Yesterday, on October 10th 2017 I witnessed something that I never thought I would see in my lifetime. After 3 decades the US men's soccer team failed to qualify for the World Cup. And as I sat in my room watching this abhorrent and utterly disgusting display put on against a weakened Trinidad and Tobago side, I couldn't help but think "what about us?" Now I could go on and on about what steps the USSF needs to take in the coming years, and who needs to be fired, or where we as a country went wrong. But none  of that stuck out to me as much as the image of all of those fans who made the trip down to the small island country ready to celebrate with their team, only to have their dreams dashed and just sit there in stunned disbelief. Alexi Lalas summed it up best when he said "you don't only owe it to yourself, you owe it to us." Lalas couldn't be more correct with this statement, because when it comes to world soccer the game becomes bigger than just the eleven men on the pitch. This team had the power to lift up a nation only to let it go up in a cloud of smoke. And for what? Because they thought that it was our right to be a part of the greatest sporting event on the planet? As soon as the game started I could tell they were slow, uninterested, and just utterly passionless. Our  best player is only 19 and he played with more heart, and more conviction than any of the so called "leaders" on the team. However, the main reason this team lost isn't because of who played good or who played bad. The main reason this US team lost is because they forgot about why the beautiful game remains beautiful. And no it isn't because of fancy footwork, or incredible goals that make your heart melt, it's because of the supporters. Those people who support their club and country no matter the circumstances. Those individuals who stand for the whole 90 minutes singing songs, banging drums, and willing their team to victory.

 I for one have been a fan of US soccer all of my life. I remember running around the school yard kicking around the ball with my friends pretending I was Demarcus Beasley, dreaming of one day playing on the same stage as him. Obviously I didn't make it as a professional or even to the college game, but just the fact that I was able to have those memories shows just how much the sport  has grown in this country over the years. And every four years, the greatest spectacle in world sport is thrust into the forefront of the consciousness of the American people, drawing in children and adults alike who might not have been a fan of the sport before, only to be entranced by the pure magic and magnetism of such an event. It's not easy being a soccer fan in this country. With so many sports to compete with, and the overall stigma surrounding the sport, soccer is typically put in the back of the average American's mine. And now missing out on the next World Cup, it feels like we as a country have taken a giant leap backwards. The fact that some kids will grow up not having the same opportunities I had, seeing their countrymen battle it out against the world's best is not only wrong, it's criminal. Not to mention the abuse we as fans will have to endure at the hands of fans of other countries such as Mexico or Costa Rica for the next four years. And although we as supporters can seem demanding at times, in the end we're actually very simple creatures. All we want is effort, hard nosed tackles, pursuing every ball as hard as possible, and never giving up no matter what. And we didn't get that yesterday. What we got was complacency. Thinking that the opposition was just going to roll over and watch as we strolled comfortably into yet another World Cup. And its sad because the team we support is really a reflection of ourselves. It really brings a new meaning to the phrase "One Nation, One Team." So where do we go from here? I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to the local park to kick around the ball with my friends, patiently waiting for the next time the stars and stripes take the field, ready to battle again.