For those of you who were living in a "sports cave" over the past month the World Cup has been blasting along in South Africa and while I'm not the biggest soccer fan in the world, I have been glued to this year's events. The U.S. while not "underdogs" in the least, came into pool play highly touted to get out of the group and into the round of 16. With a big game draw against England and a (in my personal opinion) a blown call of a tie with Slovenia the U.S. had to win against Algeria. Either a Brit loss or a U.S. win would put them through to the round of 16. Through 90 minutes of regulation time, another disallowed goal, and all kinds of missed opportunities it looked as through "Sam's Army" was headed home early again this year. England had a lead and had won its game against Slovenia pushing them through and the U.S. was all but out. Yet low and behold the ref put on 4 minutes of stoppage time and that's where the play was gloriously made. It started by a masterful set up from the keeper Howard and advanced Altidore, crossed to Dempsey and finally "willed through" by Donovan as he pushed the ball over the line in the 91st minute. It had been done, the work paid off, the prayers answered the game won. The "thrill of victory and the agony of defeat" on display, and the glory of sport in its purest form was in that game.
As a friend of mine "posted" - "Honestly, since when do people care about soccer?" and to be truthful as I've said before, I really don't qualify as an avid fan but as I responded "Since it's the World Cup...plus amp up American pride and you got yourself a ball game." I think that goal, that team, that situation meant more of what it meant to be American, and what is good about America, than it did about the game of soccer.
In an article on the Huffington Post by Stinson Carter in which he called yesterday, "The Day We (American's) Learned to Love Soccer," he states;
"yesterday, the young men of our National soccer team showed us something that affirmed the inner greatness of a troubled people. They showed us why we must always continue to believe that great things can happen to those who work hard and refuse to give up."That's what we care about, the American ideal...oh yeah and there was a soccer game too. So now we can all stand up and yell "GOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLL!
1 comment:
You are one of the specific examples of what the Americans having success in the World Cup can mean for one fan. Because we advanced, I bet you've kept up with the Cup instead of just glancing at it if we were eliminated. Also, moving forward I bet you watch a little more MLS or English Premiere League because you actually recognize names!!
Most of all, you shared a moment in time, and then beat me to blog about it! I jumped around my parents house so much my mom wished she video taped it. That was Edmonds in Game 6 at Busch, it was Pujols in Houston. We will talk about that goal for the next 2 World Cups at least. I'm glad you and so many others got to see one of those moments that keep us addicted to watching sports!
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