If you were walking into Wellington Regional Stadium on the 27th of July, you would have thought you were in Los Angeles, New York or Miami.
U.S Flags engulfed New Zealand’s capital, with the American’s showing immense support for their four-time World Champions.
There are estimated 20,000 Americans that have headed down under to watch the USWNT at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Some have been on journeys spanning multiple days to get to New Zealand, like Gary from Seattle.
“I travelled from Seattle, Washington to be here. It took 32 hours door-to-door to arrive here in Wellington,” he said.
It shows the depths these U.S fans will go to support their national side.
Richard from Dallas, Texas said that he went on four different flights to finally get to Wellington for the match against Netherlands.
“I flew three hours to Los Angeles, then another 15 hours to Sydney, three hours to Auckland, then finally one hour to Wellington,” Richard said.
Becky, a student in Boston, said although the trip took over a day, it had been worth it.
“Boston was where I travelled from. It took me over 24 hours to get here but it has been so worth it this far,” she said.
Almost all of the Americans were shocked at how many of their compatriots were in New Zealand, with many seeing friends that they weren’t expecting to see.
Teresa Brink, who came from New York, said that her mind was blown at how many people she knew here.
“After posting I was here on Facebook, I found out more and more of my friends were over here. There’s a lot more Americans here than I expected,” she said.
“I have a couple of friends that I am meeting in Wellington today and I met up with a bunch of friends in Auckland last week.”
One thing that is so impressive about these American fans is the trust and faith they have in this United States side.
Most fans have already booked tickets for the Round of 16 match in Sydney, which is a three hour and potentially over $300USD flight.
“I’ve got tickets in Sydney for the Round of 16 so we have no choice but to come first in our group,” Brink said.
“My friend Joe and I are going to Australia for the Round of 16 match in Sydney so we need to win today,” said Becky.
The Americans all had the same verdict for their current host nation.
“Coming to New Zealand has been a fantastic experience. I had never been here before and always wanted to, so this World Cup was the perfect excuse,” Brink said.
“It’s awesome, New Zealand is absolutely awesome, one of the best countries I have ever visited,” said Richard.
The USWNT look destined to compete for another World Cup, with their diehard fans cheering them on every step of the way down under.
Feature Image Credit: FIFA
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