-- Ian Darke, on the call of the most sweetest moment of the World Cup so far.
------------------------------
After spending the first two US World Cup matches watching with the biggest soccer fan I know ... and seeing the US fail to win (let alone ever lead) either match, I made a crucial decision for today's must-win game against Algeria.
I saved the vacation day, and watched it at work.
Gotta be honest ... I wish I'd watched this one with DJ. Because at least I could have calmed the nerves with some vodka.
(Scratch that -- a LOT of vodka).
Holy Jesus.
For 91 some odd pain-staking, heart-attack inducing, "I've got more gray hair than my dad now" moments, Team USA could do just about everything right ... except score. (Well, actually, they did, Clint Dempsey in the 21st minute, but more shady officiating took that one off the board).
(they had that many shots, and only one went in?!?! graphic: espn.com)
And then, with the clock running down, with the England / Slovenia score going final, knowing it was score in however much extra time was left, or season over ... with me in a state of panic and confirming that yes, we do have a defibrillator on the fourth floor ... Tim Howard scoops up a solid shot against the post. Flings it to midfield, landing perfectly in front of Landon Donovan's right foot.
(Gotta be honest: at that moment, when that ball dropped PERFECTLY in stride with Donovan, I had flashbacks to Romo's overtime pass to Miles Austin to beat the Chiefs here at Arrowhead back in October. That one unfolded right in front of me. You couldn't do anything but just shake your head in horror. It was so perfectly run, there was no way it would fail. That "pass" by Tim Howard, I had flashbacks, we'll put it that way. Except this time, I wasn't screaming in horror. Or storming out of the stadium, grabbing a bottle of vodka, and refusing to talk to anyone for an hour afterwards. Which is a good thing, I think. Anyways).
Donovan takes off, streaking down the right sideline. He passes off to DaMarcus Beasley (a brilliant final ten minute sub by Bradley, a coach rapidly climbing the Steve's Favorite Coaches list), who passes off to Dempsey, who sticks it ... right off the goalie. Who can't handle it. And sees it trickle into the middle of the box ...
Perfectly back onto Landon Donovan's right foot.
Cue the celebration.
If you didn't watch the game ... please, watch the replay. You HAVE to see this game from start to finish to understand just how awesome Donovan's winning goal was. You have to sit through Algeria hitting the crossbar not even six minutes in (and threatening to take control instantly, just like England and Slovenia did). You have to sit through the BS overturn of Dempsey's goal. Altidore's incredible brain fart miss from two feet with noone between him and the net. Bocanegra's game-saving unreal slide and clear in the 63rd minute. Another Dempsey point blank miss in the 57th minute. Bradley's awesome try on a direct kick in the 78th minute. To sit through the frustration, the utter frustration, the impending sense of "f*ck it, we're done" ...
And then end it with the biggest goal in US Soccer history.
And to think people ask me why I'm somewhat obsessed with sports. Really?
That was sweet stuff. I mean, I sweated through the polo shirt, bit off every finger nail, actually did ask our floor safety monitor if we have a defibrillator on this floor (we do!), and have no doubt there's a lot more gray hair up top than there was before this match started.
And I can't wait to get home and relive this whole game again.
Bring on Ghana!
(Saturday, 1:30pm CT. I'll be poolside. Feel free to join in ...)
No comments:
Post a Comment