Game. Blouses.

I gotta be honest. I think today was the first time in a long time I’ve watched an entire soccer game. I watched bits and pieces of USA vs. Slovenia and after I saw us get hosed I was pretty much convinced the fix was in when it comes to World Cup soccer. I couldn’t help but think it was worse than the NBA. At that point I was pretty much done with soccer for the year.
But as Americans, we tend to rally together in spite of adversity and when you throw sports in with some patriotism it creates a beast like no other. So when I saw I could watch USA vs. Algeria today online, the wheels in my brain started turning on my way to work as to how I’d be able to keep up with what was going on.

Somehow my schedule at work turned out perfectly today. I didn’t have any appointments from 10am until 1pm today so I was streaming the game on my computer through ESPN3.com while doing some paperwork in my office. When Clint Dempsey put the ball in the net in the 21st minute against Algeria I wasn’t looking at my computer. I heard the commentators scream goal and instantly I turned to see that once again, we were getting jobbed. The goal was called offside. I couldn’t help but think – “here we go again.”

It probably didn’t help that I just finished watching the best ESPN 30 for 30 to date last night – The Two Escobars – which detailed Colombian soccer and how it was fueled by Pablo Escobar’s drug money. Drug cartel’s would pay off the refs back in those times to try to fix games and I couldn’t help but find myself Googling Algeria and Slovenia to see if there were strong drug presences in either country after that goal was taken from us. If you enjoyed that ESPN 30 for 30 last night you should look into watching the documentaries called Cocaine Cowboys and Cocaine Cowboys 2. Very similar in many regards. Anyways - back to the game.

I was almost ready to shut off the game and go right back to good ole Pandora for the rest of the day. But a sense of pride started to swell up in me. From this moment on I was glued to the screen. I was incensed with a feeling of “us against them” and just found myself literally cheering the USA team on from my office. I think people were initially kind of shocked as they passed by my office at how into it I was. Occasionally they’d ask “what’s going on?” My response? Soccer. USA. This was followed by them rushing to their respective offices and tuning in as well.

As the 90th minute drew closer and closer you could see the USA players ramping up their play and becoming more aggressive. All the while I’m cheering on from my office and posting “USA! USA! USA!” updates on Twitter with my friends. I just kept on getting the feeling that any moment I’d be able to shout for joy. It just felt like they shouldn’t lose. Sure enough, true to American resolve, Landon Donovan came through in the 91st minute. It seemed like everything slowed down for a second and then of course I had to yell and post on Twitter - GGGGGGGGGGOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!! Three of my co-workers came into my office and we quickly watched some of the replays. It was probably one of the cooler sporting moments I’ve experienced without having any true personal affiliation. After the game Donovan said: "We're not done. We believe, man. We're alive, baby." I don’t know if that’s a sign of things to come or what but it just feels like I watched something special take place.

With that being said, let the chants of “USA! USA! USA!” continue. As long as we're still in it I have something to do that will keep me busy until NCAA 2011 drops on XBOX 360. Football season can't get here fast enough but this soccer thing will do for now. For you Chappelle’s Show fans out there the best way I can sum up that finish is the following: Game. Blouses.

-M.G.M.