90 Minutes From A World Championship

Do you think you'll have to wait until July 11 to witness the USMNT be crowned champions of the world?  Do you think the possibility of Bob Bradley and company earning that title is just too unlikely to even consider for more than a moment?

Think again.

The USMNT is just one victory away from earning the title of football world champions.  No, we're not talking about any World Cup glory; we're talking about a competition that dates back to nearly 60 years before FIFA's quadrennial showcase ever took place.  This competition, the Unofficial Football World Championships, has crowned the world's best for 137 years now, and its twists and its turns have brought us to 2010, where the Yanks are just 90 minutes away from soccer immortality.

For those not familiar with the historic competition, it essentially crowns its champion in the same fashion that boxing handles its titleholders.  If a team has the title, they retain it until another team is able to knock them off.  Whether it's a World Cup match, a continental qualifier, or a January friendly, the holders must muster at least a draw to hang on to the oh so coveted title.  It all started with England back in 1873, who were able to defeat their Scottish neighbors in a 4-2 classic that I'm sure is still fresh in the minds of soccer fans across the globe.  Since then, 46 countries, from mighty Brazil to the much less-storied Netherlands Antilles, have tasted the glory that comes with conquering the international soccer world.  Now, after decades of jaunts across oceans, mountains, and deserts, the crown rests comfortably in Amsterdam, with the Oranje having successfully defending the title for over a full calendar year.

Whose next in line to take a crack at knocking off the champs, who have managed to stave off advances from the likes of England, Italy, and Paraguay along the way?  None other than our boys clad in the Red, White, and Blue.  Landon Donovan and the gang will have their work cut out for them, battling a Dutch that is third in the FIFA rankings at a venue where Bert van Marwijk's men are 3-0-1 in title defenses.  But a victory would see the USMNT regain the honor for the first time since 1992, and would likely remove all the sting from last summer's heart-wrenching Confederations Cup final defeat. 

So when you sit down on your couch or head over to a bar on March 3, just know that you very well could be witnessing history, as the Yanks play in what is so much more than just a World Cup warm-up friendly.  The hopes and dreams of two nations will be on the line, as billions of eyes descend on Amsterdam ArenA.  Oguchi Onewyu has been rehabbing furiously just to try to play in this monumental match (though the media has foolishly claimed that it is in an effort to prepare for some tournament in South Africa next summer); will he be able to give the USMNT the boost they need to topple the tangerine titans?  Only time will tell.

All I know is that I, along with what I'm sure is millions of others across the country, will be able to rest peacefully if we're able to walk off that field with a win.  Let's bring it home, boys.


[OK, maybe I'm getting a little carried away and exaggerating just a bit.  But hey, how often can you get the chance at holding the title of world champions?]