Fresh off Women’s World Cup, soccer fans ready for U.S. men in Frisco

Now it’s the guys’ turn.

The hearts of a nation were captivated by the U.S. women’s soccer team’s 5-2 thrashing of Japan Sunday in the Women’s World Cup final.

Now that it’s over, are you ready for more soccer?

The U.S. men’s national team hosts Honduras on Wednesday night at Toyota Stadium in Frisco in the Gold Cup, a tournament held every two years among the top soccer-playing nations in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The United States is scheduled to kick off at 8:30 p.m., after Panama (featuring FC Dallas striker Blas Perez) plays Haiti at 6 p.m.

“I’m looking forward to the atmosphere,” said fan Sam Brown, 20, of Flower Mound, who on Sunday morning watched in awe as the U.S. team trained at one of the many youth fields outside Toyota Stadium. “We will be a lot closer to the action.”

The last time the U.S. men played in North Texas was two years in a Gold Cup semifinal against Honduras at AT&T Stadium.

Like many of the 81,410 in attendance for that game, Brown was excited just to be there. But, also like many fans at that game, the sports management student at Oklahoma State University spent a good portion of the game staring at the famous video board rather than watching the back-and-forth on the field.

Brown is excited that this time the match will be held in a more intimate, 21,000-seat stadium. The sold-out event promises to be a smaller, but more meaningful affair, he said.

It’s important for the players, too. Among them is defender Omar Gonzalez, a Dallas native.

“I think it’s going to be great,” Gonzalez said. “The real fans are going to get their hands on the tickets. I know that we’ll always have a good fan base wherever we go. I’m looking forward to a great crowd here, and they’re going to be loud and be supporting us all the way.”

If the Women’s World Cup has whetted Americans’ appetite for international soccer, here are three reasons to keep the momentum going:

U.S. rocks this event

Sure, when it comes to global soccer, the United States has taken a back seat to the South American and European powers. But the Gold Cup is where the U.S. flexes its muscle. The Americans are defending champs.

If the U.S. wins the tourney, it will have six Gold Cup trophies — moving into a tie with rival Mexico for most all-time.

The Gold Cup is considered a warm-up for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

“I think their chances are good,” said Brian McBride, who played on U.S. World Cup teams in 1998, 2002 and 2006. McBride on Monday visited with youth players in northwest Dallas as part of the Allstate Gold Cup trophy tour. “It has been slow start after the [2014] World Cup, but I think the slow start has a lot to do with [coach] Jurgen [Klinsmann] trying to bring in a larger player pool, to bring in some youth to the team, and that youth has shown very well.”

New captain

Fans will get their first glimpse of the U.S. under new captain Michael Bradley, the midfielder who has been a fixture on the squad since his dad, Bob Bradley, was coach.

Klinsmann tapped Bradley last week after the previous team leader, native Texan Clint Dempsey, was slapped with a major suspension for ripping a notebook out of a referee’s hand and tearing the pages during a U.S. Open Cup match.

Dempsey was suspended for three Major League Soccer games and six Open Cup matches but will be available Tuesday. Even so, Klinsmann’s stripping of the title from Dempsey is an indication he wants the fiery striker to cool off.

Klinsmann said he would re-evaluate whether to keep Bradley as captain or return the distinction to Dempsey after the Gold Cup.

“We have a lot of big personalities in the group — myself, Clint, [goalkeeper] Brad Guzan, [striker] Jozy [Altidore],” Bradley said. “For me, it’s a big honor, a big responsibility and I’m certainly very excited, but it’s a group effort.”

Deep Texas ties

The U.S. is speckled with Texas talent.

Dempsey, a Nacogdoches native, is the best known and arguably toughest product from the Lone Star State. As a youth, his parents drove him two hours each way to play select ball with the Dallas Texans club.

Gonzalez, the towering defender, is a Dallas product who also plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy. He gained exposure last summer when he posed nude for ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue, with a soccer ball providing the only cover of his private parts.

And there’s also Greg Garza, a fullback born in Grapevine who plays for Club Atlas in Mexico. Garza was added to the Gold Cup roster after Brad Davis hurt a knee.

This story was originally published July 6, 2015 at 2:09 PM with the headline "Fresh off Women’s World Cup, soccer fans ready for U.S. men in Frisco."