As a third-country kid growing up, I never felt any connection to the US. My grandparents came from El Salvador, my family danced salsa, our culture was a different blend, and we watched a sport my friends never cared for. Add that to the weird looks we’d get in public and the hurtful laws and policies that have been passed, it became near impossible to celebrate this country in any sport. But then you see someone like Ricardo Pepi get on the team, a player with the last name “Zendejas” score a worldly, starters with Brazilian and German accents on the pitch and you realize that these people reflect your dream: to be human and to be accepted for who you are. I’m not proud of where this country is at, but God, seeing this group of diverse background put on THIS performance is something worth rooting for. This is what the US is really about. I pray that becomes true in our day. A game I’ll hold close for a long time ❤️