The most important man in the United States of America had a brief call with Barack Obama yesterday. “Man, I just wanted to call and say you guys did us proud,” the president told U.S. super-goalie Tim Howard following the national team’s loss in the World Cup round of 16. (Clint Dempsey was on the line, too.)
“As somebody whose first sport was soccer — although I was never that good — to see the ways you guys captured the hearts and the imaginations of the whole country is unbelievable,” said Obama. “This is the first time where I think you really ended up having an entire country focused.”
“Tim,” he added. “I don’t know how you’re going to survive the mobs when you come back home, man. You’re going to have to shave your beard so they don’t know who you are.”
“I know it’s disappointing,” the president said of their 2-1 loss to Belgium in extra time. “But what you guys accomplished is really, really significant.”
Do they have participation trophies at this level? Because they should. This is America.
