U-Sector – The Original Toronto FC Supporters Group

Alive in Joburg

Friday, June 18, 2010

I feel dirty. Today, I cheered for a Landon Donovan goal.

Sitting amongst the 45,000-plus in attendance at Ellis Park for the Group C match between Slovenia and the US, it was hard not to get swept up in the moment.

We arrived at Ellis Park well over three hours prior to kickoff, and even at that time there were thousands of eager American fans – not all of them American, mind you – reveling in pre-game anticipation on the grounds surrounding the stadium. There were plenty of Slovenian supporters as well, but it was clear to anyone who the favoured side was on this day.

Johannesburg was alive with Yankee Fever.

It was a bit saddening for myself as a Canadian soccer fan, seeing (and hearing) so many people with such a similar culture to our own getting ready for their country to once again take part in the world’s biggest party while we have to (once again) sit by and cheer by proxy.

Why couldn’t this be Canada?

No matter. Today, I was North American. Or so said the cheerful Yank girls who seemed a little too thrilled at the sight of my Canada Olympic hoodie that has served as my trademark on this trip. I should cheer for the US, they informed me, because soccer success for our giant neighbour to the south can only serve to rub off on us.

I really couldn’t argue the logic, as simplistic as it may be. As goes the USA, so goes Canada in so many ways, as much as we are loathe to admit it. In soccer terms, we are inextricably linked thanks to MLS, a league that needs us as much as we need them.

And so with that in mind, I cheered on the Americans. Spread the CONCACAF love, eh?

I didn’t think I was too emotionally invested in the match. When the Yanks went down by two, I was hardly sad. In fact, at that point I had begun to wonder whether I really cared if the Americans had won or lost.

I mean, this is a team that I should hate, and have hated on many occasions in the past, yet I chose to support them today. So it made sense that I couldn’t really be sad to see them losing, right?

When the second half kicked off, I felt myself questioning what I really wanted to get out of the game. Was I just hoping to soak up the spectacle of a live Wprld Cup game? Was I hoping for a US miracle comeback? Was this just something else on my list of things to do on a trip that has thus far been incredible?

When Donovan scored that incredible goal to open the second half, the answer became clear. As I jumped up and high-fived the South African girls behind me who had adopted the USA as their team to support today, I realized that I was invested. So much so, that I’d just cheered for a goal scored by then man who, as a TFC supporter, I hate more than anyone else in the world.

And yet, it didn’t matter. I was in the middle of thousands of Americans, and mob mentality had taken over. I wanted the Yanks to storm back so bad, that if temporarily suspending my club and country hatred for Landycakes was the requirement, then so be it.

After Michael Bradley scored the equalizer, the place erupted, and I nearly fell out of my seat. What an inredible game this had turned out to be. Even though I felt that the ref was favouring the Slovenians all night long, the American team had overcome, and were now on track to post the first come-from-behind victory of this World Cup. Or so I thought.

The tide had turned, and the US was pouring it on now, searching for that late winner.

Then it happened. Mo Edu, Toronto FC’s first ever draft pick, battled through the maze of bodies on the American set piece and knocked it into the gaping net. The entire stadium roared, the vuvuzelas thundered in approval, the ‘GOALLLLL!’ sign flashed on the screen, and the US players celebrated.

Then, inexplicably, the ref called off the goal.

Unadulterated joy turned to surprise, then bemusement, then anger toward an official who had called a phantom foul on the play that surely would have given the team a hard-fought victory. It all felt familiar, somehow.

Maybe supporting the US isn’t all that different from supporting Canada, after all. At least not today.

Posted by Rudi Schuller (who can’t wait until the World Cup is over so he can go back to hating Landon Donovan with the fire of a thousand suns)