The Black Attack: Passion - It's What It's All About

By Alan Black

And so it begins again - World Cup qualifiers this weekend. We all know that El Salvador supporters will be bringing passion to the game against the Americans in Salt Lake City.

But what of the USA and its fans? Will they find a way to bring the heat, boil the pot, and cook El Salvador straight out of the World Cup?

American soccer has been looking for the passion fruit for a long time. Granted, the unpatriotic network media are largely to blame for ignoring the national soccer team.

They would rather club the viewer over the head with coverage of golf, which is popular among the polite sort who like to hush those who make any noise, than stoke up the fervor of national pride in a crucial World Cup qualifier.

Sadly, it's almost as if there is something embarrassing about rallying behind the soccer flag. As if someone's feelings might get hurt if Americans started to yell at other countries' supporters. Well, my American friends, that's futbol. Indeed, yell at them! Tell them they suck. Boo them. But not during the national anthems. That's ugly. 

It's unlikely that any vile tactics like blasting the El Salvador hotel with a long night of loud, Mormon choir singing, will pay off. In other countries, almost anything has been tried for every advantage, including causing sleeplessness amongst opponents. Fairness is pushed aside in favor of anything that may be used as a twelfth man on the day. But that's the low road to nowhere.

If you're gonna cook up true success, you need a roaring fire. That takes fans going to the stadium and screaming for the team, singing, shouting, cajoling and demanding victory. It's OK to give El Salvador fans and players hell from the stands. They will return the compliment. Their feelings will not be hurt. In fact, it will add to their passion.

So get to the stadium on Saturday, and make this a real "home" game for the red, white and blue. Afterward, people can go back to being the friendly Americans everyone is used to meeting. People can listen to choirs if they like, but not before they've roared in chorus.

Alan Black, author of Kick The Balls, is a Goal.com contributor