As long as I've got a few free minutes before flying out, I should probably share some stories regarding my big pre-World Cup tuneup: U.S.A. v. Turkey in Philadelphia.
The U.S. scheduled two friendlies against European teams to get itself ready for England. Both games were set to take place on the east coast, and I wasn't ready to head to South Africa without revving up the cheering engine -- it's been over a year since my last European match, and I'll need to be in mid-season form upon arrival in South Africa. So some friends and I snatched up some tickets for the send-off game. We headed to Philly on the Chinatown bus, sitting in front of some dudes that seemed like typical American fans -- headbands, Aviator shades, and a 24 pack of Natty Ice. Somewhere between these guys and this guy.
"I don't know if I can really root for the U.S. at the World Cup," we overhead one saying. "It's just so predictable. I think I'm supporting Algeria."
Ugh. The real problem with American soccer. Even among fans, it's considered a tourist attraction, an escape to Europe or Latin America. It's not something you'd actually do on your own -- it's something you'd do to immerse yourself in another culture. So already, I was worried that this would be a day of American apathy.
Well, Americans, worry no more. The atmosphere at the game was electric. 55,407 people attended the U.S. victory over Turkey, the finest of which were sitting behind the American goal. They're members of Sam's Army, the U.S. team's unofficial support squad, and they procure a group of seats for every domestic game the team plays. It's a standing-only policy, and they've got some pretty solid traditions built up for a young group:
- A brass jazz band.
- A lot of "Don't Tread on Me" flags. You're not the only ones that get to hijack them, Tea Baggers.
- A lot of cursing. It sounds benign, but we generally overstate the acidity of fans at most American sporting events. "A rowdy game" at Yankee stadium usually means there were a lot of people booing at the Red Sox, and a few guys cursing at the dude wearing the enemy cap. Sam's Army organizes songs to make sure everyone's dropping the F-bomb in unison.
- A big flag!
