Believe this: World Cup fans converge for camaraderie

By 11 a.m. Thursday, a crowd of about 80 people had settled in to the low din of the Broadway Biergarten in Cape Girardeau.

Most of the fans packed in the benches had taken off work; others claimed to be on their lunch hour. A few, however, admitted unapologetically they were playing hooky, all for one reason: It was World Cup soccer. You just had to be there.

They were there to support the U.S. team as it faced off against European powerhouse Germany. Fans came wearing jerseys and headbands, flag-capes and bandannas, chanting, "I believe that we will win." Three well-dressed consulting doctors sipped Cokes at one table while rowdy young men toasted liter-sized tankards of beer at another.

On paper, it was just a soccer match. But to the faithful, World Cup soccer isn't just another ballgame.

Sebastian Starrett and Chelsea Caile sat at the bar and tried to articulate the je ne sais quoi that makes the World Cup such an experience. In a weird way, the World Cup even transcends soccer.

Jack Trickey, co-owner of Broadway Biergarten, watches the World Cup soccer game between the U.S. and Germany on Thursday. (Fred Lynch)

"I've always been captivated by it," Starrett said. "Not so much the sport, but the community that surrounds it. I've never seen passion like a soccer fan's."

He was introduced to soccer watching the 1994 World Cup when the United States was the host. Now, he says he watches as many matches as he can.

"It's a religion, almost," Caile said.

Starrett agrees.

"It's a world sport."

People recognize each other from watching past matches at the Biergarten. They shake hands and clap each other on the back before asking each other's names. Like any fan base, there's a familial bond. Strangers danced when the U.S. beat Ghana at the start of the tournament.

The Broadway Biergarten wasn't supposed to be open until 4:30 p.m., but co-owner Jack Trickey is a dedicated U.S. soccer fan. He's even attended a few qualifying matches, following the team on the road to Brazil.

"We're open at 10:30 today because the World Cup comes once every four years," he said. "We are one united nation, and we support our country. Right now the way to do that is by cheering on our men's World Cup team in Brazil."

Trickey's outfit seemed to support his insights. He sported a team scarf, red, white and blue boat shoes and an American flag trucker cap that read, "Back to back World War champs." Indeed, Americans love being Americans, except for Bryan Higgins, who insists on rooting against the home team. He wasn't the only German fan in the bar, but he was the only one who showed up wearing a German jersey.

"That's where I'm from," he said, evidently relishing his role as face of the minority. "I lived there till I was 8."

But Jeff Diebold explained it didn't matter.

"We're all just a bunch of old people having fun for a common purpose," he said. "Even the German guy, it's OK for him to cheer if they score. We're all a bunch of bandwagoners anyway."

It's possible there's some weight to the assertion that most Americans don't care one way or another about soccer, but do love an excuse to engage in patriotic hooliganism. After all, the majority of folks were drinking, and it wasn't even noon.

"The U.S. is starting to ramp up and be more soccer-ish, but we're still a bunch of bandwagoners," Diebold said. "Most of us play a couple seasons as a kid, and then we're done with it."

Ten-year-old Jacob Simmons from Jackson disagreed. With his "USA" face paint and giant Uncle Sam hat, he fit in with the crowd. He explained he likes the World Cup, but he also loves the game.

"You get a lot of action, and you're always moving around," he said.

In the 55th minute, the Germans scored, prompting cries of despair, muttered curses and a resurgence of the "I believe" chant. People reassured each other the United States could come from behind and win. They frantically calculated the chances of advancing to the round of 16 with a loss to Germany. But despite a thrilling last-second surge that left people biting their knuckles, the score stood. The Americans lost.

There was a moment of quiet. Then the crowd began to cheer. At first, it seemed a decidedly un-American act, cheering a loss. But it got louder and louder as people banged on the tables and stamped their feet, chanting, "USA! USA!" Then it began to make sense. It was the resilience that's such an essential component of the American identity.

At 3 p.m. Tuesday, many of the same people will head back to the Broadway Biergarten to cheer the American team as they play Belgium. Not just because they like soccer. Not even because it's the World Cup. But because they're Americans. And because they believe.

tgraef@semissourian.com

818 Broadway St, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701