La Barra Brava

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La Barra Brava is an independent supporters' group for Major League Soccer's D.C. United. It was founded in 1995 by Latino fans in the Washington, D.C. area, mostly Bolivian immigrants in support of original United players Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno.

Since then, the group has expanded and all have been welcomed, while the group has remained closely identified with its South American roots. Members currently stand and sing in RFK Stadium's sections 135, 136 and 137 and tailgates are held in Lot 8. La Barra was founded by Oscar Zambrana and is led by Oscar and a group of "Elders".

La Barra Brava runs several events and programs for members and all United fans throughout the year. They sponsor away-game viewing parties, road trips to away matches and popular charity raffles that have raised thousands of dollars. They also maintain relationships with fan organizations world-wide, particularly with the Nottingham Forest Supporters Southwest/M5 Branch and the Charleston Battery Supporters. La Barra Brava publishes at least 3 articles on United and soccer per week on their website.

Within MLS, the Barra is known for its drumming, including the famous "Drum Circles" at halftime and after home matches. In 2005, La Barra Brava received extensive media coverage when suspended United playmaker Christian Gomez joined the Barra at road game in NJ and played a bass drum during the second half to support his teammates.

La Barra is widely considered one of the most active and best supporters groups in MLS. This has been made apparent when games at RFK are shown on national television via ESPN or ABC, as announcers will mention La Barra Brava in an attempt to explain some of the organized craziness that seems to occur in the bouncing stands. Tony Kornheiser has also used La Barra Brava as his stereotypical example of what he thinks typical DC United fans are like.