As Tartan Day Parade marches through NYC, Scottish football fans get hyped for World Cup
NEW YORK - Scotland's presence was felt across New York City on Saturday with the Tartan Day Parade marching up 6th Avenue. But that's not the only reason for Scottish pride. Fans are getting ready for the Scottish national soccer team's return to the World Cup.
What we know:
Before Saturday's Tartan Day Parade, Scottish soccer fans gathered in the West Village for a pickup match on Friday. It's all part of a bigger moment. Scotland is headed back to the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
The team punched its ticket in November with a decisive 4-2 win over Denmark, ending the 28-year drought. That excitement has reached far beyond Scotland, with supporters across the globe, including a strong fan base here in New York City.
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What they're saying:
"It means the world to me," one fan told FOX 5 NY. "I was three months old the last time we played in the World Cup, so technically it's the second time I've seen it."
Another fan called Scotland's appearance "an unbelievable feeling."
"It's a clash of my two worlds," she said. "My passion for Scottish football fuels everything I do right here in New York and in America.
Scotland's Coach Steve Clarke says the team is "going to need the American Tartan Army, the American Scottish connection to drum up all the games and make sure that they get the team the full backing, which I'm sure they will."
What's next:
Scotland's first match of the group stage is on June 13 against Haiti in Foxborough, Massachusetts.