Swedish cowboys and TSA ranch kits: World Cup tourists keep falling in love with U.S.
by Liam Griffin · The Washington TimesSeeing the U.S. through the eyes of international tourists visiting for the World Cup has given locals who may take the more singular aspects of American culture for granted a new perspective.
Here are a few of the latest testimonials from awe-struck soccer fans discovering America.
Swedish cowboy: Sweden played its second group stage match against the Netherlands on Saturday, causing thousands of Swedish supporters to descend on Houston for the festivities. One fan in a Sweden jersey impressed onlookers, including the TV crew from KHOU 11 News, with his cowboy hat.
The broadcaster on the scene inquired whether the fashion statement was a new addition or whether he brought it from home.
“From Buc-ee’s,” the fan replied. “So go, Buc-ee’s. Great place. I love the beef jerky. We love the cowboy style!”
The popular gas station chain has impressed countless fans with its unprecedented size and selection for road-trippers in the Southern U.S.
The Scottish emergency room visit: The American healthcare system is often mocked by Europeans who boast about their high-ranking hospitals and taxpayer-funded systems. But as Scotland’s “Tartan Army” of soccer fans took New England by storm, one visitor said he was impressed by his visit to a U.S. emergency room.
“It was a tremendous experience,” Scottish video-creator Shaun Alexander said on social media. “The staff at this place were phenomenal, so nice and kind to us and so interested in our story and what we’re doing here for the World Cup. They even gave us candies to try for our adventures.”
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Alexander said the ER visit was for his wife, who suffered a “minor” bout of food poisoning.
“The service was pretty much identical, almost exactly the same,” he noted, comparing the healthcare experience to his native United Kingdom. “I don’t know exactly how the costing works out.”
After an initial $800 payment, he expects travel insurance to foot the remainder of the bill.
Coffee for the Dutch: While Sweden’s fans donned cowboy hats ahead of Saturday’s match in Houston, their Dutch opposition marched toward a coffee shop. A large contingent of orange-wearing supporters spurned bars and pubs for Dutch Bros., a coffee chain with dozens of locations throughout the continental U.S.
Photos from the event pictured swarms of Netherlands supporters congregating around the coffee chain, likely drawn by their Dutch ties.
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It marked a break in the fans’ 2 1/2 mile walk from Rice University’s campus to Houston Stadium for the group stage match.
“The Dutch have invaded Dutch Bros,” one X user wrote, alongside an image that featured a deluge of orange shirts for the nation’s soccer team.
Subsequent photos showed the Dutch visitors climbing the building’s roof to get a better view of the 15,000 supporters who marched toward Houston Stadium.
The Netherlands went on to win their second group stage match 5-1 over Sweden.
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Ranch innovations: Europe, as many Americans online have learned, does not heavily feature the ranch sauce that accompanies wings and salads across the U.S. Many World Cup tourists have fallen in love with the dressing over the past two weeks.
“Why did no one tell me ranch sauce is like crack,” Swedish fan Elsa Thora wrote on social media. “EUROPE WE NEED RANCH ASAP.”
Some Europeans have taken the task into their own hands — and luggage. Officials from TSA posted on social media, reminding travelers of the limit for liquids in carry-on baggage.
“Please avoid chugging ranch outside security,” the TSA Instagram page wrote. “The airlines will check it for you.”
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Kraft Heinz, which produces countless condiments, is ready to capitalize on the need for TSA-approved ranch. The brand has outlined plans to sell a “Kraft TSA-Compliant Ranch Kit,” which features a quart-sized plastic bag filled with individually wrapped packets of the sauce.
“Some visitors leave with souvenirs,” Kraft wrote on its Instagram page. “Others leave with America’s favorite dressing.”
Full details about the ranch kits will be announced in the coming weeks, likely before the World Cup ends with a final in New Jersey on July 19.
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Liam Griffin
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