Seattle (CNN) — Lumen Field, renamed Seattle Stadium by FIFA for this tournament, is now hallowed ground for the Freeman family.
Alex Freeman tormented his opponents in Seattle on Friday, 30 years after his famous dad did the same. Freeman stepped fully clear of his father’s shadow, cementing himself in US Soccer lore by scoring a decisive World Cup goal to defeat Australia 2-0 and guarantee the United States a spot in the Round of 32.
Freeman’s pops, Super Bowl XXXI-winning wide receiver Antonio Freeman as a member of the Green Bay Packers, ran out of Seattle 31-10 winners over the Seahawks in 1996 when the wideout hauled in seven receptions and two touchdowns at the old Kingdome, which used to sit where Lumen Field resides now.
When the younger Freeman was asked about the karma of father and son scoring on nearly the same spot of land, the 21-year-old gave thanks for the opportunity to shine while acknowledging his dad’s influence.
“It’s a full-circle, family moment. I think for me it just shows how great the family tree is,” Freeman said after the victory.
“I think that just shows how he can be great but I can be great in my own way as well. It just shows how amazing it is to have a dad who’s successful and that can mentor me to be able to be ready for moments like these.”
His spectacular coming-out party on the globe’s biggest stage is powered in part by having a good father figure in Antonio.
“As a football player, you know, I think they have so much competitiveness and it’s just kind of rubbed off on me a lot,” a grateful Freeman told CNN Sports before the tournament kicked off.
“And for me, it was just to be able to kind of have that role model that I could always look up to, you know, for any questions I needed, any motivation I needed, and just to be able to have that guy to look up to, it meant so much.”
Manager Mauricio Pochettino has obviously seen the qualities instilled in Freeman. So much so that the coach has named the youngest player on the US men’s national team as a starter for the first two Group D matches. The defender, a former member of MLS’ Orlando City SC and who now patrols the backline at La Liga club Villarreal in Spain, has rewarded the coach by helping shut down Paraguay a week ago and shutting out Australia here in Seattle.
His moment in the sun was nearly cut short after a scary moment in the 38th minute, when he and Australia’s Paul Okon-Engstler both jumped to reach a 50/50 ball and violently knocked heads. Both players lay on the grass, with Freeman, specifically, down for a minute and a half as trainers assessed the damage. He was checked for a concussion and deemed able to keep playing.
Two minutes later, with the USA leading the Socceroos 1-0, Freeman was the first to pounce and get a head on a parried shot by teammate Sergiño Dest. He then got to commemorate his goal at least twice. The initial reaction was pure bliss, shared with fellow defender Chris Richards, as he ran to celebrate his third national team goal, but the teammates quickly realized the linesman had raised the offside flag.
An announced capacity crowd of 66,925 collectively waited with bated breath for a solid two minutes as the goal was reviewed by the video assistant referee (VAR). When referee Felix Zwayer announced the goal would stand, Seattle – sans those wearing yellow Aussie kits – exploded with screams of joy.
“It took a really long time. I was very anxious to see, you know, whether it was a goal or not,” he smiled while recounting the moment.
“And then, when it was (announced) a goal, I looked back and I saw my teammates running at me. I was like, ‘Oh Lord’, and I had to run.
“I ended up running and celebrating with them, and I think it just made me very emotional in the moment.”
US striker Folarin Balogun was thrilled for the Floridian.
“I’m so happy for Freeman,” he told Fox Sports. “He’s such a humble kid. He’s so down to earth. For him to get his first World Cup goal, you know, on home soil, I’m sure it’s a special evening for him.”
Seattle fortress
There was no fashionably late-arriving crowd at the stadium on Friday for a noon start despite the revelry downtown on Thursday night. Gate entrances were packed early, well before kickoff, even though fans knew the pitch would remain empty for hours before the FIFA-installed countdown clock struck zero to begin the match.
The US-backed crowd that showed up to cheer on the red, white and blue sounded fully prepared to take on the role of the 12th man. The injured Christian Pulisic joined his teammates at the center circle and was treated to an impassioned, fan-led singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before four military helicopters flew overhead.
“It’s special, so special,” Balogun said when asked about the crowd’s collective voice.
“It’s tough to put it into words, you know, the National Anthem and then you’re seeing the helicopters go above. It’s extremely special. It just gives us that, not that we need it, but it gives us that last bit of motivation before we go out there to just go out there and really go crazy.”
What ensued was 90 minutes of pure sound.
Lower bowl seats remained unused. Not that they were empty but rather not sat upon with fanatics standing throughout the game and seemingly ready to join the fray.
Some fans brought in drums and played ‘em in the far reaches of the upper decks, with the rhythmic sound never stopping while the ball was on the pitch.
“Today, even if I am not American, after the game, I was emotional,” the Argentine Pochettino blushed.
“The warm reception and the way they support us, and the way they celebrate the victory – they make it feel very emotional. And the players are very emotional, too,” he said.
“I think it was an amazing and perfect connection between the energy from the stands and the team.”
Ohio’s capital city is widely considered the unofficial spiritual home of the US men’s national team due to its gaudy 11-1-3 all-time record in Columbus. So famous is the American dominance over Mexico in Ohio that it even comes with a tagline – “Dos a Cero” – a nod to the scoreline of the USA’s four straight victories over their archrival in Columbus.
But no one would blame those in the Emerald City for uttering the retort, “Hold my beer.”
The American men appear to love playing in Seattle and who can blame whatever karma surrounds the national squad here. With Friday’s victory, the US is now undefeated in all seven matches played in this open-air stadium.
There is something about the Pacific Northwest air that has added an aura to this team. An unbeaten record and a fully backed squad will only solidify this part of the States as soccer country.
The-CNN-Wire
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