US Women's World Cup Victory Holds A Special Meaning For This Group Of Boston Fans

It had been a long year for members of the Boston chapter of American Outlaws.

Anytime a U.S. team makes it to the World Cup, the country seems to fill up with overnight lifelong soccer fans. But that’s not the Outlaws — or AO for short. A U.S. soccer fan group with chapters across the country, they’re there for every U.S. national team game.

So when the U.S. men failed to qualify for last year’s World Cup, it left an empty feeling for AO members.

“It took a little while to even recognize that the World Cup was happening at first,” said AO Boston chapter president Fran Harrington. “It just felt surreal.”

But while the men struggled and disappointed, American fans had a bright silver lining: the women’s national team.

The defending champions from the 2015 World Cup, the U.S team was the favorite to take home the golden trophy once again. And fans had a reason to finally be hopeful about a national soccer team.

The day of the team’s first match against Thailand, the Red Line derailment made it difficult for Outlaws to make their way to the watch party at The Banshee, a pub in Dorchester that caters to soccer fans.

Still, a small contingent of loyalists were there to cheer on the team.

Katie Westfield, a member of the Outlaws who lives across the street from the Banshee, was at the first game’s viewing party and saw the Cup as an opportunity for Americans to connect to others through the game.

“You look and you talk to anybody from other countries, they want to know what your soccer team is. That’s something we undermine, and that kind of alienates us from the rest of the world when we don’t talk about our soccer teams,” Westfield said. “And this really brings us to more of a worldly view. ... It really opens you up to being someone that can communicate with more people and understand.”

After the U.S. drubbed Thailand 13-0 in that first game, the Americans did as they were expected and ran through the rest of the competition en route to a final match-up against the Netherlands.

Read more: US Wins 4th World Cup Title, 2nd In A Row, Beats Dutch 2-0

Bars in Boston are known to fill up whenever there’s a big game on, but the scene at The Banshee on Sunday looked like a standing-room-only soccer Woodstock.

Although the match started at 11 a.m., the Outlaws had been telling people to get there at least an hour early — and for good reason. The inside of the bar was a sea of red, white and blue everything — hats, jerseys, scarves and star-spangled bandannas. There were even a few full-sized Old Glories floating around. A line of unlucky latecomers snaked out the door.

The stress in the bar was palpable as the U.S. went into the second half scoreless.

But a penalty kick from Megan Rapinoe fixed all of that.

The goal gave the U.S. a lead it would never give up on the way to the 2-0 victory. As the final seconds ticked away, The Banshee turned into a flurry of patriotism that stood out even on July Fourth weekend, as Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” played on the speakers.

AO Boston’s treasurer, Chris Corbin, was clear about what the win meant.

“The women getting the fourth star, very clearly setting our women’s program out there as the gold standard for soccer,” he said. “No one can challenge that now.”

As the team gathered onscreen to collect their trophies, the hardcore AO members — who watch through the highs and lows — passed drinks and embraced. After the embarrassment of the men’s no-show last year, the U.S. women’s national team brought their country back to soccer glory.

Kate Lena, AO Boston’s secretary, was near tears for both goals and the final whistle.

The victory was a moment of validation, for the sport and for the player’s fight for equality.

“To win the World Cup should be the icing on the cake — the final proof of evidence that they need to prove that they do deserve equal pay and equal respect and equal coverage on the news, and everything that FIFA gives any of the men’s tournaments,” she said.