“There’s no other sport where a fan can do what a soccer fan does,” says one supporter in a new documentary The Tifo. And the new, 14-minute online work details exactly how through a very specific lens: yes, through tifo creation as the title suggests, but a classic one proudly carried by fans of USL team OKC Energy FC.
Known as the Grid, this group boasts some of the most hardcore loyal fans in the west—as well as a characteristic tifo bearing a tree. As it turns out in the documentary, it’s a known landmark in their beloved hometown. But overall, the dreamily-shot film serves more as a meditation on what it means to be a passionate soccer fan in an area where that makes you something of an outlier.
There’s another special thing about the Grid, though—the supporters’ group shares several members with the Dallas Beer Guardians, who support FC Dallas. The Energy and FC Dallas formalized their team affiliation earlier this year, an occasion which both supporters’ groups happily marked with a joint tailgate. You can read about that here, and check out The Tifo.
