Full Hearts. Loud Voices. Strong Drums.

Behind Enemy Lines: I’ve logged a few hundred miles to see DC United away. This was in Philadelphia, PA to watch them play against the Philadelphia Union.

Whenever I get ready to go to a soccer game here in DC, I don’t just hop on the Metro and go to a stadium. I have a ritual. I pick out my jersey and make sure it’s got that lucky, unwashed musk of beer, sweat, and the Old Spice that does a terrible job of covering it up.I pick out my scarf laden with the team’s name and crest, and I wear it like I’m heading out into a winter storm. It’s the middle of July. In the District of Columbia. I recite the team songs in my head and absorb all the latest information about which players are in the starting eleven, who’s on the bench, and what sort of formations and strategies the manager Ben Olsen will be utilizing.

It’s a pilgrimage for me as I find my way to the supporter’s section at the North End of Audi Field, and I lose myself in the mass of Screaming Eagles, Barra Brava, District Ultras, and La Norte. These are the four supporters groups of DC United: the hardest of the hard core. For 90 straight minutes, these fans will scream, sing, jump, and pound drums to help their club capture a win. You may think that fans of other sports get crazy. And no bias involved here, soccer fans are just a different breed. This week I want to talk about who these groups are, where they can be found, and how you can join the rest of the choir at the cathedral of soccer.

Soccer fans go by many names around the world, but one word with a sordid past perfectly defines these people in their element. Typhus is a disease that was especially prominent in Europe, specifically in Italy, after World War I. Notorious for the fits of emotional outbursts suffered by the disease’s victims, it was a particularly traumatic experience. In Italian, this word became tifosi to describe die-hard soccer fans. These supporters are so taken by their emotions throughout the game’s 90 minutes that the emotional high starts high and then punctuates every goal by the home team. Or, just as soon as the opposition scores, they take a moment to mourn then resume the fanatical chants and songs.

You can usually tell the home team has scored when the fans break out the flags and smoke bombs.

Songs play such an important role during soccer games. They not only serve to provide extra motivation for the players, but songs also serve as a running commentary in lieu of broadcasters who cannot be heard. These songs react to bad calls by the referees, poke fun at opposing players and fans, and lift the spirits of the home squad. These songs can happen spontaneously or at specific intervals. Either way, there’s hardly a gap of silence as either drums, voices, or—yes—vuvuzelas fill the air for the duration of the match. It’s a dedication that goes beyond most other sports, but that’s just the entry-level support. It goes much deeper and much larger.

If you’ve ever had the chance to watch a big-time soccer match, you may have spotted large, artistic displays in the stands. These massive shows of support is the pinnacle of soccer fandom. Their support goes beyond just passion for a team, it becomes a creative outlet. Tifos are coordinated presentations of colors and messages to express their love for the team, or even displeasure with the club’s management or front office. Fans will spend weeks painstakingly creating massive murals or planning how each seat will represent a colorful part of a whole display in the stadium. After weeks of work, it’s customary for fans to burn their tifos after the game, because it’s better to destroy them than to have their work be stolen by a rival club’s fans.

It’s one thing to watch soccer and understand it from a tactical perspective, but that is half the fun of supporting a club and a national team. Whether you have local groups or can only interact with other supporters online, that familial aspect helps tie the whole experience together. I have to admit that I live with the privilege of residing in a city that not only holds a numerous and diverse soccer fan base, but also a club team and the area is a frequent stop for the US Men’s and Women’s National Teams. But even if you plan small get-togethers with friends to watch soccer at home or a bar, that’s a small movement that could lead to something larger. There are soccer fans in so many places across the United States, that you would be surprised by the results by that small movement.

Thank you for reading. Live well and watch more soccer.