The American Outlaws


The American Outlaws are an unofficial supporters' group for the United States men's national soccer team and United States women's national soccer team and have been described as "a raucous group of U.S. supporters" by ESPN. Founded in 2007 by a group of fans from Lincoln, Nebraska, the group set out to "unite and strengthen" supporters at United States national soccer team games.
Their first appearance was at an international friendly between Brazil and the United States at Soldier Field in Chicago on September 9, 2007 and are now found at every national team game for both the men and women's teams. The group can be readily identified by their red membership shirts, American flag bandanas, and are most often located behind one of the stadiums goals with their banners. They are frequently accompanied by a drum corp made up of members dressed like popular American icons such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Captain America, Rocky Balboa, and the Pilgrims.

Organizational structure

National organization

The national organization is run out of Lincoln, Nebraska and handles the day-to-day operations of the group. The national organization is in charge of domestic ticket requests and all other matters pertaining to U.S. Soccer for members. It develops the various forms of national merchandise like membership kits, T-shirts, and scarves. It is responsible for connecting supporters from around the country through travel and accommodations deals and producing various forms of media content like scouting reports and a podcast.
For the 2010 FIFA World Cup it organized a travel package for members planning on going to South Africa. In 2014 they again organized a travel package for Brazil for over 550 members. In 2015, American Outlaws organized their first trip to the Women's World Cup.
The organization is run by Korey Donahoo & Justin Brunken and is supported by several other individuals.

Local chapters

The group is organized into local chapters that are established in cities. The local chapters handle local viewing parties, building support for the national team at the local level, and are responsible for organizing festivities & supporters in the event their city hosts a game.
In order to be sanctioned as an official chapter the following are required:
When chapters are officially sanctioned they receive a chapter banner. Each chapter develops their own crest that connects American soccer with local landmarks and/or individuals. There are currently 203 official chapters and over 30,000 members.

American Outlaws chapters

Controversy

The American Outlaws have drawn controversy for their "frat boy" culture which has alienated female members as the organization has expanded. In response to the allegations, The American Outlaws created "AO Watch", which allows fans to report misbehavior by American Outlaw supporters during games. The group has also tried to take measures to stop racism and sexism from its members before it happens, including an attempt to ban the "puto" chant, which leadership noted was homophobic and against their Code of Conduct.

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