Sonoma County soccer fans thrilled by US team's dominance in Women's World Cup

It was a tense situation the last time Nina Seliga watched the U.S. and Japanese women face off in the world soccer championships.

Santa Rosa High School’s assistant soccer coach was on a houseboat at Shasta Lake, scrambling to get reception for a tiny TV watched by eight families.

The Americans lost in a nail-biter as the signal faded in and out.

But Sunday night was different. Seliga watched the Women’s World Cup final from the relative comfort of a downtown Santa Rosa sports bar as her team took an early lead and never looked back, winning 5-2.

“The U.S. just wanted it more,” she said as she sat among family and friends at the Sweet Spot Pub & Lounge. “Way more.”

Sports bars around Sonoma County exploded with fans as the two teams met in the second World Cup final in a row. The last outing, in 2011, Japan won 3-2.

But this time around, the Americans dominated. They raced ahead in the first half with a hat trick by Carli Lloyd. Japan couldn’t keep pace.

Santa Rosa fan Taylor Ford was confident the Americans would win. The after-school program supervisor had been eyeing them closely throughout the tournament and flew to Vancouver last month to see them shut out Nigeria.

But Ford never imagined they would prevail by such a large margin. She jumped to her feet and waved a miniature American flag as the clock ticked down the final seconds.

Afterward, she said it was nice to watch a game without the anxiety of past matchups.

“I did not expect five goals,” Ford said over the din at Ausiello’s 5th Street Grill in downtown Santa Rosa, where she and dozens of soccer fans, many dressed in red, white and blue, gathered for the final game. “That was just crazy.”

Sweet Spot owner John Ryan summed it up in one word - “payback.”

“They’re phenomenal,” said Ryan, whose narrow bar is adorned with framed soccer jerseys, including one signed by Pele. “They’re exciting to watch.”

Across town, at Toad in the Hole pub in Railroad Square, chants of “USA!” spilled from the open front door as the American team breezed toward victory.

Inside, fans packed in front of a screen and hoisted pints of beer in celebration - not including the group of younger fans wearing soccer jerseys.

“We’re going to cream Japan,” said 11-year-old Diego Bueno-Kling, who came with his fellow Santa Rosa United soccer club players.

Shoji Uemura, who was visiting from Japan, quietly rooted for the Japanese team. He said he would be disappointed if they lost but admitted he wasn’t a huge fan.

“I’m enjoying both teams,” said the artist and former Santa Rosa resident. “I’m slightly on the Japanese side.”

But most fans left no doubt about their loyalty.

At Ausiello’s, which was strewn with patriotic bunting, cheers for the U.S. women were deafening. Ford and her friends toasted with cinnamon shots as the game ended.

The last time the American women won, in 1999, Ford was 11 years old.

“It’s so cool to see this happen,” she said wearing a red, white and blue ball cap turned backward. “It’s a sweet thing.”

At Petaluma’s Beyond the Glory sports bar and grill, Kayla Kearney cheered the U.S. team as well.

She said regardless of who won, it was refreshing to see women’s sports so much in the spotlight.

“As a woman who loves sports, it’s great to see women’s soccer get so much coverage,” she said. “In general, I think we should pay more attention to women’s sports.”

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.