For those of us in the Pacific Northwest, massive tifo displays have become something we expect for big games. So while it may not seem like a big deal that AO Seattle put together a massive display that spanned virtually the entire south end, the reality is that it was probably the biggest display ever shown at a United States national team home game. It's probably not surprising that many of the same people behind ECS's massive displays were also involved this one.
How big was it? Well it spanned five sections wide and went to the back of the scoreboard. There were five main banners, three more text banners and about 1,500 cards that made up the red, white and blue stripes.
What also made it stand out was that it was totally reverential to the fact that this was a United States match and made absolutely no mention of Seattle. This being the centennial of U.S. Soccer it also paid homage to the five different crests and some of the greatest accomplishments in the federation's history.
The final banner also had a touch of artistic flair, with a Banksy-inspired character painting what appears to be a "W." The people behind the design wouldn't say what, exactly, was being painted but it could certainly be "World Cup," hinting at the final line of the text banner "Our Time Starts Now."
It was a display fitting of a huge moment and got Seattle's time in the spotlight off to a great start.