The Brazilian Octopus

   The rest of the world has it easy when it comes to football. Especially in England, where society is very parochial, the choice of football team to support may be somewhat obvious. I live several blocks from a high school. Several mare blocks away is our nearest grocery store. Convenient and cozy. In North London, Emirates and White Heart Lane are the same distance apart as my neighborhood high school and grocery store. My nearest professional team is 335 miles away. This is like a Spurs fan having to drive to Newcastle to get to White Heart Lane.

   Geography becomes arbitrary when talking such distances. Do I really have any more connection to the team 335 miles away than I do the team 1,500 miles away? It becomes a matter of personal choice more often than not.

   International football is no different. Supporting the US national team is more a matter of vague moral support. I don't know all the players. I don't follow MLS as closely as I do the Premiership. Most American players in England play for mid- to lower- table teams. In short, I don't care. 

   I'm glad to see the players doing well, and it is a far cry better than the state of American soccer when I first started following in the '90s, but I don't have the passion for the team. I think that's proper, as this country has no passion for the sport or the team. Sure, everyone gets behind them during the World Cup. But Americans get behind anything painted red, white, and blue...for a while. Americans will rabidly watch the track and field events during the Olympics, but after it's over, you couldn't pay an American to watch a track meet.

   That said, many Americans follow whichever national team is closest to the ethnic group they most identify with. My last name's Vanderburg, so that makes me an obvious fan of the Nederlands. I am also the grandson of a Polish immigrant, so not only do I support Poland, but any other Slavic nation. Welcome to the melting pot of soccer. I follow England, because I follow the Premiership. We'll get to why I support Spurs later.

Since the England disappointment, I've been following teams with Spurs players, and even ex-players. I'm a bit amazed at KP Boateng and Dos Santos, but it's typical. So, this morning I'm looking at my Oranje vs. my third place goalkeeper, Heurelho Gomes. If Gomez was in goal, I may snuggle closer to Brazil, but as it stands I am sticking with a Dutch win.