GREENFIELD — A near capacity crowd at Greenfield Garden Cinemas witnessed the United States men’s national team advance to the knockout round with a 2-0 win over Australia on Friday in the FIFA Men’s World Cup Group Stage at Lumen Field in Seattle.
With the victory, the the Americans won back-to-back World Cup matches for the first time since 1930. A draw or a win in their next match with Türkiye would secure first place in Group D and give the Americans a favorable match up in the round of 32 in the knockout round.
The crowd cheered when the victory went final.
Greenfield Recreation Director Christy Moore and Volunteer Recreation Commissioner Barb Nichols greeted soccer fans of all ages upon arrival, offering shirts and flags for the big match. From there, fans entered theater two next to the left of the concessions for the match on one of Garden Cinemas’ big screens.
“I think it was amazing,” Moore said. “It was a great turnout. We have 4-year-olds to 84-year olds here. We have people from all over the valley and out of state that are here. It’s really cool to have everybody united together. We want them (young players) to continue with the sport, which is growing. Greenfield has a big push of different soccer players that are here. The unification and acceptance of different cultures I think is really important.”
The late arriving crowd reacted loudly anytime the ball entered the penalty area. But the first loud outburst occurred then the Aussies helped out the American cause with an own-goal in the 11th minute, giving the United States a 1-0 lead. The miniature flags waved passionately as the crowd cheered. Folarin Balogun’s cross from the left side set up the own goal.
Noah Kolodziej, former Turners Falls soccer standout, went to the viewing with family. There were plenty of younger soccer players in attendance.
“It’s a growing game,” Kolodziej said. “Especially locally with a small population. A moment like this can show how big soccer can be. It’s really good for the community.”
Three moments in the first half produced three moments of loud jeers from the boisterous crowd. The first was a yellow card given to Australia’s Jordan Bos in the 16th minute. The second occurred when Robert Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, flashed briefly on the screen sitting in a skybox.
The third was a pivotal play in the match. A sideline referee briefly delayed Alex Freeman’s goal in the six-yard box in the 43th minute. When the camera cut to the judge, ruling an offsides on the play, the crowd booed heavily. But after a dramatic VAR check, the goal counted and the first chants of ‘USA’ echoed throughout the cinema.
Three members of the Pioneer Valley Regional soccer team traveled together to the event with red white and blue face paint in support of the United States. Mystic Glenn said the match is an excellent opportunity for the soccer community to bond.
“I just love soccer,” Glenn said. “It’s fun to go out into the community and spend time with people like this. Being together and watching games brings unity with these types of events. Soccer can bring people together.”
At halftime the screen muted and the illumination returned briefly while Nichols and Moore raffled off soccer related goodies. Excited fans raced down the aisle to claim their respective prizes.
Kyra Goodwin was another Panther soccer player in attendance. The event was an perfect opportunity to get together and watch some soccer.
“We’ve been wanting to watch the World Cup and we thought being able to watch it with a bunch of other people and be able to interact with other people would be fun,” Goodwin said. “Seeing it on the big screen is really fun. I like how people are getting into it and yelling.”
The Socceroos managed to put some pressure on the Americans in the second half, creating some minor unease among the crowd. But as the time kept ticking it became more and more apparent that the United States had the victory in hand.
Red white and blue covered Maddie Keefe’s face at the event. Keefe plays soccer for Pioneer Valley Regional.
“Soccer has been a huge thing for me and my group,” Keefe said. “It’s been a huge passion for me. The fact that the U.S. is hosting the World Cup is really big for me. I know I wouldn’t have the opportunity to go to it, so I wanted to take the opportunity to show up wherever I could. I love it. I wish it was a little louder, but I do love the environment in there.”
As the final minutes dwindled down, the crowd exhaled knowing the United States guaranteed a spot in the next round. In the 82nd minute a chant of “one more USA, one more’ echoed in theater two.
The United States plays again against Türkiye on June 25 at 10 p.m. in Los Angeles.
