In front of a raucous sell out crowd at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on July 1, the U.S. Men’s National team overcame the adversity of a red card in the second half and beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 to advance to the round of 16 in the FIFA World Cup.

After the match, U.S. Men’s National team defender Chris Richards said the crowd certainly helped them get back on track

“I think we felt the crowd for all of our games, been like a 12th man for us,” said Richards. “It gives us the extra push when maybe we didn’t have it. So, for example, today, when Flo [Folarin Balogun] went out, we heard the crowd the whole time, and it felt like we didn’t lose a man.”

It was a stroke of luck that Santa Clara managed to draw America’s first game of the tournament’s knockout stage. To say fans were excited would be an understatement. The lines to get into Levi’s Stadium before the match stretched nearly to Great America Parkway. People lined up well before the gates were scheduled to open.

For fans like Fallon, it was worth it.

“I’m native, so we don’t really have any other country to root for, but USA. So this is like my national country. I’m indigenous, this is where I’m from,” said Fallon, who was experiencing her first-ever live football match.

Nine-year-old Brayden was also attending his first World Cup match. He said he was “pretty excited” when he found out the tickets his mom, Karissa, bought months ago would be to see the U.S. Men’s team play.

“He was jumping up and down,” said Karissa.

Brayden said he plays right back or right wing on his soccer team and his favorite player is Balogun, who happened to score USA’s first goal of the match.

While the U.S. fans outnumbered the Bosnia and Herzegovina fans, it did not diminish the spirit of the tournament.

“There are very few of us. There are definitely a lot more Americans, which was expected, but still we’re so happy to be here to provide support for our small country,” one Bosnia and Herzegovina fan told The Voice.

The match also had its star power.

In the suites, there were soccer stars like Kelley O’Hara, Alex Morgan and Jill Ellis, as well as WNBA star Caitlin Clark. Several 49ers were spotted, and our own Larry Sacks caught sight of Elvis, a.k.a. Todd Pinella, who told The Voice he’s attended six World Cup matches since 2006.

“In Dallas, I saw Netherlands-Japan. In Kansas City, I saw the [Lionel] Messi hat trick against Algeria, and that was brilliant. And then this is my third match,” said Pinella.

Pinella said he doesn’t have tickets to future matches, but he’s trying.

The U.S. Men’s team will play Belgium in the round of 16 on Monday, July 6 in Seattle. The match starts at 5 p.m. PT.

Silicon Valley Voice’s World Cup Coverage:
Excitement for USA World Cup Match Palpable at Levi’s Stadium
From Football Gridiron to Soccer Pitch: Santa Clara’s World Cup Stadium Transformation
Photo Gallery: Australia, Paraguay Fans Show up for Final Group Match at Levi’s Stadium
Security at Levi’s Ramps up for World Cup
Photo Gallery: Jordan Algeria Match Creates a Lifetime of Memories
Bay Area Welcomes Jordan Fans as Team Makes First World Cup Appearance
Photo Gallery: World Cup Sell Out in Santa Clara Thrills Paraguay, Türkiye Fans
Paraguay Upsets Türkiye and Sends Fans Home Happy
Photo Gallery: Jordan, Austria Meet in FIFA World Cup
Fans Bring the Energy as FIFA World Cup Action Arrives at Levi’s Stadium