US soccer blues

The World’s William Troop bemoans a tough loss for the US men’s national soccer team against Brazil, but muses that defeat may create more committed fans for US soccer.Listen

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LISA MULLINS: Defeat is never easy, but for followers of US national soccer team, yesterday was an especially tough day. That’s when teams from the United States and Brazil played each other in the final of a big tournament in South Africa. It was the Confederations Cup. The Confederations Cup is a sort of dry run for the soccer World Cup, which is gonna be played in South Africa next year. Now, a few are surprised that Brazil won. Nevertheless, it’s a result that The World’s William Troop is taking personally.

WILLIAM TROOP: Lisa, I know you’re not a soccer fan, but I need you to know how I feel today. It’s a funny combination of dejected and proud, excited and hung over. Here’s why. In yesterdays final, the US team started off like a fireworks display on the 4th of July, scoring two quick goals, against Brazil.

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WILLIAM TROOP: This was huge. The US team was not supposed to be there at all. They dropped their first two games in this competition, including a loss to Brazil by three goals to zero. Then they turned it around, with some skill and lots of luck. And now they were in the final, against Brazil and winning. Then came the second half and everything changed as the Brazilians rolled on, scoring one.

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WILLIAM TROOP: Two,…

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WILLIAM TROOP…and finally, just six minutes from the end, three goals.

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WILLIAM TROOP: Yeah, they won it alright, it was gut wrenching. US captain Carlos Bocanegra described his feelings this way.

CARLOS BOCANEGRA: It’s a little bit of an emotional roller coaster, you know?

WILLIAM TROOP: I felt like I fell off the roller coaster, and I was just watching at home. I can’t imagine what it was like for the players. Still, I feel like something’s changed, though I’m still trying to figure out exactly what. US player Landon Donovan thinks it’s the team’s attitude.

LANDON DONOVAN: It’s not good enough just to show up and get beat the way we did last week against Brazil. And so, from that standpoint we did an incredible job getting the first two goals.

WILLIAM TROOP: Yeah, though everyone agrees holding on to the lead would have been better. Of course, the US women’s team has been to the finals of major international tournaments before, but the men, uh-uh. So, you might say, they lost, get over it.

Well, I normally would, I’ve been known to be a fair weather fan of the men’s national soccer team. Pleased when they do well, but otherwise not really expecting too much from them. So it goes in the one country on earth where soccer is not king, where nobody seems to expect much of their national team if they even know about it. But this time it was different. This time I actually believed they could win. That may mean I’m now more than just a fair weather fan, and that’s probably what US soccer needs, fans who believe, despite the odds.

LISA MULLINS: Ever hopeful, the world’s William Troop.

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