L.A. defies the skeptics for a World Cup marked by unity, fearless fun
The run-up to the World Cup in Los Angeles was marked by anxiety over how immigration enforcement, travel restrictions and anti-Trump backlash would affect the spirit and attendance of the games.But on the streets of L.A.
over the last week, something very different has happened.Fans from a kaleidoscope of cultural backgrounds have come together to act out the kind of world — and city — they want to live in.On the shuttle bus from downtown to Inglewood on Monday, there were scores of people with Farsi-emblazoned shirts and crowds of grinning Kiwis as one would expect for the Iran-versus-New Zealand showdown that evening.
However, there were also clusters of striped blue Argentina T-shirts, plenty of Team USA jerseys, and a loud group of fans chanting “Viva Mexico” from the back of the bus.Similar scenes played out on the Metro K Line as World Cup-goers from all over traded stories of how they scored tickets, tips for navigating L.A.’s transit system, and wistful memories of tournaments past.“This festival is about unity and bringing the whole world together; there are 48 nations and everybody is having a good time,” said Ardy Salem, an Iranian American dentist who traveled from the Bay Area to attend the game, as he surveyed the crowd outside SoFi Stadium on Monday with unabashed glee.“Just for a moment,” he said, “we get to leave all the politics behind.” Soccer The most ambitious FIFA World Cup in history is underway, but geopolitical rifts, travel bans and high ticket prices threaten to smother the excitement.David Leon, 32, of Watts was grinning from ear to ear as he stood outside the stadium entrance in his forest-green Mexico jersey, despite the fact that he initially didn’t support having the World Cup in Los Angeles.“I thought it was going to be a big issue for a bunch of different people to come here,” Leon said.
Leon worried that people from other countries would be turned off by American politics and fearful about traveling...