​I openly supported Belgium over the U.S. in their FIFA World Cup match on Monday. There, I’ve said it. No hedging. If that makes me seem unpatriotic, so be it. I prefer to frame it as rooting for the story: the underdog, the squad that had to overcome the odds, far from home, in a roar-filled stadium. If the roles were reversed and the U.S. were playing Great Britain in London, with England getting its star player back at the last minute at the king’s urging, of course I’d cheer for Team USA—even if the U.S. coach came from Argentina and its best player wore three countries’ citizenship, including the opponent. No, I didn’t place a bet, even though I recognized the line might skew toward the country with a population of 342 million versus less than 12 million. And yes, I knew 80 percent of the money at Caesars Sportsbook would be on the U.S., prior to Balogun’s reinstatement. No, it had nothing to do with gambling. And, yes, I felt a pull to join the crowd after we advanced past the round of 32.
Here’s the reality, though: even though early results suggested this U.S. side might be the best the Americans have fielded at a World Cup in a long time, it didn’t live up to the hype. Ending with a 4-1 loss in the round of 16 isn’t progress. Soccer is growing in popularity in the United States, but the men’s national team hasn’t matched the peak it reached nearly a quarter-century ago in South Korea, when Landon Donovan scored twice, including in a 2-0 win over Mexico in the 2002 World Cup’s round of 16. Since then, the U.S. has been an overhyped USMNT, and it feels like only a matter of time before it falters again at the World Cup, derailing the momentum and the enthusiasm that followed.
I am pleased for the U.S. economy, which is projected to receive about a $17 billion boost in gross domestic product from hosting this World Cup. In that context, I do wish Hawaii had a facility worthy of world-class soccer. Some of you may roll your eyes at the next point, but I suspect I’m not alone.
How did “Take Me Home, Country Roads” become this team’s post-victory anthem? It did go viral, but it wasn’t organic; it was chosen by a FIFA executive, partly because “Sweet Caroline” was already taken. But so was the John Denver classic. It’s pretty cool when West Virginia University teams and their fans belt it out—most recently the Mountaineers baseball team at the Men’s College World Series—because the lyrics pay homage to their home state. If you pull up the list, Belgium and the U.S. share the same number of players on their rosters from West Virginia. Zero. I’d wager that even Mauricio Pochettino, the U.S. coach, would have a hard time optimizing West Virginia’s presence for SEO.