U.S. fans lament loss to Belgium at watch parties across the area: ‘I had a bad feeling from the get-go’

Storm clouds and a looming threat of rain did not stop fans of the U.S. men’s national team from packing FIFA World Cup watch parties across the area on Monday evening for America’s round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle.

Fans clad in red, white, and blue packed the FIFA Fan Festival in Lemon Hill and Union Yards outside Subaru Park in Chester. The storms held off, but a deluge of Belgian goals led to a 4-1 loss for the U.S., disappointing much of both crowds.

The fan fest in Lemon Hill was sparsely populated after the first match of the day between Spain and Portugal, but by the time the U.S. men kicked off at 8 p.m., the crowd at the festival’s main stage stretched all the way back to the corporate activations set up in the middle of the festival.

That packed crowd was disappointed early, as forward Charles De Ketelaere gave Belgium a 1-0 lead with a strike in the ninth minute. To make matters worse for the U.S. supporters, the stage at Lemon Hill lit up red and yellow as the Belgians celebrated in Seattle.

The crowd in Lemon Hill erupted in celebration as Malik Tillman put the States back on level terms with a goal on a free kick in the 31st minute.

Meanwhile, in Chester, fans with toy trumpets complimented the cheers.

But the celebration didn’t last long, as De Ketelaere reclaimed the lead just two minutes later. It was all Belgium from there, as it added to its lead in the 57th minute, leaving both crowds in shock.

Romelu Lukaku added a fourth to seal the win for Belgium in the 93rd minute, and as U.S. fans headed for the exits in Lemon Hill, a small group of Belgian supporters celebrated their country’s win at the center of the festival.

One of the few Belgians on hand for the match was Bertrand Colla, who traveled to Philadelphia from his home country to visit family and watch France’s win over Paraguay on Saturday at Philadelphia Stadium.

While Belgium’s close win over Senegal in the round of 32 worried him, he had renewed confidence in his team after its 4-1 thrashing of the U.S.

“I didn’t expect it at all,” Colla said. “This game proves it all. We’re going to go there.”

» READ MORE: USMNT blown out of World Cup with a 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16

U.S. fans, meanwhile, were let down after a second consecutive exit in the round of 16 by the U.S. men at the World Cup.

“It’s disappointing. They looked like they didn’t have it from the beginning,” U.S. fan J.P. Hochschwender said as he left Union Yards. “They looked slow. The defense looked a little disorganized, and, ultimately, [Belgium] just capitalized on the opportunities they got, but I had a bad feeling from the get-go.”

Like the FIFA Fan Festival, the Union’s watch party in Chester was free to enter. Team chief revenue officer Charlie Slonaker hopes the event and the area’s World Cup-powered soccer fever will drive more Philadelphians to their MLS team once the tournament is over.

“Soccer is the world’s game, it’s a beautiful game, and there’s no bigger event than the World Cup,” Slonaker said. “We’re excited to hopefully capture that, capture that fan excitement and enthusiasm by [having them] come down to these soccer celebrations.

“We hope they fall in love with the game, as so many of us have, and over the long term, they ultimately want to come out to Subaru Park to watch Philadelphia Union games.”

The Union looked to take advantage of the World Cup’s draw quickly after North America was awarded the tournament in 2018. Once FIFA approved MLS franchises hosting watch parties, Slonaker’s team sprung into action to gather partners for events. On Monday, that included food trucks Mr Softee, Dos Hermanos Taqueria, and Humpty’s Dumplings as well as Michelob Ultra.

» READ MORE: Before Auston Trusty scored a World Cup goal, he ‘put the work in’ at Penncrest High School and Nether United

Outside of watching the game — one many U.S. fans will want to forget — the area offered plenty to do for a family-heavy crowd. Before and during the game, kids played soccer scrimmages alongside a plethora of lawn games. Unlike the festivities in Lemon Hill, which drew many young adults, the Union looked to engage the next generation of soccer fans.

Slonaker is not the only one hoping the buzz around soccer is here to stay in Philadelphia. Some of the Union’s longtime fans are hoping they will have reinforcements in the stands when the team’s season resumes at the end of the month.

“You see all the international fans mixing with the local fans, and it’s heartwarming,” said Shane Wittkop, a member of Union supporters group Doopin Delinquents. “I hope we have more Union supporters out of this.”