Northwest Fans Pack Vancouver For Women's World Cup Final

VANCOUVER, B.C. -- The streets of Vancouver were abuzz this weekend as U.S. soccer fans poured into the city to watch the showdown between the U.S. Women’s National Team and Japan in the final of the World Cup.

With the final game just over the border at BC Place, fans from Washington state made their way north.

Some fans like Seattlelite Bridget Stadler didn't have tickets to get into the stadium, but she made the trip to Vancouver to bar hop as she watched the final.

“The game was amazing,” Stadler said. “Every time I looked down at my phone, like, ‘Oh, what time is it, let me check how whatever's going on’ – everybody would score. So, I missed half the goals, that was fun, but I was just happy to be up here, happy to support the U.S."

Stadler came up to Vancouver with the American Outlaws – the official supporter group of U.S. Soccer – along with several buses of other fans.

There were 53,341 mostly American fans in the stadium as the U.S. trounced Japan 5-2.

For Suzy Thomas, this final was the first soccer game she had seen live. “I was just really excited because I’ve been following the United States’ team and was excited to get to be here.”

Thomas's friend Aubrey Uresti is an old hat. This was her third time attending a Women’s World Cup (she also saw the men play in 1994). She has now seen the U.S. Women win two championships. The U.S. is the only country to win three Women’s World Cup titles.

“I’m hoping that it will be that resurgence of soccer love in the U.S.,” Uresti said.