On our way back from Poland to Berlin, two other Americans were on our bus. They had traveled to Poland for the day solely to watch the Poland- Switzerland game in Poland. Their trip wasn’t for cheaper beer or better quality TV connection. The camaraderie and excitement of sports is electrifying, especially when everyone watching or just walking down the street is cheering for the same team. When goals are scored it echoes down the street from house to house and pub to pub. The games serve as a unifying force. The German national team is a point of pride, and rightfully so with four stars on the jerseys. It is easy to tell when its game day, because people are wearing jerseys, scarves, themed leis, face paint or flags as capes.
The National Team for Germany has a broader and deeper reach than the US NST because soccer is more popular and prevalent over here. Only during the Olympics or World Cup is there a national backing of teams in the US, but even then it isn’t the same. Comparing the meaning of the European Championships or Copa America to other US sporting events isn’t accurate. These bring entire nations together transcending usual club fan-bases to cheer for one team. The players are first and foremost identified with their National Teams and then their club teams. In the United States most people who watch and cheer during the Olympics dont follow that sport at any other time. Lebron is hardly talked about in his playing for the US Olympic team; it’s an afterthought in most people’s minds. The NFL superbowl and NBA finals still pit two US teams against one another. They might unify a city but they don’t unify the country.
Insightful. It is true that there isn’t really a sense of a national team in the US; a city or a state perhaps has its own team which the people of the state support but there isn’t really a sport team that everyone in the US wholeheartedly supports against the rest of the world.