LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Thousands of soccer fans filled 4th Street Live on Monday night to watch the U.S. play Belgium in the World Cup Round of 16.
Organizers expected about 5,000 people and added an overflow viewing area and a second screen to accommodate the large crowd. While a final attendance figure was not immediately available, fans filled the downtown entertainment district throughout the match.
The U.S. fell to Belgium 4-1, but many fans said the event was about more than the outcome on the field.
"It's a really good time for all kinds of people," Louisville soccer fan Ahmad Yehya said. "What you see in there, you see all kinds of great people. It doesn't matter where you're from. Everyone here is for USA."
While most fans inside 4th Street Live were cheering for the U.S. men's soccer team, Louisville resident Feysal Sheikh was one of the few Belgium supporters in the crowd. He said the atmosphere was unlike anything he has seen in the city.
"I've been living in Louisville for 20 years and this is the most packed I've seen here," Sheikh said. "I'm really glad the World Cup is being hosted in America. We don't really get this kind of unity here. So, it's really beautiful."
Restaurant owners and employees at 4th Street Live said the watch parties have brought a surge of customers, with many visitors telling them they don't regularly come downtown but made an exception for the World Cup watch party.
The free watch parties will continue throughout the tournament, with fans invited to return to 4th Street Live through the World Cup final on July 19.
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