SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Nearly three hours before the final 10-second countdown to USMNT and Bosnia and Herzegovina getting underway, fans began to line up to gain entry into what has been renamed “San Francisco Bay Area Stadium” for the World Cup. They wore long, flowing capes, dressed like Macho Man Randy Savage, carried inflatable eagles and dressed as America’s founding fathers.
Sure, you can debate the politics behind FIFA, or outright dislike the organization itself. You can raise eyebrows at the strict branding rules that are stringent enough to rename the frickin’ stadium in Google Maps. You can criticize the complex process to actually get tickets to a World Cup game as a paying customer without having to put down a second mortgage on your house.
But lets just be honest: The World Cup is, in fact, the most beautiful display of what is, in fact, a truly beautiful game. And those fans couldn’t wait to experience it for themselves…