SEATTLE — The U.S. men’s national team fell flat Monday night, suffering a deflating 4–1 loss to Belgium and once again getting knocked out in the round of 16.
While the U.S. squad wasn’t able to put on a show, host city Seattle did.
Seattle is widely regarded as a premier soccer city, home to MLS’s Seattle Sounders and the NWSL’s Reign, both of which play at the Seahawks’ Lumen Field. Earlier in the World Cup, fans packed the streets and the stadium for the U.S. group-stage match against Australia earlier in the tournament. Monday was the last of the city’s six World Cup matches.
Seattle shines as a soccer city for a number of reasons. One is that the stadium is centrally located and easily accessible by both foot and public transit. While getting to a World Cup match in most other U.S. host cities means a long trek via car down highways, many fans walked to the stadium Monday.
Coworkers Greg and Patrick walked to the match from their office downtown. “We came down, we’re hanging out, we stopped at bars on the way. … It’s been a great experience,” Patrick told Front Office Sports.
