The American Spirit Wins big
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Breathtaking. Nerve-wracking. Pulsating. These are just a few words that described the United State's 91st minute victory against Algeria to win Group C and advance to the Round of 16. Early in the game we saw Clint Dempsey score a goal that was disallowed because the linesman wrongly made an offside call. Suddenly, Edu's disallowed goal against Slovenia immediately sprung to mind and one began to wonder if the officials had a conspiracy against the U.S. or if they were just that unlucky. Minute after minute, the U.S. pressure and pressure, but are unable to find the back of the net. Jozy Altidore blasts the ball over the bar from 3 yards out; Dempsey hits the post and knocks his rebound shot wide left. The entire match, however, we felt it coming. It seemed almost as if the game could end no other way than the way it did.
You couldn't possibly write a better story than this. Imagine Tim Howard launching the ball in Donovan's path and Donovan surging down the field in slow motion while a Hans Zimmer-composed soundtrack (think Lux Aeterna) blares in the background with intermitent shots of a tense crowd. The soundtrack builds with every step forward that Donovan takes. He passes the ball to Jozy Altidore. The camera zooms in on Jozy's young, nervous face. He passes the ball in to Dempsey who can't be the hero because, well, it's just not his time. The keeper knocks it out and Donovan, with his eyes locked on goal, receives the ball. At this moment, the soundtrack is mellow with only angelic-like voices (think Now We are Free) and as he hits the ball into the back of the net the entire orchestra comes in and the spirits of an entire nation are lifted in that moment. That would make for a cool movie, or some poorly put together youtube clip that will probably be up in the next hour if it isn't already.
Cheers to the Americans and their new hero Landon Donovan. Bill
Clinton is proud.
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