While the USMNT secured a 3-0 victory over fellow World Cup participants Morocco on Wednesday night, putting forth a comprehensive performance that left fans purring over the team’s future at the November tournament in Qatar, Christian Pulisic’s post-match comments drew all the headlines from the win in Cincinnati.
After the match, Pulisic called out the support for the U.S. team at TQL Stadium, stating that he was disappointed in the amount of fans that attended the match. The announced attendance was 19,512, for a stadium with a capacity of 26,000.
Following the airing of his comments during his ESPN postgame interview, fans and media dissected Pulisic’s words, the intended target, and the factors contributing to his observation.
While Pulisic’s comments, in a vacuum, brought a bitter taste to the end of what should have been a positive and encouraging night for the fanbase, there is a lively conversation being had around U.S. Soccer fandom and what it’s like to support the men’s team.
Had the U.S. captain not spoken out, the discussion would probably not be happening, but he did, and subsequently it has uncovered many layers and strong feelings to a conversation that may not fade from view any time soon.
MORE: Key takeaways from the USA’s emphatic win vs. Morocco
What did Christian Pulisic say about USMNT fans in Cincinnati?
When asked by ESPN sideline reporter Jillian Sakovits about playing in front of U.S. fans again, Pulisic took a beat to think about his response, and then let fly.
“To be honest, for whatever reason, I’m not super happy with the amount of Americans here, however that works out, if I’m being completely honest. But thanks to the ones who did come, the support is always great from them. It’s nice to be back in America and playing again.”
The comments, which came on the field directly following a 3-0 win over a team set to take part in the 2022 World Cup, immediately diverted the focus away from the win and opponent, and instead shined a light on the supporters and the USMNT fan experience.
MORE: Which USMNT players saw their stock rise or fall vs. Morocco?
Attendance for USA vs. Morocco in Cincinnati
The announced attendance for the USA’s 3-0 victory over Morocco on June 1 was 19,512.
Many pre-match reports from journalists attending the game suggested that the Moroccan support was larger than expected, and that many away fans came out to support the African nation.
TQL Stadium, uh, not exactly full for the USMNT’s first pre-World Cup friendly — and in the parts that are full, lot of Morocco fans pic.twitter.com/z0aJYjaDT3
— Henry Bushnell (@HenryBushnell) June 1, 2022
It sure seems like there are more Morocco fans here at TQL Stadium tonight than there were Mexico fans for the WC qualifier. Ticket allotment was different, of course. But this is a large contingent, which should make for a fun atmosphere. @cincysoccertalk @USMNT
— Jeff Wallner (@JeffWallner) June 1, 2022
This will be a hell of an atmosphere at TQL Stadium. Morocco support is considerable and loud.
— Pat Brennan (@PBrennanENQ) June 1, 2022
Ultimately, on the ESPN broadcast of the match, the U.S. supporters could be heard throughout the match singing and supporting the squad. Still, Pulisic’s interpretation from his unique on-field perspective made for a compelling discussion topic.
USMNT fans, media react to Pulisic’s comments
There was a wide range of reactions to Pulisic’s post-match comments.
Many of the opinions on social media following the game were focused on two main components: access to USMNT tickets and venue selection.
The U.S. Soccer Federation’s role in both areas was immediately pointed out in the aftermath of Pulisic’s comments. There were those who felt that taking the match to a different venue could have driven greater interest as Cincinnati recently hosted a match in November 2021 (vs. Mexico) and the state of Ohio was hosting its third match in seven months. It led to criticism of U.S. Soccer for favoring some venues over others.
Others seemed to take issue with ticket pricing when compared to the matchday atmosphere, calling prices high for a friendly against a second-tier opponent on a weeknight.
Summarizing the issue, Goal.com writer Ryan Tolmich said in his post-match summary of the game against Morocco, “The USMNT…still has a connection problem, one brought on by a number of factors including the 2018 World Cup cycle, questionable venue choices and, perhaps most importantly, ticket prices.”
Reaction to Pulisic’s use of word “Americans”
Some seized on Pulisic’s use of the word “Americans” to indicate the lack of support for the USMNT.
Those who took issue with his comments posited that the Moroccan support was likely made up of U.S.-based fans.
I’ll bet those were almost all Americans at the game tonight.
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) June 2, 2022
It’s clear what Christian is getting at, but he needs to be wiser with his language. I’d assume many of the Morocco supporters there tonight are Americans. https://t.co/Xkly1kUhe3
— Sebastian Of Human Rights (@AndyGlockner) June 2, 2022
Most understood that Pulisic was intending to reference USMNT supporters when using the word “Americans,” although it’s clear the player could have opted for a different choice of words.
Do we really need to explain that by “Americans”, Pulisic meant “USMNT fans”? Come on now. And yeah, the atmosphere was terrible for a team playing at home going to the WC in 6 months. Lots of factors, everyone needs to do better (USSF, Media & fans). Enjoy the win.
— Michele Giannone (@MicheleG3) June 2, 2022
American Outlaws in Cincinnati respond
Understandably, the Cincinnati supporter group was downtrodden after Pulisic’s comments and the ensuing backlash against the city and its level of support.
Although Pulisic made it clear that he was grateful to the fans who did attend the match, the official Cincinnati American Outlaws group posted a message on Twitter saying they were “disappointed in some of what was said about our city and our fans.”
It’s clear that the local supporters’ group, run by a small group of unpaid fans, doesn’t bear any responsibility for marketing and selling any single U.S. Soccer event, or delivering on expectations of stadium atmosphere from the national fanbase. And still, American Outlaws chapters across the country have contributed in a significant way to lead the support for the USMNT and USWNT.
Woke up feeling great after the match last night, but pretty disappointed in some of what was said about our city and our fans.
Our community is a hardworking and passionate one who care deeply about creating an energetic welcoming environment for everyone.
— AO Cincinnati (@AOCincy) June 2, 2022
MORE: A full recap of the 3-0 USMNT friendly win over Morocco
USMNT stadiums in the Gregg Berhalter era
Since Gregg Berhalter’s hire in early 2019, the USMNT has played 51 games, including 37 on home soil.
While events like the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the CONCACAF Nations League are run by regional governing body CONCACAF, including venue selection responsibilities, the U.S. Soccer Federation has the flexibility to select venues for friendlies and World Cup qualifiers.
The USMNT has played most often at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Fla., hosting five matches across Berhalter’s tenure, although one of those was held behind closed doors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The next most frequent destinations on the list are Kansas City, Kan. (four times), Austin, Tex. (three times), and Cincinnati, Ohio (three times).
It’s interesting that U.S. Soccer has played most frequently in smaller, soccer specific stadiums based in mid-size cities. Since the start of 2020, the USMNT has played just a single game in a top five U.S. media market (New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia or Dallas). The U.S. topped Jamaica 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Gold Cup at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, outside Dallas. That venue was selected by regional governing body CONCACAF, which runs the Gold Cup.
Rounding out the top 10 media markets, the U.S. has not recently played in San Francisco, Atlanta, or Boston under Berhalter, visiting Houston once in 2019 and Washington, D.C. twice.
In addition to the Gold Cup match outside Dallas, since 2020 the U.S. has played just two games scheduled by the federation — both in Carson, Calif. at the 27,000 seat Dignity Health Sports Park outside of Los Angeles — in any of the top 10 Hispanic markets in the United States (per the top 10 list published by U.S. News in 2019). Those games came against Costa Rica and Bosnia & Herzegovina, both international friendlies.
The United States has played Mexico five times on home soil under Gregg Berhalter, with those games taking place in Cincinnati, Las Vegas, Denver, East Rutherford (considered for this purpose as New York City), and Chicago.
USMNT games by city since Berhalter’s hire
The list below includes two upcoming June matches with venues already selected and scheduled.
| City | Matches | Last | Venue(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando, Fla. | 5** | Mar. 27, 2022 | Exploria Stadium |
| Kansas City, Kan. | 4 | June 5, 2022 | Children’s Mercy Park |
| Austin, Tex. | 3 | June 10, 2022 | Q2 Stadium |
| Cincinnati, Ohio | 3 | June 2, 2022 | TQL Stadium, Nippert Stadium |
| Minneapolis, Minn. | 2 | Feb. 2, 2022 | Allianz Field |
| Columbus, Ohio | 2 | Jan. 27, 2022 | Lower.com Field |
| Los Angeles, Calif.* | 2 | Dec. 18, 2021 | Dignity Health Sports Park |
| Nashville, Tenn. | 2 | Sept. 5, 2021 | Nissan Stadium |
| Denver, Colo. | 2 | June 6, 2021 | Mile High Stadium |
| Washington, D.C. | 2 | Oct. 11, 2019 | Audi Field |
| Las Vegas, Nev.* | 1 | Aug. 1, 2021 | Allegiant Stadium |
| Dallas, Tex.* | 1 | July 25, 2021 | AT&T Stadium |
| Salt Lake City, Utah | 1 | June 9, 2021 | Rio Tinto Stadium |
| Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | 1** | Dec. 9, 2020 | DRV PNK Stadium |
| St. Louis, Mo. | 1 | Sept. 10, 2019 | Busch Stadium |
| E. Rutherford, N.J. | 1 | Sept. 6, 2019 | MetLife Stadium |
| Chicago, Ill. | 1 | July 7, 2019 | Soldier Field |
| Philadelphia, Pa. | 1 | June 30, 2019 | Lincoln Financial Field |
| Cleveland, Ohio | 1 | June 22, 2019 | FirstEnergy Stadium |
| Houston, Tex. | 1 | Mar. 26, 2019 | PNC Stadium |
| San Jose, Calif. | 1 | Feb. 2, 2019 | PayPal Park |
| Glendale, Ariz. | 1 | Jan. 27, 2019 | State Farm Stadium |
* Includes games played in immediate surrounding area
**Includes games played behind closed doors due to COVID-19 pandemic
How much do USMNT tickets cost?
Pulisic’s comments sparked a wider debate on ticket accessibility for fans to attend matches and provide support for the team. Several on social media expressed frustration with ticket prices in relation to the event, the opponent, and the day of the week.
The Sporting News has reached out to U.S. Soccer requesting information regarding the specific ticket ranges. U.S. Soccer stated that the get-in price against Morocco was $60, compared with $125 for the game against Mexico at TQL Stadium last November for World Cup qualifying.
The federation stated that it uses the following criteria for its pricing model: past approach for similar locations from USMNT and USWNT including market fatigue for repeat venues, quality and level of opponent, day and time of the match, and quality of USMNT roster such as whether top players are available to play.
U.S. Soccer did not give an average ticket price for the Morocco match, but stated that TQL Stadium has over 1,000 suites which drive up the average cost.
Will never get my head around the price of USMNT tickets. $75+ for last night’s friendly against Morocco – my Scotland-Ukraine ticket was £22!
— Graham Ruthven (@grahamruthven) June 2, 2022
In advance of more detailed information on ticket pricing, U.S. Soccer did provide the following statement to The Sporting News:
“As a non-profit, the vast majority of the money U.S. Soccer earns from ticket sales goes right back into growing the game — developing players, funding coaching, referee programming, providing grassroots with funds for their programs, and more.
This news is republished from another source. You can check the original article here