You Es Ayyyyyy

'twas the 23rd hour on a warm Cameroonian evening and my nerves were at an all time high. I was feeling slightly nauseous, but not due to diarrhea, dehydration, or the other common plagues of this land. No, the matter was far more serious, the US was about to begin it's premier match of le Coup du Mounde. Ghana, a team America knows all to well, was the opponent. America's last memory from South Africa was elimination at the hands of this West African foe. This year, being placed in the aptly named "group of death" left no room for error. I anxiously gnawed on the heated corn cobs my host mother had graciously prepared for me. I was nervously drinking water as if my life depended on it...which I guess, theoretically, it does. As the teams walked onto the pitch my host father recited the names of players familiar to him. And as the national anthem began he hummed the tune in the background as I sang the lyrics.

Of the game itself, well the highlights are available anywhere. I couldn't be more pleased with the result, especially after losing Altidore early on. The match captured my attention throughout its' entirety. The mice, lizards, and mosquito's were for once an after thought. My host father congratulated me on the victory as I went to bed. His allegiances lie first and foremost with Cameroun and then predominantly with other African nations. But because of the support I showed for Cameroon during their match against Mexico I believe he is willing to offer some show of support for le Etats Unis. I can't wait for the next match against Portugal. They looked very beatable vs Germany, but that may have been more of a testament to Germany's strengths rather than Portugal's weakness. Nonetheless, I am eager for le Dimanche to arrive and am curious to see what side my host father chooses.