In the summer of 2022, we got an invite from friends who rented a fancy stadium suite for a Racing Louisville vs. Portland Thorns women’s soccer game at Lynn Family Stadium in Kentucky. We booked our travel and headed to Louisville to enjoy a four-day weekend there. We’d been to the city before for conventions and bike races, and we were looking forward to a fun trip to see our favorite soccer team on the road for the first time.
When gameday arrived, we put on our Portland Thorns jerseys and headed to the game from our hotel. It wasn’t until we got in line outside the stadium gates that we realized it was the first time we were “behind enemy lines” at a match. Granted, we thought back to times we were at NFL or MLB games, where people were vocally negative toward anyone wearing visiting team gear. We knew the NWSL was different, but we still felt a bit uneasy about standing there wearing the opposing team’s gear.
We chatted up a few people in line who were very nice and also happened to be fans of the players whose jerseys we were wearing, but our friendly exchange was interrupted by a big guy who looked a lot like the Tiger King. He was a strange man with a long handlebar mustache and a low-slung ball cap over mirrored sunglasses, and suddenly, he was shouting and gesturing toward us.
“Hey! Yeah, you two!”
Not the best way to start a conversation with someone you’ve never met, but we pointed at ourselves quizzically while the guy nodded and continued:
“Did y’all actually FLY here for this game from ORY-GUN?!”
We braced for what might come next. This stranger was intimidating.
“Uhhh … yeah, we flew out from Portland to watch the game with friends,” we told him, trying to defuse the situation.
Instantly, his demeanor changed and his face turned into a broad smile. He exuded friendliness as he extended his arm and walked toward us.
“Well, thanks to y’all for coming! That’s quite a journey and we’re glad you’re here. We hope you enjoy the game and our town.”
We shook hands. Since then, we’ve made a point to chat up anyone at our own home Portland stadium whenever we see anyone wearing visiting team gear, to acknowledge them the same way that guy did (but in a much less confrontational way). We tell them thanks for supporting their team and the sport, and if they’re from out of town, we welcome them to Portland and hope they have a wonderful time in our city.
Now, with over a dozen soccer trips under our belts, we have to say the NWSL has a much different audience and vibe than any NFL or MLB game. While you may get a sideways glance from time to time, most people are intrigued and will want to chat you up, ask you about your hometown and how your trip is going, or tell you how much they love players on your team.
It turns out, you’ll generally always feel welcome around other fellow soccer fans, even when you’re wearing different jerseys from the home team.
