For those of us who saw it, Landon Donovan‘s winning goal on Wednesday for the US team over Algeria was one of the most dramatic goals of this World Cup, if not in US soccer history. But more than that, it was a relief.
Up until that goal, the US soccer team’s journey to the group of 16 had been more about the goals they didn’t get than the goals they did. In the game against Slovenia, a goal by Maurice Edu just before the 86th minute that would’ve won the game for them was disallowed on a foul call that was never really explained, by a referee who was later ejected from the World Cup. Then, early in the Algeria game, what appeared to be a goal by Clint Dempsey was ruled offsides, but the announcers were dubious.
Thankfully, neither call came back to haunt the US, and that was thanks to Donovan’s goal in extra time, one that sparked joyous reactions across the country and around the world. And as Yahoo Sports reports, it also inspired Robby Donoho, a senior at Purdue University, who put together a collection of video clips of fans celebrating Donovan’s goal (see below). From explosions of joy in New York, N.Y., to people hugging one another in Lincoln, Neb., from a bar full of people in Covington, Ky., cheering “USA, USA, USA!!” to a guy in Arkansas leaping off of his American flag-adorned couch, pumping his fist and screaming “Yeah!!! Yeah, goal!! Goal!! Yeah!!” Whether you get a lump in your throat, a smile on your face or a tear in your eye, it’s worth watching just to see how worked up people are about a sport that, after decades, still hasn’t taken off in the United States like it has most other places in the world. But don’t tell that to these people — or to Landon Donovan.
In fact, Donovan saw the video. And as he wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday, “Not sure if you guys saw this but it brings tears to my eyes every time. Thank you all so much…. we can’t do it without you guys. Believe.”
More and more, that’s the sense I’m getting about this team: that people do believe in them. And how couldn’t they? The team may give up early goals, but they come back. They may have calls go against them, but they keep fighting. And now they face a team in Ghana, the team they lost to in the 2006 World Cup that prevented them from advancing, and the only African team remaining in this World Cup. No matter what happens in the game, Americans believe in this team, because the team has given them every reason to, and that’s something we can all celebrate.
Photo by _ambrown via Flickr.