Landycakes!

“Most of us are in this more than just for playing soccer. We're in it for the bigger goal: to move it along for the next generation.” --Landon Donovan

Something very exciting happened today!! This weekend, Big Guy decided that he wanted to be Landon Donovan for Halloween. Now we all know that this family eats, sleeps and breathes Manchester United, but dressing as Landon is very timely because of the World Cup this year, and there's nothing wrong with expressing a little patriotism in your Halloween costume! :)

On Twitter today, I tweeted to Landon Donovan that my son was going to be him for Halloween. It was on a whim, and not expected to really go anywhere. My tweets are 'protected' which means no one who isn't following me can see them. And if fellow tweeters want to follow me, I have to accept them (a la Facebook). My friend Robin thought it was cute and she retweeted my comment. And then the craziest thing happened. Landon. Donovan. Replied!!!

He made a joke about the costume, and making sure that the accompanying wig would have plenty of hair. I, of course, immediately started freaking out..."fan girl-ing" squealing, jumping around, the whole bit. Now I can't WAIT for Big Guy to get home from school to show him. Eeeeeeee!!!! :)

Chicharito!!!

Yesterday, the boys in Red played in their first competitive match of the 2010-11 season. Manchester United faced Chelsea, vying for the Community Shield. The actual Premier League season doesn't start until next week, and this match was technically a preseason 'friendly'... but I don't think either side (or either side's fans, for that matter) saw it as such. It was a chance for United to throw down the gauntlet, to show the team that finished 1 point ahead of us last season, that they shouldn't get too used to the title of "Champions."

And a big part of our war cry yesterday was our new signing, Javier Hernandez, aka 'Chicharito.' Our first signing of the season, way back before the World Cup, Manchester United fans the world over have been waiting to see what he can do in a red shirt. He was relatively unknown before WC2010, but he quickly made an international name for himself as a player for the Mexican national team. He not only scored two goals, but also was clocked as the fastest player of the World Cup by FIFA statisticians.

So, yesterday, we all waited with bated breath to see what this kid from Mexico would show us. And, he did not disappoint. With the second half of the match just underway he scored a goal...not just any goal, mind you. He kicked into his own face and basically netted the ball with his nose! I think the way he scored is going to be symbolic of his style...he's going to work and try and be successful at Manchester United - no matter how it gets done, he will persevere until the mission is accomplished.

Another harbinger of great things to come was Chicharito celebrating that goal. He kissed the United badge on his jersey. While that act seems to mean less and less in these days of billion pound transfers, Chicharito's kiss seemed authentic. He seems genuinely thrilled to be in a United uniform, and in my opinion, sincerely sees his future with the Red Devils. I think that Chicharito represents a bright new future for Manchester United fans, and I have no doubt that the feeling is mutual.

Lesson Learned

It's pretty safe to say that the middle two weeks of June were a pretty crappy time for me...Little Guy had his surgery on June 11, and for two weeks was not only in constant pain, but stuck inside recovering when he should have been out enjoying the first two weeks of summer. At the end of our two weeks in quarantine, the United States Men's National Team was knocked out of the World Cup. By Ghana. Again.

Like I said, crappy two weeks. Awful to the Nth degree.

I spent Sunday in full stages-of-grief mode. I bemoaned the fact that Little Guy missed two birthday parties, the first session of swim lessons, and a trip to see Thomas the Tank Engine at the local railroad. I mourned the US team's loss to Ghana and their missed opportunities. I nursed the sting of loss. Luckily, before I spiraled out of control, Monday came.

Not traditionally anyone's favorite day, no one can argue that Monday is always the day for fresh starts. Little Guy started his first day of swim lessons! We opened our paddling pool, sandbox, and umbrella picnic table - we spent the entire day outside splashing and playing and picnic-ing. And I came to grips with our wonderful soccer team's loss. Those boys gave an entire country something to be proud of. They gave their all in every single match and played with undeniable heart and spirit. It was amazing the way they captured the love of the entire nation, even those Americans who aren't usually soccer fans. It was heart-warming the way the country continued to respect and be grateful to them even when they lost.

I guess the lesson of all this IS the lesson...every difficult time you go through teaches you something. With the Little Guy, we went through two incredibly tough weeks, but the happy ending we got was worth every minute. With our soccer team, we weren't lucky enough to get that happy ending. But, supporting them, seeing the country rally around them, and being awed by their courage, character, and never-say-die attitude -- I wouldn't have traded a minute of that for the world.

Everything happens for a reason, and whether you come out happier on the other side or not, you come out wiser and stronger nonetheless. Lesson learned.

Represent!

Once upon a time, there was a group of young men with a dream. Now, in spite of the fact that these boys worked very hard at being the best they could be, they met with doubters at almost every turn. They were dismissed, mocked, and worst yet, ignored. But these boys had a dream. And in the face of all the nay-sayers, these boys kept faith alive...

We've all long heard, "Americans can't play soccer." Or the infamous English newspaper headline, "E(ngland)-A(lgeria)-S(lovenia)-Y(anks)" Well, I think Team USA has proved one thing today all the detractors, in the United States and across the globe - YOU'RE WRONG. Today, not only did the United States win their game against Algeria, but we garnered enough points and goals throughout the past three matches that we won our group - for the first time since 1930. In the 91st minuted of the match, Landon Donovan scored the game-winning goal that advanced us to the next round of the World Cup.

"This team embodies what the American spirit is about," Donovan said. "We had a goal disallowed the other night. We had another good goal disallowed tonight. But we just keep going. And I think that's what people admire so much about Americans. And I'm damn proud."

You said it, Landon - the American spirit. We keep on keeping on. We keep driving, enduring, pursuing. Today, you are proud. We are proud of you. And we are all proud to be Americans.

Hijacked!!

Today, Team USA played Slovenia in the second round of the Group stages of the World Cup. The first half of the game, the United States looked about how pretty much the entire world perceives us. We looked sloppy, disorganized, and, to be frank, like we didn't belong in this tournament. We gave up two goals to Slovenia, and I'll bet everyone, fans and detractors alike, had written off the US's chances. But, whatever coach Bob Bradley said to the boys at half-time, or what they said to each other, must have hit home. The Yanks came out for the second half with their proverbial guns blazing.

It's a cliche, but this was definitely a story of two halves. Team USA played their hearts out after the half. Captain Landon Donovan scored an absolutely beautiful goal to put us right back in the game. Next, Michael Bradley, son of our manager, scored the equalizer. In the final minutes of the match, Maurice Edu volleyed a free kick from our Landy-cakes, and we took the match 3-2!! And that's the fairy-tale, comeback ending we deserved. Unfortunately, the match official, Koman Coulibaly, saw a penalty in the play and called the goal back. The final score was a 2-2 draw.

I could go on and on about how unfair this was. About how spot-on, penalty-free the goal actually was. But I've come to terms with it, I think (although we were CLEARLY robbed!). US Soccer Daily's blog has a pretty accurate description of what US fans felt today.

However, whether we gained 3 points or 1 today, the heart we showed in today's game was undeniable. People around the globe discount the United States when it comes to soccer, and I think today's match may just have them doing a little re-thinking. We still have a long way to go to catch up with countries whose football is a way of life and a national passion. But it's irrefutable that we are getting stronger every single year. We have the best team we've ever had and we're just going to get better. Never underestimate the power of the American spirit -- it can take us anywhere. Don't tread on me, baby!

The Yanks are Coming...

If there's one thing to know about me, it's that I love Manchester United. No, I don't root for them, or follow them -- I LOVE them. It's actually kind of comical. I was never particularly fond of any sports team up until I fell in love with United. Sure, I had school spirit in high school and college and rooted for their teams when appropriate, but nothing has ever reached the kind of epic proportions that my devotion for United has. In spite of the fact that a.) United plays in a league based across an entire ocean and b.) soccer isn't the most popular of sports in the US, I have found a fervor for the boys in red that knows no bounds.

That brings me to the point of this post...the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will begin in less than three weeks. The United States Men's National Team (USMNT) is set to play their first match against jolly old England. And of course, who are some of England's players? United players! This presents somewhat of a pickle for me.

Being a United fan (a gift that keeps on giving, thanks much to my husband) has taught me to appreciate the intrinsic value & beauty of soccer itself. I love its fast-pace, the skill and fitness it requires, the whole spirit of the sport. I dream of a US that has the kind of football culture that England, Italy, Argentina -- basically every other country in the world has. It has become my mission in life to tell anyone and everyone, at every opportunity, why soccer is a superior sport. Therefore, it is my patriotic duty to change the hearts and minds of Americans - which starts with supporting the USMNT in the World Cup. Of course I must! I can't expect my fellow Americans to ever catch up with the world in terms of soccer if we don't cultivate our fledgling program.

So patriotism vs club loyalty in the World Cup. I have to admit that it will be awkward, unfamiliar, and even perverse to root against Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand from United. (I am kind of hoping to win 2-1 with Wazza scoring the only goal.) But, if I am ever to live in a United States where soccer is king, I know what I have to do...

USA! USA! USA! USA!