Yesterday at around 10am the USA wrote the story to one of the greatest days in our soccer team's history. After being absolutely screwed out of a goal for the second time in a week the US came from the ashes to beat Algeria in the 91st minute and win their group in the World Cup. It was amazing, it was unlikely, it was a story book finish to group play and I think I've seen the clip 50 times since it happened.
Oh you haven't seen it?
Where the F have you been
Amazing. The announcer from ESPN said it perfectly, "Dempsey has been denied again, and wait, Donovan, USA a GOLDEN GOAL, and surely you couldn't have written a better script than this."
Can we please get these guys over here for other sports. I think them adding in lines like "surely he won't be waking up for tea in the morning" into Ray Lewis killing some QB would really put a nice spin on it, maybe I'm crazy, but I don't think I'm alone.
Regardless, to the main point here...
Soccer's popularity is not going to change in America because of this win. Stop acting like this is some defining moment in the sports history in the US. America invented the modern forms of basketball, baseball and football...nothing will take their place.
What happened when David Beckham joined the Galaxy? Oh, soccer's going to take off in America! What happened next? They realized he wasn't bringing as much money as they thought he would and they shipped him off to AC Milan to mess up his leg...yeah, that went well.
Soccer has a much deeper root in America than most people think. The reason the sport suffers is in junior high school and high school when the three-four sport athlete's need to choose between soccer/baseball/football/basketball. Sadly, it becomes a money driven decision by parents as to which sport his/her child has a better chance to get a scholarship from for college. Not to mention, the basketball/football teams get all the glory in high school, not the soccer team. (In 90% of the High School's in America)
Until soccer has the backing of America's youth to stick with it and create a world class group of soccer players to grow the following in the US, it will stay in the same spot it is, #5 behind the rapidly growing NHL following.
Is this the first time American sports fans have broken out in the National Anthem?:
Algerian's are woman beaters: http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/news/algeria-star-slaps-female-reporter--fbintl_ro-algeria062310.html
Props to the Big Lead for all of this info: (http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2010/06/23/how-many-times-will-you-watch-video-of-landon-donovans-game-winning-goal-vs-algeria/)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
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