Championship weekend for the 2014 World Cup is fast approaching. Germany will take on Argentina at Estadio do Maracana in Rio on Sunday and I couldn’t be more excited.
Soccer has always been part of my life. I started playing in the backyard, played rec league, travel soccer, high school soccer, club soccer and college soccer for 4 years at Colorado College. I was a natural sweeper with a hunger to score goals, so I had to endure a lot of yelling from the sideline to, “Get Back!”. Even at my peak I didn’t compare to the quality that I’ve seen at this World Cup, but the rush of adrenaline still courses through my veins every time I see the ball hit the back of the net.
Gem at age 6. Sporting the deep-v.
After the United States lost to Germany 1-0 but survived the group stage, I couldn’t help but become an “Uber Fan” for the 2014 World Cup. It was easier still when my colleagues were down for the cause. The whole Scream team was initially scheduled to be traveling at the time of the Belgium game, but everyone woke up two hours earlier so that we would arrive just before game time. It was a trilling performance by goalie Tim Howard and a sad day for the United States side, but it was great day of team bonding for Scream Agency, that I won’t soon forget.
Scream team at the US v Germany game!
This final is special for me, even without the United States team on the pitch. My first summer at Colorado College our German coach, Host Richardson, took our team to Germany and Austria to help us learn the game. We stayed with host families, played matches against local clubs and were witness to a new brand of soccer. The German game is one of possession paired with calculated strikes. All who watched the Germany v Brazil game know exactly what I’m taking about. I don’t foresee a high scoring game fin the World Cup final, but I do foresee my former host families and German coach celebrating in the streets after a German victory on Sunday.
Thank you World Cup. See you in 4 years!
Even Blue is predicting a German win!