This is why...(I LOVE THE WORLD CUP!)

Almost since the 2006 World Cup ended I've been counting down until the opening of this year's tournament. Back in 2006 I watched as many games as I could and I fell in love with the game of football.*  Last summer I watched the confederations cup and from time to time I've been known to check in on the English Premiere Lauge matches as well. 

Today as an absolutely amazing day for U.S. Soccer and for the sport in general. I'm not sure I've ever watched 90 minutes of anything as intense as today's match against Algeria. I'll certainly admit that for a while there particularly as the USA had chance after chance well into the second half it looked bleak. I actually wondered why it was that luck had completely abandoned the U.S. side.

This is what makes this sport so great though and more intense than any other. It's the drama. It's the balls that hit the post and could go either way by mere milimeters. It's a clock that never stops for injuries, fouls or any other reason. It's the sport that demands those who dare to play it be in peak physical form, 90 minutes back and forth up and down the pitch, and it makes those who aren't pay dearly. It's cliche but everything hangs on a single goal. Everything focused on that one singular event and when it comes it's instant unbridled elation. 

Today after a tough haul for the USA in this World Cup the moment came. A goal. It counted. The USA has a W at the World Cup 2010! We're Alive! We WON THE GROUP! I love that it as Landon Donovan and I love that it was in stoppage time** no less!! If there is any doubt Donovan is a star it's erased immediately in that moment. I love that it is the names of U.S. players making the headlines tonight, as well it should be. For my part I immediately went and ordered a Donovan T-Shirt and had it overnighted. This is a time for all Americans to be proud and for all U.S. Soccer fans to take pride in our team who's moment has arrived. It's time for the world to take U.S. Soccer seriously. If they don't it's time for the USA to make them pay. 

USA! USA! USA!

OH and what's next?! We move into the tournament or so called "knockout phase." What's that? Oh just a little matter of a SINGLE ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT! That's right insert every sports cliche there is here: "win or go home," "rubber meets the road," there's no losers bracket, there's no next match two teams on a pitch for 90 minutes, when the final whistle sounds one will have won to play another day and one will have lost to go home. You thought things were intense so far HA! This is the World Cup ladies and gentlemen and it's only just begining!

USA vs. Gahanna 2:00pm Saturday June 24th ABC! BE THERE!

(*football - Sorry America but there are 6 billion other people on this planet and the all call it football not soccer.

**stoppage time - stoppage time is a period of time that gets added to the end of the half to make up for the time spent dealing with things like injuries, discipline, etc. usually anywhere from a minute to five.)