Australian cricketer Peter Siddle knows the United States well. The last few days, however, have been different.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in America and it’s a place you tend to walk around and not have to worry about getting noticed at all, which is great,” Siddle said. “But here at the moment, there are plenty of Aussies walking around that spot you a mile away.”
There has been a surge of Australians in San Francisco to watch the Socceroos at the World Cup, and many are still staying in the Bay Area before they leave for the last-32 match in Dallas.
Two days after Australia booked their place in the knockouts with a draw against Paraguay in Santa Clara, dozens dressed in yellow set out to watch a different sport at the Oakland Coliseum, less than an hour away.
The ground was the set of Moneyball, the sport analytics-inspired movie starring Brad Pitt, before the local baseball team the Athletics moved to Las Vegas, via Sacramento. The Oakland Raiders also played at the arena before they, too, abandoned the Bay Area.
Socceroos fans did not attend the Oakland Coliseum looking for a history lesson, however. The came to see Washington Freedom – the Major League Cricket (MLC) team coached by Ricky Ponting and captained by Steve Smith – defeat the Texas Super Kings by one wicket. After Washington lost three wickets in the final over, India-born Australian allrounder Nikhil Chaudhary hit the final ball for six to win.
Siddle, who plays in MLC for the San Francisco Unicorns, himself joined the travelling masses, along with some teammates including rising Australian star Ollie Peake, to attend the Socceroos’ match against Paraguay. “To be there – I don’t know the number that were there, but it felt like there was 20-30,000 Socceroos fans just in that stadium, all in yellow – it was quite special to be a part of,” he said.
There are few surprises in the eye-opening world of franchise cricket, where players’ salaries are booming and the calendar is throwing tradition out the window. The sight of Australia’s green and gold at the Oakland Coliseum, however, was new.
“We get lots of cheering, lots of whistles, and lots of flag waving,” said MLC chief executive Johnny Grave. “We don’t usually get football chanting. But the Aussies that were here certainly made themselves known, and were very vocal towards the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith.”
In a crowd of a couple of thousand, the number of Australians was estimated to be more than 50. The four-year-old MLC had recognised the potential interest from the thousands of travelling Socceroos fans, and offered discounted tickets through the active support group.
Cricket’s growth in the US was aided by the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup, and is expected to receive another boost from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games which will play cricket at the MLC’s new facility in Pomona.
Grave sees cricket’s popularity following a similar path to football in the country, which grew after USA 1994 and the Women’s World Cups in 1999 and 2003. “I think cricket will follow those footsteps, I think it is going to be a long process,” he said.
“We’re obviously blessed by a fanatical South Asian diaspora, a pretty dedicated Caribbean diaspora as well as others that are moving into the States. We had a whole bunch of Nepali fans here yesterday.”
Socceroos fans Jack and Joel attended the Oakland Coliseum for the match between the Unicorns and Washington on Sunday. They dressed in Australia shirts, but also bought Freedom merchandise.
“We chose today specifically because of all the Aussies involved,” Jack said. “You’ve got [Marcus] Stoinis, Smith, [Mitchell] Owen, [Matt] Short, [Xavier] Bartlett, way too many others – half the players, and half the coaching staff. We saw Adam Voges and Ricky Ponting and we really just had to be here to experience it.”
The Socceroos’ qualification for the last 32 has prompted hundreds of fans to scramble for flights and accommodation to extend their stays in the US. as they hope to witness the team’s first World Cup knockout win. Jack and Joel didn’t have to make any last minute changes, though. They had already planned their roughly $10,000, four-week trip, and had booked accommodation in Dallas and the other potential locations the Socceroos might have played.
“We just sat in the stadium for a bit after the Paraguay game, and Jack literally cancelled all the Airbnbs we weren’t going to use,” Joel said.
“I had about $9,000 come back on the credit card straight after full-time,” Jack said. “It was the post-game ritual.”
The pair were similarly well prepared for tickets. They were lucky in the ballots and diligently pursued tickets for potential Socceroos knockout matches, and have subsequently sold the ones they do not need for profit.
Two hours before attending the cricket at a cost of US$40 (AU$58) each, Jack found a buyer for his seat to the USA v Bosnia and Herzegovina game for US$1,800 (AU$2,600). He bought it three months ago for US$700 (AU$1,000).
“That funds like a week of travel,” he said. “That’s the USA factor.”
