With a stadium full of camaraderie and joy, Boston’s World Cup teams are uniting fans
FOXBOROUGH — In the weeks before this World Cup, it was easy to forget what this whole thing was about.
Two games in, the matches in Foxborough have served up a reminder.
Four teams that have come to Boston after decades out in the World Cup cold — Scotland and Norway appeared for the first time since 1998, Iraq for the first time since 1986, and Haiti for the first time since 1974 — and their fans know it’s a joy and a privilege just to be here.
The Scots and Haitians came first on Saturday, packing Gillette Stadium (which FIFA is calling “Boston Stadium for the World Cup) for a 9 p.m. kickoff. Scotland fans belted out their anthem, ”Flower of Scotland,” in incredible voice. Haitian fans waved flags like helicopter blades every time their team got on the front foot.
Opposing fans could not have been happier to see each other. They posed for photos and wished each other luck. There was even a clip circulating online of Haitian and Scottish fans swapping jerseys outside the stadium, much like the players do after games.
Tuesday served up the same flavors of camaraderie and joy, with Norwegian supporters filling one half of the stadium, Iraqi fans the other, and pockets of each mingling.
And while there may have been more Norwegian jerseys in the crowd, there were probably more Iraqi flags, as a proud people brought its colors to the World Cup stage for the first time in four decades.
“It was a different level of happiness that we never expected before,” said one Iraqi fan named Ahmed, who grew up in Iraq and now lives in New York. “Last time, our parents were the ones who saw Iraq going to the World Cup. Now it’s us.
“This is the first time since coming from my country to the US that I see so much of my people in the same place.”
Norway got the last laugh — a 4-1 win with two goals from star striker Erling Haaland — but the biggest roar of the day came from the Iraqi end, when striker Aymen Hussein leaped highest to power home a header that knotted the score at 1.
It was bedlam in the stands and on the pitch, where several Iraqi substitutes ran to the corner to celebrate their first country’s World Cup goal since 1986.
“Of course the Iraqi fans are everywhere,” said Iraqi defender Merchas Doski. “They filled the stadium, so it felt also like a home game. Unfortunately we lost, and we didn’t make them happy today.”
Read more Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal held to a 1-1 draw by Congo at the World Cup
At halftime, Norwegian and Iraqi fans chatted in concession lines, and snapped pictures together. One Iraqi fan could be seen sporting Norwegian viking horns, a Norwegian fan was spotted in a keffiyeh (a traditional Iraqi headdress), presumably the products of another swap.
There are certainly downsides to this expanded, 48-team tournament, with concerns about diluted quality and weaker matchups, particularly in the group stage.
But without that inflation of the field, we might not have seen Haitian fans screaming for Les Grenadiers or a swelling of Iraqi pride. We would likely have missed out on Cape Verde’s stunning result against Spain and one of the great moments in the history of Curuçaoan sport.
In the coming weeks, Foxborough will host a slew of visitors who are certainly not just “happy to be there.”
The French and their fans expect a serious run at winning the World Cup, as do the English. After a semifinal appearance four years ago, Morocco isn’t just group-stage fodder anymore.
But for the last few days, we got to witness a lot of firsts. Every player who has played at the World Cup in Foxborough thus far was appearing on soccer’s biggest stage for the first time, and very few were even born the last time their country was here.
For any Scottish or Norwegian fan under 35, Iraqi under 50, or Haitian under 60, this is all new, too.
So it’s no wonder the first two games in Foxborough, despite matchups lacking star power and less-than-ideal kickoff times, were sold out or very close to it.
There are real concerns about price-gouging, political tensions, and logistical nightmares. But for a few hours, the fans that have come to Foxborough from as nearby as Bridgewater and as far away as Baghdad have found joy, identity, and a little common ground.
“We’re just happy that we are here and the world can see us,” said an Iraqi fan named Kadhim.
Read more Rent control deal needs more of real estate industry on board, Michlewitz says
Added his friend, Rokhit: “This is history. We have to be here.”
Post Comment