Erin's Anniversary Present

For our 4th anniversary (Jan 3rd) Erin got us tickets to see USA v Mexico - I was so excited - I love soccer more than any other sport and I've never seen the national team play. Over the summer I upgraded our satellite package for a month and a half just so I could watch the Nats crash out of Copa America and see the U20's take out Brasil in the U20 world cup.

As the game approached we of course realized that the game coincided with Kaleo's Ash Wednesday service.... so that was a bummer to miss out on.

I wanted to go to the game like at 3 even though it wasn't supposed to start until 8:30 .... we really didn't get there until around 7:45 though. The atmosphere was intense! The Mexican fans outnumbered the US fans by at least 4:1 and they were going crazy singning songs and swearing at Timmy Howard everytime he took a goal kick....lots of drums and horns and chanting - the way a real sporting event should be. We had great seats... I'm a really nervous sports viewer so I was standing/praying for most of the match. I was amazed that the US scored first and I was stoked to see Altidore put one in. Howard is an amazing keeper and as a pub-team level keeper myself it was awesome to watch him play. We were all freaking out way to much when Dempsey put on in in the 42nd to notice that they'd flagged him for offsides.... the call was at least 2 minutes late as he'd received the ball turned on two defenders, dribbled past a third and slotted home past a stunned Ochoa... I'm bummed that the strike didn't count because I think we would have seen more from Adu in the 2nd half and the US could have played more open.... anyway - a tie was a fair result given that Mexico had the better possession over the course of the match. Plus the fact that we tied mean that there was less of a threat of Americans getting stampeded attempting to leave the stadium... and anytime you can go to a match... and not die afterwards it's a bonus.

Our pre-game self portrait

National Anthems

Our boys singing the national anthem

We're still getting used to our new camera so this one's a little fuzzy - but it pumps me up just looking at it.

This is the first time Drew Moor lost his man Magallon.... incidentally the two goals Magallon scored (beating Moor both times) were his first ever international strikes....weak.

This is basically how I was for most of the second half.

In non-related (to soccer) news, my little brother Jonathan proposed to Christina last Friday night.... since I don't live in Utah I have no pictures to post... so I'll throw up the one I have hanging on my cube wall. Congratulations little brother and little fiancee.