September 26, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Charlotte FC News Release
There is no doubt that Charlotte is a sports city. Over the years, the Queen City added to its collection of professional sports teams. From hockey to baseball, basketball to American football, the city had something for everyone…. well, almost everyone.
“I didn’t think there were other sports in Charlotte that a majority of the Hispanic community could really relate to like soccer,” said David Carrasco, co-founder of the Hispanic-based supporter’s group, Blue Furia. “Soccer was the next thing. People live and breathe this sport.”
David Carrasco holding the Blue Furia flag.
There are 1.2 million Hispanics in the Carolinas. For the vast majority of them, soccer is not just a sport, but rather is a way of life that is impossible to replicate and find anywhere else.
“Fútbol, it’s in our blood, it’s in our veins. And for Latinos it’s something that we play every day, and it’s something that we watch every weekend. It’s familiar to us,” said Charlotte sports superfan and cult hero Hector ‘Sombrero Man’ Cortes who is originally from Guadalajara, Mexico but has made Charlotte his home.
Hector ‘Sombrero Man’ Cortes
Despite the growing sports scene in Charlotte, there was still a missing link between Charlotte sports and the Hispanic community. Soccer has always been here from the Carolina Lightnin’ of the 80s to the Charlotte Independence of the modern era. However, for one reason or another, that disconnect between local teams and the Hispanic community persisted until Charlotte FC emerged.
“It [Charlotte FC] really has opened a lot of doors for people like me,” said Cortes with a gleaming smile on his face. “To have something like we have in our countries every weekend that we can go watch. It’s changing the culture for sure.”
The Hispanic community has come out in full force in support of their MLS club. From the beating of drums to the Spanish chants that have become staples of every matchday, Latinos have instilled the Charlotte FC supporter culture with their unique sabor (flavor).
Previously, Charlotte had gotten a taste of Hispanic soccer fandom in the occasional exhibition matches hosted in the city, but the arrival of an MLS team made all the difference in bringing that fandom together on a consistent basis. Having a local top division team provided a bigger platform for the Hispanic community to express and share their love of the game.
“Charlotte FC really gave the opportunity…
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