Attending a World Cup - Things I have Learned

Things I have learned from Going to My First World Cup …

I have been a life-long soccer fan – as a player, coach, referee, fan, and as my favorite role – dad.  And I have tried to be a life-long student of all things I experience.  Therefore in an effort to burn off nervous energy before the US-Belgium game tomorrow, I offer what is probably a very lame attempt at “Things I Have Learned” by attending my first World Cup. 

Open Table does not cover many Sao Paulo Restaurants … if you are looking for a good Italian bite to eat you should just talk to Luis Suarez.

I love our brethren from the United Kingdom but I have never been around more nervous and pessimistic fans (except at an Oakland Raiders game) …

The Brazil fans are wonderful – five minutes before kick-off firecrackers (and probably gun shots and a few cannon shots) go off all over Sao Paulo – then the entire population of the city stops wherever they are and watch the game.  They have two objectives:  (1) they enjoy the game and (2) they support their team.

Whenever you start thinking “hey my son’s in the world cup” … you need a dose of the Beasley Family --- four World Cups and they are just totally chill.

My fatherly ship has sailed on World Cups … but if you find yourself in Russia with the Beslers … start putting in the distances and the intervals before showing up or Greg Besler is going to smoke you.

The Amazon Rainforest really is hot and humid … I mean really hot and humid. 

If you ever wonder what the best player on a field looks like – get to a game in person and watch Tim Howard --- UNBELIEVABLE. 

If you went to Brazil and thought your Two Year Old Basset Hound was going to be good while you were gone … then you would have been surprised when you got the following Viber text during the USA-Portugal Game:  “… several of our friends are on Google checking to see if eating 14 toothpicks is a problem for a Basset Hound.  Millie powered down a whole platter of sausages before kick-off.  Everyone is pretty upset because those sausages looked good.” 

Filling Downtime Between Games for USMNT Family Group

The USMNT is up in Salvador probably wrapping up training for Sunday.  Being winter in Brazil it gets dark pretty early – by 5pm the sun is starting to give way to evening.  The families will be heading up to Salvador on another one of their familiar bus rides to the airport and then plane rides to the new city and then bus rides to the hotel.  We’ll hope for less rain than what they dealt with in Recife.  Today I reflect on the Family Group and how enjoyable it has been to meet them all and to travel with them --- and --- to have some major down time at hotels across Brazil.  Here is the Family Group Traveler’s Guide to pass the downtime.

If you just wanted to hang out with the quintessential American Soccer Families – the Zusis and Beslers fit that bill.  They have the required hot soccer moms, athletic dads, attractive and active siblings and extended family.  They have been to tournaments for the past 20 years and have learned how to have fun in any extended downtime between games in unfamiliar places.

If you had the urge to go out and run 10 miles at some god-awfully-fast-pace … just find Greg Besler who is more than happy to run very fast for long distances in hot weather.  I will confess that while I ran each day – I was successful at avoiding his pace and distance.  I’m pretty sure David Zusi was not as fortunate as me in that regard.

If you just wanted to hang with cool people … then you would find the Beasleys.  DaMarcus is in his fourth World Cup – so this aint their first rodeo. 

If you were not sure what you wanted to do but you wanted to be fully entertained – the Jones family would be the right call.  Those kids are beyond cute – and then when you add in the daredevil factor – you have instant entertainment.

If you wanted to hang at the pool – the Davis girls would be your ambassadors. 

If you wanted to go to corner taverns around Sao Paulo and watch the games with the locals – Stephen and I would be your best bet. 

If you wanted women to flock to you (and you were not extraordinarily attractive) just grab Emersyn Wondo and carry her around – instant chick magnet.

If you found yourself stranded in the hotel due to flood waters and impassable streets and unable to get to a game – but wanting to make the best of the situation --- then you would have wanted to be with all of the USMNT Families because that is how they roll.

Pictures Continue on Twitter @jwondo

Reminder that pictures continue to be posted on twitter at @jwondo ... the USMNT Families continue to BELIEVE

A New Way of Looking at the USMNT Roster

Over the last month the USMNT Roster for the 2014 World Cup has been analyzed, re-analyzed, and then re-re-analyzed.  All of the ‘experts’ have weighed in with their opinion and many of those ‘experts’ saw no way that we would emerge from the “Group of Death” into the Round of 16.  I think I have a unique analysis that demonstrates how amazingly deep the US Talent Pool is … I am using an alphabetic lens for my ‘expert’ review.

When the coaches got together to pick the final roster they probably started with the players whose last name began with “A” and then “B” … and so on until they got to Zusi (which in just about every group will bring up the end of the alphabet).  I base this methodology on the one that was traditionally used in my schools for handing out report cards --- with the last name “Wondolowski” only Zimmerman was behind me.  It worked well for report cards so it would certainly work well for picking a World Cup team.

Well – by the time the coaches got past ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, and ‘D’ – they had already selected over half of the team (12 players).  That means after getting only 15% of the way through the alphabet 52% of the team had already been selected.  That shows tremendous depth in the Player Pool.  In fact – by the time the coaches got half-way through the alphabet they had already selected 19 of the 23 players – or 83% of the team.  Realizing that they needed to have some representation from the second half of the alphabet they quickly added Rimando, Wondolowski, Yedlin, and Zusi.

This type of analytical review is something that comes free with your subscription to this blog … you just can’t get this anywhere else people.

Family Group - Travels and Then Sao Paulo Sweet Sao Paulo

The round trip from Sao Paulo to Recife is about 2700 miles - probably best done by plane rather than walking or taking a cab.  The USMNT Family Group went on that journey - first leg on Wednesday and return leg on Thursday.  But a funny thing happened on the way to the most important game for the US this year - and possibly one of the most important in our history ... rain fell for a full day --- like major rain --- and the Family Group was stranded at their hotel and could not make it to the game because their busses could not get to the hotel.  This is a resilient group and of course they figured out the best way to handle the weather.  Then - after the game once the rain let up a little and the streets were only flooded by a foot or two - they got to the airport to get back to Sao Paulo.

The obvious reward (the advancement from the Group to the Knock-Out Stage) is a wonderful trade-off for what otherwise was not a perfect two days. 

The other reward was that today (Friday) the families were taken to the Sao Paulo Football Club Training grounds to watch a training session.  Then treated to a Brazilian BBQ with the team members.  Even though the players showered after training - there were plenty of players out with family members juggling, passing, and playing small goal games. 

The Belgium game in Salvador is another 2000 mile round trip journey - but the Family Group is battle tested and ready ... the team --- well I BELIEVE - these young men are as prepared and fit and ready as any team can be.  Who knows what will happen ... but only a fool would bet against this team.

Thanks to my brother Mike for being my correspondent embedded with the group after I returned to the real world ... and happy birthday to him as well.

Brazil Reflections

My exit from Brazil was a 2 hour drive to GRU (Sao Paulo) and then a 12 hour flight to LAX (Los Angeles) followed by jumping a one hour flight to Oakland. The drama behind this exit was that apparently upon exit from Brazil you need to conform with two requirements:  (1) you can not be a mule for illegal substances and (2) you must have consumed at least three caipirinha drinks.  I was detained for a while because while I had no illegal substances I had to admit that I only had part of one caipirinha.

The Caipirhinha is traditionally mixed with mulled lime, sugar, ice, and cachaca ... cachaca is the high-octane ingredient (some places simply substitute vodka). 

My handicap in Brazil is that I do not drink hard alcohol - I can do beer (ok I can really do beer) and I can do wine ... but even a cosmo has been known to knock me down.  My son Stephen tried to take on the caipirinha challenge in Manaus (he lost).  My entire 12 days ended with me only being able to claim 1/3 of one caipirinha. 

The semi-good news about exiting Brazil without having had your required share of caipirinhas is that they still let you out --- but they do all laugh at you when you leave.


BACK IN THE US of A ...

THE MAN brought me back to the USA last night and I had meetings this afternoon.  After watching the game (with a bit more than anticipated screaming) I went to my meetings and then this afternoon swung by my local Safeway Store on the way home.  In this small town where I live there were (unofficially) 5 people wearing US Soccer shirts - you can call it a bandwagon but I call it pent up support. 

THE WATCH PARTIES:

My older sister lives walking distance from the Chicago Grants Park watch party that ESPN likes to show.  I think she may wish she was there today as it was not raining or flooding in Chicago and she had no such luck in Recife.

My wife had 50+ people from her company (Alain Pinel Realtors shout out) at American Bull in Burlingame, CA to watch the USA make it to the knock out round of the final 16 this morning. 

NOTHING ELSE:

That's it people - I am hoping that my friends from the US Team Family Group were able to make it out of Recife today to get back to Sao Paulo (and then prepare for another flight up the coast to Salvador in a couple of days.) 

Group of Death = Group of Life for USA

Not news - but WE MADE IT THROUGH!!!!!  For all of you have been in 4 team groups in tournaments you know that the goal is getting through to the next round (regardless of specific sport).  And our body of work - a good win, a tough tie, and an incredibly gutty 1 goal loss --- combine to get us into the final 16 team single-elimination 'knock-out' round. 

I have told you before that this team has heart.  Who knows what will happen (long time soccer people know that the soccer gods are typically cruel) --- but I really like the attitude and heart of our boys.  They are wonderful young men - and I would not advise anyone to bet against them in a single-elimination game.  I can promise you this ... no matter what happens during the next game that our team will give it all they have.

I'm back stateside as of last night - my wife cleared out the house (except for our miniature dachshund and my beloved basset hound) - so that I would have nobody around me during the game (this morning in California).  Well ... Addie and Millie hung around for the first half but got a little tired of my jumping up and down and screaming at the television so I was totally solo in the second half. 

I am told that many (if not all) of our Family Group in Recife were not able to get to the game due to the flooding.  I am told that the busses could not get to the hotel because of the height of the water and that some (or all) of the Family Group actually had to watch the game on television from the hotel.  I'll verify that but the Internet connection in the hotel was spotty at best and the flooding did not make it any better.  BUT - they all have another game to attend. 

If the weather permitted - our team and the Family Group headed back to Sao Paulo this evening --- where they are going to face a little more rain (but nothing like Recife).  As I hear more I will send it along ... but I have to warn you that I am going to continue this blog until the US Team finishes (which could very possibly be another two weeks). 

Another outcome of today is that my son Chris will continue growing his hair (he wont cut it until the World Cup is over) --- he started this mission back at the South Korea game 5 months ago when we played in Los Angeles.