If we haven’t learned anything from politics in our own country, fear works.
“The illusion of pressure sometimes can cause more havoc than the actual pressure.”
Aly Wagner spit out those words for us to hear at the end of the USWNT’s callously lifeless 0-0 performance Tuesday against Portugal. The pressure to three-peat in a World Cup. To be the first ever to do such. But still.
Illusion has entered the reality stage. And while there has always been a pressure for the U.S. Woman’s squad to win during this — or any— World Cup, three has also been an expected degree of pressure on them to perform at a “We/them” level. That’s the (and I’m going to use this word purposefully and precisely) responsibility that comes with expectations. Yes, winning is the end all be all, but when you are not only the best in the world but also the standard setters in how the sport should look when played at the most brilliant level and multi-generational greatness is the/your norm, then “how you play” becomes just as important a component.
The look of “our talent and global prestige is going to be enough” ain’t enough. The look of a one-win, two-draw, second-place finish in the group round could be all the rest of the world needs to see. Because what happens is the look of fear on the faces of your opponents leaves. And in sports, when fear leaves, hope and belief usually replace it. Whatever happens to the U.S. moving forward, this will be their greatest challenge: Getting the remaining countries and teams left to fear them again.
And if we haven’t learned anything from politics in our own country, fear works.
“We have to be better in every phase of the game. We have to be better with the ball, we have to be better in transition, we have to be better at defending as a collective, we have to be better in our mental approach and we have to be better in just respecting the game for Christ sakes! This game deserves more than we’ve given it. It’s a beautiful game and we’ve almost bastardized the hell out of it.
