LOS ANGELES - Soccer fan Susan Hughes stated that she was absolutely certain that 2019 will be the year she doesn’t have to prove her soccer fan credentials as she looked forward to sharing more of the game and herself with her online friends.

“No longer will I need to list Galaxy goal keepers from 1999 or an exhaustive list of forwards from Manchester United during the early 2000s in order to try to prove that I’m a fan,” stated Hughes online. “I am comfortable with my knowledge and place in the game, so I’m certain that this is going to be a great year.”

Online followers of Ms. Hughes’ Twitter account lauded her for her commitment to, “this decades long charade,” as they indicated that she still didn’t need to pretend to like soccer.

The Nutmeg News reached out to Twitter user and human reprobate @Rashfordaboys121212 who stated, “I wonder which boyfriend of hers was into Manchester United.”

Ms. Hughes was, also, immediately sent a unbidden Direct Message with a picture of a man’s genitals in it and a message of, “Y dn’t u come over n help me play FIFA.”

Despite the flood of negative messages that came after an initial wave of positive responses, Ms. Hughes stated she wasn’t going to let it get to her as she started blocking trolls across the world and then took her Twitter account private.

“I know that it’s going to be great,” stated Ms. Hughes. “It’s only just a matter of time before they accept me as a fellow fan.”

The Nutmeg News will have more on this as Ms. Hughes files a restraining order in February over a user who becomes obsessed with her Instagram account and creates different profiles to hurl abuse at her in the comments section of her pictures of playing soccer and her pictures from the gym.