GARDEN CITY, Idaho — Idaho's first professional soccer team, Athletic Club Boise, has no shortage of fans in the area. The River Guard, a club created to support AC Boise, helped fans celebrate before the inaugural game Saturday night.
The party started at Brown Bear Brewing Company before the River Guard marched from the brewery to the new stadium for the first home match.
"Being able to walk from the pub to the first home game is absolutely amazing," said Tab Carman. "There are no words to express the feeling of the community here in Boise supporting a home soccer team."
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The River Guard chanted AC-BOISE as they marched, waving flags, banging drums and blasting out green smoke. The club's mission is to stand and be rowdy to support the green and black.
"This feels like what we have needed for so long in the valley," said Carman. "I am born and raised here, and this has been a long time coming."
The River Guard came to the Brown Bear Brewing Company six months ago with five members and met with the owner, Bryce Tuttle. The River Guard was excited to find a spot so close to the stadium, and Tuttle has reaped the rewards from this partnership.
Tuttle told us one of his brewery's biggest days of all time was during an away game for Athletic Club Boise. During the march to the stadium, Tuttle was out in front waving a flag.
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The River Guard has grown to 175 people, and that number definitely grew larger during the home opener.
"I don't know that I've seen the city really get behind something like this. It's cool," said Tuttle. "We have a really unique spot being so close to the stadium, and I guess I hit the jackpot in that regard."
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The first match sold out well in advance, and going into this inaugural season, the club sold more than 6,000 season tickets. The stadium has a capacity of 7,000.
Tickets during game day will be tough to come by, but the club will sell 200 tickets on game day for ten dollars a piece.
AC Boise and Ada County signed a 30-year lease for the stadium that will also feature a women's team next year.
Rod Beck, an Ada County Commissioner told us it's a proud day for Ada County. He called the terms good for both sides. Beck said that the improvements coming to the Expo Idaho will be a game-changer for the Treasure Valley.
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"This is a generational change, this is going to be an enduring generational change for all of Ada County," said Beck. "I think everybody in Ada County is proud of this event happening, and I had no idea that soccer was this important to so many people."
