u/UlyssesSChant18

Incredible drumline for the boys. Many of us have played together for years and during the WC this summer. Great to get everyone back for a 3-0 match vs Mexico!

Here’s some behind the scenes of the creation of the TIFO displayed for USMNT vs PERU in Orlando.

We ultimately used eleven 5’ H x 75’ W muslin strips, traced the image, glued them together using liquid nails (and duct tape), and painted with indoor paint.

Tracing took place over 3 nights in my Community Center. Painting was condensed into 3 full days…due to lack of volunteers. The last two days, we completed with just 5 people. It was a SPRINT.

Principal painting concluded on Tuesday, but we glued the final panel & attached to the netting on Friday.

On Saturday, we attached the rigging, practiced the hoisting, during which it ripped 8 different places (mostly at the top). We reinforced with gorilla glue tape and HEAVY DUTY zip-ties. The ol’ girl had one more lift in her which she successfully did during the match.

Stressful to say the least, but totally worth it.

ICYMI: THE STORY & MEANING

The idea behind “The American Odyssey” was to use The Odyssey as a metaphor for the journey of the USMNT — and all of us supporting them — over the next four years toward the ultimate destination: the 2030 World Cup. Also, if you’ve been around a while, supporting this team can feel like a Greek tragedy at times…

Every section of the Greek art inspired TIFO represents a different chapter of that journey:

Top Left — Orlando / The Beginning: Our Odyssey begins here at Fortress Orlando, where the USMNT and USWNT have built an incredible record. The Trojan Horse outside the stadium represents Troy — the event that sets Odysseus’ journey home in motion.

Center Left — Nations League: Winning trophies always matters, but the lotus flowers represent the danger of becoming too comfortable or distracted by success along the way. In The Odyssey, the Lotus-Eaters tempt Odysseus’ men into forgetting the larger journey.

Bottom Left — Mexico / Azteca: Mexico is represented by the Cyclops — one of the great obstacles standing in Odysseus’ path. The Mesoamerican style pyramid (a reference to The Azteca) behind him makes the reference pretty clear: this is an obstacle that has to be overcome.

Bottom Right — Gold Cup: Odysseus’ famous bow, arrows and rings represent the matches that must be conquered on the way to lifting the trophy — a nod to the contest with the bow near the end of The Odyssey.

Center Right — World Cup Qualification: Scylla represents the dangers and difficult choices encountered on the road to qualification. Odysseus had to navigate between seemingly impossible threats; getting to a World Cup can require its own difficult decisions, sacrifices and setbacks.

Top Right — Glory: The destination. 2030. The World Cup. Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, represents the ultimate goal — and is also a nod to the figure of Victory that appeared on the original Jules Rimet World Cup trophy.

Center — The Journey: Mauricio Pochettino is Odysseus, leading the USMNT through the entire voyage. The AO shield on the sail represents the supporters providing the wind that helps carry the team forward. Each warrior’s shield/helmet carries a USMNT player number, representing the players making the journey with him.

And underneath everything:
“THE ROAD TO GLORY IS NEVER SAILED IN CALM WATERS.”

A modern interpretation of the proverb: “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” Should we have used “PATH” instead of “ROAD”?? Maybe…but we had already painted it, so…

That line sums up the entire concept. The next four years aren’t supposed to be easy. There will be trophies, disappointments, rivals, difficult decisions and probably a few monsters along the way.

That’s the American Odyssey.

ONE WEEK AWAY.

AO ORLANDO TAILGATE — 🇺🇸 USMNT vs. PERU 🇵🇪

📅 Saturday, 9/26
⏰ 10:30 AM–3 PM
📍 Ivanhoe Park Lager House
23 N Orange Blossom Trl, Orlando

⚠️ ARRIVE EARLY!
Downtown Orlando is also hosting a Garth Brooks concert Saturday night, so expect bigger crowds and heavier traffic than usual. Get downtown early and beat the rush.

🍺 $5 Drafts
🍺 $5 Dos Ale Cero Special Edition Cans (while supplies last)
🍕 Gameday food menu available

Schedule:
🇺🇸 2:45 PM — Optional team bus greeting
🥁 ~3 PM — MARCH TO THE STADIUM
🛺 AO Members: $5/person golf cart shuttle to the stadium

Come early. Eat. Drink. GET LOUD.

ALL U.S. SUPPORTERS WELCOME.

One of my favorite moments of the World Cup had nothing to do with what happened on the field.

After we beat Bosnia in Santa Clara, thousands of supporters packed into the concourse at Levi’s Stadium and just… celebrated. No one wanted to leave.

What made it so special wasn’t that it was just AO. It was Sammers, B76, and plenty of casual fans who had simply fallen in love with this team over the past month. For a few minutes, none of the labels mattered. We were all just Americans celebrating together.

People were singing, drumming, chanting, hugging strangers, taking photos, and soaking in the moment. It felt organic. It felt authentic. It felt like the supporter culture we’ve been building.

I’ve followed this team through some incredibly lean years, and seeing an entire stadium concourse overflowing with joy after a USMNT knockout win is something I’ll never forget.

I hope that’s the legacy of this World Cup. Not just bigger crowds, but a stronger, more unified supporter culture that welcomes everyone—whether you’ve been here for 20 years or 20 days.

Would love to hear everyone else’s favorite “off-the-field” World Cup memory.

Took a chance on a new one…so not everyone was prepared…but with enough practice (and horns) I think this has a chance of breaking out of the group stage.

Especially when we play Canada…

Side note: if YOU or anyone you know plays Trumpet, Tuba, or Trombone…I will personally buy your next next ticket to US Match (post-WC)…but you have to join us in the band!

For everyone that is new to supporting US Soccer, or just stumbled upon AO…it’s been quite the journey.

We’re not done yet, but as an old-timer, I sincerely hope you stick around after the World Cup.

A classic AO chant…only works when we have solid brass with us

Value Tier will be in 202-205

I have ZERO idea why this hasn’t hit me before…(it’s obviously better with brass, but possible with snare & bass only)…it’s easy for casuals and we can slow down/speed up…etc…

Between the WOAH’s…do you prefer:

“GO U-S-A”
or
“U-NI-TED STATES”

marching band examples:

https://youtu.be/hgiiCZtBwRg?is=9KRuTpf-6b2\_uwDX

The NB4, tailgate, the hype circle, the march, and the section were incredible.

Hats off to AO Chicago and their (relatively) new leadership.

Here’s some pics from my camera today.

If you were there, you know what I mean.

Nothing better than leaving the NB4 party, getting a few hours of sleep so I can be at Soldier Field by 8:30 AM to set up drums, flags, banners, and whatever other nonsense we’ve convinced ourselves is necessary.

Hey all. I’m Ryan…but some of you might recognize me as Ulysses S. Chant—the guy dressed as Ulysses S Grant dragging a bass drum to way too many USMNT and USWNT matches. Or maybe you don’t, which is completely fair.

I’ve started posting more content on my public @UlyssesSChant Instagram and Twitter (refuse to call it X): NEW chants, drumline stuff, travel stories, videos, and occasional breakdowns of what works (and doesn’t) when it comes to creating atmosphere for USMNT & USWNT.

I’d love to spread some of these newer chants, but don’t want to spam the subreddit with all of it. If people are interested, I’m happy to share them.

If you have some new ones you want to suggest, post them below or DM me.

Also, if you ever want to join the Drumline or Capo stands, hit me up…I’m always llooking for SNARES AND BRASS.