SEATTLE, Wa. — For a city known for its coffee, finding a cup on Friday morning was nearly impossible, as U.S. men’s national team fans packed Downtown Seattle in the lead-up to an eventual and vital 2–0 win over Australia. In some shops, wait times for a drip of the city’s fuel were upwards of 30 minutes. Bars opened as early as 6 a.m., and some offered coffee, but lining up for a morning brew likely meant a beverage of a different kind.Lines crawled outside every restaurant, coffee shop and bar, as fans waited for kickoff, as if each establishment were the only pub in a small college town, not the 18th largest city in the United States. The game itself, set for noon local time, felt more like a college football Saturday than a World Cup match. As supporters gathered at the famed Harbor Steps before the march to the match, every one of their steps stuck to the beer-spilled pavement as they would to the floor of said college town pub.It didn’t feel like a World Cup game does for other countries. The chants in the march to the match didn’t go beyond much of “U-S-A” and the infamous “I Believe That We Will Win,” and there were no trumpets or drums to be found. Instead, the whole thing was unabashedly and uniquely American. Really, the whole afternoon was— even before the chants, or the pre-match military helicopter flyovers.“I’ve seen the Scottish fans and stuff on TikTok, about them in Boston, and that people think their atmosphere is really cool, and yes, it’s awesome, but Americans have their own way to show love and show appreciation,” said USMNT center back Auston Trusty, who made his World Cup debut on Friday in the 79th minute.Compete against the world. | SPORTS ILLUSTRATEDWhat is U.S. Soccer Fan Culture?USMNT supporters brought loud intensity to the game’s most critical moments. | Alex Grimm/Getty ImagesAs colorful as soccer’s culture is around the world, the U.S.’s is still developing. 113 years since the creation of the U.S. Soccer Federation, the sport is still finding its place in a multisport landscape not seen in other countries. At the formative 1994 World Cup, few understood what soccer meant to the rest of the world.Yet, in 2026 and especially in a soccer hotbed like Seattle, which has had professional soccer since 1974, it’s very different. At times, it was loud; at other moments, it was nearly silent in anticipation—like at a football or baseball game—as elements of every sports’ cultures intertwined with a burgeoning U.S. soccer identity. When the crowd popped, though, it did with overwhelming intensity. Like a touchdown or home run, the joyful explosion was deafening. As is common at Lumen Field, it spiked the local seismograph and made the stands noticeably shake. “You don’t realize how much support you have in the stands, and then after the game, we were just able to take it all in and realize how much of a great support system we have with these U.S. fans,” said right back Alex Freeman, who scored the second goal of the match. “I was so happy they were able to come out and be able to kind of have the atmosphere... It kind of makes us calm and accept the fact that we’re here and we have such an amazing thing to do.”USMNT supporters bring different aspects from every other sport. | Emilee Chinn/Getty ImagesAt no point did it reach a more passionate pitch than the final whistle, when the players walked around thanking the fans, basking in the sounds of over 65,000 belting out John Denver’s “Country Roads.”“That was one of the highlights of this whole tournament, just singing that song. It felt so American,” said midfielder Sebastian Berhalter. “Tonight was an example of us on the field and then also the fans...They’ve been incredible.”🗣️🗣️ Country roads, take me home…To the place I belong 🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/4VIK9kCMuE— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) June 19, 2026While the atmosphere at USMNT games might be different from many others at the 48-team World Cup, it’s unforgivingly American, especially now that the games are filled with red, white and blue rather than opposing fans, as had been the case for decades.“We know we’re here for ourselves and we’re here for the team, but we’re here to change the game in America, the perception of soccer in America,” added Trusty.“To hear that atmosphere and feel just the whole vibe of the game, I think as people who are fans of the sport, but also who are becoming fans of the sport through watching us play and watching this entire environment, the World Cup is what it’s all about.”The USMNT Believes They Can Win It AllSebastian Berhalter embraced the atmosphere in Seattle on Friday. | John Dorton/USSF/Getty ImagesFor the first time since 1930, the USMNT has won back-to-back matches at the World Cup, and they’ve done so convincingly. With millions watching, the team is uniting a country in a challenging era for collectivism—and there’s hope that the ride is far from over. With the victory, the USMNT all but assured itself a spot in the knockout stages and put itself in pole position to win Group D.Through two matchdays, the co-host advantage is real. Between Canada, Mexico and the U.S., the host nations have outscored opponents 16-2, and each are dreaming big. The USMNT, however, might just be dreaming the biggest. For as maligned as the “I Believe” chant can be, the players truly have that in mind, circling July 19 in East Rutherford, N.J., on their calendars, the date of the World Cup final.“I don't think you enter this tournament not to have that mindset [to win the World Cup],” Trusty added, after Zlatan Ibrahimovic quipped on FOX Sports that the USMNT could have a chance at glory. “We can only control what we do on the pitch, and our mindset is to inspire the next generation, and that’s the main goal and what we’re trying to do.”As difficult as it was to find some morning fuel in one of the coffee capitals of the world, the USMNT found theirs, energized by hope, belief and the fans, while embracing an atmosphere that’s simply different, but in every way, purely American. READ THE LATEST USMNT NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow