The official fanbase of U.S. Soccer will gather in the West Des Moines on Saturday to get ready for the upcoming World Cup. Tanya Keith is President of the Des Moines Chapter of the American Outlaws which will hold a watch party at the Keg Stand as the U.S. team plays Nigeria in its final match before heading to Brazil. Keith says the American Outlaws were born following the decline of the original fanbase Sam’s Army.
“A group of guys from Lincoln, Nebraska got together and said ‘hey we need to have more of a fan presence at every single game,’ and they set up a web presence,” Keith says. She says they have some 18,000 members now. Keith says the group is growing and several members of the Des Moines chapter will be traveling to Brazil. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine A-O Des Moines climbing to 140 paid members,” Keith says. She says that’s after spin offs in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, the Quad Cities and Marshalltown.
Keith says fans will be gathering at the Keg Stand in West Des Moines to watch the U.S. play Nigeria this Saturday in the last game of the sendoff series before the World Cup. While the name may sound ominous Keith says the American Outlaws are not the hooligans that have become so prominent in European soccer. “This is America, hooliganism isn’t really about tearing about stadiums and lighting things — it’s about supporting our team — and we create a riot of color and sound and song,” Keith says. She says stuff that is not positive is taken care of pretty quickly.
The group is organizing view parties for the upcoming world cup matches.