The Goodbye Video

Favorite Quotes from South Africa

"There is nothing to do now but yak later."
-Nate, before the USA-Ghana game

Geoff: "I couldn't have done this trip then."
Andrew: "I couldn't do that trip now."
(general agreement)
Comparing the 2006 and 2010 World Cup trips

P.s. I got the Nederland-Brasil game correct, with the correct score. Fuck yeah.

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out :: USA vs. Ghana

In 2006 we walked from the stadium after a shocking defeat to Ghana. This has been well documented in the past; no one spoke for three on-foot miles. It was living in chains. It was horrifying. We were shell-shocked. We had all spent our entire financial holdings on the trip and hadn't even seen the $6,000 bill for totaling a car. It was an ugly '06 June. Fast-forward four years and it's a slightly different cast of characters with some major additions and some major (emotional) absences. This time we generated an enclave in South Africa, survived a death sentence against Slovenia and experienced a divine Landon Donovan goal against Algeria. It's 2010 and we're drawn against Ghana again and we promise, we swear, we're going to give our very sporting souls in the breach tomorrow.

It's impossible to exactly explain the events after Donovan scored 48 hours ago, but it is useful to know where it led. We collapsed into joy in the moment knowing full well what it meant. In the velocity of the World Cup, it gave us one more game, another three days to grow our scraggly facial hair and another chance to silence critics, prove we travel and get ourselves (nay!), our team towards the promised land.

Tomorrow, against a familiar foe, against a team that reduced me to tears when Dempsey drilled the net in '06, we have a chance for greatness and a chance to think about changing our flights and trying to stay here to the end. We are on an absolutely miraculous run and one that we don't want to end. Don't look down, USA. We've run off the cliff and we swear up and down that we can walk on air. Or, at the very least, we refuse to walk home from this stadium. America, find your Delaware River, find your last fortitude, find your passport, locate Trenton and attack. You are Americans and goddammit, you are free.

USA-Algeria: Before and After

It was a big day.

Somehow, I'm pretty sure this is important

From: Michael Ireland
To: Jeremy Forsythe
Re: america.
Wed, June 23 2010 at 10:37PM

Lauren saw my USA tat and wants one for her and K. I said the bear can provide.

We seriously considered naming the new guy Landon for about 5 mins until we came across both the kids having L names.

Video Diary - Tue 6/22

Hey Algeria - Go Fuck Yourself
(and for the record, now I'm drinking)

This is pretty damn awesome

Silver sent this to me tonight, although did not post it on the blog, so i'm picking up the slack. Love watching the eruptions of tags after the goals. great stuff.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/world-cup-match-replay

"Andrew Gets a Jersey" or "Cotton and Weird"

Ready for tomorrow

may not be able to put enough 'don't tread on me' tat's on my face.

These Are The Times That Try Men's Souls

"For though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the embers can never expire."

or

"Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conquest, the more glorious the triumph."

Did you know Portugal has an American Coach?

It's this guy. Great website: http://www.stargoalkeeper.com/dan-resume.php4.