Celebrating our US Men's Soccer Team

I am very proud of our National Men’s Soccer team! I do not usually celebrate when one of our teams loses, but in this case, their winning would have been a disaster. When Donald J. Trump pulled his power play and called FIFA to have the red card against Folarin Balogun recalled, he broke all the rules of the international league and of the sport. Much too often, he has gotten away with illegal power plays. People capitulate. They seem afraid of him or they like riding on the coattails of unbridled power. Even the supposedly sacrosanct Supreme Court seems to be under his sway, though lately, some integrity has begun to shine through. In this case, in this soccer game between the United States and Belgium, , without really meaning to, our soccer team stood up to Trump.

If they had won, their victory would have been questioned. Our nation, because of our President, would be accused, and rightfully so, of interfering illegally in the World Cup. A win by our team would have been surrounded by controversy and our nation surrounded by contempt. In this instance, Trump would not get away with “throwing his weight around” and using his power in absurd and extreme ways.

Do not get me wrong. I am not saying the United States soccer team lost on purpose. The Belgian team played very well. In addition to their excellence, they were driven and distressed by Trump’s attempt to “pull strings.” But I did hear our United States coach say this morning that his team was not really into the game. I take that to mean that their hearts were not in the game. That doesn’t mean that their hearts were not in the right place. I think they were.

And I am not saying that it was Trump’s call that induced FIFA to revoke Balogun’s red card for a year so he could play in the July 5th game. We will never know.

However, the loss our team suffered spared the United States and the world and the good name of Football/Soccer great controversy and conflict. I am not saying that if their heart had been in the game the US team would have won. I am saying that in this very rare case, I am glad they did not.

Now it is time for others to stand up to Donald Trump’s assumption that he can control the world with his power. It is altogether disconcerting that after the match, rather than comment on our, his sport team’s loss, he pivoted in his late-night rant to talk about how our military is first in the world. That is a very frightening venue for the exercise of illegal, self-aggrandizing power and a tragic place to throw power around. Lives around the world are at stake, our lives are at stake, civilization is at stake. Let our soccer team’s loss teach us some very important lessons.