Olivia Sayer
Fans tailgate in The Home Depot Backyard at Mercedes-Benz Stadium April 6 before the semifinals of the SheBelieves Cup. The United States defeated Japan 2-1 on a penalty kick. (Photo/Olivia Sayer).
At 7:15 a.m. on Saturday morning, fans of the U.S. women’s national team began filing into The Home Depot Backyard at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Just over five hours later, they set a record for the highest attendance at a USWNT match on its home soil in the 39-year history of the club.
In front of 50,644 spectators, the United States defeated Japan 2-1 in the semifinals of the SheBelieves Cup. The atmosphere provided a preview of what is to come for the USWNT, who is building a training facility in Fayette County, which is located on the outskirts of Atlanta.
The move has those residing in the area excited about the increased opportunities to watch the USWNT.
“It’s just so great for them to finally be here,” said JR Francis, a fan from Marietta. “And you know, with the headquarters moving to the Atlanta area, hopefully it means we’ll get many more women’s games.”
Francis was one of the fans at the stadium bright and early, and he brought a tailgate filled with food and community.
“We just love the tailgate and the fellowship and friends,” Francis said. “We call it our tailgate family.”
The loudest ovation from the record-setting crowd came in the 77th minute of the match, when USWNT captain Lindsey Horan snuck a penalty kick to the left of diving Japan goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita to break a 1-1 tie and give the United States its eventual match-winning goal.
“We love to play in an environment where the fans are behind us for 90 plus minutes,” said USWNT forward Sophia Smith, who drew the foul. “It really goes a long way, and sometimes we’re feeling tired and feeling low on energy, but the fans are what kind of pick us back up.”
Another deafening moment came when Emily Sonnett — a native of Marietta, Georgia — subbed into the game. She said the feeling of having that support in her hometown was “unmatched.”
“It is really cool seeing after, like a bunch of little girls being like, ‘Oh, we played at the same youth team,’” Sonnett said. “That was kind of nice and familiar to see and be like, ‘Oh, I was one of, I was them at one point’, and now being able to be on the other side of it is really cool.”
The environment showcased the future of the USWNT, highlighted by an atmosphere that had the United States feeling at home.
“It felt like home to all of us,” interim head coach Twila Kilgore said. “And that is one thing I want to make sure this crowd here is like.”
The USWNT will next face Canada Tuesday in the SheBelieves Cup final.
About the Assignment:
This story was written for my Intro to Sports Reporting and Writing class for Grady College’s Sports Media Certificate at the University of Georgia. It was due 24 hours after the end of stoppage time and was supposed to highlight a specific element of the SheBelieves Cup.