Whatever the result, soccer was always going to win. But on a hot and bright Friday afternoon in the pacific north-west, the word had an American accent.
The United States’ 2-0 World Cup win over Australia was a rare meeting between sides that could agree not just on terminology, but on the weighty significance of a good result. Both seemingly play every men’s World Cup with the weight of the future of the sport on their shoulders, both facing intense competition from other sports for the country’s hearts and minds.
