Fans of the U.S. men’s national team gathered in downtown San Jose Tuesday to catch a glimpse of the players ahead of Wednesday’s knockout round World Cup match in Santa Clara.
Dozens of fans, some holding pens, posters, and shirts, lined up outside the Marriott hotel, waiting for hours to see the players in person. When the team bus pulled up and the players filed out, the fans went into a frenzy.
Some players stopped to sign autographs. Defender Mark McKenzie even allowed 11-year-old Genesis Samarron’s pet bird Mongo walk up his arm.
“Mongo got to go on some of the players,” Samarron said. “They were happy. They met Mongo and they got to hold him and pet him. They loved him.”
NBC Bay Area’s Marianne Favro has more in the video report above.