The 2014 FIFA World Cup is officially underway in Brazil, and Iowa City’s chapter of the American Outlaws, a nationwide network of team U.S. soccer supporters, wants you to join them at Donnelly’s Pub to cheer on the U.S. national team.
Iowa City’s American Outlaw chapter may be young, having formed just last November after the U.S. qualified for the Cup, but according to Seth Jacobs, American Outlaws IC’s secretary and treasurer, membership is on the rise. There are a lot of soccer fans in Iowa City, Jacobs says, but many feel isolated due to soccer’s less-than-mainstream status in the world of U.S. sports. When viewed in that light, their name makes a lot of sense.
“To be the supporter section, to be I guess, tied to American soccer, is to be an outlaw,” Jacobs said. “It’s outside the norm of what you would expect a supporter section to be. It’s got that rebellious idea behind it, which I think is pretty fitting.”
While the group’s primary focus will be on supporting the U.S. soccer team, Jacobs says you’ll likely be able to head to Donnelly’s during any of the televised matches to find some Outlaws to watch with.
“If you have any sort of passing curiosity in the American Outlaws, or in American soccer, or even just in soccer, come to a game,” Jacobs said. “The atmosphere that we have at games is really something that you need to experience to understand. We don’t just watch the matches, we participate in them. (laughs) It’s really nice to have this sort of atmosphere in Iowa City for something that’s not, well, Iowa football.”
Root for Team USA with the American Outlaws:
USA vs. Ghana
June 16 at 5 p.m. CST
USA vs. Portugal
June 22 at 5 p.m. CST
USA vs. Germany
June 26 at 11 a.m. CST
