How I found your blog…
It all started during the fall of 1997, I was 12 and I was playing multiple sports and extremely happy after the epic ass whooping that was Clinton v Dole. I was playing for my undefeated AYSO team the “Orange Crush” (a nickname that I still feel the 2004-2005 Illinois basketball team stole from me) and we got the inside news that the city of Chicago was on the verge of getting its own MLS team. My team talked about how we couldn’t wait to go to the games and support a team that should have been an original member.
The next year many of us went with our parents to watch as the Chicago Fire with the great Peter Novak leading the charge went on to win the double. They had the gritty coach in Bob Bradley, the great veterans of Lubos Kubik, and the young attacking duo of Josh Wolff and Ante Razov. They represented Chicago in so many ways. It wa official, I was more than just a soccer fan, I was an American soccer fan. I decided at a young age that I would be an American Soccervangelist. Spreading the word of the game to both Eurofans and non-fans.
I was convinced that soccer could solve some of the worst global problems and that my belief in soccer would help shape my views of politics, race and foreign policy. I have seen countries stray away from war and watched as homeless from all parts of the world participate in an event that was more important to them then it could ever be for most of the kids playing on a plush field.
Though the ’98 World Cup still stings for US soccer fans, I honestly believe it was one of the greatest and most important events for this country. The failed and disastrous World Cup gave us both a model and a drive that was really missing in this country. We went on to hire Bruce Arena (people seem to underrate everything that he has done) and invest in creating a stronger national side. Looking back now, US Soccer’s break happened when it was broken.
The summer of 2002, I was about to be a sophomore in high school and yet during that amazing World Cup the star of that US Soccer team was an 18 year old named Landon Donovan (if John Harkes is the Johnny Unitas of US Soccer, the Kandon Donovan is the Joe Montana). I ignored friends for weeks, committing myself to sleep during the day and staying awake at night. I remember as mu familywas sleeping, I yelled after Landon Donovan scored what would become several goals against the so called giants El Tri and woke my family from their slumber. It was this World Cup that led me to following soccer outside of the United States. I followed the trials and tribulations that was Beckham/ Ferguson or Donovan/all of Germany and what would become the rise of Chelsea.
Today I am a proud supporter of US Soccer, the Chicago Fire and Chelsea Football Club. I read blogs that are aimed towards the soccer fan in all of us. That is how I found your site, I was searching and I thank God that I have found what I was looking for; a sport that represented everything we look for in each other.
My name is Robert Peters and like so many people I see wearing soccer jersey and scarves…So, you like soccer too?
If you feel like sharing your story and participating in this, email your story and any images that you want to include to:
ben [at] theoriginalwinger [dot] com
