‘It gives people pride’ - A balloon, a military base and a displaced club: How Irvine became the USMNT’s unlikely World Cup home

If there's anyone out there qualified to explain the city of Irvine, it's Larry Agran. He's the city's incumbent mayor and is currently serving his sixth non-consecutive term in charge of the city. And, on Monday, as American soccer arrived in his city, he took the time to offer something of a history lesson about the ground everyone was standing on.

Great Park, the facility that houses the Championship Soccer Stadium, where the U.S. are training, remains a work in progress. It has existed for less than 20 years. Before that, it was the site of Marine Corps Air Station El Toro for 56 years. During that time, every U.S. president post-World War II landed in Air Force 1 on that airfield. At the same time, countless young men and women lived and, ultimately, left the base to go to war.

"Pilots who were in the Pacific in World War II were trained here," Agran told the media on Monday. "Many of them, this was the last place they were on U.S. soil before flying off to battle, not only in World War II but the Korean War and the Vietnam War. It continued to be a military training base right up until the 1990s.

"There's a lot of storied history here, a lot of men and women have passed through here over the years. We try, as part of Great Park, to retain an appreciation for that history, for the hallowed nature of this land."

One of the ways to do that? By making the Great Park a destination, and what better time to be a destination than during a World Cup? A city as small as Irvine would never be able to put on a game, of course, but they could play a part. There was a way to host a World Cup without hosting a World Cup game: by serving as a base camp.

Six years ago, the city put its name forward. In the years after, FIFA made multiple visits to inspect facilities to make sure they were even worthy of making it into the brochure. Irvine passed the test and, over a three-year period, countless teams visited.

The process of hosting would be a combined effort from both the city and the local club, Orange County SC, who call Championship Soccer Stadium home.

Dan Rutstein, OCSC's president, was a massive part of the process from the very beginning, and in truth, the end result of the process was never fully clear. Irvine knew they wanted to host, but who could they host? That was always something of a mystery.

"I'm not going to name names," Rutstein tells GOAL, "but there were two teams that came to visit that did not make the World Cup. They sent out equipment managers and logistics people because, if they would have qualified, this would have been a venue they were looking at. They wasted their money, unfortunately.

"We were secretly hoping for the best possible team, because, no offense to some of them, but if this was the training base for a Curacao, for example, that doesn't really move the needle the same."

One of the teams to examine the facilities throughout the years were the USMNT. Rutstein estimates that they must have visited half a dozen times. Representatives from U.S. Soccer checked everything. Where would cameras be placed? Did the facility have ice baths and massage tables? Where could you wash kits? If the hotel and venue aren't in the same jurisdiction, who would provide a police escort: city or county police?

"Somebody should write a book about how you prepare for a tournament," Rutstein says, "because there are so many little things that you have to think of so that players don't feel like they're somewhere else. We're only seeing 10 percent of it, but the intricacies of making this work are extraordinary."

OCSC and the city of Irvine had answers to all of those questions, which is why, in March, U.S. Soccer officially confirmed that they'd be headed to Orange County for their World Cup run.

"We've had all sorts of teams, some of the best teams in the world," Rutstein said, "and then obviously it gets closer, and then you find out, boom, it's America. It can't get any bigger."

The facility itself is less than 15 years old. The first thing you notice is, of course, the giant balloon, but a further walk through the grounds reveals a wide variety of spaces and amenities. Location is also key. Orange County is about 45 miles from SoFi Stadium, where the U.S. will play two group matches. On a good day, you can make the trip in an hour, which means players will be close to Los Angeles, but not too close to one of the biggest cities in the world, giving them the privacy required to prepare for a World Cup.

"When we found out we were going to be on the West Coast, we visited 27 different facilities from all the way up to Seattle to all the way down in San Diego," Zapataka said on Monday. "It became very clear that here in Orange County, this was our home. We felt it immediately. As we walked in the door, they said, 'Welcome home'. We chose that because of the people and because of the facility."

Rutstein is quick to praise the facilities. He's also quick to sell the romanticism of it all.

"There are fields everywhere, but it's also oddly beautiful," he says. "There are mountains in the background and you've got this giant balloon that's a staple of the park here. If you're out there in the afternoon, the way the sun sets over the mountains, it's one of the most beautiful stadiums I've ever seen.

"You also can't discount that the weather is beautiful. The weather is going to be a talking point throughout the tournament but, Orange County is blessed. It's sunny and 75 all year round. Orange County is blessed with those natural benefits, and they're going to take advantage of them."

There are complications, though. Not everything is ideal, at least for the hosts themselves.

"I want to be absolutely clear," Rutstein begins. "This isn't a complaint, but there is definitely some short-term pain for us."

Rutstein is, of course, speaking as president of OCSC. As part of their hosting duties, the USL Championship side has vacated their home for the duration of the USMNT's stay. That comes right in the middle of the season, with the club currently sitting second place in their group and just two points out of first with a game in hand.

So, as hosts, what will OCSC be required to do? Well, the answer is simple: stay out of the way.

"We have storage containers with all of our merchandise that we think we're going to sell this summer," Rutstein says. "We had to put it somewhere else. It's been quite challenging logistically because we are three years into a 10-year lease. We're literally not allowed in the stadium. One of the areas that our players use for lunch is the manager's office. Another area, our VIP stand, is a massage area for players. They're really taking over the whole thing...We're literally being thrown out."

In total, OCSC will vacate the stadium for six weeks. The club has spent thousands of dollars to take down branding to meet FIFA guidelines, Rutstein says. There will be no OCSC branding in locker rooms, in the tunnels, or anywhere else in the venue. From the moment the USMNT arrived on the ground, the venue became theirs.

Rutstein and OCSC aren't sulking, though; they're making the most of an opportunity. While all but one of their games over a nine-week span would be played away from home, one would be played in Orange County. On May 23, the club hosted Okaland Roots SC at nearby Santa Ana Stadium, a local football venue with nearly double the capacity of Championship Soccer Stadium.

With that said, Rutstein says he and his club are on standby if needed. They were in a similar situation a few months back when Canada briefly came to town, and OCSC stepped in to assist multiple times during Canada's stay.

"We had guys helping them do laundry at the end of the day," Rutstein says. "At one point, they needed a left winger for a scrimmage, so we lent them one of our academy players. I can't imagine the U.S. will need players, but if they do, we're literally next door, and we have loads of young players in their youth setup. You never know. They are very self-sufficient, but if they ever need anything, we'll be there."

OCSC have also proven themselves as one of American soccer's premier selling clubs, having sent eight players to Europe since 2020. Their list of recent sales includesPedro Guimaraes (Eintracht Frankfurt),Korede Osundina (Feyenoord), Milan Iloski (FC Nordsjaelland),Kobi Henry (Stade de Reims), and Aaron Cervantes(Rangers).

One of the most exciting parts about hosting is the fact that local players will get yet another example of OCSC's ties to the highest points of the game, which is uncommon for a club at the USL level.

"We are deliberately developing young players," Rutstein says. "So, for us, the fact that the today of American soccer is training on the field that the tomorrow of American soccer plays on every week, I think that is especially important.

"We've got four current U.S. youth internationals, and they're really excited that they can see a future. They're not going to play in this World Cup, but some have played in youth World Cups, and they can now see themselves potentially playing in the next World Cup. It's a nice story for our club to be associated with the national team."

In general, from on and off-field points of view, hosting duties will surely do more than enough to offset the brief pain points. The club is in the process of shopping the naming rights to the stadium, and the increased publicity will surely help.

"I think, at the end of this, people are going to find their local soccer teams, and I think that's a huge opportunity," Rutstein says. "This tournament is also, in some ways, inaccessible. If you can't go watch a game at SoFi, where your parking ticket is $250, for that $250 you can get two season tickets in our general admission area or bring your entire family, feed them, have some drinks, and buy everyone a shirt."

He continues, "We're really drawing a line between them and us and creating that link. Sure, there's short-term pain, but there's unbelievable long-term gain as our stadium gets put on the map and our sport gets put on the map. Irvine will forever be talked about as the training base for America during a World Cup, and you can't take that away."

Agran says that Irvine is home to around 330,000 people at the moment. In five to 10 years, he says, it'll be over 400,000. The city is growing, and it's growing more diverse.

"I don't want to sound too hokey about this," Agran says, "but there are terrific things we can do when we come together. Sports or any other major activity can produce a coming together of folks and an honoring and recognizing of the value of teamwork and values. It's very uplifting for the entire community."

On Monday, the community came together at Great Park. Thousands of fans watched as the USMNT trained at their local stadium. Young fans eagerly awaited autographs. Players took selfies. Manager Mauricio Pochettino took the microphone and thanked the community for a warm welcome before leading everyone in a "USA" chant.

"It's more than we expect, and not only the facilities, but the people that are here working," the manager said. "I think great facilities and great people are an amazing combination. Sometimes you can see a great facility, but people are not so great. I prefer always less quality of facility, but great people. Here we have great facilities, great people, and we are so, so grateful.

"I want to say a big thank you to all the people who are involved in that facility, because the way that they prepare everything is with love, that is the most important thing."

Rutstein says he believes the community will feel the impact for a while. They'll feel it in the big moments, when they see a police escort guiding the USMNT to training. They'll feel it in the small ones, too, when people are reminded that soccer is based in their city this summer.

"The irony is that we may even feel it more here than they do in LA," he says. "In Orange County, there will be so many people who will just be here. There will be TV trucks and crews. You may see Christian Pulisic having a coffee. You may bump into Joe Max Moore, Bobby Wood, Alexi Lalas, or Landon Donovan because they're down for training. There will be a feeling. It will feel like something's going on.

"Once the World Cup starts, it'll be a bit different, but for those few weeks, every day, it will be reporting from Irvine, California, and I think that gives people pride."

What that means in the end is anyone's guess, but for a few weeks, the city of Irvine will be the center of American soccer. And, for a few weeks, that balloon will fly high over Great Park as a reminder of how a community became home to a national team hoping to change the sport for good.