I love the World Cup. The earth’s energy goes up a notch. It’s so much fun to see people from all walks of life get so very excited – all over the world, over a (mostly) harmless game. It’s a time when citizens of different countries, each with their own internal problems, can bond as a nation. People like you and me can wave flags proudly without any political motive.
As an American, I’ve always envied others in this. I never felt comfortable decking myself out in the Stars & Stripes, because to be honest, most people don’t really like seeing Americans dressed that way, or chanting USA USA, etc. (By the way, we need to come up with some more creative chants). It hits a chord, brings a negative, “superiority” vibe… it’s like the school bully walked into the room. Let’s face it, when you’re on the road as an American, the last thing you want to do is draw attention to that fact. Take the humble road, or eat alone every night. I’m sure there are some who disagree, but this is the way I roll. Keep a low profile, make no big deal of your country, and spend more time learning about others.
Luckily for me and my relationship with soccer, one of my parents is from Argentina. Every World Cup, I snag the opportunity to cover myself in blue and white, talk some smack about other teams, and generally get more and more obnoxious (in Spanish, so it’s ok) the further along we get. For the last one, I was actually in Argentina for most of it. It made me so happy to see the entire country come to a full stop for each game, everyone waving flags and chanting, sooo proud to be Argentine, even though everyone constantly complains about the government. An Argentine waving the flag is not immediately associated with war, or a political party. It usually means futbol’s going on.
Fans at St Andrew's Pub in Seattle, 7am June 22 (Photo by C. Taylor)
This year is different. I’m finally able to do this with the US team, too. (Between the two, I’m exhausted!) ;) People back home in the states are going crazy. I’m seeing images of friends in packed bars at 7am, crowds going wild on wins, healthy banter on social sites like Facebook and Twitter. How fun is this?! Finally, we can wear a navy blue bandana with stars on it, with a red and white striped t-shirt. People can bond over a game. The best part is, we’re the underdogs. It’s not the bully on scene this time. We’re the nerd in the back… the one that’s been working out a bit. And lo and behold, some people are actually rooting for us. I never thought I’d see this day.
It’s not just a game. We’re finally joining, accepting, taking part in this world-wide club, blind to race and socio-economic background. It is a platform of surprises, harmless drama, and a time when you can look at your neighbor no matter who they voted for and say, yeah, go America. Go Slovakia. Go North Korea. Whatever you go for, you can go to a pub and yell to your heart’s content.
Don’t even try to compare this to the Olympics.
