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The English soccer fans have a new favorite player, and he has nothing to do with soccer whatsoever. Following in the footsteps of the Tartan Army in Fenway Park, the English soccer fans took over Truist Park, the home of the Atlanta Braves, on Wednesday. During the Braves’ 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, the English reportedly rallied behind Michael Harris II with chants and cheers.

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FIFA fever has taken over America as fans from across the world have arrived to cheer for their favorite soccer teams. Fresh from England’s thrilling 2-1 victory, the English opted to top off their USA experience with America’s favorite pastime- a baseball game. As soccer and baseball came together in a rare but wholesome crossover, Braves’ center fielder found himself at the heart of English fans’ affection, as per For The Win.

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Truist Park erupted in cheers every time Harris was at the plate. He went 1-for-4 and drove in an RBI single in the eighth inning. The English fans serenaded him with chants, including their famous “It’s coming home” call. Much to their delight, Harris also caught a flyball with soccer chants roaring in the background. The English brought the full Wembley Stadium vibes to Atlanta as they even worked the 25-year-old’s name into a song: walking in a Harris wonderland.

Perhaps even fans in Atlanta would have failed to come up with that. Born in Georgia, USA, Harris has no known connection to England.

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The English fans might have randomly chosen to adopt Harris as their favorite player next to Harry Kane, but it was a solid one.

The 25-year-old star is having an impressive season this year. The 2022 NL Rookie of the Year, Harris is slashing .293/.328/.484 for an .812 OPS. He has launched 14 homers and driven in 44 RBIs this season. The Braves, too, are having an excellent season. They are currently sitting atop the NL East.

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Wednesday marked a cultural mix, and Michael Harris II clearly enjoyed it to the fullest.

Michael Harris II loves his international fanbase

As the Braves recorded a 5-1 victory over the Cardinals, Harris thanked his newly discovered fanbase for its continuous support. In appreciation of their infectious energy, Harris tossed a ball towards the chanting fans. They fought to snag the souvenir. The Braves star also gave his cap to one fan cheering for him. He reportedly signed jerseys and smiled for selfies with fans once the game was over.

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Following the game, Harris posted a GIF of Harry Kane, their captain and only goal scorer against DR Congo, on his X account. Led by Kane, England advanced deeper into the knockout stages of the World Cup.

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Later on, Harris also posted an Instagram story taken near the outfield wall at Truist Park. It showed the outfielder with the cheering English fans in the stands behind him.

Harris captioned the story as “England Lit.”

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The Atlanta Braves were back to basics on Thursday without the loud English soccer fans in the stands. The Braves lost the game to the Cardinals 5-11, as their bullpen exploded in the seventh inning. The Braves bullpen blew a 5-3 lead by allowing seven runs in the seventh inning, landing the team in a hole they could not recover from. Harris went 1-for-4 on Thursday also, as the Braves dropped the series.

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Written by

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Srijanee Chakraborty

396 Articles

Srijanee Chakraborty is a writer at EssentiallySports, where she focuses on covering Major League Baseball. She transitioned into sports journalism from being a dedicated fact-checker—a skill that still shines through in the accuracy and deep-dive reporting of each piece she writes. Her master's degree in English and postgraduate diploma in Mass Communication work together to help her uncover the stories behind the stats. When Srijanee is not tracking baseball action, she can be found obsessing over professional tennis or her favorite fictional characters.

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Deepali Verma

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