“I hope you kick Mexico’s ass”

Random conversation 1
A Colombia fan headed to Arrowhead Stadium for the Ghana game in Kansas City. He was wearing his country’s latest yellow shirt with “VALDERRAMA” proudly written on the back. I stopped to watch Carlos on top of Cameroon’s epic match in Naples in Italia ’90. I don’t know if he fully understood my mistake, my almost Fawlty Spanish but he put his hands on his head and waved them, showing that powerful song and happily saying “Valderrama”. Naming footballers is a world class language.

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Random conversation 2
US Army Air Force veteran (29 years of service, including at Lakenheath; retired last year) heading to Houston. He heard my quote, and asked: “How do people in the UK view the US?” I felt it was arrogant to speak for 69m people anyway, and knowing the volatile political situation here, I took the diplomatic route. People don’t judge a country by a political leader, popular or unpopular, I tried. The World Cup provides a timely opportunity for better awareness, understanding and solidarity.

One of the themes of this World Cup, I told a veteran, is good communication between locals and visitors. People get along. He talked about the Tartan Army in Boston and England fans in Atlanta Braves baseball. He loved it so much that a crowd of strangers and newbies to baseball turned up in the parking lot with their flags – Chelsea, Birmingham, Arsenal and Southampton – and chanted the name of one Braves player, Mike Harris II. “Walking through Harris’s Wonderland” etc. Those pictures went viral, and continued to make happy locals and visitors from all over the world.

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Random conversation 3
Passionate USMNT fan, 49 years old. “I hope you kick Mexico’s ass”. We will try, but why? He explained the long football rivalry between the countries, and how much he wanted England to win at Azteca. He was by no means the standard of the Anglo-Scottish rivalry but he certainly “rooted” England, especially when I expressed sympathy for Folarin Balogun. What the fan highlighted was that other players, including Lionel Messi, escaped punishment for making the same mistake. “It will wake up our players a lot,” he predicted. Belgium is next. I hope the USMNT wins. Competitions require athletes to perform well.

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Random conversation
Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers stood on the sidelines of the training ground at Swope Soccer Village to look forward to the Azteca and their high-flying football. Would they be tempted to shoot more? Rashford: “Of course! If we get that chance, we have to check the goalkeeper.” Time for Rashford’s special knuckleball free-kick.

And Rogers: “We try to shoot anyway, whether it’s high or low! The faster it flies the better.” Today’s training session here in Mexico City will be very important for Jordan Pickford to participate in the flight of football.

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Random conversations 4
The US postman, 71, is the perfect model for Cliff Clavin from the old Cheers’, delivering mail to the Parks and Recs department, in Kansas City, near England’s training camp. I stopped to look at a nearby Civil War battlefield. Kansas Cliff rose and in five minutes painted a vivid picture of the scene in which the Confederate artillery was driven against the Union charge (Pratt’s Artillery, October, 1864, for historians). “At that time we were fighting each other instead of fighting you!” Anyway, Happy 250^th Birthday this weekend.

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Random conversation 5
Visiting female soccer player (defender, sometimes midfield), Carroll High School, Texas. To be honest with the technical standards, there is a lot to do, but I believe that the World Cup will encourage more young Americans to participate in the sport. Good. World Cup Legacy.

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