Like most kids, I played recreational soccer at a very young age. While others lost interest in elementary school, I continued to play through high school, and man, was I just about as mediocre as you can get.
I am eternally grateful I was able to play the world’s most popular game for so many years. Even more so, it made me appreciate the skills of professional footballers, and I’ve only grown to love watching the sport more and more as the years have gone on. Here are some of my favorite memories as a professional soccer fan.
4. Portugal beating England on PK’s
The 2006 World Cup was really the first tournament that got me into watching professional football. I was in sixth grade at the time and understandably, the vast majority of the sports I watched were American. I had no dog in the fight prior to the game, but during, I decided I’d root for Portugal. I remember exactly where I was watching the game - on a flight to Mexico for vacation (I really wish I appreciated now how cool it was to be in a football-loving country like Mexico during the World Cup). Wayne Rooney received a red card for a challenge on Cristiano Ronaldo, and I’ll never forget how big of a deal it was that fellow club teammates could be involved in that scenario. When Portugal won in PK’s, dozens of people on the plane cheered. It was such a fun experience to be a part of that helped me fall in love with watching the game.
3. Going to an LA Galaxy vs NY Red Bulls game
Say what you want about the MLS, but I was pretty damn lucky to see the players I did attending my first professional sporting event. Not many Americans can say they saw David Beckham or Thierry Henry in person - I got to see them BOTH play in the same game. By no means am I comparing the atmosphere of an MLS game to that of other countries, but the experience at a professional football match is still unlike any other sporting event I’ve attended. Looking back on it, I am so fortunate to have seen two legends of the game in person, along with Landon Donavan.
2. USA beating Algeria
I’m sure most people reading this remember this moment. It was our third group-stage game of the 2010 World Cup, and the Americans needed a victory to advance to the knockout rounds. We had already been screwed out of 2 points in the previous game after a referee called off one of our goals for no reason, so the pressure was on.
The game was very early - I recall waking up at 6:00 am PST to watch from the beginning. I’ve never cheered so loudly so early in the day. We dominated the game, but just couldn’t find a way to score for the life of us. The longer the game progressed, the more it felt like it just wasn’t going to be our day. And then in stoppage time, a miraculous run down the entire field creating an opportunity where Landon Donavan was there to poke the ball home on a rebound, clinching us the victory and top spot in the group.
1. Tottenham beating Ajax
Unfortunately, Tottenham hasn’t won a single trophy since I’ve been a fan (sorry for the jinx fellow Spurs fans), but just about the next best thing was their victory in last season’s Champions League semi-final match away to Ajax. It took a 3-goal comeback in the second half of the second leg, including the final goal coming in the 96th minute. The feeling was euphoric after - I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that my favorite team would be competing for the world’s biggest prize.
Author: Living in Southern California, Robert Sweeney has been a fan of soccer since he played as a young child. Since then, he’s become a diehard Tottenham and US National Team fan. Rob enjoys writing about the impact soccer has had on his life in hopes that it betters others as well. Twitter: @robsweeney11