Las Vegas has own Sam’s Army platoon

Saturday, May 27, 2006 | 7:40 a.m.

It's easy to determine the ringleader of what might be the most die-hard quartet of soccer fans in Nevada.

Bo Bernhard, the director of gaming research and an assistant professor at UNLV's International Gaming Institute, secured his ticket two weeks ago to the United States' opening game in the World Cup in Germany .

He'll be in Gelsenkirchen on June 12 when the U.S. plays the Czech Republic. He will then zip to Berlin for Brazil's opener the following day against Croatia.

"The World Cup is the world's spring break," Bernhard said. "For a month, the whole world gets together and parties. It's a great time."

Bernhard and his three lifelong friends have been having fun with soccer for a long time. They are the nucleus of the Las Vegas Brigade of Sam's Army, the unofficial national fan organization for the U.S. national team.

Orin Haworth, 36, is a financial planner. Chris Burgess, 34, is a valet at Caesars Palace. Jeff Handy, 40, works in construction. They've traveled the country watching the U.S. men in qualifiers and friendlies, and they've never seen the team lose.

They are all former captains of their high school teams: Bernhard, Burgess and Haworth at Bonanza and Handy at Clark. Bernhard also played at Harvard.

They still play together in local indoor and outdoor adult leagues.

And they still like to talk soccer, as we discovered during a recent interview.

So how did it all start?

Bo Bernhard: The first-ever (Sam's Army) game was in Foxboro, Mass., (in June 1995). I happened to go to that game, and I heard a bunch of guys all dressed in red, behind one goal, singing and dancing. I thought, what a bunch of geeks.

But my buddies and I went over there. We go, "Who are you guys?" They said, "We're Sam's Army." Then they started singing these songs. They had a song for Cobi Jones, a song for John Harkes. USA-Nigeria, it was the first for Sam's Army. Drank with them afterward, got on the e-mail list and have been on it ever since.

Chris Burgess: When we were in Columbus, we found out Sam's Army was at a certain bar. We went and hung out, and they were singing songs at the pub.

Orin Haworth: That's what they're shooting for, an English pub-type atmosphere.

Burgess: It's a fun time. No one has malice toward anybody. Everyone has a good time, drinking and singing.

Jeff Handy: Even when you have fans from the opposing team, or international fans, it doesn't get ugly.

Haworth: It's not like at ... Raiders stadium, where they (urinate) on a guy for wearing another team's jersey. We're having a good time.

Orin, didn't you once run onto the Crew Stadium field in Columbus, Ohio, after the U.S. beat Mexico in a qualifier?

Haworth: It was 20 minutes after the game. No one was around. We were in awe of the pitch, so proud to have this soccer-specific stadium. We said, "Whoever goes onto the field drinks free the rest of the night."

And no charges were filed?

Haworth: I just got kicked off the field. It was the catch-and-release program.

How knowledgeable has the average Sam's Army member become about the game?

Handy: At the beginning, it might have been a lot of guys trying to get a clique together. Over time, they have adapted a better love and knowledge for the game. It's important to have a knowledge of what you're rooting about, instead of just being out there and blindly saying things you have no idea what you're talking about.

Burgess: We grew up playing soccer and we appreciate it. We understand it. I hope my children and some other people appreciate it half as much as we do.

Haworth: A lot of fans our age probably grew up to like the game, just from watching our kids play. They didn't actually play it themselves. It's become such a popular sport for youths that more of the mainstream is starting to enjoy the sport.

Burgess: I met my wife four years ago almost to this World Cup, and she thought we were all crazy. I mean, I set my alarm because we were all going to watch the U.S. game at the bar.

Bernhard: That Portugal game (a 3-2 U.S. victory at Korea/Japan 2002) might be my favorite U.S. men's national team game. To knock off one of the world's powers ... all of us were looking at each other like,

Is this really happening?

Burgess: Ten or 15 of us hung out to watch the U.S. play at a PT's Pub.

Handy: At first, there were six or seven of us. For the second game, there were 10 or 12. For the third, there were 20 people. By the time we played Germany (in the quarters), there were 40 people there.

Burgess: At USA '94, that's when it really started to take off. People really started getting an awareness of being on the world stage. I went to two (games) in L.A., USA-Romania and Sweden-Cameroon. Cameroon made that run.

Bernhard: And that guy looked like O.J. That was the O.J. Simpson summer, and this guy for Sweden looked just like O.J.

(Laughs all around.)

How will the U.S. do in Germany?

Haworth: I really think they're going to advance.

Burgess: I believe they'll go to the second round, at least.

Handy: I believe they'll go to the second round and get knocked off by Brazil.

Haworth: I think either Italy or the Czechs (in Group E with the U.S.) will come in flat and we'll see a game against Brazil.

Bernhard: Where they'll lose to Brazil.

Handy: I think the first game is everything, against the Czechs. If we beat them, definitely we're going through. If it's a tie or something like that, then I don't think so.

How about the U.S., if it wins its group, still having to play Brazil if the defending champs finish second in their group?

Burgess: Could happen.

Bernhard: My worst nightmare. We could do worse than we did last World Cup, not make the quarterfinals, and the U.S. media would go crazy, (saying), "This is a step backward." But it could be a step forward. Hopefully, people support it, no matter what, and understand that we are now a force to be reckoned with on the world stage.

Who will win the World Cup and why?

Bernhard: I don't know how you could ever pick against Brazil. But Argentina is stacked, and the Argentina-Brazil rivalry is always intriguing. Argentina can do it. I think England is in trouble without Wayne Rooney.

Haworth: I think the dark horse is Spain.

Burgess: Brazil and Argentina are the top two teams, unless someone gets hurt. I predict those two will move along.

Bernhard: I like France as a dark horse. I think France could have one last run.

Handy: I'm feeling good about Trinidad and Tobago.

(Laughs all around.)

Handy: I think, since it's in Germany, they (the hosts) always manage to squeak things out, somehow. They're at home, and there's a lot of energy behind that. I think Germany has a good shot to be in the final.

In our lifetime, will the U.S. men win a World Cup?

Burgess: In our generation? Absolutely. There are so many more people in it than there used to be. In the past, our best athletes concentrated in other sports. Now, more and more of them are playing soccer as their main sport.

Haworth: There is a much larger pool of players.

Bernhard: I'm optimistic. I figure I have another 70 years on this planet, and in those 70 years it's going to happen. I'll be 103. I will keel over when that happens.

It'll happen in my lifetime. Absolutely.

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