A Jess Thing: Women's Soccer Mania

USA vs Australia

Let’s just start with the words Free Tickets. That’s right, my girl over at Fox Soccer is awesome. I was so delighted when she contacted me and said she had two tickets with my name on them if I wanted them I didn’t even bother asking any additional details!

My sister and I met our girl Ms Foxx at the Chili’s around the corner from the Home Depot Center so we could all carpool to the game. Since not only did she get free tickets, but she managed to snag two free VIP parking passes as well! I know right! She was on fire, then once we are heading to the cars she nonchalantly mentions that we don’t really need to worry about getting sunburned because our tickets are for Box seats! WHAT?????????

This day just keeps getting better and better. Well, once we finally got through the parking lot traffic! We made it to the game with just minutes to spare. As they started playing the Australia anthem we were being escorted to our seats. Which had us sitting directly in front of the USA team bench! OMG I could see them, I could see their faces, Solo, Wambach, Rapinoe, Morgan, Heath, Lloyd, O' Hara, LePeilbet, Rampone, O'Reilly, Boxx…and so many more, all legends in my book. I really wished that I had asked Mrs Bokeh if I could borrow her camera for the day! But I made due with my cell phone and my little point and shoot.

women's national team right after anthem - CLICK HERE FOR LARGER VERSION

Left: The Starting Line-up | Right: Mr Hopeful

The Gang

Mrs Primerib and I

Ms Foxx and friend

Ms Bliss and I

The girls started off the game a bit rough and it took me a while to discern what the issue was. This team is used to fact-paced controlled passing and the Home Depot field frankly looked like it hadn’t been watered in a month. I’m guessing this was partially due to the crazy heat waves we have been having here in LA over the past few weeks. Including it getting up to 106° just the day before. I think that the dry grass was creating additional friction on the ball causing it to drag. So passes that would normally easily have reached their teammates were continually falling short. Or….maybe the team starters were just having an off day. But Australia came out strong and the turf conditions didn’t seem to be bothering them at all.

Wambach Pressuring

O'Hara Trapping

Rampone Shutting It Down

At the half we were down 0-1 due to a beautiful goal by Lisa de Vanna but Alex Morgan brought us back into the game second half with a pistol of a shot off a pass by Heather O’Reilly. Neck and Neck it was time for some nail biting. Fortunately that didn't last long, less than ten minutes later Shannon Boxx found herself squaring off on a penalty kick with Australia keeper Brianna Davey. Beautifully done, the ball fired into the back of the net on a near post shot and we found ourselves up for the first time in the game 2-1. 30 minutes after that the winning score was final and there were smiles and thunderous cheers of U-S-A all around.

women's national team making their victory round - CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE

Victory Lap

Rapinoe and Morgan

After the game was over the Team called everyone together and presented their now retired coach Pia with a guitar signed by all of them. She even gave us a vocal demonstration in the style of Elvis doing a bit of Jailhouse Rock.

Women's National Team and Pia

I don’t know who suggested it but someone mentioned going down to the field as the players did their victory lap so we hopped out of our box and maneuvered our way into some empty second row seats hoping for a better view of our legends. These women, and this team has stolen a little piece of my heart ever since I watched them play their own hearts out during the Women’s World Cup last year. I cried as they were denied their hearts desire by Japan in the final. And I whole heartedly cheered them on to their hard fought victory of taking home the Gold medal in the Olympics just weeks ago.

Words cannot describe being in such a close proximity to this team. I know that probably sounds a bit weird, but, I guess I was feeling a bit starstruck. I was wielding my little camera like digital was about to go out of style. Much to my sis’s amusement and chagrin. Although I know she’ll appreciate the pictures later.

My excitement over getting to see the girls up close during their victory lap was eclipsed by some crazy mania when I saw the girls split up and head toward the stands each with a black sharpie in her hand. OMG, I think I went a little crazy I lunged forward holding out the only thing I had in hand, my game ticket as Hope Solo stood within 3 feet of me and started signing autographs. I’m still not sure how I managed it since initially we were probably a good 8 or so feet from her but I ended up landing an autograph for myself and two of the other girls who were with us at the game. I even managed to keep my wits and snap a few up-close pics of both her and Heather O’Reilly when she later graced us with her presence. Although I wasn’t slick enough to grab her autograph as well. But hey, I was deliriously happy with just the one!