U.S. Soccer Team Welcomed with Enthusiasm in Irvine

With the World Cup just days away, the U.S. soccer team settled into Irvine on Monday. Thousands of Southern California residents eagerly awaited their arrival. After announcing that the Orange County Great Park would serve as their base for the tournament’s group stage, the City of Irvine organized a raffle. This offered passes to the team’s only public training session.

Out of 32,000 applicants, 5,500 lucky individuals gained access to watch the U.S. team during a brief 45-minute practice. This session was significant as injured center-back Chris Richards participated fully. Richards had torn two ligaments in his left ankle while playing for Crystal Palace on May 17 and had not played or trained since. The team hopes he will be fit to play during the group stage.

The practice took place at Championship Soccer Stadium, located about 50 miles from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The U.S. will face Paraguay there on Friday. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino praised the venue stating, “The environment and facilities are more than we expect. We are so grateful.”

How can you not be excited about the host nation training in your facility?

Dan Rutstein, president of business operations for the Orange County club, expressed his enthusiasm. Championship Soccer Stadium, owned by the city and usually leased to the Orange County Soccer Club, was temporarily taken over for national team use. The Great Park, covering 500 acres on the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro site, was transformed into a public park with various sports facilities, including 25 soccer fields.

Developing Great Park into a venue of national significance required time and effort. Irvine Mayor Larry Agran highlighted the aim to create a facility comparable to San Diego’s Balboa Park. The journey to hosting the World Cup team started five years ago when initial discussions began. In 2024, the park was included in a list of potential training locations shared with World Cup qualifiers.

Sam Zapatka, the USMNT operations manager, noted that extensive scouting across 27 facilities from Seattle to San Diego led them to choose Irvine. The decision was finalized in March. As players stepped onto the field, they were warmly received by fans with chants of “USA! USA!”

Team captain Tim Ream remarked, “We’ve all been surprised by the excitement. Pulling up here with 5,500 fans is incredible.” He appreciated the support, especially from the young fans.

The U.S. team is looking forward to beginning their World Cup journey with a supportive home base. Their welcome in Irvine has been overwhelmingly positive.