photo by 104Muttons

• by Juan Martinez, writing from San Francisco

For quite some time, I have not been happy with American Soccer in it's entirety. From coaching and recruiting; to performance and persistence, it's been less than appealing. Aside from an occasional MLS/WPS game on television, following a few athletes on Twitter, and screaming like Dempsey when I score a goal, I can honestly say it has been less than satisfying to follow. There was no desire to do so. (Feel free to leave three good reasons in the comments section as to why I should have paid more attention in the past 10 years.)

However, I never gave up hope. How can you on such a beautiful sport, right? I believe a new era of American Soccer has arisen, or is on the verge of it at least. The great potential in performance and perseverance of the U.S. Men's & Women's National Team has emerged. The USMNT did exceptionally well in the Gold Cup, but fell in defeat to a better Mexican side. And the USWNT...Wow! Those three letters sum up how I feel about that. (Goosebumps). Although they have dominated on the international level for quite some time, big games were always a challenge. The big game of the Women's World Cup Final--unfortunately--was too much to swallow and they fell to a smaller, but more technical and quicker Japanese side. Still, they touched the hearts of young girls (and boys) who are working hard on the pitches of America, and inspired them to never give up.

As for the USMNT, I am impressed that they have hired Jurgen Klinsmann as their coach. Despite what some are saying about him being a 'cure-all', I believe it's just what the USMNT needs. He brings experience, passion, and respect to the team, and will no doubt be one of the strongest influencing factors of their coming success—and it will come. Bob Bradley was not the man for the job. I've said that from the beginning of his tenure. Although he has an extensive resume on the MLS scene, his tactics and management were always a big question mark. Thanks, Coach Bradley, but we're moving on.

One more thing that has really got my soccer juices flowing are the Portland Timbers. I watched their recent game against the L.A. Galaxy, which they won 3-0. I was impressed with their play. The more impressing part: The Crowd. The Lumberjacks. The Hacksaws. The Life of Any Stadium, whatever you want to call them! I found it more like a college football game (American football) than a professional soccer game. There's something about it that got me thinking: These fans might not know who David Beckham is. They might not know who Thierry Henry is, or Rafael Marquez, but they know the Timbers like a first cousin! And that's what matters! That's where it starts. The passion. The spirit. The belief. American Soccer is coming up, and it's coming up fast!

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