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JENNA WATSON USA TODAY NETWORK
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I did not set an alarm in the wee predawn hours Sunday to watch the U.S. women’s team’s World Cup match against Sweden. But I cared enough to set the DVR to learn of their fate, aided by the gift of fast-forward, which paid dividends through a full game and extra time with zero scoring.
As the two sides prepared for the suddenly eventful prospect of penalty kicks, I wondered how many Americans were rooting for them to survive and how many wished for their defeat.
What a dreadful question to ponder, and the disillusioning answer came fast.
Megan Rapinoe’s missed kick was not the only miscue that spelled defeat for the Americans, but it was the moment that attracted instant attention. As the Swedes celebrated our defeat on the pitch in Australia, they were joined by a vocal cohort of Americans here at home, embracing the loss as a righteous consequence for poisoning the usually unifying world of sport with needless political divisions.