Soccer talk

Disclaimer: If you did not watch the Women's World Cup you thoroughly missed out and this post may not make much sense to you... then again it may not make sense if you did watch the games so I guess read on if you so desire.

In the wake of yesterdays heartbreaker, I want to talk about something at the very core of sporting experience; winning and losing.

Anyone seen the movie Miracle? (if not, again you're thoroughly missing out)


Great moments... are born from great opportunity. And that's what you have here, tonight, boys. That's what you've earned here tonight. One game. If we played 'em ten times, they might win nine. But not this game. Not tonight. Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight, we stay with them. And we shut them down because we can! Tonight, WE are the greatest hockey team in the world. You were born to be hockey players. Every one of you. And you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time is done. It's over. I'm sick and tired of hearing about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw 'em. This is your time. Now go out there and take it.



I totally love this aspect of sport, this idea that as an underdog you can rise up and meet a challenge. However, yesterday Japan did not "go out there an take it." In fact, subjectively, they really didn't earn the win. In a way the US women, and karma or whatever outside powers you believe influence sport outcomes gave it to them. That's not to say the US didn't want it. I got the sense that the USA team wanted it more (I'm probably bias) eventually leading to their psychological demise. Bad luck messes with confidence, as apposed to injustice (like in the Brazil game) which makes you fight. Having nothing to lose is one of the best ways to bring out a “winning spirit,” but having everything thing to lose is terrifying. What is so crazy about soccer is you don't have to be the more talented team, or the more cohesive team, or the more supported team, or the team with the bigger heart. The ball simply has to somehow get in the opponents net more times than it gets in your own. Obviously, it doesn't hurt to have the advantage of skill and possession, urgency and desire, but in the end there are thousands of confounding circumstances that lead to an outcome. That's the game, that's life.

At first thought, individual sports like running give you a sense that you are in control of outcomes. Your fitness can be directly reflected in race outcomes. But, the longer we are around the sport we realize races and training going as planned is the exception not the rule. We have breakthroughs when we least expect them and heartbreaks when we can least afford them. Our sport is arguably just as frustratingly unpredictable as any other. But that's why we get up in the morning, that's why we compete.  If the favorites always won, the polls were always right on, and races went solely to those with the talent and superior training why would we ever step up to line? Predictability is something coaches and athletes strive to understand but at the end of the day, what we like to refer to as "luck" is what keeps us coming back. Even though the chances that things come together at the right time and the right place are much more rare then the chances something falls apart, we can't help but believe that it can and will happen for us, if not today than next time.

Chasing my one in ten, my "tonight"
Laura