EXCLUSIVE Boxing beauty Ebanie Bridges has warned Americans to "expect a ruckus" when her native Australia's fans descend on Seattle for their clash against the USA in the World Cup
Boxing bombshell Ebanie Bridges has warned Americans to "expect a ruckus" when Australia heads to Seattle for a crunch World Cup clash with the USA.
Australia, who beat Turkey 2-0 in their opener in Group D, are back in action on Friday evening as they take on the hosts, who recorded an impressive 4-1 win in their first game. And former world champion Bridges, who was born Down Under before relocating to the UK, is backing her national team to spring a surprise.
"I think we can beat the USA," Bridges told Daily Star Sport when asked for her prediction ahead of the second group game , after admitting she was wowed by their "mega" showing against the Turks. "I feel like this team doesn't have much expectation on them. There aren't really any big names.
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"It's not like the days of [Mark] Viduka or [Tim] Cahill, where there's a lot of expectation on individuals and that's who you're watching. But after that game, I thought our defence was spot on. [Goalkeeper] Patrick Beach, I think he was amazing. They had most of the possession and our defence was really tight. He made some really good saves.
"The kid who plays for Watford, [Nestory] Irankunda, who got the first goal, he's really young and I think it's exciting seeing him do that. It was a really good game against Turkey."
While Bridges is confident Australia can upset the hosts, she's less convinced her country can go all the way in the tournament, even though she's not ruling it out completely. "I can't see us winning the whole thing if I'm honest," she joked. "The other teams are too strong.
"I think this is a good team though. The strength is that they're a tight-knit team. I think [Tony] Popovic has done really, really well with them. He's got good experience from playing in Europe and all that.
"But I never get my hopes up with Australia in the World Cup. I just get excited when we're still in it!"
Thousands of green-and-gold-clad fans have descended on the Pacific Northwest ahead of the blockbuster clash, turning parts of Seattle into a home away from home. And Bridges is proud of how her countrymen and women always create an atmosphere.
Just over 24 hours before their World Cup clash, MLB side Seattle Mariners welcomed a handful to their ball park - and they quickly stole the show "doing shoeys at the ballpark" - drinking beer or champagne from a shoe.
"Do we cheer or boo that," one fan responded to the Mariners' post on X - to which they replied: "We watch!" Footage of the shoeys were shared on social media, as Mariners fans were given an introduction to Australian culture.
Elsewhere, one fan was seen blowing up a beach ball - only to have it swiped away by security before it started bouncing around the crowd. The scenes were reminiscent of Scottish supporters taking over Fenway Park earlier in the tournament, transforming a Boston Red Sox game into an impromptu karaoke session.
While, in the city, the only Australian bar is ready to be drunk dry by football fans: “When it was announced that the US [team] was going to Seattle, I couldn’t believe it,” Bradley Howe, the owner, told local outlets.
“I’ve got kegs at my house, I’ve got liquor everywhere. We are stacked and loaded…Twenty-five years in the game and this might be my biggest, most exciting day.”
Bridges believes the Americans may not be fully prepared for the atmosphere Australia's supporters will create. "I think we're going to cause a ruckus," she said with a laugh. "Americans are quite different to us Aussies."
Australian supporters have already been making headlines stateside during the tournament. A rude chant aimed at Donald Trump went viral on social media and even drew a response from US Senator Rick Scott, who criticised the fans behind it.
“Look, it’s great that we get to host the World Cup,” he said. “Now I want America to win. Look, if you come to our country, you ought to be respectful of our president. Think about it, they probably can’t do it in their countries.”
But while Australian humour might not be to everyone's tastes, the fans from Down Under have been having the time of their lives out in the States and that will continue if Popovic can outsmart for US manager Mauricio Pochettino.
A win for either side will likely see them top the group and have a favourable draw in the knockout rounds, with Bridges adding: "I think it's exciting. It's good to see Australia having a team at a major football tournament. The last 10 years have been really good for football in Australia, although we had a dip there for a while...
"Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi. Like all Aussies in any sport, we'll fight till the death. We'll give them a hard game for sure!"