Once More Into the Ring

Ahead of the big "friendly" USA-Mexico game today, Luis Hernandez has a new commercial for Wells Fargo similar to the Landon Donovan one. It's to introduce a banking app in Spanish. 

Like Donovan's, the scenario is a coach handing out jerseys to players, and Hernandez, as the new addition, uses his banking app to send in his payment quickly. But a crucial difference (as well as a tip of the hat to the Mexican fan loyalty in the rivalry) is that as soon as Hernandez pulls the jersey over his head, his hair magically grows into the long tresses he once sported, complete with a headband. Everyone on his team recognizes him and celebrates having a legend on their team. 

Hernandez then runs to the field in triumph, despite never actually having touched the ball yet. "El Matador" was indeed a Mexico icon. While his Galaxy career wasn't spectacular and he lost to LD and the USA in 2002 in the World Cup, he gets the last laugh here.

On Feeling American

Light a firecracker or pop champagne a little early today if you're a USA soccer fan, because Gedion Zelalem is now a USA citizen. 

Born in Germany, Zelalem came to the US in 2006, leaving only seven years later to join Arsenal's youth team. But 9 to 16 is a crucial age when many friendships and loyalties are formed. Zelalem, even though he has the choice still to play for Ethiopia, Germany or the US, has indicated he would like to represent America, partly because of the strong ties he made with youth club teammates while growing up in Maryland. Zelalem's family also settled in the USA, so he has many reasons to consider himself American. 

That hasn't changed, apparently, even while in England, though he plays for one of the premier clubs in the EPL. 

I think I understand that, a little. For example, I rarely drank Coke while I lived in the USA. I didn't really like it, and there were plenty of other options. When I lived abroad, though, people would often offer me a Coke, assuming that because I was an American, I drank it all the time. At first I resisted. I was traveling and wanted to experience local culture, including beverages. I sampled many coffees, teas, yogurt drinks, juices, etc. 

After a few months, even though I still enjoyed exploring and experiencing other places, I realized I missed the States a lot. I missed peanut butter, pepperjack cheese, Thai food, Tex-Mex, pancakes, TV shows, 24hr gas stations, In-N-Out, friends, family, shorts and flip-flops as acceptable streetwear, "Hey!" as an acceptable greeting, hugs as acceptable farewells, Spanglish as an alternative language,  co-ed soccer games, pick-up basketball games, and eating dinner before 10 pm. I adjusted, of course, with the "when in Rome" philosophy (reminder, must actually go to Rome someday!), but living abroad helped me realize how American I really am. 

So around that time, when yet another new friend offered me a Coke with an "of course this is what you drink" smile, I finally took it. I sipped and it tasted like home. Which is to say, it tasted exactly like the drink that I didn't like back home, but this time, far away from home, that made me feel nostalgic and I liked it. 

That's a story to help explain why I understand that living elsewhere can sometimes make a person more sure of where he really belongs. 

Welcome home, Gedion. 

Love is in the Air

Isn't this the cutest ever? 

'@soccercanales: But @sydneyleroux, the important question is how @bossleroux feels about @Ddwyer14' 😊 pic.twitter.com/9c135YJGla
— Boss Leroux (@bossleroux) December 15, 2014

I mean the dog, of course. 

But that's not just any mutt tweeting at me, it's Boss Leroux. The lil' chihuahua with more followers than most soccer writers (including me) reached out to assuage my concerns. 

What was I worried about? Ah, I just wanted to know Dom had the seal of approval from Boss because of this revelation about America's Soccer Power Couple. 

So happy to have this guy in my life even if he's prettier than me. #caesarandkoba pic.twitter.com/f0MYcxy1lv
— Sydney Leroux (@sydneyleroux) December 15, 2014

Free Your Mind to Reality

Reading over this article taking new MLS team Orlando City to task over a tweet, I felt a familiar frustration rising up. 

Of course, in North America, women can be fans. Fans=customers and to the emerging soccer market in the USA and Canada, every customer is generally valued. 

But why should women be "just" fans? 

Why can't they be players who have their own cadre of loyal fans? 

Why can't they coach? 

Why can't they be commentators and analysts and writers?

Why can't they be trainers and producers and publicists?

Why can't they own teams? 

But I've traveled enough to know that those are first-world problems in general, and that even in those scenarios, the USA is more welcoming and supportive of women in the sport than many countries in Europe, for example. 

In other places, no, women can't even just be fans. 

It doesn't mean that the battles at every level to eradicate sexism aren't worth fighting, but it's also important to realize how in some places, even a basic enjoyment of the beautiful game is limited to human beings because of their gender. 

Mighty Megan

I remember when I first started covering women's soccer and another reporter mentioned the girlfriend of a top player. He seemed surprised at my confused look, then calmly explained that a few of the USA women's national team were gay. 

My confusion, though, wasn't because I was surprised that some of the team's players were lesbian. My first thought had been, "Really? Why is anyone hiding someone they love from the public?" 

When I voiced this question out loud, my fellow reporter smiled, "Well, they aren't really hiding. I mean, their teammates know. If you cover the team long enough, you'll see their girlfriends often enough that you'll figure out which players are gay. They just don't really make it obvious to fans or anyone else."

Basically, the world at large was kept in the dark. I'm all for privacy in people's personal lives, but frankly, that's not what has historically happened with the straight members of the USA women's team - or the men's team, for that matter. Engagements are trumpeted and marriages are announced regularly on the official blogs for both squads. 

It's especially the USA women's team has sold to the public an image of themselves as "good girls". I've long thought that it should be more about athletes as real people. 

Megan Rapinoe is definitely keeping it real by letting the world know that she is homosexual.

In doing so, Rapinoe is setting an example not only for some of her fellow teammates, but also for young soccer-playing athletes everywhere to be true to themselves and to who they love.