Partly cloudy this evening with thunderstorms becoming likely overnight. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%..
Partly cloudy this evening with thunderstorms becoming likely overnight. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Updated: July 7, 2024 @ 9:15 pm
Spencer
Spencer
‘The US will never win the World Cup.”
That’s what a wise young man from England told me about 20 years ago. He quickly elaborated and added ”as long as there is an NFL.” He was talking about the real football, er futbol, that we call soccer “in the states.”
Be sure, I never disagreed with his premise. But boy oh boy, he’s never looked more right.
What a sup-bar performance our national team put on as we’re hosting some of the best soccer in the world right now. We fell flat on our faces after we gained some false confidence — rather cockiness — with an easy opening round game against Bolivia.
Longtime (lesser) foe Panama made it clear we erred in our confident ways with a 2-1 win in the second game. Uruguay, one of the favorites in the competition, eliminated the U.S. with a 2-0 victory in the final group match.
What a shame!
We are hosting some of the very best in the world, including the number one-ranked and defending world champion, Argentina. High-quality international soccer matches were played all over the United States this summer.
The games are ending soon. Because our country’s population is significantly higher than most of the teams we play around the world, our talent pool should be better.
It is not.
My friend is right. We’ll never win if the NFL continues to thrive. Not to mention college football. Even high school football deserves mentioning here.
Apparently, we haven’t learned from Trinidad and Tobago keeping us out of the World Cup a little while ago. (I have gained a great soccer friend from that small country as well.)
The world soccer spotlight shining bright now. We have the Euro 24 and Copa America filling stadiums and streaming everywhere.
We have a house guest right now from Peru. We’ve loved rooting for Peru and doing it with someone who has experienced Messi long before we in the U.S. became familiar with his name and likeness. She also brought a friend into our lives who was born in Spain and now lives in northern Michigan.
I can only begin to feel their passion and love for the game dominating the sports scene in their respective homelands.
It was a Spaniard who first taught me about the world, also nearly 20 years ago.
Today, playing on our soil is the likes of Messi and many more. I find myself rooting for Argentina and Spain. I am writing this as Spain tries to advance to the Euro semifinal — a spot Messi has already secured in Copa America. I also found myself cheering for Ecuador as I have family born there too.
And the US is preparing to host the entire soccer world. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played here and in Canada and Mexico. We last hosted the cup in 1994.
We are also in the midst of a possible coaching change … again.
We just went through one and hired the same coach back. Ironically, the reported issue leading to Greg Berhalter’s first firing was a significant parenting playing time issue — something youth and high school coaches face every day. He may not be the coach when this column runs and posts.
I believe Americans are still in the infant stage of soccer development. Yet, the sport here is growing by leaps and bounds.
In northern Michigan, we’re benefiting from the knowledge of folks who have settled here from places like England, Spain and Mexico to name a few top-level soccer nations. They’re here playing the game and teaching it to our youth.
It’s fun being around them as they banter about their home national teams and favorite club team. I’ve also enjoyed refereeing soccer with folks from Mexico, Spain, Brazil, Romania and Ireland.
Soccer really didn’t exist when I was a kid growing up in a different time of America. I grew up with sports like baseball — “America’s pastime.”
I couldn’t live without soccer today. I value the contributions of these folks helping us learn futbol. We’ve been blessed to have former professional soccer players in the region coaching our youth and high school teams.
I was given the opportunity to coach several exchange students playing with tremendous passion on our pitches. I loved learning about soccer, especially youth soccer, in their home countries.
I am thankful for all of the host families, churches and community groups facilitating exchange students getting and playing here.
I await the day we can compete for the World Cup. I really don’t see it while I am on this Earth. Simply because I do see the NFL thriving indefinitely.
And we haven’t come very far since a famous night show hosted started a monologue In 1994 stating the World Cup started today in the U.S. … and then he quickly quipped “Who cares?”
I did, and I do.
And apparently more Americans do too.
I am not ready to give up. Maybe 2026 will be the year the U.S. proves my English friend wrong.
Cheers, as my English friend says.
Spencer
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