In the 2011 soccer match between the U.S. men's team, the American Outlaws, and Mexico, Mexican supporters outnumbered fans from the U.S. 20 to 1. The American Outlaws fan group hopes to change that this year by sending active duty military, veterans and their families to the game. The group intends to send about 2,500 veterans to the match, which is scheduled to take place Oct. 9 at the Rose Bowl. The match is a qualifier for the Confederations Cup, which will be held in Russia in 2017.
The American Outlaws fan group started a GoFundMe page with the original intent of raising $5,000. When they easily met that goal, they increased their request to $15,000 in an attempt to buy 10 rows of 25 seats for active servicemembers and veterans. The U.S. coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, helped them surpass that goal as well with a generous $1,000 donation. The group and its supporters now hope to purchase an entire section of the Rose Bowl for veterans to go and support the U.S. team.
The fan group's thought is that that by sending the active duty personnel and veterans, they can increase the number of American supporters in the stands to help cheer the team on to victory.