the beautiful game

my family are COMPLETE soccer fanatics.  my dad coaches my high school alma mater women's soccer team as well as a u-16 women's travel club team.  my sister was a star keeper in high school and played for two years at the university of richmond {go spiders!} before a shoulder injury sidelined her.  i played rec soccer all through middle school and one year of high school jv until i devoted my "athletic" life to cheerleading.  suffice it to say, we big pink puffy-heart freakin' LOVE world cup.  i was in europe for world cup 2006 {had just landed at heathrow when england was ousted.  not the place you want to be} and the passion for the game is infectious.

true to my WASP roots, i'll be rooting for the good ole U.S. of A., alongside of ze germans {sprechen sie deutsch?} and the three lions {my dad's side of the family is german and scottish, my mom's side of the family is british through and through}.  but you read it here first:  spain is going to win it all.  they're the team to beat this year, mark my words.

if you've never watched or cared about soccer before and even if you know nothing about the sport, i would encourage you to support team u.s.a. and watch the big match tomorrow at 2:30!  it's hard not to get swept up in the pride and emotion of world cup.  i bawled my eyes out this morning watching desmond tutu dance in the stands at the south africa v. mexico match.  there's a reason they call it the beautiful game.