Seattles mens World Cup debut yields a draw — and a huge win

The score said 1-1, but that was a clear victory. 

Maybe not for Belgium or Egypt, but for the city in which they competed. 

Seattle has been home to several men's Final Fours and three NBA Finals — including one that featured Michael Jordan. And there was a U.S. Open Championship around 40 miles away. But in terms of one sporting event in this region grabbing the globe's attention? Monday's FIFA Men's World Cup group stage game sits near the top. 

The buildup to that kickoff had been years in the making. Not necessarily due to the teams involved, but because of the instant historical significance the Emerald City would attain by hosting the world's biggest sport on its grandest stage. The hype will only get bigger — especially when you consider that the U.S. will play here Friday with a chance to clinch a spot in the knockout rounds vs. Australia. But the first of six World Cup games in Seattle Stadium? A proud moment for this town. 

Any questions about whether the seats would fill up were answered quickly. There were 66,775 attendees in the venue normally called Lumen Field, most donning varying shades of red representing Egypt or Belgium. 

The crowd's mixed loyalties precluded any Seahawks gamelike quaking. But each side's enthusiasm was maxed out at 10. 

What followed was as close to as entertaining of a tie as the fans could have asked for. 

After all, Belgium was the ninth-ranked team in the world, entering the match, and Egypt was 29th. The former spent four consecutive years at No. 1 from 2018-21, and the latter hadn't finished higher than 29th since 2010. It didn't mean a blowout was on the horizon, but it felt like the man who bet on Belgium would end the day with a few more dollars in his pocket. 

Then, Egypt's Emam Ashour scored on a strike from 20 yards out in the 20th minute to put the underdogs up 1-0. As one might expect, half the crowd erupted. As one might not expect, half the media center did, too.

“No cheering in the press box†appears to be a foreign concept to Egyptian journalists … and you know what? It was awesome. 

This is the blend of culture that you'll get in a World Cup but seldom see in the Super Bowl. It was a taste of the global convergence on Seattle that the Final Four or NBA Finals couldn't provide.

That's not going away. And on Monday, Belgium wasn't, either. 

Egypt dominated in the first half, with its defense allowing scant scoring opportunities. Then, striker Romelu Lukaku subbed in for Belgium in the 66th minute. The country's all-time leading goal scorer had been hampered by a quad injury and a hip flexor issue the past several months. His club season ended in January, and he had played in just one match before Monday … all the way back in March. But within five seconds of subbing in, he broke toward the net and sparked a panic between two defenders, causing Egypt's Mohamed Hany to score an own goal to tie the score at 1-1.

Lukaku's impact didn't show up on the stat sheet, but it was clear to the eyeballs. And though neither team scored for the rest of the game, a proper show was put on. 

After the game, Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans was asked what he thought about the Seattle atmosphere.

“It was good. You know, before the game, after the game, and during the game, you try to focus, but yeah, it's really good,†he said. “We had both sets of fans making some noise. It was great.â€

Of course, Seattle Stadium isn't the only place where soccer die-hards have gathered in this town. Various locations televising games throughout the region have brimmed with fans.

It's living up to the hype — from everything to the turnout to the grass covering the traditionally-turfed field. Will it get better? There's certainly a good chance.

After the U.S. beat Paraguay 4-1 in its opening World Cup game, the nation feels as fired up for this team as it's been in years. That game Friday may make Monday look like a foreshock, but Monday still registered on the Richter scale.

Who knows if the men's World Cup will come back to Seattle again in our lifetimes. But it's here now for us to enjoy.

Game 1 didn't produce a winner. It's hard to say it didn't produce a win.