Oshkosh soccer fans pack bar for painful USA World Cup loss

OSHKOSH − The fever pitch in Oshkosh never reached that high again.

>Quite like Team USA’s performance.

>The crowds still packed Greene’s Pour House, but they didn’t have much to cheer for while the hosts bowed out of the World Cup with a whimper following Monday night's listless 4-1 defeat to Belgium.

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>The collective energy was just subdued for most of the match, although the bar was standing room only with close to 150 patrons decked out in red and white Team USA jerseys and blue U.S. shirts.

>But the round of 16 rematch of the 2014 World Cup simply never lived up to its billing, particularly in an ugly second half in which Belgium capitalized on two very costly U.S. errors.

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>“I was expecting a win today and really hoping we’d move on to play Friday, but I didn’t think it would be this big of a margin,” said American Outlaws Oshkosh Chapter Vice President Nate Boyce, who stages the watch parties at Greene’s Pour House.

>“I thought maybe a one-goal game — but not this bad,” Boyce said.

>

>Despite trailing 2-1, the crowd tried to stay in the contest early in the second half, with Giovanni Reyna’s entry drawing a series of cheers.

>The room went silent quickly thereafter, though, with a collective hush falling over the bar when keeper Matt Freese’s failure to play the ball led to an easy goal for Hans Vanaken in the 57th minute.

>The American Outlaws tried to get the drums going again, but the only thing the crowd responded to was Sebastian Berhalter’s left-footed strike that missed just wide.

>It was an unfortunate turn of events for a night that started on an extremely high note while the bar was packed nearly an hour before kickoff.

>Patrons even broke into “I believe that we will win” chants from the opening whistle before Freese’s early diving save was met with a huge round of cheers.

>That applause soon became collective gasps, with Charles De Ketelaere scoring the first of his two goals in the ninth minute when the U.S. failed to clear an easy ball in the box.

>But the bar erupted almost 20 minutes later, breaking out into a series of “USA! USA!” chants following Malik Tillman’s equalizer off a deflected free kick just outside the box.

>

>Greene’s Pour House was in a complete frenzy, even if just for the two minutes it took for De Ketelaere to restore a lead that Belgium wouldn’t relinquish again.

>From there, the hosts were busy coughing up possessions through poor touches and even worse passes in a lethargic display unworthy of a World Cup knockout match.

>“I’m still very happy with the turnout and, honestly, the whole tournament has been great as far as getting people excited about U.S. soccer and watching the games,” Boyce said. “It’s a step in the right direction.”

>Boyce said he isn’t sure whether the club will host another watch party for the final July 19 but revealed the Oshkosh chapter of American Outlaws did experience some growth as a result of this World Cup.

>Contact Justin Marville at jmarville@usatodayco.com and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @justinmarville.

>This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh soccer fans pack bar for painful USA World Cup loss