I got this email from Siobhan, who is traveling on the West Coast during this American soccer moment…
Just saw a great exchange over breakfast 
at the hotel. A couple musing over their USA Today; he: “This World Cup is a big deal, I guess. I heard some of those Indian guys at the restaurant last night talking about it.” She: “I guess America isn’t very good at soccer, though.” At this point a European guy to my left (we know he’s European because he has a shaved head, is eating yogurt, and is concentrating on his iPhone), who has been growing visibly agitated at this talk, breaks in: “Your team is actually very good. You have a good chance.” The couple smile, completely baffled, and go back to their USA Today, looking for basketball coverage. I smile at the European guy, who is disappointed at their response, and say, “We beat Spain, after all.” He says, “Yes, I know.” I ask: “So what’s your team?” He sighs: “Denmark. We’re terrible.” I tell him: “You never know. Good luck.” He goes back to his yogurt. The couple, meanwhile, are talking about “sports that aren’t really sports.” She, as I leave: “Whatever happened to field hockey, though? I used to play field hockey when I was a kid….”
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by Brian Phillips · June 8, 2010
Hahaha brilliant. Your wife tells a mean vignette.
“sigh.” Sounds like every visit to my Mom’s side of the family ( American football players all). “Why can’t you play a real sport?” It is a real sport. And the Euro should buck up. Denmark’s not that bad, especially if Bendtner can recover (or find, I’m not clear if he ever had any) his touch.
<3
this exchange reminds me of the Monty Python sketch about shallow American conversation (Eric Idle was the wife in the dinner conversation)
Another instance of life imitating art
Great! to be nice to each other I guess
Subconscious conflation of soccer and yogurt for breakfast under-reported reason for American world sporting ignorance.
Yes, the Danes shouldn’t be left out, especially if Benny remembers which boots are the scoring ones. Also, the USA is much, much better than India, so it’s sad that we have a ranking that also represents the percentage of the country that cares about it (14). Meanwhile the Russians play field hockey on ice (it’s not ice hockey, but the same goals and sticks and balls that they use for field hockey); I’m sure that would blow the couple’s minds.