I'm an avid soccer fan. Well, let me rephrase. I'm a fan of playing soccer and watching every four years when the World Cup comes around. I grew up in Germany and the first sport I was introduced to athletically was soccer. I was pretty good too. Turns out I could run around for hours with the best of them.
Point is, I like soccer and soccer likes me. And since the entire world is paying attention to Brazil right now for obvious reasons, I'm soccer crazy.
Which is why my heart sunk SO much yesterday when Portugal scored the tying goal in the 95th minute against the United States Men's National Team.
Sidenote: I really want us to have a better name. USMNT makes me think of Ninja Turtles - which would be a better name, mind you - but its just so boring. Ghana is the Black Stars. We need a name like that; a name that shows we are America and not only have pwnd most of these countries but owned half of them too. Jury's out on how PC that was to say. I'm going to submit names for the 2018 games. Something like: The Owners. Or something.
Even if you're not a fan of soccer, and it seems like many people aren't, it's hard not to get swept up in the nationalism of it all, similar to the Summer Olympics. Or at least in picking a country to root for. I pull for both Germany and the US, though I've found I care way more about the US team than I thought I did. Though, my man Schweinsteiger has like THE most German name one can possibly have.
I'm sharing all this to say, I'm all in right now and my chariot swung low yesterday.
The US team played SO well in that second half for so long. When Jermaine Jones scored that first goal I jumped out off of my couch and acted a damn fool. So much so, my daughter got into it and you'd have thought I just told her Doc McStuffin was doing a surprise visit at our house.
Another sidenote: It's slightly amazing how many Black dudes on the US team are Germans who speak very broken accented English…but have the most American names ever. Names so Black in some cases - Jermaine Jones and Fabian Johnson, come to mind - that they could have been in our #blackestname tourney going on right now.
And when my man Clint Dempsey hit that second goal…well, I was all in and ready to run around my neighborhood with my American flag.
Except I don't own one. But that's neither here nor there.
The US gave so much heart in that second half and were primed to quality for the round of 16 with this definitive win ONLY to be throatchopped in stoppage time by a GREAT assist and goal. I couldn't even be mad at Portugal. I was just disappointed for the US. You play that hard for that long, only to see real disappointment. It's like being Black everyday.
I was still upset an hour and some change later as I kept seeing replays of that final goal. On the bright side, USMNT are doing better than expected and can still qualify with a tie with Germany on Thursday, something that nobody would have thought possible when this tourney started but that I believe is absolutly doable right now.
I just spent almost 600 words by switching my car insurance to Geico to tell you that right now, I'm all in with soccer.
America, F*CK YEAH. Thursday will be an interesting day in my household with split allegiances from the land that raised me versus my homeland.
Eh…f*ck that. AMERICA, F*CK YEAH.
What are your thoughts on the World Cup so far? Are you watching? Paying attention? Do you give a f*ck?