The Best Tifos In September
AO Honors The GOAT & The South Has Something To Say
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Supporters around the country stepped up in September, from a tifo honoring an USWNT legend to some MLS rivalry banter.
AO Cincinnati
The Cincinnati chapter of American Outlaws honored USWNT legend Carli Lloyd with this impressive tifo. The tifo, which was unfurled before the U.S. took on Panama in the second of two friendlies, reads “From Legends We Rise” with a portrait of Lloyd and a celebration scene underneath.
The tifo got a shout out from Lloyd herself on Twitter.
The Royal Guard & Emerald City Supporters
A much-anticipated Reign/Sounders doubleheader against the visiting Portland Thorns and Timbers in late August (yes, it’s not September, but it’s close enough!) saw the Royal Guard and Emerald City Supporters step up big with their massive, two part display. The dual tifo collaboration, designed by local artist Amy Camber, featured a top section with the text “Bonfires Are” with the bottom half changed to reflect the team. For the Reign match, it read “Bonfires Are Back” and featured Reign head coach Laura Harvey, while the Sounders’ match saw “Bonfires Are In Our Blood” and a shot of Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer with a blowtorch. According to ECS, more than 400 volunteer hours of sewing, designing, painting and deployment work went into the piece.
More than 27,000 people attended the double header, setting a new NWSL attendance record. The Reign rolled to a 2-1 win while the Sounders fell 2-0.
Atlanta United
It’s a rare month when Atlanta United fans DON’T drop an incredible tifo, and they brought the heat for the club’s September 10th match against rivals Orlando City. The design features Atlanta United star Josef Martinez shushing a lion with a peach in its mouth, with the caption, Tu Padre tiene Algo que Decir or Your father has something to say. Atlanta would back up their tifo trash talk and win 3-0. Atlanta supporters also dropped this impressive design in mid-August, a nod to an iconic Atlanta moment.
Philadelphia Union
The Sons of Ben unleashed a beauty at the Union’s CCL match against Club America.
Couch Ultras
This Vancouver Whitecaps and Canadian National Team supporters group has been doing the Lord’s work, constructing and displaying tifos at home, complete with an in-home pulley system.
September saw several new tifos unveiled, including one for the Canadian National team, and Whitecaps players Russel Tiebert, Javain Brown, Erik Godoy and Brian White. It’s quirky, fun, creative and the commitment and scale of the project is impressive. Plus that basement home stadium set up looks like a legit place to watch a Whitecaps match.