World Cup 2010: One If By Landon, Two If By Me...An American Fan's Rally Cry

God Bless America, Landon I love!

My Fellow Americans,

Pause and consider where you were on June 23rd, 2010 at 11:45 am EST...What, you can't remember? Well then let's try that again at a few minutes past 12 pm EST, when Tim Howard triggered Landon Donovan's sensational breakout for the group-seizing goal in the 91st minute of the USA's final group match in the 2010 World Cup.  Surely you remember now what it meant to go from the cantankerous pits of despair to the very heights of Mt. Kilimanjaro ?

Suddenly, 90 minutes of bile-inducing futility morphed into an endorphin soaked aphrodisiac of adrenaline as Donovan finished clinically in a seminal moment for United States soccer history.  Your life as a fan flashed before your very eyes, and time froze for you just as it did for Lando when he laid down the killing stroke. Three minutes from taking a 1,460 day break from the States' next chance to advance to the Round of 16, and all the three-time Cup midfielder does is finish with ease, notching the only injury time goal in American World Cup history!  But the story doesn't end there; not by a youthful Beckham long shot .  

While your Yanks jersey hits spin cycle and drains Bud Light your elated compatriots spilt in a moment of reflexive glory, ponder the fact that our country has now won it's group for the first time since 1930. 80 years!?!  Scarce are the individuals still breathing that can say they witnessed such success, and none have ever captured American triumph through dilated and tearful irises as they did on Wednesday afternoon.  Bob Bradley's brilliant boys have sifted through a vast and talented field of 32 and whittled it away to a mere 16, 3 more teams then were present in the 1930 World Cup !  The US reached those semis achieving only two wins in group play, and their opposition didn't include the likes of England, Brazil, Germany, or Spain.

Gaining perspective from the freshly molten lava of history that is flowing through Pretoria and Johannesburg this summer, it is all the more important that we as fans don't wait to relish the finished product at tourney and journey's end.  With a Round of 16 draw that sees our irrepressible squad up against the host continent's Darwinian darlings  in Ghana, there is little doubt that the Stars and Stripes will again face adversity at the site of their 1-1 draw with England.  Whether some strange voodoo magic will conjure up a freak goal alongside a well-reffed, robbery-free game is wishfully naive, and yet the table is set for a prolific run.

Should the Yanks survive Rustenburg, their weary legs , and the legions of African supporters inside Royal Bafokeng Stadium, they will be rewarded with the winner of Uruguay/South Korea at Johannesburg's new gem, Soccer City .  Though beatable as both are, surviving the will of a host continent rabidly rooting on its only hope in the Round of 16 is a task even Bear Grylls wouldn't envy .  It is now time for you as a die-hard, casual, or perhaps freshly baptized soccer fan to take up the Star-Spangled Standard of our great nation and stand behind the 23 man army bearing the sash of our birthright .

For many, there has been a learning curve.  Admittedly, most may wonder where the dusty diamond is every time the British chap in the broadcast booth mentions a pitch. To those of you nodding your heads, I implore you to take a hiatus from your afternoon ball games and book a one way ticket on a ride unlike any other.  Were it at the office's water cooler, the fax machine , or the construction site, you've heard all the conjecture about an unforgettable day in sports on June 23rd, 2010.  No doubt our boys may feel like John Isner after sustaining an exhaustive effort through 3 games with two goals dreadfully disallowed and the mounting emotional pressure of going from zero to hero in 11 seconds.  From the country club pool to the local watering hole, patriots are buzzing about one of the most incredulous and uplifting moments in American sports history.

You felt the ripple of exuberance washing over the 50 states, bringing visions of 1980 Lake Placid to mind.  NOW JOIN US! 5.6 million stateside Americans who strained every sinew with clammy palms and baited breath for an epic game-winner carving a complete chapter in the annals of soccer lore!  We are not the United States of Apathetic!  We are the United States of Action! Two US presidents, one past and one present have acknowledged this effort, causing the elder to lose his reserve .  Those keeping score have faith we can recapture the magic of African soil , that was just 364 days before our latest miracle!

Our perseverance is paying dividends as the cream is rising to the top of the tall grasses in the Serengeti.  World powers are wilting: 2006 World Cup champions Italy have faltered and failed mightily , 2006 runner-ups France have dismantled themselves faster than a 1-on-1 between Michael Moore and Bill O'Reilly on a Michael Bay set , England's ex-captain has allowed hormones to inhibit history .  Still, through trials and tribulation, the Colonial Club marches on, fueled by a never-say-die attitude and a penchant for pulse-pounding dramatics.  It's your turn to discover the unadulterated joyride that will enchant your eyes and baffle your brain!

Leap impulsively into the arms of a complete stranger!  Drape yourself in a 9 dollar American Flag from Wal-Mart! Belt out your best Louis Armstrong on that blue vuvuzela! Hitch your hopes on every cut of Clint Dempsey's cleats, moving fluidly in a lifetime tribute to his sister, Jennifer.  Maybe even you can rediscover a love lost and rekindle the flame for love of the game as Landon Donovan has !  Spend some quality time with your father and make him well up with pride in the fashion of the Bradleys !

We are now one nation under footy, with lucidity and frivolity for all! Living and dying by every bounce of the Jabulani , give in to the riptide of unified faith in the unthinkable, berate the logical thoughts that futbol isn't our sport, and scream in full-throated fury for the future of America's Magnificent Eleven!  Ian Darke acknowledged that Hollywood couldn't write this script, but who can help feeling as though the faintest flicker of hope could change the fate of our country's side? Donovan's delivery has us charging towards our final destination with an unwavering will worthy of a billion dollar blockbuster !  They can take our goals , tie our hands, and fray our faces , but never shall they dampen the indomitable spirit of our nation!

So what's it gonna be, America!?! Hit the snooze button on another 3 hour baseball bore, and have no fear, your dugout will decide their diamond dreams after the All-Star Game. Basketball fans, consider that Kobe Bryant has postponed finger surgery to attend the games in South Africa.  Super Bowl winner Reggie Bush is behind an Adidas promotion of the quadrennial phenomenon. Phone your friends and find your family...you'll know exactly where home is once you get thee to a television at 2:00 pm tomorrow afternoon.