By admin 
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WJZY) — Tens of thousands of soccer fans made their way to Uptown Charlotte Sunday to see the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team play a World Cup tune-up match at Bank of America Stadium.
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The pregame festivities ramped up early.
“It’s been crazy all day,” said Catrina Wiles, the manager of the sports bar, WFNZ Doghouse. “We got here around 10:30, started setting up.”
Pat Golden came to town from the Lake Norman area.
“The energy in downtown Charlotte today is off the Richter scale,” he said.
The USMNT took on Senegal in one of its last matches before the World Cup begins, but not everyone came out for the soccer.
“The atmosphere’s what I enjoy the most,” said Brandon Lewis, who recently moved to Charlotte from Raleigh. “I don’t know a lot about what’s going on right now as far as the game.”
His friend, Derek Herring, wasn’t exactly a die-hard fan either.
“I’m still learning about the soccer, so if anybody got any tips, please send them to the inbox,” Herring said with a laugh.
Joshua Martins said the vibes and large crowds brought him out.
The official attendance was just shy of 58,000, which isn’t unique for Bank of America, but some people felt U.S. soccer brought something a little extra special.
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“There’s a lot more riding on it,” one fan said. “It’s international. It’s our country being represented. It’s a pretty hard time in our country at the moment, so I think it’s a good time to turn the frowns upside down, so to speak.”
Fans had a lot to smile about, with the U.S. notching a 3-2 win.
For Thiendella Diajane, who came from Texas, the match was about more than sports.
“Go in there and see hopefully a great game that unites two different countries,” he said. “I’m split because I’m from Senegal but I’ve been living in the U.S. for a long time.”
He declined to answer who he was rooting for, saying instead, “May the best [team] win.”
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