Her true colors: Oakland gathers in Schenley Plaza for Women’s World Cup

Independence Day had passed, but thousands of Schenley Plaza visitors stayed in their red, white and blue ensembles for one extra day.

An estimated 3,000 soccer fans gathered in the park, donning their most patriotic attire, to watch the public screening of the Women’s World Cup Final. Minutes into the game, people leaped up from the grass and erupted in applause as they watched Carli Lloyd score the first U.S. goal 2,600 miles away from the game’s location in Canada. The City of Pittsburgh organized the free screening.

According to Katie O’Malley, a spokesperson for Mayor Bill Peduto’s office, the City had received collaborative support from Pittsburgh Dynamo Youth Soccer to put on the screening.

One smiling father playfully tossed his young son in the air in celebration. A group of young men in the middle of the crowd started a “U.S.A.” chant.

Joe Brown, an attendee and junior mechanical engineer at Pitt, was impressed by the event.

“In light of recent events with FIFA, it’s great that we can go out and watch women’s sports,” Brown said.

Two minutes after the first goal, the crowd got even more fired up when Lloyd scored her second. A group of young men in patriotic capes and suspenders sprinted across the lawn in front of the screen, shouting.

“Anything can happen in the game of soccer, but I got a strong feeling we’ve got this,” Kyle Shaffer, a junior exercise science major, said.

Shaffer watched as Lloyd scored her third goal on Japan goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori from midfield.

“This is mind-blowing, everyone is going crazy. The atmosphere is electric, everyone here is having a great time,” Shaffer said.

Small children played their own soccer match beneath the projected screen, lobbing the ball in the air and trying to score by shooting the ball at the back of the porta-potties. Other attendees sat watching intently on blankets and some were sitting on the edge of their lawn chairs.

The match ended with a 5-2 American victory — the Schenley crowd erupted.

“It’s been a great American weekend,” Shaffer said.