'I think that the better team won': thousands celebrate U.S. World Cup win in Riverfront Park

Matthew Gleeson stood out in the sea of red, white and blue-clad soccer fans who gathered in the Gesa Pavilion Friday afternoon to watch the U.S. men's national team play their second match of the World Cup.

Gleeson, an Australian native who holds dual U.S.-Australian citizenship, was one of the few attendees among nearly 5,000 who were sporting a yellow and green jersey with "Australia" stitched down the side during the highly anticipated match between the two countries.

While he considered repping jerseys from both countries, Gleeson said he's learned to "always stay with your roots."

"I was born and raised in Australia, but I was very proud of how both teams performed, and, you know, I think the better team won," Gleeson said. "And I'm honorable enough to respect and acknowledge that."

The 2-0 victory sent the men's national team to the next round of the tournament, and the team clinched the top spot in their group Friday evening with Paraguay's against Turkey. As for Australia, the Soccerroos would guarantee a trip to the knockout round with a draw and could still advance with a loss.

While Gleeson remains hopeful Australia will advance, too, he said it was a "privilege" to see both squads square off on Friday.

"A shame there wasn't a couple of goals for Australia, as well," Gleeson said. "But like I said, I'm an honest man, and I think that the better team won."

Jonathan Myers was among the U.S. fans who celebrated as the ref whistled the match over on Friday. Myers, who was in attendance in Inglewood, California, last week as the U.S. national team opened the tournament with a 4-1 win over Paraguay, said the watch party had an "awesome setup."

"I just love that they did this, and, you know, it's fun to get all of the fans together and everyone having a little patriotism," Myers said.

While the U.S. has never won a World Cup, and has only advanced past the round of 16 once since 1930, Myers said this year's squad is "totally different than the U.S. in the past."

"After the first game, it was like 'All right, they're a real team this year,' " Myers said. "And I think making a quarterfinal is a pretty good goal for them."

Zach Brown said while he would have liked to see the team control the ball a little bit more on Friday, the U.S. played a "solid game."

"They're really tight-knit, and the coach has been doing really well to get them working together," Brown said.

Like Myers, Brown said he has grown more optimistic that the squad could advance in the tournament, especially if injured star Christian Pulisic returns from the left calf injury that kept him out of Friday's match.

"It's going to open up creativity a lot more," Brown said. "A lot of the young guns are stepping up and they're getting a lot more experience, and they're going to get really good soon. So hopefully it will be this tournament."

Like Gleeson, Jeff Schutz was hard to miss in the crowd on Friday afternoon. The U.S. soccer fan was decked head to toe in red, white and blue clothing, complete with the arm and leg bands he bought online and a USA visor. The outfit, he said, earned him "lots of compliments."

"Especially for my flowing, lovely locks," he said.

The Friday watch party featured food trucks, water stations, and a bit of shade for fans as they watched the match on large video boards at the pavilion. The event, part of the festivities for the "summer of soccer," was the first of two planned for the tournament. Tickets to the next watch party for the World Cup final on July 19, which cost $5 per person, will go online soon.

Many of the fans in attendance on Friday said they planned to come to the next watch party, too.

"It's a great party. I love the pavilion, downtown's beautiful," Brown said. "It's awesome we're doing it here, hopefully they're doing it for the knockout rounds."

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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 7:05 PM.