Thousands gather to watch Socceroos take on USA in World Cup

Thousands of Socceroos fans packed into live sites nationwide to watch their team compete against the USA in the World Cup. Despite a 2-0 loss to the USA, the Socceroos' second-half performance drew praise.

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Socceroos mate, three-nil. Easy.

Melbourne's Federation Square hosted the largest gathering, with organizers reporting 7,000 attendees. Hundreds were redirected to a secondary site due to capacity limits. Fans arrived early, with some waiting in line since late the previous night. Despite security measures, some fans managed to bring flares into the venue, prompting calls for caution from former Socceroo Craig Foster, who served as MC.

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We want to be here for every match.

Sydney's Parramatta Square also saw over 1,000 fans gather. In Hobart, a last-minute watch party at The Odeon theatre, organized in collaboration with local entities, sold out within 40 minutes of tickets going on sale, with additional tickets released due to high demand. Fans traveled from afar, expressing excitement about having a dedicated venue to watch the match.

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It's pretty awesome to have finally somewhere to watch the game in Hobart. We've come from the deep of Huon Valley, got up at a quarter to 3 and we're ready.

In Canberra, Governor-General Sam Mostyn and former MP Bill Shorten joined supporters at the University of Canberra. Ms. Mostyn conveyed national support, stating, "back here in Australia, all Aussies are saying 'go Socceroos.'" The disappointing halftime score led some attendees to leave early.

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They're up against the very best in the world. The most important thing for them to know is back here in Australia, all Aussies are saying 'go Socceroos'.