Leave it to The Seattle Times to try to rain on its own city’s parade by grumbling that local fans may have “mixed feelings” about hosting the World Cup and displays of patriotism.
Lumen Field, which will be called Seattle Stadium during the global soccer tourney, was chosen to host six 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, including Friday’s contest between the United States and Australia.
“Some Seattle soccer fans have mixed feelings about patriotically backing the U.S. team during the FIFA Men’s World Cup, given the actions of President Donald Trump,” the paper said in a Thursday post to X promoting a screed by columnist Daniel Beekman, which cherry picks negative quotes from fans to make its point.
Some Seattle soccer fans have mixed feelings about patriotically backing the U.S. team during the FIFA Men’s World Cup, given the actions of President Donald Trump. https://t.co/XooQ8rPjSQ
— The Seattle Times (@seattletimes) June 18, 2026
One person quoted in the column was Carey Lefkowitz, a West Seattle marketing consultant, whom the author wrote that it’s hard for him “to imagine enthusiastically cheering against their opponents, because he thinks Trump is tarnishing what it means to be American on the global stage.”
“It’s not how I expected to feel,” Lefkowitz said in the weeks before the World Cup kicked off. “I still want the U.S. team to win, but everything that goes with that? I’m conflicted.”
“I’m an American and very proud of the freedoms we have,” Lefkowitz added. “But I can’t lose my humanity and that’s what I see as happening.”
“These are questions that many people are pondering in Seattle, an internationally oriented, soccer-impassioned city dominated by Democrats who vehemently disagree with how the Trump administration is running the U.S. and hosting the World Cup,” wrote Beekman, practically weeping into his latte.
Well, if Seattle-area fans were indeed having “mixed feelings” about the World Cup, they sure didn’t show it as they flocked to Lumen Field in great numbers, with many dressed in red, white and blue, a raucous showing who were treated to Team USA thumping the Aussies 2-0.
Counterpoint: pic.twitter.com/PpOaWeQoOF https://t.co/dua6ELOD0n
— Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) June 19, 2026
Meanwhile, Seattle….
Our media sucks. https://t.co/IeLYGGCs1i pic.twitter.com/MyEnLjpSxP
— Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) June 19, 2026
Goosebumps. Thousands of fans proudly sang the Star-Spangled Banner before Team USA took the field against Australia.
That’s what national pride looks like. pic.twitter.com/8IRwZyt0D9
— Brandon Tatum (@TheOfficerTatum) June 20, 2026
A man dressed as a bald eagle on another man’s shoulders
America personified
pic.twitter.com/itH8ficrSM
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 19, 2026
The entire Seattle stadium of 70,000 just started singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” at the top of their lungs during the US world cup match.pic.twitter.com/CiDOApu9Fk
— TaraBull (@TaraBull) June 19, 2026
“We are screaming USA from sea to shining sea!”
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 19, 2026
Vibes are immaculate in Seattle pic.twitter.com/iVDrtitPbx
— Daniel Robertson (@Daniel_Rob27) June 19, 2026
“It will be interesting to see how liberal Seattle grapples with something like that,” said one person quoted by the sourball Seattle Times.
Well, now the answer is known, and it was waving flags and chanting USA! USA! USA!
Home cooking suits Team USA well, now 2-0 and moving on to the knockout stage, as fans can start dreaming of star-spangled glory.
