Every four years, the world takes part in an event that temporarily freezes tensions and turns its focus to one thing – the World Cup. Whether you are a soccer fan, or football as it is called in the rest of the world, or not, it is impossible not to recognize the sheer importance that is the world cup in the lives of so many.

The summer of 2014 was the first time that I was able to sit down, watch the World Cup and be able to take in the atmosphere through the television screen as fans from all sectors of the world demonstrated their support. No matter the region whether it be the United States, the middle east, the entirety of the South American continent, and even in small islands than many people may not have even heard of, these fans flew their flags with pure devotion and admiration.

It was something I had never seen before.

But one thing was different in the 2014 World Cup that will be a key missing piece in the World Cup this summer – the participation of the United States of America.

Four years ago, I witnessed fellow students of mine in high school that had never watched a soccer match prior to the event hold American flags and crowd around their televisions cheering for their beloved country. I saw the country go absolutely ballistic as Dempsey slipped through the Ghana defense and slotted home a world-class goal, setting the tone for the rest of their run in the World Cup. It seemed as if everything was put on hold during the few hours that the United States took the pitch.

It is obvious that, at this point in time, the United States is seemingly more divided in terms of politics and vision of the country as a whole than it has been in quite some time. The country has been plagued by horrific events such as mass shootings, devastating storms in the form of hurricanes and wildfires, and, of course, the disapproval and approval gap towards the current administration in office. It was evident to myself as well as many others that the country was in need of something, anything, to rally the country together as a unifying force.

The World Cup was that event.

The country took notice of the young talent out of Pennsylvania, Cristian Pulisic, that currently plays for one of the most prestigious clubs in Germany, Borussia Dortmund, at only nineteen years of age. We all sat and watched as the seemingly impossible result of losing to Trinidad and Tobago became a reality, eliminating the national team from a future run in the World Cup. It couldn’t have come at a worse time.

I sat and watched the last few minutes of the match against Trinidad and Tobago hearing the sounds of the fans in Brazil lose their minds as John Brooks headed in the final goal against Ghana to win the game. I remembered the fans on Twitter and other social media show their support for a sport that they could care less about, but hung their American flags from their shoulders anyways. I saw it all flash before me as I hung my head in despair realizing the United States would not have that moment in 2018.

A great opportunity that was missed.