York six years ago and attended the watch party at Boulton & Watt in New York with his friend, Alexandria Alcala.
“I hope they win their court case and get equal pay.”
Back in Orlando when the final whistle blew, the members of the Orlando Pride supporters group Black Swans jumped onto the stage of the amphitheater while the crowd roared with chants of “US-A” and sang along to “We Are The Champions.”
“There’s nothing like this,” said Samantha Hoffelder, 30, “There’s never been a year like this year. The way women plays soccer blows my mind. I hope this really does just improve and continue to grow. This can only make us better.”