SANDY, Utah — If you've ever attended a soccer game, you know the rattles, drumbeats, and chants are inseparable from the action on the pitch.
RSL Fans at the final home game of the year, ahead of the World Cup break, told us that the loud music and noise are a must to keep energy high in the stands.
"I think you need the lively music that just keeps you moving and excited," one fan said.
The tradition of noisemaking at soccer matches stretches back more than a century. Wooden rattles began making a racket at British soccer games in the early 1900s.
Drums and chants are favored in countries like Brazil and then there's the infamous vuvuzelas of the 2010 World Cup in South America.
Today, at any modern game around the world, some form of music-making is a given.
"You're here with fans, we have all the energy, same with the music, you can feel all the energy too, so it's a must to have it here at the stadium," a fan said.
Each team and each league carries its own treasured traditions, but the effect is universal.
Fabian Camacho is a drummer for Real Salt Lake's fan section, known as the Riot, and he knows exactly how important his beats are to the game.
"Music is important in the stands because it sets the mood for the match," Camacho said (Translated from Spanish).
Camacho said the absence of music would fundamentally change the atmosphere.
"Without music, it would be a tennis match, just another chess match. Music is part of the stadium culture, of football, and when the player hears the music, they are going to go out there and give it their all," Camacho said.
Other fans agree the noise does more than entertain; it sends a message to the players.
A fact that seemed to inspire that particular night as the music grew considerably louder for both of the goals in the 2 to 1 win over Colorado.
"It keeps the game going, lets the guys know you're cheering for them," one fan said right after the first goal of the game.
So whether you're watching the World Cup or cheering on your home team, fans say there's really only one requirement.
"When you match the game and all the energy from the fans and the music, it's a good mix for sure," a fan said.
