Supporters Culture

So while I haven't gotten around to describing my experiences at some of the other USA games I've been at in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, I do still plan to and hopefully the US will keep things relevant going forward after Monday.

Today I wanted to give a few thoughts on what has always been my supporters philosophy, and you should know that it has been tempered by over a decade of active support for club and country, including the aforementioned World Cup efforts.

Is this for you?

First and foremost, this is designed for those who want to get the most out of it. If you are just passing through and having fun, by all means, please keep on doing so. Just know that this article isn't really aimed at you. No, this article is aimed at the people who want to feel the depths of the highs to their fullest, and are willing to go through the valleys of despair that such success will require.

It is also designed for those who love their team with everything they have and want to do anything and everything for it. Again, if you're a big fan, but don't get excited about even the prospect of possibly inspiring the players on the field, no matter how far fetched that idea might be, skip this. But if knowing that in the past, US players have been chanting along with us under their breath during the game, gets your blood flowing, then read on.

Because that did in fact happen. I have tried to track it down, but it was Eddie Lewis who admitted after the 2002 World Cup that during the USA-Mexico game in Jeonju, South Korea, he was chanting along with us. And the idea that we were at all wind beneath the wings of our players in such an important game... *chills.*

Let's set the stage

So assuming you're in since your still reading, let's get real for a moment. Odds are you will never get an insight as clear as that. Especially when the game is going against the players and all seems lost, it will be hard to believe that what you are doing matters. But if you have been watching the World Cup so far, or been to major sporting events, you know that the crowd can very much influence things. This is the challenge to you - to actively choose take a knowing, specific, direct path to support the team, 100%, all the time, no matter whether the team is up by three or down by four.

So let's start with this - if you take on this responsibility, understand that it is in fact a responsibility. People around you will learn to count on you consistently being there, and will lean on your passion and example. And if you lose energy, there will be a negative ripple effect, just as if there would be a positive one.

And you have to always do it, no matter the situation on the field, or how much faith you do or don't have in what the coach or the players are doing. Why? Because you never know what might change to turn things around if they are dark.

Think of it this way - you expect the players to play their hardest, throughout the game, whistle to whistle, right? Then why expect anything less from yourself?

How hard could it be?

And don't kid yourself. It is going to be hard. There will be moments of doubt - in-game moments like many had when they heard Donovan wasn't going to Brazil. You will find the team down by two goals in a make or break game five minutes in. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. It flat out sucks. But in that specific instance, those of us trying to keep the faith got a little lucky - it was so early that the rest of the crowd didn't really give up. Frankly, it was hard to believe. But it also was Game Three of a three game series (long time ago, before MLS went to home and home playoffs). That turned into one of the best rivalries - a true rivalry, not based on geography, but based on the fact that teams, players, fans, organizations flat out didn't like each other and wanted to beat each other more than any other game on the schedule.

Visualize where we were in June of 2002, at the Poland match, losing, and on our way home. Surely, right? I mean, we beat Portugal, tied Korea, but if Korea and Portugal tie, they both go through. No reason to believe that Korea was going to beat Portugal, right? The bitterness of going home after such an amazing start was palpable. You could smell it, taste it, feel it slick on your skin. And then seeing the way others were going negative was sickening and disheartening.

But that is what you need to be ready for, because when that happens, if you really want the payoff, you have to fight through it by staying positive, and helping your fellow supporters to be positive.

Payoff?

And there is no way to know when the payoff will be. It may not even be this World Cup. For us at the Poland game, it was later that night as South Korea simply wouldn't play for a tie, Portugal fell apart (two reds, if I recall correctly), and now it was the USA v. Mexico in Jeonju!

But that actually brings another lesson - we went into that match afraid. Flat out afraid. Why? Because we had a number of players out for injury and yellow card suspension, and Mexico had been one of the better teams in the group stage. The feeling in the room was we were going to get crushed, by our rivals, in the knockout stage of the World Cup.

But enough of us came into the match with the same attitude we had going into the Portugal match - what the hell, we're going to cheer for the boys because that is what we do, and come what may. We can only control what we do, not what happens on the pitch, and we CHOOSE to cheer as hard, as long, as powerfully as we can.

And just like the Portugal match, the mixture of fear and resolve was repaid with a joy that you simply cannot describe. And this is what I am talking about.

Specifics? We don't need specifics!

I don't care what you do. Wear a costume, paint your face, bring a drum, lead a chant, simply wear the jersey or whatever and always respond when the call comes - just do it with an eye towards doing it in unison and in concert with others.

Be positive inertia, be positive energy. Do everything you possibly can to ensure that as many people are supporting the team for as long as possible, as loud as possible, as positively as possible. Just make sure that you help get people riled up before the game - join the march in, have a beverage, etc. Just contribute in whatever way is easiest for you to add as much as possible, for as long as possible.

I guarantee you, at some point, there will be a payoff and it will absolutely be worth it. What does that look like? First off, memories of being with your brothers and sisters in arms - "going to war" with people always leaves fantastic memories. It really is a next-level experience that you will remember for decades. If done right, you will make - or cement - the kinds of friendships that will survive distance and time.

Will you get a special experience with a player? Who knows. How the players respond is another one of those things you can't really expect because you can't control it. But if you look, you will see that at their heart, a number of players want nothing more than to be fans too. Every once in a while, you get someone like Frankie Hejduk, etc. - someone who dives in with both feet. Maybe you will be there when something amazing happens on the pitch and the players come over and celebrate with you. Maybe not.

But picture this - you are in South Africa, "deep deep into the match" against Algeria. It has been 90 minutes of failure and forgettable, with no real hope in sight. Throughout the match, the sense of potential failure has grown until now, faith is thin.

Do you want to be the person cheering like mad that happens to be the person Donovan glanced at before Howard released his pass to start that run? Or the guy who is standing there with his head in his hands, or his hands in his pockets, being indifferent?

You just never know - so make sure you do everything you can so that IF you happen to be at the right place, at the right time, and you happen to be THAT THING, you will know that you did as you ask of the players - you gave it all you had for every moment that mattered, leaving nothing to chance. And remember, Sports Happens - if you are consistent about it, that moment will happen for you. I guarantee it. Whether it is in Jeonju, or Suwon, or South Africa in 2009 OR 2010, or Kaiserslatern in 2006 (if you don't think people take pride at having chanted, "Nine men - we only need nine men!" after tying what turned out to be the eventual champions, you are SORELY mistaken), or a certain match against a recent World Cup victor in Denver in 2013, etc.

Nike, baby. Just do it.

Specific notes

Here are some quick hits that might be worth thinking about:

Look for ways to build camaraderie as much and as soon as possible with people around you. High-fives are easy, but it builds a sense of "yeah, we're doing this" pretty quick.

Drink lots of water - you can't punk out in the second half because you are dehydrated.

Bring cough drops - cheering for 90 minutes ain't easy, and a cough drop halfway through a half helps.

Pace yourself day by day. If you are at the World Cup, it is like the Super Bowl every fourth day - take a day of rest the day after a match - watch from the hotel, etc. But then try to watch as much as possible with other fans, especially in bars, where you can practice chants, etc. You never know - the guy you run into there might be the guy you are standing next to at a later match.

Try to find the critical mass, then support it. When there are competing chants near you, whatever the chant or song is, simply listen to find the one that is gaining steam, and join in.

Be on the lookout for interacting with other fans - either US or from other countries. (I still remember being invited to cheer with the Costa Ricans for the Turkey game - and did well enough to be invited for their game against Brazil...)

Finally, stay as positive as you can, and if you feel yourself going super negative, just silence yourself - no need to bite your lip (although I have at times), but find a way to not be negative energy. Understand, I am not saying be blindly positive. If you are this into the sport, odds are you know enough that you will have a sense when the team might not be doing its best - don't ignore that, just don't fan the flames of discontent.

Bottom line

Bottom line - make the most of it. If you are truly a supporter, then be that to its full extent. Make the most of it, because the more you dive in, the deeper the emotions will be when the payoff comes. And if that is what you are looking for, then pay in every chance you get. I promise you, it WILL be worth it. Again, Sports Happens. It is simply a matter of time. And in the current era of US soccer, it is going to be happening a lot more, a lot more often.

Enjoy!

Father's Day

So today is my first Father's Day, and while I don't want to go on and on about it, I do want to say that it has been a fantastic experience and share a little.

While Janice was pregnant with Kyle, a good friend of mine told me that I was about to experience a level of love that I couldn't imagine, and he was so right.

Background - I always knew I wanted to be a father. I also knew that I had some maturing to do (ya think?) before I was ready for it, but it was always in the back of my mind, and finally late in 2012, it was the right time for Janice and I to start trying. As you now know, we were successful, and Kyle was born on August 12, 2013 after 33 hours of labor.... What an amazing experience!

And that is a good place to start my experience of the "more love than you can possibly imagine." The process of childbirth is its own story, but being an active father in that gave me a chance to see up close and personal how much my wife loves our son, and I was just floored. And then we met Kyle....

We made a great decision early on to take advantage of the fact that Janice and I can both work on a pretty flexible schedule and one of us is working, and the other is taking care of Kyle. As such, we have been able to make sure that one of us is with Kyle at all times.

And day after day since, I am amazed by how much it affects me to see Janice mother Kyle, and how much it makes me smile when Kyle smiles.

In an odd way, I kind of feel like some of the Father's Day stuff is a bit of overkill because, frankly, every day provides a moment of the greatness of being a father....

Either way, to all wishing people Happy Father's Day, thank you. It has been an amazing experience and I look forward to continued amazement.

What expectations should we have for the USA?

What to expect?

So the US is headed into another World Cup. As they have in recent years, they come out of CONCACAF having secured their place in the World Cup relatively comfortably, but this time, something is new.  This is not the “We have to get out of the first round” Bora Mulitinovic side that was borne of hosting the 1994 World Cup, nor is it the Sampson-Arena-Bradley “We are what we are, let’s do the best we can” sides.

No, this time, we went out and paid handsomely for Jurgen Klinsmann of Germany fame, with the specific goal of being more than just “what we are.” It was a transition that had to come at some point, and credit has to go to the Federation for being proactive about it rather than waiting for the average American player to improve to a level where the transition would be relatively easy. No, Sunil Gulati went out and pushed the envelope with this decision.

Raise the Bar

It has been pretty clear for some time that the US mens’ soccer program has been making progress, albeit incremental progress, for years. The 2002 and 2010 editions certainly exceeded expectations, including fantastic results against big teams such as England, Portugal, Mexico and amazing moments against teams like South Korea and Algeria. Even the 2006 edition had a phenomenal match against the eventual champions, Italy, and was more of a run of poor performance rather than a lack of talent.

But with the population of the US, their history in sports in general – including the Olympics, and the overall competitive nature of those crazy Yanks, there has long been a sense that things could and should be better. Maybe a misunderstanding of the lack of depth that the Americans have feeds into that perception, but at the end of the day, if we can have success in random Olympic sports, why can’t we have success in football?

But the huge question is how? And if we think we know how, then how far do we expect them to go, and how soon?

Klinsmann came in for this World Cup cycle, and made it clear that he was here to chance the status quo. A whole new slate of coaches up and down the US soccer program gave him a free hand to have influence all along the development stream. But how soon would that bear fruit?

On top of that, he went aggressively for anyone who might qualify to play for the US, especially in Germany. In a way, it made sense. It takes 6 to ten years to really influence the development of a soccer nation, and to really make an impact, we’re probably talking 15 to 20 (starting with kids in the 5 to ten year old range to teach simple technique and molding them until they are 20 to 25). So that was mathematically impossible, at least to show results for the 2014 World Cup.

Third, he began his process, teaching his philosophy.

The results of the first effort won’t be known for some time, and trying to read into results from those teams at this point requires more insight into the future than I possess. The initial results of the second effort were not good, although if you saw it as a chance early on for him to seek out any possible diamonds in the rough, and use what he knew (Germany football) to compare to the bottom half of the US player pool, it probably was effective at giving him some baseline information.

The results of the third, though, were quite apparent and mostly positive. The US, after struggling on the road at Honduras, ended up tearing through qualifying to top the group, and on that run, saw the team break a little out of their usual two-defensive-midfielders, defend and counter-attack against good teams mold. It included a friendly win at the Azteca – no small feat that, although it was hardly best of the US v best of El Tri.

Which leads us to preparation for the World Cup in Brazil, which included two very intriguing story lines.

Qualifying v. competing in the tournament proper

Every US coach since Mulitinovic has had to focus first on qualifying out of CONCACAF, then on preparing for the competition in the World Cup itself. Two very different types of play. In CONCACAF, you have anywhere from one to three quality opponents – usually Mexico and often Costa Rica, and sometimes a third from the group of Honduras and the like. Most of the time, few of those players have the kind of size and quality that you have in playing in the World Cup, even from the top teams. This leads to a faster, more skilled team designed to break down the Guatemalas and El Salvadors.

Steve Sampson recognized it, but between the transition of MLS hindering the development of certain players, and the whole issue with a certain team captain, he walked into a firing squad in France. Certainly starting against Germany was a tough row to hoe.

Arena got it right once, and did a good job overall the second time, but in this writer’s opinion, the veteran leadership simply wasn’t the same in 06 as it was in 02 and you got a drop in form in the first match that cost them a lot. Oh, and a converted midfielder (without the size and strength of Tony Sanneh) at left fullback against one of the best European teams at the time – recipe for failure. The nice thing, from this writer’s perspective, was the difference in response from the ’98 failure to the ’06 flop – it was more of a “we are better than this, and let’s get to work” rather than the ugliness that was post-98.

Bradley had the amazing run in the Confederations Cup to bolster his side, but he still had to make some transitions that obviously paid off against what was perceived as a very tough opening match, clearly highlighting the point about CONCACAF v. let’s say, England.

Klinsmann, on the other hand, has kept a lot of his team together, even to the extent of including a converted midfielder at left fullback. But a lot of his team, especially the young and quite inexperienced defense, is what he used to get through qualifying – one that was less reliant on defend and counter and oftentimes was more attacking in philosophy.

With one key exception…

Donovan

This has been discussed to death, and for good reason. The most decorated and statistically relevant player in US history, Landon Donovan, was left of the plane for Brazil even though he obviously still is a competitive player and likely one of the best 15 players the US has.

After reading and discussing, this writer is of the opinion that it came down to two things. First, mentality. Donovan is talented, no doubt, but he isn’t the hard, aggressive, competitive player that, say, Michael Bradley or Clint Dempsey is. And that apparently is a huge part of the kind of camp that Klinsmann wants. Personally, it is hard for me to balance that with what Donovan did to win the Algeria game – if that doesn’t personify the “never say die” mentality, I don’t know what does – but again, I am trying to understand and explain what I can about Klinsmann, not justify it.

Second, I think he wants to make sure that it is clear that his captain, Dempsey, has no ghost in the room in terms of “the most decorated player in US history” who might be pacing himself in terms of level of play because he is on the wrong side of 30.

But bottom line, he clearly is saying that he needs the players he feels are able to best help this team right now. It is a pretty bold statement, and may not be the best bet. Frankly, I can see a need for a player like a rested Donovan in the third game against Germany (talk about a chance at redemption). But it is the decision Klinsmann has made.

Conclusion

So with all of that being said by way of landscape – and that is a lot of ground to cover – we come to the question we started with, “how are we to judge Klinsmann in this World Cup?” Without going into much detail, let me say that the “if we don’t get out of the group, it is a failure” is out the window. Simply look at the opponents to know that. The US has never had a tougher task to get out of the group. So what is it? For me, this side should be good enough to win a “must win” game against Ghana. So that is step one.

Next, make the most of it. Play well against Portugal and Germany, and if they make the plays to win it (a free from Ronaldo or some-such), so be it. But make them earn it. Leave everything on the field, and ideally, by trying to play – not by trying to bunker and steal on the counter. Especially against Portugal. If we beat Ghana, tie Portugal and need a tie to advance, bunker until the cows come home against Germany. But that is situational. Ultimately, play well, play like you belong, and if you lose, lose because the other team was better, not because you made a stupid mistake. Lose because they have the best player in the world, not because we brought someone less experienced than Landon Donovan.

Ultimately, if you don’t advance, have it be because the opponents were better, not because you brought youth rather than Landon Donovan.

A Soccer Opportunity - Soccer on the Radio

In case you haven't heard, and from what I've seen on Twitter and Facebook, you haven't, KTCK - the local sports radio 880 pound gorilla known as The Ticket - is broadcasting a "World Cup Kickaround" show that starts at the end of The Hardline and goes for an hour, so basically 7 to 8 pm, Monday through Friday, and then from 11 to 1 on Sundays.

It is hosted by Peter Welpton of Lex And Terry fame (among others) and featuring Andy Swift (former general manager of the Dallas Burn, among other things), and other Ticket personalities such as Bob Sturm of BADD Radio fame.

So first and foremost, if you are into the World Cup, it is worth a listen. It is available on 1310 AM, 96.7 FM, as well as the SportsDayTALK app (iOS and Android).

But it also presents an opportunity to grow the footprint of soccer in Dallas area media. Think about it - we are often clamoring for more coverage of our sport and here is a new totally new avenue to consume. So if you want to make it easier for yourself to hear about and read about soccer, consider doing the following:

When on Twitter, talk about soccer, reference the show and use the following handles: @DFWTicket and @SportsSturm.

When on Facebook, post on The Ticket's Facebook page about soccer.

Tell people you know about it, especially soccer fans. If nothing else, let's make sure that there are a lot of people listening to the show.

Then, if after listening to the show, you like it, consider sending them positive feedback, again via Twitter and Facebook. I say positive feedback because, frankly, they are tuning out pretty much all of the negative feedback they get. Hopefully that makes sense. If not, feel free to email me at Kevin@LindstromEnterprises.net and we can talk in more detail.

Again, first, this is a great way to enjoy the World Cup more. But second, hopefully you can see the chance this presents to do more than just enjoy the growth of our favorite sport - it is a chance to accelerate that growth.

For many of you, you probably have all the past frustrating efforts in mind right now, and I don't blame you. Certainly, we have all had a moment of "this sport is bigger than this!". And if you have gotten bothered enough to try to say something, the response has probably been abrupt at best. So why would now be different?

Simply put, the acceleration of the sport has continued in ways beyond Dallas, and it is starting to penetrate. The fact that this radio show exists is proof of that. But the longer we have things like MLS with crowds like those in Seattle and Kansas City, the demand for the US national teams, etc., the deeper the demand grows. Bear in mind, ratings for soccer on television for events like the World Cup and UEFA Champions League - and even MLS - continue to grow at rates that are very noticeable. NBC's work with MLS over the past two years has been phenomenal. Yesterday's overnight for the World Cup opener was 3.1. For a mid-day sporting event, that is more than solid. No wonder networks are spending billions on soccer television rights in the US these days.

Did you hear about the most recent television deal between MLS and their marketing partner, SUM? The new deal is for eight years and worth $90 million a year. Here is Forbes' article. That, my friends, is real money. There is a ways to go, but that is some significant progress.

So for those reasons, efforts now to ask for more soccer media coverage will be seen in a different light. And the World Cup Kickaround, live on The Ticket weekdays from 7 to 8 pm and on Sunday from 11 to 1, is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the sport we love in a new medium, and potentially, help give it some wings....

2014 FIFA World Cup - general expectations

So I finally filled out my brackets for the World Cup - with only moments to spare...!

While I am a Student of the Game, and have been involved with the game professionally since 2005, I am in no way a deep-throat kind of expert. What I intend on doing in this post is just sharing some general insights based on my past experiences attending, studying and following past World Cups. For what it is worth, that includes an in-depth analysis of past World Cup games, following the World Cup since 1994 and including attending the 2002 and 2006 editions. I worked for FC Dallas of Major League Soccer from 2005 until 2012 and am currently writing for MLSSoccer.com and the Dallas Morning News soccer blog, 3rd Degree.

Home-Hemisphere Advantage

First, let's talk generalities. The strongest of European sides will advance, surely, but the home-field advantage of being on the home continent - or at least, the same hemisphere - will likely still have some impact. Do not underestimate the impact of the larger number of fans who will be able to travel to Brazil from Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia, and even Ecuador and Chile, and the passion they will bring to the stadiums. That is the one thing that I absolutely miss every time I am not in-country for the World Cup....

Mexico

I like Mexico to advance out of their group for a few reasons.  First, Mexico has traditionally played Brazil well - styles matter in football, and sometimes you run into a team that is your kryptonite. Well, Brazil doesn't really have a kryptonite, but just like the US usually gives Mexico fits, same for Mexico to Brazil. Second, Croatia is a good but not great European side - the travel will hit them. Cameroon is a wild card, but between the transition from Africa over and the fact that they aren't the strongest of African sides at the moment makes me think that this isn't their year to advance. Then again, the weather similarity may work to their advantage. But I still have Mexico advancing.

Chile

Here is the first real test of my Home-Hemisphere Advantage. Chile is a wonderful team, with attacking flair should make Brazil blush at times. Playing well, and in front of a lot of home fans, I think they push both Holland and Spain. Do they advance? It depends on Spain-Holland. If those teams draw on Friday, then I think Chile will have their work cut out for them. If one of those two were to get the full three points, I think Chile will take the second spot at the expense of the loser.

Some call this a group of death and I find that doubtful. Simply put, Australia are not as strong as either the US or Ghana.

Colombia

Another strong South American country, I see Colombia doing well, certainly winning the group. The rest of Group C is quite the enigma. Greece? Mid-level Euro side half a world away, without a lot of attacking power. Japan - lots of athleticism and some playmaking ability, but again, half the world away without some of the quality seen on other teams in the group. Ivory Coast? One of the strongest African sides, this is my pick to advance, but it is a tenuous one as their tour in the US was not as successful as they might have wanted it to be.

Group D - England v. Italy and Uruguay in control

On the Home Hemisphere theory, I see Uruguay making it out of the group. I fear for my England friends that they will be left back at the expense of Italy just because I sense more cohesion and committment - and confidence - from the Azzurri than the Three Lions.

Group E - France, Switzerland and Ecuador

Because of Honduras, this isn't really a group of death, but certainly, you have three quality teams in this group and I have no real idea who will emerge. Ecuador is not as strong as some South American sides, and with France losing Ribery, it is hard to really say that one of the three is going to dominate, leaving us to decide between the other two.

Argentina

What a walk-through group this appears to be for Leonel's side. Iran will be a competitive side, but only to the extent that they won't be Saudi Arabia circa 2002. Nigeria is not at its best. Bosnia-Herzegovina, on the other hand, will be a very dangerous side at the group stage level, but Argentina has the class to draw with them, and do better on goal differential in their wins over the other group teams to come out on top of this group.

(Skipping Group G - saving the best for last)

Belguim

This is Belguim's group to win, leaving Russia to likely hold off South Korea, but when you travel halfway around the world, who knows which team will do better. Cappello will likely get more out of Russia than Bo will out of Korea, hence my lean in that direction.

The Group of Death - Group G

In many ways, this could be its own article, and probably will be. For now, though, know that like Chile in Group B, for Ghana and the US, what happens in the other game will define their ability to advance. If there is a tie between Germany and Portugal, both European juggernauts will make it very difficult for either the African or North American sides to advance. If Germany or Portugal wins, though, and there is a winner out of the Ghana-US match, then they have a chance. Draws all around on Monday is very possible and that would throw things wide open. I do see Germany as the class of the group, with Portugal a clear second and Ghana and the US very hungry right behind that.

The Unexpected

Someone always comes out flat. France in 2002 ring a bell? Who knows who it will be this time, but that will be something to watch for. I think I have highlighted the possible sleepers and surprises, although to be fair, mostly I am leaning on the usual advantage playing close to home has on teams. Either way, it should be fascinating to see, especially with the groups that have three teams with legitimate resumes to advance (A, B, D, E and G).

Put on your big boy pants and get in line now - it is going to be quite a ride!

The Emergence of a Footballing Nation - USA v. Portugal, June 5, 2002

So it was my first World Cup. It is June, 2002 and the last US World Cup effort was an embarrassment. Not an embarrassment like the disappointment of 2006 where we were better than we showed, but worst team in the tournament, lost to Iran embarrassment.

And now we were on our way to play the Golden Generation of Portugal. Luis Figo of Real Madrid fame, and the like.

So what expectations did I have?

Then again, I was AT THE WORLD CUP! And I was wearing my heart on my sleeve no matter what, standing in Sam’s Army, surrounded by like-minded supporters – some of which I knew, some not, but all brothers and sisters in arms and we were going to give it our all.

Thing was, the group I was going with had a few people in tenuous contact with the team itself, and word the morning of the match was shocking – no Claudio Reyna, no Clint Mathis. So for comparison, no Bradley, no Altidore. Going against a dark horse to win it all. I think they were ranked No. 4 in the world at the time.

Gulp!

But then again, then as now, the US wasn’t a feared juggernaut, so we were going to be underdogs to begin with. So either way, it was going to be a gut-check time no matter which way you sliced it. The advantage, though, was of those who stood and cheered for the USA, a very large majority of us were here, in-country. The percentage of supporters who didn’t make the trip is never what you want, but there weren’t the hangers-on, the johnny-come-latelys (because they didn’t really exist just yet).

This is a band of brothers/sisters that had deep belief in the team and each other, borne from a long, treacherous qualifying campaign and supporting the US in the sport of soccer.

As we are in transit to Korea, we see Saudi Arabia get killed by Germany. Ouch. As we are one of the last groups to play, it seems everyone is breaking the nervousness with their first match and it just pours on the pressure on us.

Getting on the bus to the stadium, I have “One Little Victory” by Rush in my ear. “A certain measure of innocence – a willingness to appear naïve. A certain degree of imagination, a measure of make-believe.” Why not us? Why not now?

And that has been the general mindset of US supporters anyway – “Figo who?” and “We’d rather have Clint Mathis than Figo” chants, and others like it, were all over the place. Of course, a lot of it was hopeful/dreaming/throw-caution-to-the-wind and maybe even tongue in cheek, but there was a true kernel of belief underlying it all. After all, we beat England at Belo Horizonte back in the day, we beat Colombia in ’94 – anything can happen.

The thing of it was, though, I truly, deeply, terribly believed that US soccer would one day explode with an amazing result and shock the world – probably more than I believed in anything else in the material world.

I just didn’t think that I’d be 20 rows from it when it happened, and that was going to happen on June 5, 2002 in Suwon, Korea.

The nervous energy is flowing now as we enter the stadium. I am kicking myself for not bringing a drum as I was used to doing for Dallas Burn matches.  But we’re with others that we know – some from Dallas, some from other US games we’ve met at qualifiers and friendlies – and the camaraderie is strong.

The national anthem, the unfurling of the Flag of Greatness. We’re all on our feet, singing at the top of our lungs.

But still, any hope is the hope of blind faith. But that ember is still there, waiting, burning quietly.

Wait, what? Landon Donovan, the wonderkid, is starting? Bruce Arena had been feeding him minutes and everyone could see he had talent, but is he really ready to START? Against PORTUGAL? And DeMarcus Beasley? Really? The beginnings of my faith in coaches starts here, by the way. More later.

The game starts. We’re pressing high, Portugal is responding well early. The back and forth is crazy. We’re talking the first moments of the match – most of which is played in our defensive half.

And then it happens. The series begins with a foul on McBride (contrary to Bruce Arena’s “First foul, first shot, first goal” speech) for a free kick in the middle of the field. A shot in by Earnie Stewart is touched out of bounds for a corner, right in front of the US supporters section.

Earnie puts the ball down for the corner with emphasis – using both hands, with determination. It seemed a little melodramatic at the time, but then again, it was very much a “let’s do this” feeling at the moment.

The corner comes in – McBride fights off a player to get a header towards goal and the initial anticipation wanes just a moment, but the ball isn’t clear – the heart is still high in the throat. A save is made, but not controlled – where is the bounce going to go?!?!?!?

And then, John O’Brien takes the clearest, cleanest, most important finish of his career, and we explode!

Not only are we in the game, but we are LEADING! In the FOURTH MINUTE! Wow, it is early, so it is going to be a LONG game, but better to lead than not, eh? If we were pouring everything we had into the game before, now we are searching for our deepest part of the well because the ember has some oxygen to burn – we really do have a chance to get a result!

The next 25 minutes are back and forth, with Portugal trying to get back in it. It isn’t crazed just yet because we really do have a lot of game to play. But the pressure is building with every moment they don’t score. The chances keep coming for the US, including a chance by Eddie Pope that goes just wide.

And then the craziness takes another, more serious turn.

That same Landon Donovan plays the ball in from the US right side, and it is a mess at the back – an OWN GOAL! The US has scored again!?!?!?!?

I can’t breath, I have lost my voice, I can barely see straight – we really, actually, could WIN! The craziness, the frenzy in the section is fantastic now.

Then again, there still is 60 minutes of soccer to play. That is a LOT of time – lots can happen in that time. No way we can take the foot off the gas now.

A scary moment – Beto goes into the US penalty area, and the whistle blows. Wait, what? What is going on? It is in the other end of the field, hard to see. But Portugal is walking away from the goal with their heads down, and Beto is shown a yellow. Simulation. Wow – big call there….

And then before we can really wrap our heads around that, Tony Sanneh – who? Yeah, Tony Sanneh gets free along the right side of the US attack, and he plays in a gorgeous ball that Brian McBride cleanly, elegantly slams home with a diving header – after splitting two Portugal defenders. It is the 36^th minute and the US is beating Portugal 3-0!?!?!?!?!?

I truly, deeply  lose my mind at this point. I am running up and down the stairs in amazement. I mean, not only the goals, but the glory and beauty of that last goal is just overwhelming.

As I get to the top of the section (and of 50+ rows, I was around row 20 to start with – so you get how out of my mind I was), I run into a friend of mine from Dallas that I didn’t know was making the trip. That clinched it – this was too good to be true, yet here we were. He was my reality check that this wasn’t a dream.

Oh. My.Goodness.

And by the time I got to my seat, I had gained enough composure to realize that our work had just begun. Now we were going to have to be the support, the belief that the team could finish this off. The heaving lifting had begun.

And it was soon after that moment that Beto finally did get on the scoreboard, finishing a bit of a mess in front of goal that put the score at 3-1. They had their goal and now some belief of their own.

Halftime. A chance to regroup. Beto’s goal made it all the more dangerous of a second half, so the challenge was clear. A little bit of celebration, but mostly it was “we have a LONG way to go, and now it is real work, serious work, work that matters.” This wasn’t an intellectual exercise, no longer child’s-play, a fun little dream to play with in our mind. This is a real chance to DO SOMETHING.

The second half, really, is a blur of blind support. Frankly, the own goal by Agoos didn’t even register – we were nervous about the way the game was going to go from the beginning of the second half, and that goal only gave a tangible feel to the pit in our stomach. The thing of it was, it was late enough that we did feel like it was do-able.

As the minutes ticked by, and the night got darker and darker, the belief was building as they missed chance after chance.

And then, it was over – the game was won! The lack of belief was still in the air, but the reality sunk in moment by moment as the celebrations ramped up – we had done it!

And in the stands, it was a sense of accomplishment like you wouldn’t believe. Here we were, halfway around the world, and the puny US soccer team not only had shocked the great Portuguese, but they had done so with thousands in the stands cheering them on – well. It was true, blue football support, recognizable anywhere in the world for what it was. When our team needed a voice in the stands, they had it in their most important hour.

The rest of the tournament was to come, but now it was a completely different tournament than the one we feared – now it was one of “how far can we go?” We weren’t the worst team in France anymore – now we were the team that felled the mighty Portuguese, with host Korea and a quality (but recently defeated) Poland to go. Certainly the Portuguese were now going to win out – they had to. So if we can get ties the rest of the way, a very doable goal, we just might advance!

But so much soccer was to happen before we really could think about that. The thought of facing 80,000 screaming Koreans (and boy, it absolutely was that) was sobering enough, but for the most part, tonight was a night to celebrate. We will think about the Koreans tomorrow – tonight, we had slayed the dragon and we had done so in impressive fashion. It was the emergence of a true soccer nation – and the culmination of the dream that began when the US was awarded the 1994 World Cup, through the embarrassment of that tournament that the team advanced, but we had no real supporters culture to speak of, to now standing tall in a foreign land, against one of the world’s footballing giants, and come out victorious.

I leave you with a link of the youtube highlights from that match, and a tease that the story of the match against Korea is around the corner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rX1bbTaJ40

Implausible Dreams - June 2014

I'm not giving in to security under pressure
I'm not missing out on the promise of adventure
I'm not giving up on implausible dreams

Implausible Dreams is my personal webpage, originally posted in 2002. It has gone through a few changes since then, but the basics remain - sharing my passions. Right now, the main focus is FC Dallas and the 2014 World Cup.

As such, here is my latest on FC Dallas - The Red Book.

Also, the biggest news about the World Cup for US soccer fans is Landon Donovan's exclusion from the roster. I think I may have figured out a few reasons why, followed by Digging Deeper Into Donovan Decision.

It is interesting how things come full circle. When I started this webpage, it was to channel my passion for the US going to the 2002 World Cup. Now, we are seeing the end of that arc, at least for Landon Donovan. What new Implausible Dreams lay in store for us now?

Look for more articles about the US national team as we go forward, along with regular updates to The Red Book.

Previous version of my Implausible Dreams overview.