A Blue City Comes Together in Red, White, and Blue for the U.S. World Cup Match

The city of Seattle is known for its music, protests, and voting for Democratic politicians. But on Monday, thousands of fans dressed in red, white, and blue flooded the streets to support the U.S. soccer team in a big World Cup match against Belgium. Even a political fight over a player's red card suspension could not stop the city from coming together. Fans of all backgrounds marched, sang, and cheered as one.

The controversy started when U.S. forward Folarin Balogun received a red card in an earlier match, which would have kept him out of the game against Belgium. President Donald Trump stepped in and asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to reverse the suspension. FIFA is the organization that runs world soccer. The decision to let Balogun play drew both praise and criticism from fans around the world.

Seattle is considered a 'blue city' because most of its residents vote for Democratic candidates and even its mayor is a socialist. Despite this, many Seattle fans said they were happy Balogun got to play, even if they were uncomfortable with how it happened. Fan Brad Lawliss, 57, from Portland, Oregon, said it best: 'I don't think soccer is blue or red. I think it's a national sport.' He added that soccer has more players in the United States than any other sport.

Thousands of fans lined Washington Street before the game, singing and chanting 'U-S-A.' Some had tickets and marched all the way to the stadium. Others gathered near the waterfront, where large fan zones had been set up with big screens. Bars and restaurants were packed with excited supporters. The waterfront areas had grown bigger as the U.S. team moved deeper into the tournament.

Michael Scott, 54, and his friend Eric Cutts, 47, took the ferry from the Seattle suburbs to join the celebration. Like many other fans, they both believed Balogun should not have been red-carded in the first place and thought letting him play was the right call. Scott said he wished FIFA had simply reviewed the call on their own. 'I didn't like the fact that we had to have a political twist to this decision,' he said. Still, he understood that Trump wanted to support his country's team.

Cutts added that Seattle is more patriotic than people might expect. 'Seattle's a lot more patriotic than people think,' he said. 'I think we're obviously all here to support the team first.' He felt that having the best players on the field was the most important thing for everyone watching. For him, sports brought people together in a way that politics could not.

Belgium fans also made their presence known before the game. Dressed in their team's colors of red, yellow, and black, they marched through the city with drums beating and voices singing. Most were in good spirits and excited for the match. One Belgium fan held up a cardboard sign that read 'better call Infantino,' poking fun at the controversy over Balogun's red card.

Brad Petts, 34, a Belgium supporter, bought tickets for himself and his father, who was turning 70. He agreed that the original red card call was wrong. 'It wasn't a red card, so I think it is the right result,' he said. However, he felt the way the decision was handled was messy and could have been done better. No matter what happened off the field, he and his father were ready to enjoy the game.