“Best day ever!”
For friends Alaa, Sarah and Soonus, the last 48 hours have been a rollercoaster ride. They drove in from Orange County to watch their team, Algeria, take on Jordan in group play at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on June 22.
“We were like shaking to come, and then we got tickets, and we came as fast as we could,” said Alaa.
It was a tough first half for the trio.
“I thought it was over. I thought that was it. I thought we weren’t coming back,” said Sarah.
And then Algeria scored not once, but twice in the second half.
“I was revived. I was revived. It was a revival,” said Sarah.
“I almost started levitating,” said Alaa.
Algeria won 2-1, and though the Jordan fans went home disappointed, they did not fail to feel the World Cup spirit. No matter who fans cheered for, they were embraced by other football fans.
“It’s kind of like a warm hug,” said Yasmeen, who traveled from Wisconsin with her friend Nour to watch their home team, Jordan, play. “It’s like we’re all here to watch soccer. We’re all here to support a country that’s never been in this position before. So, it’s just, it’s really exciting, because it’s a first for everyone.”
Ruth, a Mexico fan from Monterey, experiencing the moment was the most important thing of all.
“I’ve seen the videos of everybody like saying you only live once, buy that ticket, and I had gotten my ticket on accident in November. So I was like, you know what, I’m just gonna go,” said Ruth.
For her, walking in even without a team playing in the match was a memory to last a lifetime.
“I was getting the chills. I was tearing up, and I was like, ‘Wow, this is real. I’m actually here,’” said Ruth. “I was telling my sister earlier, I was like, 2006 World Cup is the one that I remember the most, and I was like, ‘Who would have thought we would be here in 2026?’”
Silicon Valley Voice’s World Cup Coverage:
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
I note all the public appearances of our “illustrious” mayor. Does she hate activities that much? You can answer that.
Gillmor went to the Paraguay vs. Australia game and took bunches of pictures with her family. She probably read your comment and said to herself she had to go. She has been meeting world leaders at the airport for photo ops for the city, but that seems it. Tossing some balls around in promos and showing her soccer mom roots. But she loves playing that role, and hates the rest.