My Ode to the Chilean Men’s National Team 2015

** Written and shared on my personal Facebook page on July 3rd, 2015, the day before Chile was to play the 2015 Copa America Final match**

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Dear USA, tomorrow you will celebrate. People will celebrate their lives, land and Independence Day with BBQs and beers…all smiles. Meanwhile, I’ll be in another country with my stomach in knots….

You see, I moved to Chile 5 years ago, and this place and these people have become my home. Like millions of Chileans, I’m a die-hard fan of the national futbol team (soccer to you) and watch every match. I, along with the rest of the country, scream, shout and live by the outcomes of important matches. The high after beating Spain in the 2014 World Cup was only matched by the crushing low of losing against Brazil later in that same Cup.

If the World Cup could be considered the Olympics of Futbol, then the Copa America could be considered the Super Bowl of South America…. and tomorrow is the final. Chile will face Argentina.

Argentina seeks their 15th title, which would have them tied for 1st in total title wins. Meanwhile, Chile will fight with all of its heart, and the heart of every Chilean watching, to win its first title. Chile last made it to the final in 1987. It’s time.

The Chilean team is full of young men who have overcome extreme adversity and trained without respite their entire lives in order to get to this point. A few of these young men have even been plucked from this tiny corner of the earth to play in prestigous European leagues, and there’s a reason: they’re talented and their passion cannot be matched. The Chilean team is undersized and is a constant underdog. They are regularly looked over, and their wins are met with excuses. They aren’t predicted to win, and based on odds alone, they probably shouldn’t…

But the Chilean people are strong, and while divided on political issues, they are extremely unified when facing adversity. I moved here in mid February 2010 and two weeks later, this country was rocked by a 8.8+ magnitude earthquake. Buildings fell, the ocean surged, and people lost their homes… some even lost their lives. While a lesser people may have lamented and folded, the Chilean people rose up, raised their hands to the sky, and shouted ¡VAMOS! They built homes for those without, sent food and provisions, clenched their teeth, and vowed to keep moving forward.

The Chilean spirit may be the strongest I’ve seen. And it’s for this reason alone I believe… we can win tomorrow. Yes I said WE. So many Chileans have welcomed me into their world, culture and family, that I feel part Chilean. I’ve been called “Chileno de corazón” (Chilean at heart). And while our team may not be as big, as fast, or as prestigous as Argentina… while we may not have Messi, nor did we make it to the 2014 Wold Cup finals… we have heart, passion and fight. We can win. We can become a champion.

Tomorrow, on July 4th, while the attitude will be carefree in the USA, we will be anxious, nervous and giddy down here. We are ready, and it’s time. It’s nothing new for others to doubt Chile, and it wouldn’t be anything new for Chile to band together, join hands, and overcome all odds.

So tomorrow, while you grill your burger, squirt ketchup on your hotdog, or crack another cold beer, please send a small prayer our way. The USA loves a good underdog story, and a better one than the Chilean National Team you will not find.

¡¡¡¡VAMOS CHILE!!!!!

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** For an update, and how this match inspired me, as well as Quick Me Ups, read here**