Where were you and what were you doing when McBride scored against Mexico in the '02 World Cup?

This was the greatest day of my life.........birth of son notwithstanding.

First, I graduated from college earlier that day. This was a plus and a minus. I would've gone to the WC if it weren't for the fact that school extended well into June and I didn't want to miss my graduation.

I don't know about the rest of you, but being in a college town for the World Cup, there was a pretty good atmosphere I think relative to the rest of the country. Sorry for sidetracking, but for the Portugal game I watched the game in my girlfriend/now wife's apartment. When JOB scored, I ran outside into the street screaming GOAL!!!! But there wasn't anyone else out there rejoicing, and for a moment I was a bit saddened thinking I guess no one will ever care about soccer in this country. However, I was watching on the Spanish Channel which got its feed about 10-15 seconds earlier than ESPN. All of the sudden I heard an eruption of noise. Dozens of people up and down the street came running out of their homes to celebrate.

I went to UCSB, which is bordered by the famous college neighborhood of Isla Vista. IV has a population of about 20k....2/3 students going to UCSB, and 1/3 Mexicans living in the cheapest housing in the county. This made for a good atmosphere for the Mexico game.

My roommates and I had decorated our apartment for the entire WC with American flags hanging from the windows and a big banner reading "GO US! WORLD CUP 02". During the week before the Mexico game, I would periodically hear Mexicans stopping their car in front of our place and yell Viva Mexico!

When McBride scored, I ran out of the apt and cheered. As was the case for the Portugal and Korea games, it seemed like everyone was watching the game and going nuts. When the game was over, I've never been in such a mood to celebrate in my life. This was the biggest win in our nation's soccer history, and it was also grad night! Everyone was partying, and it seemed like every single grad party had been watching the game and was celebrating the victory.

My roommates and I gathered a bunch of fireworks we had, wore our flags as capes, and rode our bikes around Isla Vista cheering the victory. Every party we passed roared when they saw us. Every Mexican cursed us. We set of our fireworks as we went, and ran into others running around celebrating likewise.

I'm not sure what it was like in the rest of the country, but for that night in our college town on the ocean in California, it felt like we were part of a real soccer nation. There were no haters. Everyone watched the game and was either rejoicing victory or lamenting their embarrassment to the Americans.

As it turns out, UCSB just seems to be into soccer. The crowds at their games these days are unlike any other college soccer has seen.

 

That is one Hell of a story!

Care to tell the other story you've got?

 

I'll second that, assuming that he can no longer be charged with any crime that may have been committed.

 

I, too, was at that match. It was as great as the others have related. I do agree that, being there, nothing can compare to John O'Brien's goal and the feeling after that match. However, years away, I might be tempted to say that this match, eliminating Mexico, is our greatest moment.

If you would like to know more about what it was like at that great Cup, check out the book I wrote about it. You will encounter such characters as Rishi and Brent from this thread in there.

http://www.amazon.com/23-Days-Korea-Andy-Gustafson/dp/1412003253/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product

 

Ask me next August, by then the Statute of Limitations will have run out. It does involve a (very) old security guard, a homemade lock pick made from a can-opener, the Art Deparment secretary, and a graduate assistant, and I think that's all I can say without possible repurcussions.

 

Lock, meet can-opener; secretary, meet grad assistant; security guard, meet your match.

Nailed it!

See you next August ...

 

I was in college at summer school. A buddy was also in summer school in a Spanish intensive, so he and I watched the game with about fifteen dudes from Mexico. We had a lot of fun giving each other a hard time.
The whole group of us ended up getting together to watch US - Germany, which was also a fun time.