The American Outlaws Still Care About U.S. Soccer

On Oct. 10, 2017, the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team suffered the most crushing defeat of its modern era: a 2-1 away loss to the tiny island nation Trinidad & Tobago which—coupled with simultaneous wins for Honduras and Panama—assured that in 2018 they’d be watching the World Cup from home for the first time since 1986. The loss all but doomed the USMNT to irrelevance in the national sports landscape for at least the next four years, but despite their current struggles, you’ll still find a raucous pocket of fans at every single match, no matter the importance.

With over 30,000 registered members and 200 local chapters, the American Outlaws are the largest and best organized supporters’ group for U.S. Soccer. They bring hundreds of passionate fans out to each U.S. Soccer game, men’s or women’s, and if you ask them, there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful for the future. We caught up with the Outlaws in Tampa, Florida exactly one year on from that devastating loss to find out what keeps them coming back to support the abysmal men’s team in its darkest hour.

Senior Producer: Kiran Chitanvis; Creative Producers: Anders Kapur, Jorge Corona