Bill Sunderland made his 18-year-old self proud this summer.

A vibrant memory for the Switchbacks season ticket holder is attending a World Cup match in Chicago with his uncle in 1994. 

“I had never seen soccer like that,” he said. “I had never seen the fans and the fandom and the craziness, right? Again, I’m a farmboy from Illinois, got to see that and that immediately got me hooked.”

Thirty-two years later, a tear ran down his face as he watched the United States score the second goal in its 2-0 win over Australia in Seattle. This time, he wasn’t flanked by his uncle but by the same rowdy friends he sits next to at nearly every Switchbacks home game at Weidner Field. 

Sunderland, Mark and Catherine Gonzales were part of a group of Switchbacks super fans who went to Seattle for two weeks for the recently completed World Cup during the group stage. 

During their time, they saw the U.S. triumph over Australia as well as three other matches in Egypt vs. Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar and Egypt vs. Iran.

The trip was one of more than 20 that the trio have taken to see international soccer matches on the men’s and women’s sides over the years. From meeting former USMNT standout Jermaine Jones at a pregame party in Cincinnati to staying in an Airbnb in a sketchy Kansas City neighborhood to flying into Miami during hurricane season, Sunderland and the Gonzales have seen and lived it all as fans of the U.S. national teams.  

But the first time they met was in Colorado Springs. Both Sunderland and the Gonzaleses were season ticket holders prior to the opening of Weidner Field in 2021, but hadn’t crossed paths until the downtown stadium opened and they were seated next to each other right by the pitch at midfield. 

Neither side knew what to expect, but any reservations they had quickly disappeared.  

It didn’t take long for the three to discover that they shared a passion for the Switchbacks, the sport of soccer and a mischievous inclination toward heckling the opposing side and the officials. 

“Mark and Cat are not shy people,” Sunderland said. “They’re out there. They wear their hearts on their sleeves. … I don’t even really know if we talked all that much in the first game but I’m like, ‘They’re like us. They’re here to razz and do some yappin,’ and finally after that third game I think that’s when we were like, ‘Hey, we’re going to the U.S. Mexico game’ and these guys were like, ‘Hey, we’re down, let’s go.’” I was like, ‘Who are these people? They’re my spirit animals.’”

Every time the Switchbacks take the field at home, their goal is to do their job and win the match. The Gonzaleses and Sunderland have a job to do as well, support their local team and protect their home turf by razzing the opponents in hopes of throwing them off their game. 

For example, Phoenix Rising FC forward Gunnar Studenhofft scored the first goal of the match against Colorado Springs on the Fourth of July and hit LeBron James’ silencer celebration for added impact. 

The Gonzaleses and Sunderland returned the favor when he subbed off in the 83rd minute as the Switchbacks were well on their way to a 3-1 win. 

“The four or five of us that sit there. They know what they are going to get out of us,” Sunderland said. “We’re there to give the other team and even the refs the business.” 

Over the years, they’ve developed some traditions, including cards with diving scores for visiting players they believe embellish the tackles they receive and making a pyramid of beer cans for every match. Legend has it that if they can successfully construct a pyramid, the Switchbacks win. They made sure to make a 3D version for the club’s championship final in November of 2024, and perhaps that’s why the Switchbacks captured a 3-0 victory over Rhode Island that day. 

That passion extends beyond the Switchbacks and their battles in the USL Championship. The Gonzaleses are a busy couple, with season tickets to Colorado College hockey, the Colorado Rapids, a portion of the Colorado Avalanche’s season and now the Denver Summit as well. 

There’s something special about sports and its ability to bring people together. Obviously, their history as die-hard Switchbacks fans brought the Gonzaleses and Sunderland together, but they have noticed the same unity in their travels as well, particularly during the World Cup.   

The trip to Seattle was a nice respite from the divisive pitfalls that often plague life today,” they said. 

“So many people from so many different countries were all there. Everybody was getting along.

You’d go to a bar and you’d see … the Belgians, the Australians, fans from all of these countries all just hanging out and talking to each other and having a good time,” Catherine said. “We were all there almost united in the love of a game.”

“The night before party. It was a party for Americans to be ready for the game the next day. I don’t even remember how many states, at some point I lost count, how many states were represented in that party,” Sunderland said. “And the fact that we weren’t talking politics, we weren’t talking none of that BS. It was, ‘Where ya from? Where’s your chapter at?’ I met a guy we just started talking he was from Philly and he was literally hitting all three games. He was there by himself.”

The Gozaleses and Sunderland are part of the American Outlaws, a supporters group for the men’s and women’s national teams. They brought coins to hand out as members of the Colorado Springs chapter. During the national anthem before U.S. matches, members of the Outlaws hold up scarves representing their city. Before the U.S. versus Australia game, the Switchbacks super fans were among that number. 

“When the national anthem was sung, just to hear that many people. I’ve heard the national anthem in different stadiums, you know Ball Arena for hockey and basketball, but the magnitude of over 60,000 people in this small little bowl shouting it,” Mark said. “To top it off … was the flyover with the four helicopters just gave me the biggest goose bumps I’ve ever had in my life.” 

The three were in soccer heaven in the 200 level at Seattle’s Lumen Field watching the U.S. win its second match of the group stage, but beyond the action on the pitch, Mark reveled in the reaction of international fans to America. 

From stories of people trying barbecue or going to a rodeo for the first time to the heartwarming tale of the residents of Lawrence, Kan., bonding with members of the Algerian national team, Mark is pleased that the world got to see the United States at its best. 

“It’s given people who probably never left their county, much less their state, interaction with someone in another part of the world,” Mark said. “It’s that unique opportunity that if you were to have someone from anywhere in the world come by and they land right in front of you and they’re meeting you and you’re their first interaction. You’re like, ‘Oh where are you from? Welcome to America. … Hearing from other people, ‘Your country’s beautiful.’ That’s absolutely fantastic and refreshing to hear.”

A passion for America is another common thread among the friends as they are all former members of the armed forces. Mark is retired Marine Corps, Catherine is retired Army, and Sunderland is retired Navy. 

In the years after he first saw that World Cup match in Chicago, Sunderland kept his passion for soccer alive by playing on an intramural team as he sailed with the Navy. He worked on an aircraft carrier and would play pickup matches with his fellow sailors when they came into port. 

Mark and Catherine met in England. He was still in the Marines while she had recently transferred out of the Army and was a duty civilian. They were placed on the same team with the objective of pursuing an African warlord, and their relationship grew from there. 

Fate brought the trio to Colorado Springs, where they continue their adventures while showing support for their local athletes whenever they can. 

“This is our home and we’ve made it our home,” Catherine said. “We’re going to support our local teams.”