We see it in ways so common we almost stop noticing them: full grocery shelves, instant communication, modern medicine, air travel, energy at the flip of a switch, and new technologies that move from unimaginable to ordinary in a single generation. None of this appeared by accident. It was produced — by minds, capital, risk, work, trade, and the freedom to try.
My husband and I recently watched the movie Miracle, which tells the story of the U.S. Men’s Olympic hockey team and their unforgettable win over the previously undefeated Soviet team at the 1980 Olympics. The movie is a great reminder that collaboration, discipline, and belief can build something far greater than the sum of its parts — even when the odds seem stacked against you. Afterward, we talked about the current World Cup and whether we might be watching a “Miracle on Grass” of sorts. Once again, the U.S. enters as an underdog on the world stage, but this time we are also defending home turf. And what a home turf it is.
One thing I love about this World Cup is that players and fans from around the world are getting to experience American cities, stadiums, energy, diversity, and abundance firsthand. It is a fun reminder that the prosperity we sometimes take for granted is still remarkable to much of the world.
So, what will unfold for the USMNT? I don’t know — but I’ll be cheering. And either way, it is pretty special to watch the world come here and see America in motion.
