#WorldCupUSA - Chile fans in Denver, CO

Denver, Colorado doesn’t have a large Chilean community, but thanks to empanadas, a group of Chileans found each other. Now they are able to cheer their national team together during the World Cup and celebrate their surprise victory over Spain on Wednesday.

“My mom sold Chilean empandas and that’s how we all met,” said Chilean Angelica Olmos.

“We always meet up when Chile plays,” said Andres Olmos, Angelica's brother. He organizeed the viewing of the Chile vs. Spain first round match at a private screening room in Olmos’ condominium complex in suburban Denver. 

 “Soccer is everything in Chile," said Andres Olmos. "The last 10 years the national team has done a pretty good job in the World Cup.  Some of the experts have predicted Chile as a surprise team in this World Cup.”

Chile surprised Spain, going up by two goals and holding off the defending World Cup champions to knock them out from advancing to the second round of the tournament.

fans wore their pride of Chile's team everywhere.

And even watched the game when they had to take a smoking break.

 As the final seconds ticked off the clock...

 the Chilean fans exploded with joy when the final whistle sounded.

 “When we watch the games we get really loud,” said Andres Olmos. “We start singing, and with two minutes left the manager came over and she said “Hey, you can’t be that loud.””

But it was hard to contain the excitement for his team advancing to the second round. 

“I hope Chile will go far,” said Andres Olmos, “but I’ve told everyone that I don’t care who wins but the cup needs to stay in America, either North or South America.”

#WorldCupUSA - Mexico fans in Liberal, KS

Its possible to find soccer fans in all corners of this country, even deep in the heartland of the United States.

In recent years Liberal, a farming community in Southwest Kansas has seen an influx of immigrants to work in the agriculture....

and the meat packing industry in town.

In the 2010 US census, Hispanics and Latinos made up 59 percent of the population of the town. 

  Many of the immigrants are from Mexico, and have brought their passion for soccer with them.  “I’m a Mexico soccer fan and a Club America fan,” said Lily Patino, owner of Vargas Mexican restaurant in Liberal, “because I like winners.”  She has been showing all the Mexico games during the World Cup.

The town was named by its founder S.S. Rogers who was known with being liberal with the water he gave travelers passing through the area in the 1870's.  The town's biggest tourist attraction is the "Land of Oz" exhibit which features a recreation of Dorothy's house from the "Wizard of Oz." 

Patino was showing the matches at her restaurant to about 20 people during Mexico’s World Cup match against host country Brazil.  More Mexico fans would have been watching the game, she said, but the 2 pm local start time on a Tuesday afternoon made it difficult for many to get out of work.

 After Mexico fought to a 0-0 draw with Brazil, Jairo Vazquez could hardly contain his excitement about Mexico’s chances in the World Cup. “[Mexico goalkeeper  Guillermo] Ochoa did such a great job during the match.  I think they are going to go to the semi-finals.”

#WorldCupUSA - USA fans celebrate in Kansas City

Payback can be sweet, especially if you are a USA fan. 

For the 10,000  fans who packed the Power and Light District in downtown Kansas City, it was a roller coaster ride.

An early goal got the USA fans in a good mood...

 ...but the rest of the half was one setback after another.  Still the USA was up at half-time.

 Fans from all nations, including Nigeria packed the square to watch the match.

 and even friends of humans as well.

 The second half continued to be one tense ride and it looked like USA could hold on...

 ...but Ghana scored a goal and equalized.

 But the USA returned the favor a few minutes later sending the crowd into a frenzy.

 And when the final whistle blew it was pure elation.

 Let the party begin.

 Congrats  to the Ghana fans

And bring on Ronaldo and Portugal.

#WorldCupUSA - Bosnians in St. Louis

Soccer is a passion for many Bosnians and for thousands of Bosnians in St. Louis on Sunday it was a day of celebration as their country played its first ever World Cup match against Argentina. 

 t. Louis has the largest Bosnian community per-capita outside of Europe, estimated to number between 40,000-70,000. Many live in “Little Bosnia,” a neighborhood lined with Bosnian cafes, restaurants and bakeries in South St. Louis. Many of the Bosnian Americans in St. Louis arrived as refugees from the ethnic wars that engulfed the former Yugoslavia in the 1990′s.

Thousands of Bosnian fans gathered all over St. Louis to cheer on their national team.

Despite falling down 2-0, Bosnian-American and St. Louisan Vedad Ibisevic scored a goal late in the game to keep the hopes alive of all Bosnian fans in St. Louis, and around the world, that the team will advance to the second round of the World Cup.

#WorldCupUSA - Soccer fanatics in New York City

If you can't make the trip to Brazil, probably the best city to watch the World Cup in the USA is New York City.  Throughout the five boroughs there were soccer fanatics of all nations taking in the matches.  I'll expand on this blog post later, but for now are a couple of shots from Saturday. (Above, Italian fans watch the match on Arthur Ave. in the Bronx Little Italy).

A young Columbian fan after his team's victory over Greece.

Italian fans wore their team colors even while working in the Marketplace in Bronx Little Italy.

Ivory Coast Fans react to their team's play in the first half after going down early against Japan.

Two Colombia fans walk arm in arm after their national team's victory on Saturday.

#WorldCupUSA - Cameroon fans in Hartford, CT

In all corners of America you can find soccer fanatics from different countries supporting their national team. In Hartford, Connecticut on Friday afternoon, Cameroonian Joyce Ashuntantang (center) with her children George (left) and David Abunaw came out to cheer on Cameroon vs. Mexico in their World Cup first round match at Damon's Tavern in Hartford, Connecticut.

 Dr. Ashuntantang is a professor of English at the University of Hartford and is one of around 100 Cameroonian Americans in the Hartford area.  According to the 2000 United States Census, there are just over 8000 Americans of Cameroonian origin in the country.

 Besides being a soccer fanatic of all things Cameroon, Dr. Ashuntantang is also a devoted soccer mom for her two kids.  David (above) plays for the University of Hartford Hawks soccer team and is looking to possibly play for the Cameroon U-20 team...

 ...and George (center) plays for the Oakwood Soccer Club Pre-Academy Team in Connecticut.

Dr. Ashuntantang became a Cameroon soccer fanatic after the national team's run to the Quarterfinals in 1990, She always hopes for her team to pull out a victory even when they don't play well.

 Mexico, after having two goals dis-allowed for being offsides in the first half, finally came through in the second half much to their dismay.

 And  despite a few beats on her African drum, Cameroon had few quality chances on goal.

 A last chance header was Cameroon's best chance to tie the match but was saved by the Mexican keeper in the 90th minute.

 And reality sunk in.  For Cameroon to advance they have to have a positive result against Croatia and Brazil; no easy task.

But as Dr. Ashuntantang wrote on her blog, hope springs eternal for Cameroon:

In the warm sands of Brazil

We learn to love again!

Stroking the lion’s mane,
we roar green, red and yellow

Melting into one bright star!

#GoLions #Cameroon #Brazil2014