It was intense. It was torture. Then in the waining moments of the game, it was pure ecstasy!!
Few moments in US Soccer have felt like that one did. A last minute goal in the final minutes of a must win game and in the World Cup non to less.
Insert any cliche you want, it felt like the world was against us.
Then like many games over the past eight years, the game went the way Landon Donovan did.
With all the weight of a nation on his shoulders Donovan cleaned up a loose ball and slotted it home for the win.
As Donovan slid on to the pitch and awaited the dog pile a huge monkey was lifted off his and the US National teams shoulders. The USA had not only advanced, but it had won it's group. The screw jobs were over and no one could deny the US their spot in the knock out round.
For awhile it felt like the soccer gods were hell bent on denying the US Soccer team and it's fans any joy. Then in one frantic moment everything including the terrible call from the game before was forgotten.
As a life long fan of the beautiful game I must say that today is one of the best days of my life. My team, playing my sport, hiked up their boots and fought like dogs scratching and clawing and refusing to quit.
Today I'm am proud to be an American!!
Piss off to everyone who has ever said that soccer players are soft or that the game is boring, if you can't realize the moment that we are in right now then don't call yourself a sports fan. Because you're not.
But I digress. Big ups to my boys Landon, Clint, Jozy, DeMerit, Cherundalo, Bradley, Gooch, Howard and even Bornstein.
I'm going enjoy this one for a few days, watch the highlight of Donovan streaking towards the ball over and over again.
On Saturday June 26th, the United States of America will field a team of eleven men who have proven themselves worthy of playing with the best the world has to offer.
USA!!! USA!!!
That's it and that's all!!
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I wish FIFA would cater to the East Coast American audience. Most of us had to work and missed the game!
Seriously, I was maybe the 40% of the population in the DC area actually working. But I was following it on Twitter. Donovan's goal was amazing, and in extra time! I'm concerned though since analysts had said the US Team was supposed to win this game.
Well, at least we can all see US-Ghana on Saturday.