International Relations

Yesterday, I tuned in late to the US Women's soccer match against Brazil in the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup and was awarded with an amazing match. As I cut the game on I see US defender get a red card and the ensuing penalty kick and I was hooked. It was now the United States against, not only Brazil but also against the refs and their poor calls. I absolutely love pulling for my country. I love Virginia Tech sports, especially football, but it does not compare to pulling for the United States in international competition. Seeing the red, white, and blue jerseys fighting against Brazil and taking it to them despite being a man down will go down as one of my favorite sports memories.

Abby Wamback's goal in the added time of extra time will hopefully go down in sports history somewhere between the "Miracle on Ice" and Brandi Chastain's goal 12 years ago to win the Women's World Cup. For this moment to take its rightly spot on the US sports history trophy case the US women would need to win the tournament. That's not to take away from the amazing moment we witnessed yesterday but the "Miracle on Ice" wouldn't be as important if the United States didn't beat Finland a few days later for the gold. 

So we don't know where to place the win over Brazil yesterday in the international sports pantheon for another few days. So instead of trying to do that I am going to rank the top international sports moments that I have witnessed. That takes out a lot of great international moments in the United States history but I am smart enough to know that I am not smart enough to write about things before my time. So here are my top 5 international sports moments. 

5. Vince Carter Jumps Over a 7'2 French Player

The year 2000 would be the last time the US Men's basketball team would win gold in an international  tournament until the 2008 Olympics. It took eight years because we had to work through all the bad karma Vince brought with this dunk.  Vince is a nasty dunker and seeing him jump over a 7'2 player(7'2!!!) is nuts. Underrated moment in US sports history but an amazing moment none the less. 

4. Lance Armstrong Winning the Tour de France 7 Straight Times

Everyone knows the Lance Armstrong story. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996 that had also spread to his lungs and brain. Just three years later, in 1999, Lance Armstrong won the the Tour de France for the first time. The Tour de France is a 2,200 mile bike race that is completed in 21 days. (2,200 miles, 21 days let that sink in) He won this event 7 straight times. That takes luck but it also takes a huge amount of dedication and desire. He did this after surviving testicular cancer. (Also let that sink in) Lance's run has been hurt after his career by a slew of steroid allegations that will continue to plague him throughout his life. I would have him higher on the lists but that does hurt how we view him. I would like to believe that Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France without the help of performance enhancer but we won't ever know with Lance Armstrong.

3. Michael Johnson at the 1996 Olympics

                                                            PUN!

When I was an 8-year-old I thought I was fast. I ran funny, I ran with my back stiff and didn't move my arms, but I was still pretty fast. I really wanted to be fast after watching Michael Johnson at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Johnson won the 400m and set the Olympic World record with a time of 43.49 seconds. He also won the 200m and set the World Record with a time of 19.32 seconds, a record that would stand for 12 years. He. was the first male athlete to win gold in both of those races at the same Olympics He wore gold shoes, he was fun, and a joy to watch. It helps that his career has not been tainted with steroid allegations and I can remember his 1996 Summer Olympics with joy. 

2. Michael Phelps' 2008 Olympic Domination

I remember this moment vividly because my grandmother passed away on the second night of the 2008 Olympics. The next few days were hectic and hard but I still remember paying a lot of attention to Michael Phelps' chance to win eight gold medals in swimming. The Michael Phelps storyline dominated the pre-Olympic coverage and I believe stood up to the hype. I might remember this moment differently because of the unexpected death of my grandmother but I am ok with that. Sports are just sports, a temporary escape from reality, and Michael Phelps and his 8 gold medals provided the perfect escape. 

1. The National Anthem at the Olympics

The Olympics are a great source of national pride and there is no better moment for that than the gold medal ceremony. When you see the United States flag raised and hear the national anthem that national pride cannot be contained. There is a certain amount of "we are number one and better than everyone else" but there's also pride in a country that works hard and has people that are dedicated to being the best. I've got to the point where I expect the tear ducts to fill up when I watch the gold medal ceremony and hear the beginning of the national anthem. 

Honorable Mentions
US Men's soccer team versus England in the 2010 World Cup; 1999 US Women's World Cup win for gold; 2008 US men's Olympic Basketball Team