The USA soccer team in all its star-spangled glory has completely captured my heart. Here’s why.
About a month ago I was staring at my television in disbelief the World Cup had finally arrived. Now I’m in utter disbelief that the tournament has come and gone, leaving only one of the best Germany squads ever put together. USA soccer and that amazing victory over Ghana are only a faint memory at this point.
This year we witnessed what I consider that last great push toward football frenzy in America. It started with a blitzkrieg goal by captain Dempsey and ended in a comeback that fell just short against a powerful Belgian team — but oh, was there drama. The work of Dempsey, Bradley, Jones and the rest of our ragtag crew made for one of the most compelling stories in the entire Cup!
Soccer is considered the beautiful game because it brings so many different cultures together. It’s one of the best ways of demonstrating what qualities make us no different from the people and cultures we’ve never met or know nothing about. Just as we triumph in victory, we agonize in the wake of defeat.
Watching US soccer exit the tournament was a heavy blow to my fanship but I’m glad the boys kept their heads held high. Losing Landon Donovan seemed like an insurmountable loss on offense, especially after Altidore’s early departure, but I was pleasantly surprised. Jürgen Klinsmann proved many of his detractors wrong and has set a fine foundation to build on going forward. And god bless Tim Howard.
Common soccer haters have suggested most of America will go back to not caring about soccer, but I implore new fans to keep burning the flame. Great football is taking place every year with unimaginable talent, including many faces you’ll see manning the pitch for USA in Russia. The future is bright for our USA soccer team!
