Henry Winter’s World Cup Diary, Day 22
Random chat 1
Colombia fan heading to Arrowhead Stadium for Ghana game in Kansas City. He was wearing his country’s latest yellow shirt with “VALDERRAMA” proudly printed on the back. I name-dropped that I’d watched the great Carlos in the epic Cameroon game in Naples at Italia ’90. I don’t know whether he completely understood my faulty, almost Fawlty Spanish but he put his hands to his head and waved them about, signalling that mighty mop and excitedly saying “Valderrama”. Naming footballers is an international language par excellence.
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Random chat 2
US Army Air Force veteran (29 years’ service, including being based at Lakenheath; retired last year) heading to Houston. He heard my accent, and asked: “How do people in the UK view the US?” I felt it was a bit arrogant to speak on behalf of 69m people anyway, and knowing the volatile nature of politics here, I took the diplomatic route. People don’t judge a country simply on a political leader, popular or unpopular, I ventured. The World Cup provides a timely opportunity for better awareness, understanding and togetherness.
One of the themes of this World Cup, I told the veteran, was the wonderful interaction between locals and visitors. People get along. He mentioned the Tartan Army in Boston and the England fans at the Atlanta Braves baseball. He absolutely loved that a bunch of strangers and newcomers to baseball turned up to a ball-park with their flags – Chelsea, Birmingham, Arsenal and Southampton – and chanted the name of one Braves player, Mike Harris II. “Walking in a Harris wonderland” etc. That footage went viral, further endearing the merry visiting masses from around the world to the locals.
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Random chat 3
Passionate USMNT fan, 49. “Hope you kick Mexico’s ass”. We’ll try, but why? He explained the long soccer rivalry between the countries, and how much he wanted England to win at the Azteca. Not quite Anglo-Scottish level of rivalry but he was definitely “rooting” for England, especially when I expressed some sympathy for Folarin Balogun. What particularly rankled the fan was that other players, including Lionel Messi, escaped sanction for a similar accidental foul. “It’ll just stir our players up more,” he predicted. Belgium up next. Hope USMNT win. Tournaments need hosts doing well.
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Non-random chat
Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers stopped by the side of the training pitch at Swope Soccer Village to look forward to the Azteca and the ball moving more at altitude. Would they be tempted to shoot even more? Rashford: “For sure! If we get that opportunity, we have to test the keeper.” Time for a Rashford special knuckleball free-kick.
And Rogers: “We try and shoot anyway, whether it is high or low! If it flies quicker then all the better.” Today’s training session here in Mexico City will be even more important for Jordan Pickford to get to grips with the ball’s flightier movement.
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Random chats 4
US mail man, 71, total model of Cliff Clavin from Cheers’ vintage, delivering mail to Parks and Recs department, Kansas City, near England training camp. I’d stopped to look at a nearby Civil War battlefield. Kansas Cliff pulled up and for five minutes painted a vivid picture of the scene where Confederate artillery was over-run by a Union charge (Pratt’s Artillery, October, 1864, for the historians). “That was when we were fighting each other rather than fighting you!” Anyway, Happy 250th Birthday this weekend.
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Random chat 5
Touring female soccer player (defender, occasionally midfield), Carroll High School, Texas. Very honest about technical standards, lot of catching up to do, but believed the World Cup would encourage even more young Americans to take up the sport. Good. World Cup legacy.
