The United States was losing 2-1. Time was ticking down to not only the end of the game, but the Americans chance to move on in the World Cup. Suddenly, Abby Wambach headed a cross pass from Megan Rapione into the back of the net. The American women had done the impossible and tied the score with just seconds to spare. With emotion on their side, they won the match in penalty kicks, 5-3, and moved on to the semi-finals.
Through it all, I found myself doing something that rarely ever happens. I, Garrett Elliott, actually had an emotional investment in a soccer game.
Now, this is important because I rarely, even during the World Cup, care what happens. I don’t find soccer boring to play, nor do I think the players are any less of an athlete than, let’s say, a football player. The issue I have always had is that the games take too long, and there is not enough excitement to be a spectator.
There is something different about this American women’s team. Not only has the team caught my interest enough to follow them, but they have made me feel emotion for a sport that I haven’t felt since I last played in sixth grade. If the team does not win this year’s World Cup, I will actually feel the disappointment that I’m sure millions around the country will as well.
What made this team catch my interest? That is a great question. I’m sure my buddy Bill will tell you that it is my belief that Hope Solo is the most gorgeous woman in the world. But, I promise you, it is not that. What attracts (great word choice eh?) me to this team is the fact that the women on this team have the fire, and the determination to win, that I believe is lacking in the sports world today.
Whether you are an athlete, or a fan, it is the raw emotion during the ups-and-downs of a game that allows it to be so great, that allows it to capture all of our attention.
It was not hard to spot the determination on Wambach’s face as the game wore on. She screamed to her players to keep trudging forward, even when hope was dwindling. The team’s jubilant celebration after Ali Krieger secured the victory was the culmination of the game’s emotion, and it was wonderful to watch as a fan. On the other end of the spectrum, the disappointment for the Brazilian women shows how much these games mean to these women and to the county they represent.
If you are an American and have not been watching this year’s World Cup, I highly suggest you tune-in. These ladies have won me over, and I’m sure they will win you over as well. I just hope the excitement continues to carry-on, and at the end of the World Cup this country can celebrate a World Cup victory.
God Bless America…and the women working hard in Germany to make us all proud!
Photo Courtesy of Petr David Josek/AP
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