LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. — Portugal's national team has a fan base right here in Palm Beach County, and they showed up in force for the team's first match of the tournament.
Dozens of Portugal supporters packed the Portuguese American Culture Society of Palm Beach County in Loxahatchee to watch the game together, surrounded by Portuguese beer, wine, and food from the Iberian Peninsula.
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Vic Piorro, treasurer of the club, said the energy in the room reflected just how deeply soccer is woven into Portuguese identity.
"In Portugal, you have soccer, that's all there is. So it's very much part of our culture and our tradition," Piorro said.
The club has been a gathering place for the local Portuguese community since 1981.
"It really started out just as a place for us to gather and speak our language, eat our food, observe our traditions and our culture, and it's grown into much more than that," Piorro said.
Among the fans in attendance were Jonathan Reinoso and his father, Johnny-Lee Reinoso, who left work early to make it to the club in time for kickoff.
"Left work early, had to get home, grab the family, and come to the Portuguese club to enjoy the game," Johnny-Lee said.
Jonathan has been a superfan since childhood. When the Portuguese national team set down roots in Palm Beach Gardens for their practice facility, his father seized what he called the opportunity of a lifetime — getting his son a chance to meet the team, including Cristiano Ronaldo.
"I've been a fan my whole life, and when I just met him, it was just a dream, like I was in complete shock, like I couldn't even barely take a picture with him. He was like walking like really fast," Jonathan said.
"It was amazing," Jonathan said.
For Jonathan, the feeling of being in that room with fellow fans is something that goes beyond the scoreboard.
"It just means like so much to me. It's just like, just like my whole heart. I love it," Jonathan said.
Even though the game ended in a tie, the night was still a celebration for the Reinoso family and everyone else at the Portuguese American Culture Society of Palm Beach County.
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