“This is sick…”
That’s what come out of my 18-year-old daughter’s mouth when we first entered Giants Stadium in New Jersey yesterday for the USA men v. Argentina exhibition match. My own mouth was open, speechless, in awe.
(Sick, for anyone over a certain age who might not know—in this case means it was simply incredible, phenomenal, unbelievable).
What’s it like to be among a record 78,682 fans—the largest in Giants Stadium history for a US Soccer men’s game?
The signs and flags were everywhere, and surprisingly evenly divided between the USA and Argentina--this in a world (and a stadium) where South Americans and Europeans usually outnumber US fans by at least 3 to 1.
Young guys had red, white and blue painted torsos, and signs in Spanish, like love letters to their team, proclaimed “We’re always with you,” and “in our hearts.”
And the noise!
At one point, the volume literally made the plastic cup in my hand vibrate (or maybe that was the feeling from a few sips of the beer inside that cup…).
And the soccer!
Sitting only five rows up from the field, I could literally see Lionel Messi’s shoe laces, despite the fact his notorious feet moved with such speed that his cleats were a blur.
It was all so exquisite and athletic, it caused me to think in clichés:
This isn’t soccer; this is art.
Colin Stephenson of the NJ Star Ledger, who is a great supporter of the sport—had written an article last week pointing out that New Jersey produced such a dearth of elite male talent, as compared to the prolific women’s side. But there for all the world to see was local product Tim Howard, Player of the Match, who could almost touch his native North Brunswick with the phenomenal reach of his arms. And when Sacha Klijestan took the field, my daughter turned to me in excitement, recalling the days she used to train in mixed scrimmages with him at his alma mater, nearby Seton Hall University.
This game fueled hopes, that on whatever level, Sky Blue and WPS can create that wide-eyed wonder. And that everywhere in our league and in our games, one fan can turn to another and proclaim,
“This is sick.”
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Thanks Joe!
Special thanks to Joe Krzysik, friend and father of former Sky Blue and U. of Virginia player Nikki, who is the first person I know who has gone on record as reading my blog!
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