Despite the struggle, USA soccer is my thing

For those of you that don’t know me, I am a huge football (soccer) fan. But I’m a particularly huge fan of the United States Men’s National Team. And when I say I’m a fan, it’s probably more accurate to say I’m a psycho. I live and die with the team -- each goal scored fills my heart with joy -- each one against rips that same heart right out of me.

So, as you can imagine, it was difficult for me to watch the USMNT lose to Argentina Tuesday night in the semifinals of the Copa America. If you have no idea what that is or what the heck I’m talking about, that’s fine. But just for a little background, the Copa America is one of the most competitive and prestigious international tournaments in the world, and outside of the World Cup, it rivals any other international competition that exists.

That meant that it was a big deal for the Americans to be in the semifinals and what made it an even bigger deal was that they played Argentina, the best team in the world, with the best player in the world in Lionel Messi.

Of course, in predictable fashion, the USMNT, while courageous and hard-charging, was defeated soundly 4-0. Three minutes into the match, the Argentinian side showed its dominance by capturing an early goal and it was at that moment, I thought to myself, why?

Why do I do this to myself? Why do I become so invested in this team and all the teams I follow so passionately, just to end up having my heartbroken, time and time again?

The answer? I’m a fan. It’s part of my DNA. It’s who I am.

So even though my beloved USMNT got walloped 4-0 and was severely outclassed by a group of world-class footballers, my hopes about the future are as bullish as they have ever been. Maybe it’s because the Americans are loaded with young talent and finally starting to develop the kind of players that can allow the United States to truly compete at the world’s highest level.

More and more, American players are playing overseas in England, in Germany, in France, in the best leagues the world has to offer, against the best players. Of course, there are great players playing right here in America too. Clint Dempsey, who is probably my favorite athlete right now this side of Aaron Rodgers, plays for the Seattle Sounders and there are many more promising players currently playing in Major League Soccer.

This all gives me hope, that someday, I’ll see the USMNT compete for a world championship and show that American soccer is legitimate and that we can put together a side that rivals the best in the world. I hope and pray that day is coming soon. The truth is, it may not, but in the end, to me, it doesn’t really matter.

Sure, it would be a dream come true. I can’t honestly say that outside of my Packers winning another Super Bowl, there is nothing I desire more as a sports fan, than the USA winning the World Cup. It’s probably little more than a pipe dream, but being a fan is a being a dreamer, because without that belief and that hope, why watch? Why follow? Why Cheer?

I watch because I love this team and I love American soccer. I really do. Soccer is a beautiful game and the USMNT is a team that I love, unconditionally. Not just for their play but their effort and their demeanor and the way they represent the red, white and blue.

I know that sounds weird, but if you’re a true fan, you know exactly what I mean.

There are times, when I hate American soccer. Times when I wish I didn’t care and times when I didn’t make myself believe, only to have those same beliefs crushed, over and over again. But of course, I’m also a Chicago Cubs fan, which shows what a glutton for punishment, I truly am.

Yet, no matter how many times the USMNT, the Cubs, the Packers, the Bulls, Michigan or any of my other teams fail me, I will still love them and come rain or come shine, I’ll always be watching, hoping and dreaming.

Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh likes to attack things with what he calls “an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.” That’s how he goes about his day-to-day activities. It’s also how I go about being a fan.

When my Packers suffered that terrible loss in Seattle two years ago in the NFC title game, I felt like my soul had literally been sucked out of me. That was a low moment. However, that same day, I was convincing myself and anyone who appeases me enough to listen to me, that they had a chance to win it all the next year.

That’s just how I view things, through rose-colored glasses. Yes, the Americans were battered and bruised by Argentina, but come Saturday, they get to play Columbia for third place, which if they win, would be a defining victory for a team that’s still desperately in search of one.

And despite that fact that the Americans lost to this same Colombian team 2-0 just three weeks ago, that will do little to damper my optimism.

The United States might lose and once again it might break my heart. But then again, everyone once in awhile, us fans are rewarded. The sports Gods, or some other higher power, finally shows us mercy. And if we have dedicated ourselves and remained faithful, eventually, something good will come. These moments are fleeting and sometimes they feel like a flash in the pan. That’s why you have got to enjoy them and cherish them.

So I don’t care if I act like a complete lunatic. I don’t care if my friends and family think I’m crazy or irrational or whatever. I know that all of those things are true, yet that will never stop me from acting out my fanaticism.

There is a romanticism about sports that has always drawn me to them. The idea of investing in something and believing in something has always appealed to me. And I always thought that was why I became so obsessed with my teams.

But the other day, as I watched the Americans get destroyed, I realized it was something different. It was love, unconditional love.

I realized that is the best way to describe a truly devoted fan. Someone who loves their team through thick and thin, good times and bad. I might be angry with the teams I love, but I will never turn my back on them and never stop loving them or living and dying with each one of their results.

It may seem petty or even childish, but once again, I don’t care, because if I wasn’t an idiot and didn’t make a complete fool out of myself, then it wouldn’t be love and I wouldn’t be that great of a fan.

So regardless of what this American soccer teams does and what they did in the Copa, I will ride with them forever. Not just because they are the national team of my home country, but because they have earned my allegiance as a fan.

And that my friends, is a lifelong commitment. We have had good times and bad times and will have both again in the future. But one thing that will never waver is my support or my love for my team, because in reality, without those things, you can’t call yourself a fan in the first place.