Sam's Army
Encyclopedia
Sam's Army is an unofficial supporters' group for the United States men's national soccer team
. The name of the group derives from Uncle Sam
, a national personification
of the United States
, and the Scottish supporters' group the Tartan Army
. Sam's Army debuted at a 1995 U.S. Cup game following the 1994 FIFA World Cup
. There are currently 17,381 members of Sam's Army and has members throughout the world. Sam's Army is known for wearing all red and usually standing behind a goal during United States national team matches. George Vecsey of The New York Times
described Sam's Army as, "a relative handful of goofy characters in red outfits... who follow the American team around the globe."
, which they felt was an ideal to aim for as a supporter group.
Sam's Army first organized debut was at an United States
vs. Nigeria
U.S. Cup match on June 11, 1995 at Foxboro Stadium
; after winning that year's U.S. Cup, the United States' coach Steve Samson called the group "the best fans in the country right now for the game of soccer", and Alexi Lalas
threw the group his jersey in celebration of their U.S. Cup victory and to show his thanks for their support. The group originated due to a lack of an organized soccer supporters' club in the United States. Sam's Army notified fans by e-mail during the 2002 FIFA World Cup
to let them know which bars would be showing the United States team's World Cup matches. Over 4,000 Sam's Army members gathered at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
to watch the United States play Germany in the 2002 World Cup. George Vecsey of The New York Times
noted that Sam's Army followed the United States team wherever they went for qualifying matches in 2004.
At the United States team's opening game of the 2010 World Cup
in group play against England, there were an estimated 8,000 members of Sam's Army in the stands, and Sam's Army chanted U-S-A!
after each save made by Tim Howard
, the American goalkeeper. Tim Struby of ESPN the Magazine
noted in May 2010 that Sam's Army continues to grow in size, and on June 11, 2010, Sam's Army and the American Outlaws appeared on a segment of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, where they gave the finger
to John Oliver
after he gave them the finger.
and Spanish
due to the number of soccer fans coming from the Hispanic
community. They usually stand in seatings behind one of the goals, due to complaints from early games that they blocked people who wanted to sit down and watch the game. Sam's Army fans often utilize drummers in their chants, and there are chant leaders who lead the group for the duration of the game. They normally stand with other United States national team supporters' groups, including the American Outlaws
.
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. The name of the group derives from Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam is a common national personification of the American government originally used during the War of 1812. He is depicted as a stern elderly man with white hair and a goatee beard...
, a national personification
National personification
A national personification is an anthropomorphization of a nation or its people; it can appear in both editorial cartoons and propaganda.Some early personifications in the Western world tended to be national manifestations of the majestic wisdom and war goddess Minerva/Athena, and often took the...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the Scottish supporters' group the Tartan Army
Tartan Army
The Tartan Army is a name given to fans of the Scotland national football team. They have won awards from several organisations for their friendly behaviour and charitable work...
. Sam's Army debuted at a 1995 U.S. Cup game following the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
. There are currently 17,381 members of Sam's Army and has members throughout the world. Sam's Army is known for wearing all red and usually standing behind a goal during United States national team matches. George Vecsey of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described Sam's Army as, "a relative handful of goofy characters in red outfits... who follow the American team around the globe."
History
Sam's Army was co-founded by Mark Spacone and John Wright. Spacone met Mark Wheeler, who ran a World Cup website, and decided that they should create a United States national team fan club. Wheeler left to go overseas and Wright stepped in as the other co-founder. Together they laid the groundwork for Sam's Army using Wheeler's website. According to the Sam's Army website, Sam's Army was inspired by the Scottish football team's supporter group, the Tartan ArmyTartan Army
The Tartan Army is a name given to fans of the Scotland national football team. They have won awards from several organisations for their friendly behaviour and charitable work...
, which they felt was an ideal to aim for as a supporter group.
Sam's Army first organized debut was at an United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
vs. Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
U.S. Cup match on June 11, 1995 at Foxboro Stadium
Foxboro Stadium
Foxboro Stadium was an outdoor stadium, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts...
; after winning that year's U.S. Cup, the United States' coach Steve Samson called the group "the best fans in the country right now for the game of soccer", and Alexi Lalas
Alexi Lalas
Panayotis Alexander Lalas is a retired American soccer player who played mostly as a defender for the United States national team in the 1994 FIFA World Cup...
threw the group his jersey in celebration of their U.S. Cup victory and to show his thanks for their support. The group originated due to a lack of an organized soccer supporters' club in the United States. Sam's Army notified fans by e-mail during the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
to let them know which bars would be showing the United States team's World Cup matches. Over 4,000 Sam's Army members gathered at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United....
to watch the United States play Germany in the 2002 World Cup. George Vecsey of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
noted that Sam's Army followed the United States team wherever they went for qualifying matches in 2004.
At the United States team's opening game of the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in group play against England, there were an estimated 8,000 members of Sam's Army in the stands, and Sam's Army chanted U-S-A!
U-S-A! cheer
U-S-A! is a chant that was first popularized after being yelled by fans during the 1980 Winter Olympics, held in Lake Placid, New York, USA, where the US men's ice hockey team defeated the Soviet Union in what became known as the "Miracle on Ice", later moving on to beat Finland for the gold...
after each save made by Tim Howard
Tim Howard
Timothy Matthew Howard is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Everton and the United States national team....
, the American goalkeeper. Tim Struby of ESPN the Magazine
ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
noted in May 2010 that Sam's Army continues to grow in size, and on June 11, 2010, Sam's Army and the American Outlaws appeared on a segment of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, where they gave the finger
Finger (gesture)
In Western culture, the finger , also known as the middle finger, is an obscene hand gesture, often meaning the phrases "fuck off" , "fuck you" or "up yours"...
to John Oliver
John Oliver (comedian)
John Oliver is a British stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, for which he won an Emmy in 2009. He also plays a recurring character, Professor Ian Duncan, on the television series Community...
after he gave them the finger.
Behavior
The group is seen as United States national team's main supporters' group. Sam's Army is known for wearing red to matches. The group's chants are commonly bilingual in EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
due to the number of soccer fans coming from the Hispanic
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
community. They usually stand in seatings behind one of the goals, due to complaints from early games that they blocked people who wanted to sit down and watch the game. Sam's Army fans often utilize drummers in their chants, and there are chant leaders who lead the group for the duration of the game. They normally stand with other United States national team supporters' groups, including the American Outlaws
The American Outlaws
The American Outlaws are an unofficial supporters' group for the United States men's national soccer team and have been described as "a raucous group of U.S. supporters" by ESPN. Founded in 2007 by a group of fans from Lincoln, Nebraska, the group set out to better organize supporters at United...
.