The World Cup and My Wife

The exciting run the US had is sadly over and I’m having a hard time rooting for another team. Oh, if only I had some connection to Paraguay ! For those who care, I’m now behind the Netherlands , who will undoubtedly lose tomorrow. My basis for supporting the Netherlands at this point is because they wear orange. Orange looks nice on a green field.

While the US was ultimately somewhat of a disappointment, their adventure wasn’t without some benefit. Lots of people revealed themselves as being somewhere on the soccer fan ladder, most significantly, my wife. It was amazing… she got it! The final score of their final game was 2-1, and she was just as gripped by the suspense and drama of the event as I was!

Interestingly, once Tiff learned who the players were – names, faces and numbers – everything changed. She was attached to them and could root for the team through the players. Before the end of the first round, she knew the whole team, even the third string goalie! She would even make appropriate comments like, "Dempsey's taking a beating!" "C'mon Carlos!" and "Jozy! Oh, so close!"

I’ve been trying to transfer some of that enthusiasm to DC United, but it hasn’t quite stuck just yet. Tiff’s still caught up with the national team players, so much so that Benny Feilhaber is still the background on our computer.
We'll get 'em next time, Benny 22.