I must admit I was one of those who believed that international soccer organizers could find a better place to hold the games then North America. Especially since white supremacy is the push that might cause problems at the World Cup. But I was wrong! It seems that many of the best of us turned out to welcome the teams that chose American cities and towns to host their base camps.
This year the World Cup’s 48 teams playing picked a base camp, one town to live and train in between matches. The folks in Lawrence, Kansas put out the welcome mat.
A video made by an Algerian reporter went viral on the internet.
“And what’s the idea you have about Algeria?
So, I wanna say thank you to Team Algeria for choosing our hometown, Lawrence, Kansas, to come here. And so welcome. Welcome to the United States. Welcome to Kansas.
What do you know about Algeria, and what’s the thing that made you to come to support Algeria?
I came mainly because I was so happy that they chose our town for their base camp, and we just know Algeria is on the Mediterranean Sea, and then the south part is in the Sahara Desert and we know that you gained independence from France kind of around the time I was born. So we don’t know too much but we wanna welcome you here.
Everybody here has been very friendly and very welcoming, and I’m really glad Algeria is gonna be here. And one, two, three, Viva L’Algeria.“
Then there’s the University of Kansas marching band.
The state’s flagship university’s musicians learned Algeria’s national anthem, note for note, so that when these players, a long way from home, walked out for practice, the first thing they heard was their own country’s song.
Music plays …
Algeria paid back the honor. Reports say the team opened a training session to the public and spent the afternoon out on the grass with neighborhood kids, walking them through drills, signing autographs, posing for pictures.
Here in the city of Portland, Oregon an 11 year old Jordanian soccer fan was granted access to her home team, who were training at the University of Portland. The media turned out for the event.
“Been watching soccer since a little kid, and I really like seeing teams play, screaming and chanting with my family at home, and yeah.
Zane took it a step further on Saturday night, though. Not only was she checking out her country’s squad at their open practice, she also wanted to make the day special for them.
We made little gifts or memories for the soccer players as a sign of appreciation for all that they do, for playing for us. We made them a little postcard as a memory of them coming to Portland.”
The city of Boston welcomed teams from Scotland and Haiti for their World Cup match. The city showed up in force to celebrate with soccer fans from both countries.
But the Scots may have had the edge since the Tartan Band showed up with their pipes.
“The World Cup has officially arrived in Foxborough, and Boston Stadium is buzzing.
I haven’t seen this since 1974. I was 14.
And so what does it mean for you to-
Now I’m ready, man. I’m ready to win. We’re ready to win. We’re ready to win.
It’s been amazing. People are friendly. There’s Scotland fans everywhere, and the city center’s full.
Yeah, definitely.
So we’re all behind the team.
The Scottish and Haitian fans were both out in full force, with no shortage of kilts or bagpipes.”
It was good to see an America steeped in celebration. Even if it came from people who are here from other countries. They got to see an America where a Boston police officer juggles a soccer ball because, as one writer put it, “for one minute nobody is performing a culture war. They are just watching a guy in uniform do keepie-uppies in the street.”
My thanks to Substack writer Adam Kinzinger who used his Good News Sunday piece to change my mind about the positive results of having the World Cup on this side of the planet.
Thanks Adam for helping to change the fake story of America.
“That Americans have soured on outsiders. That we have decided the rest of the world is a threat. That we look at people who do not talk like us or pray like us or come from where we come from and see a problem instead of a person. And then a college town in Kansas goes and learns every note of a North African country’s national anthem just so a group of strangers feel at home for a few weeks. An old local stands in front of a row of its flags and tells them, in so many words, “We don’t know much about you yet, but we are awfully glad you came.”
Music out:
They've all come to look for America
All come to look for America
All come to look for America
I’m Mike Turner
Thank you for listening.
