I'm feeling a bit unpatriotic today

\I haven't really watched movies (or done much of anything) the past week since I was away on an incredible volunteer opportunity. I was down in Portland being a local laiason for the German Women's National Soccer Team. I was hanging out with the team and the staff (although mostly the staff) for 12-14 hours a day helping them get anything they needed while in Portland.

Then they advanced and were going to play the US in the semi-finals. I had mixed emotions before the game about who to root for. But when the game started it was clear that I was rooting for Germany. I'm all about supporting the US team, but I had just spent a week with the German team. They were my friends, and you always root for your friends. They played an amazing game and ended up beating the US 3-0, although that score doesn't convey the closeness of the game.

So, besides getting to get to know the team and staff, and being up close to world class athletes (in my favorite sport no less) I got opportunities for things like the coolest picture ever (to the right.) That's right, Silke Rottenberg played an inspired shutout game against the US offense, earned player of the game honors in what US coach April Heinrichs called "the best women's soccer game ever played", then later that night I was hanging out with her having a beer. If you really don't believe that's her then check out the picture above of her taking the ball from Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach.

This was a very cool experience for me. The German team was wonderful and accepting. So much so that I'm going down to LA this weekend to help out with the final match. And hopefully I'll get to party with the World Cup 2003 winners on Sunday.

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