Last Night’s Beautiful Game
by Jane Tawel
June 26, 2026
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It truly is the “beautiful game”. Okay — disclaimer — I am always and ever shall be a sucker and cheerleader for the underdog. (I will stand up and cheer for the hapless, foolish coyote every day over that vain, smart-elecky road runner.) Secondly, it was super easy yesterday to root for the home team, but also cheer the good plays of the underdog, Turkey, since our own amazing USA team had already scored a place in the next knockout round. And Turkey! — and herein lies the beauty of soccer (the real “football” according to, well, everyone in the world but us of course 😊) — even though Turkey knew they were out of The Cup and would go home tomorrow no matter what happened — they played their hearts out and it sure did pay off.
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What a match it was! Austin Trusty scored for the USA in the first 2.15 minutes of the game (and did any one else notice this? — Trusty seems to be able to leap straight into the air from an almost standing position — what is he, part Impala?!) And the game went on keeping us focused and curious at a well earned tie of 2–2 until, as if by the magic of pure desire and well — again — the beauty of this beautiful game — Good golly Miss Molly! Yowza! — Kaan Ahyan from Turkey scored IN THE LAST SECONDS of the game.
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Each game of soccer is like a gorgeous new puzzle — you never know quite how all the pieces will come together. It is a game like chess — all the pieces have to work together, move together, and sometimes someone sacrifices for the good of the whole. For instance — My goodness, how in the world the Turkish goalkeeper, Ugurcan Cakir, didn’t break his arm and various other bones in his body last night on that dive in the second half I have no idea.
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Okay, so those of you who know me — I don’t watch sports much any more, especially professional sports. Ever since moving to SoCal in the late 1980’s when I was the lone voice cheering for the Celtics in Laker land and no longer in Celtic land and well, getting busy in the 1990’s raising my own almost enough to be a soccer team family; and also, now that my kids don’t have their endless soccer games or tennis matches any more for me to cheer at and bring orange slices and gateraide to, last night’s game was unusual for me. (Okay, so yeah, cool Dodgers and all that, but I have always been a basketball and soccer girl — I mean, I’m from Indiana long before the Colts and watching baseball to me is a bit like waiting for paint to dry.) But goodness sakes, it was so wonderful to be rooting for a game last night and a team (or secretly both teams — you know, underdogs and all that). It was so nourishing and wonderful to be cheering for something America is doing right and well in this moment, it was great to see nations come together in friendly competition, using amazing skills, both physical and mental; it was a gift to see played out on a playing field the beauty of the human spirit. It was and is, truly, the beautiful game. And I am grateful.
© Jane Tawel, 2026
Jane Tawel 