AN AMERICAN GAME
Some say that soccer is an American game. Okay, Tom McCabe and Kirk Rudell say that, and it might sound weird if you’re an American soccer fan, and you’ve spent your whole life having to prove you know the game–even defend your right to love it–to people who say the US has no soccer history.
But: soccer was in New Jersey before it was in Brazil. The US had a pro league before Italy or Spain. We were the first country to register for the first World Cup. In this series, the former teammates tell stories from the 150 years of American soccer history that even die-hard fans may not know. Tom is one of the pre-eminent historians of American soccer, and Kirk is a veteran Hollywood screenwriter, so it’s real history that’s fun to listen to.
With a World Cup coming next year, we want to give American fans a reason to stand a little prouder, cheer a little louder, and celebrate the generations of immigrants who brought their dreams, and the game, with them. Because it’s our game, too.
AN AMERICAN GAME
Little Earthquakes: The First Women’s National Team
The US victory in the 1999 Women’s World Cup has been called “a tsunami hitting the shore” for women’s soccer in the United States. But the seismic activity that started that wave goes way back to the 19th century. (Surprised? You must be new here.) Tom and Kirk track the long line of women’s soccer that led to an under-appreciated quake: the formation of the very first US Women’s National Team, the 85ers, whose wild week at a tournament in Italy 40 years ago laid the foundation for one of the most dominant programs in American sports. OOSA!
Also, we give a shout-out to a member of the women’s national team pool from the 90s, whose daughter, a standout soccer player in Los Angeles, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer a few years ago. The family has started a foundation dedicated to raising awareness about pediatric cancer, advocating for research and funding, and supporting other kids facing similar challenges. The women's soccer community, including the 99ers, have rallied around them--and so can you.
Check out what they’re doing:
Zoe’s Goal: https://zoesgoal.org/
