The early opportunities loom large now. Twice, the US women went ahead and appeared to have the World Cup in hand, only to be unable to hold the lead. Penalty kicks went awry and all of Japan finally had something to celebrate, while the overnight US stars were left wondering how they possibly allowed the championship to slip through their fingers.
But amidst the improbable run, something remarkable happened that had nothing to do with the outcome of the final: women in a mainstream team sport became heroes, not only among girls, but boys. Women’s basketball, softball, and soccer have always had fans amongst girls, but not amongst boys, who live and die by Tom Brady and Josh Hamilton.
But this soccer team was able to combine finesse, strength, amazing grit, and beauty into a superstar package that caught the attention of young men across the country, which, to me, is wicked cool and a big step forward in gender relations despite the heartbreaking loss.
My son (pictured above, with his buddies) was very upset to realize that Hope Solo is not age appropriate despite his good natured obsession with the US goalkeeper.