I agree. The character of America is so diverse and so abstract at times that we may only sometimes be able to describe it. But we know it when we see it.

The upcoming movie, Captain America, is sure to give us glimpses of the American Character. Or at least what it once was thought to be.

In the real world, a person can look at actions of others and have wonderful conversations about whether they match with our country’s character, values, and beliefs. Because of diversity of this country, beliefs won’t always be the same. Character will be diverse. But there are themes and threads that can be as easily identified as the Stars and Stripes themselves.

The United States Women’s Soccer Team was on the brink of elimination from the Women’s World Cup on Sunday afternoon in Germany. Down 2-1 in the 122nd and final minute of the match, the Americans scored a dramatic goal and won the game, moving on into the semifinal round.

A closer look at the team’s past and especially the saga of American keeper Hope Solo reveals the nature and diversity of the American Character.

The old phrase, “Adversity doesn’t teach character, it reveals it,” rings true in Solo’s case. The character of individuals like Abby Wambach, Hope Solo, and the entire US Women’s Soccer Team was revealed over three angst-filled hours on Sunday. Here’s how:

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America was founded on the basis of principles (among others) like manifest destiny and the idea of making it yourself. ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio theorizes in his book, How Football Explains America, that sports like American football are popular in this country implicitly due to its physical and structural connection to the idea of manifest destiny. If you want more details on this, and also on why soccer isn’t as popular in America as in the rest of the world, read his book. Paolantonio’s idea seems sound: Popularity of a sport or an athlete in the United States is based largely on whether that athlete fits into an imagined ideal.

For a football player forty years ago, that meant that you looked like Mike Ditka, Jack Lambert, or Bart Starr. For a basketball player, that ideal is almost certainly Michael Jordan. In baseball, Ken Griffey Jr. or pre-steroid Barry Bonds definitely come to mind.

In women’s soccer, that ideal has been embodied for at least the last 20 years by Mia Hamm. While she played and since she retired, Hamm was always quiet, unassuming, and dominant. She was light-years ahead of any female player on the world stage. In leading the United States team to Wold Cup glory in 1999, she seemed mostly quiet off the field– content to let others talk while she basked in the glory of achievement.

In retirement, Hamm has largely stayed out of the spotlight while some of her teammates like Julie Foudy and Brandi Chastain (among others) have gone on to be television analysts. Hamm has been the epitome of the quiet superstar. When you think of Hamm’s personality, visions of David Robinson, Cal Ripken, Walter Payton and other understated stars come to mind.

The 2011 US team is not made up of Mia Hamms. Hope Solo, most certainly, is no Mia Hamm.

The Wild West, Gunslingers, and Free Speech

In 2007, the United States lost their semifinal game vs. Brazil. After giving up only two goals total in the first four games of the tournament, US coach Greg Ryan played veteran Brianna Scurry in goal, benching Solo. After the team lost the game 4-0, Solo spoke her mind:

“It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that. There’s no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves. And the fact of the matter is it’s not 2004 anymore. It’s not 2004. And it’s 2007, and I think you have to live in the present. And you can’t live by big names. You can’t live in the past. It doesn’t matter what somebody did in an Olympic gold medal game in the Olympics three years ago. Now is what matters, and that’s what I think.”

Solo’s words brought her a hailstorm of criticism. In a world where overhyped and egotistical athletes talk way too much, hers was simply another public example of someone making a bad decision in the heat of the moment. Ryan booted her off the US team and was fired soon thereafter.

As Solo said today in a radio interview, nobody else knows what she went through. In her mind, that precludes the right of anyone else to pass judgment on her actions.

And all the criticism begs this question: Isn’t speaking out about something that is a passion distinctly American? We love it when our athletes tell it like it is. We love Ozzie Guillen’s rants, right? We are hypnotized when Chad Ochocinco changes his name, when Bode Miller says something random, or when Ron Artest changes his name to Metta Worldpeace. We love it when Shaq says whatever he feels like saying in a post-game interview.

On Sunday evening, the US Captain, Abby Wambach said of Solo, “she is the best keeper in the world.”

So why was the reaction to Solo’s speaking out so negative? If she really is the best keeper in the world, might she have been the best keeper in the world in 2007? Don’t we expect our athletes to be as confident as a gunfighter in the wild west? Don’t you want a player, who may be among the best in the world in her position to be confident and to toe the line with cocky all day long? Here’s what the USA Soccer website has to say about Solo’s 2007. Straight from her profile:

2007: Started 15 games, earning nine shutouts and started the first four games of the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in her first world championship … Was 13-0-2 on the year, allowing just eight goals and had three shutouts in the Women’s World Cup.

And then she was benched. How would you feel?

And isn’t free speech part of what we can do in America. Can you imagine what would have happened to the North Korean team had one of their players questioned the coach after the game? The coach, who used “getting struck by lightning” as an excuse for losing a hard-fought game to the United States, might have done a lot more than kick one of their players off the team.

And does anyone think that Solo didn’t know what the repercussions of her actions would be? She stood up for something she believed in, went against what you are “supposed” to do, and, with the tournament already over, impacted her teammates and the game much less negatively than people think.

Admitting Mistakes and Second Chances

In the Hero Journey, the protagonist must overcome adversity and, eventually, commit to change. The commitment to change is usually the turning point in a story and can be difficult for the hero and those around him/her.

When she made her comments, Solo certainly committed to change. She had to know what was coming

It wouldn’t be fair not to criticize her actions at all though. Solo spoke out when her teammates and soccer fans around this country were hurting. Her choice of timing — right after the game — was as effective for getting her message across as it was divisive. And her friendship with Brianna Scurry was demolished.

Because of all of that, Solo has spent the past four years regaining lost trust from her teammates. A New York Times article from 2008 carries some weight in the matter.

It also discusses the role Solo being a woman played in the extremely negative reaction of the public, which is an interesting point, but one for another article. It also talks about the role of Solo’s father passing away shortly before the 2007 World Cup and some of the tribulations she went through while at the University of Washington. Solo had been through a lot, risen to the top of the soccer world, and had been struck down emotionally by her coach and by the unkind realities of human existence.

But America is about nothing if not second chances. Time has passed, the US team has been rebuilt around Wambach and Solo, and they are poised to complete their path toward redemption.

Be like Han

And then there’s this. Her name is Hope Solo. She was born the same year I was: 1981. For your reference, The Empire Strikes Back debuted in 1980; Return of the Jedi in 1983. So let’s compare her to the swashbuckling Harrison Ford character who happened to also be distinctly American.

When he first appears in Star Wars, Solo is a first-rate jerk. He doesn’t like working with anyone. He even struggles working with his first mate, a Wookie who only stays with Han, presumably, because Solo once saved his life.

Han even goes so far as to give up one of his only friends to Darth Vader. A bad decision. Remind you of anyone?

Han Solo, of course, redeems himself. As the most American of Americans, Solo helps Luke Skywalker and the rebels destroy the Death Star and Darth Vader himself. There is a decisive victory, but it only came because Skywalker gave him a second chance. Solo went from a traitor to a hero relatively quickly and this ascension, this ability to pull oneself up by their bootstraps and get to the top, is (historically) a uniquely American experience.

It’s taken Hope Solo a lot longer, but hers has the potential to be a similar journey. To put it another way, she has a firm grasp on her bootstraps with two games to go.

Winning and Redemption

As definitively American as Hope Solo’s journey has been, it’s not complete. The story of the American Character, to be satisfying to the public, must end with triumph and unquestionable victory. Solo is not there yet. In so many ways, neither is any of the US team. If they lose on Wednesday, they will be a team whose fate was only delayed three days by great individual plays from Wambach and Solo. Players like Shannon Boxx, Wambach, and Solo will have careers marked by gaping World Cup holes and unfulfilled dreams. To complete the journey and, some would argue, to make theirs a completely American hero journey, the team must win. The story must be completed.

For Solo, this World Cup is a microcosm of her career. After a brilliant start, there was a significant hiccup and it took time to get the original confidence back. Wambach’s header into the back of the net Sunday afternoon gave the team that confidence anew. And kept Solo’s story going. How distinctly American.

American soccer fans, usually a step behind, thought they had a golden ticket.

When Adu signed with Major League Soccer at the age of 14, the hype was palpable. Popularity of soccer had been growing in the United States and for American die-hards, this was the next step toward the game gaining mainstream credibility in this country.

As has become something of the norm with American soccer over the past decade though, hype turned quickly into disappointment. Adu was able to show some skill, but now he was playing against men over twice his age and in their prime. At a svelt 5′ 8”, Adu was physically overmatched by the professional players he battled every night.

After two years in Washington, D.C., the luster seemed to have worn off. Adu was traded to Real Salt Lake and was soon just another player in Major League Soccer. The promise of early national team dominance seemed to have gone away.

Now 21 years old it seemed until recently that Adu was not only forgotten by the easily-distracted American sports fan, but also by the US National Team. Until this year’s Gold Cup.

In the semifinal, it was Adu’s energy and the skill of his early long-ball that led to the game-winning goal vs. Panama.

In the final game on Saturday at the Rose Bowl, Adu showed that while he may not be the next Pele, he can still be a productive player.

No longer is Adu easily nudged off the ball with physicality. Adu’s strength showed Saturday as he battled a physical Mexico defense. When purposefully kicked in the head by a Mexican defender, Adu got up and simply shook it off. In a sport where players need stretchers and magic spray to make them better, the 21 year-old Adu’s toughness is what American fans like to see.

Despite not playing a full game in the Gold Cup, Adu was called on to start and play the over 85 minutes. Prior, less physically and mentally strong iterations of Adu would have never allowed for this long a stint.

While the rest of the United States team saw the game crumble around them, Adu kept hustling and demanding two Mexican defenders from the wing. The Americans failed to take advantage of the Mexican focus on Adu, but on a team that needs pressure taken off Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, Adu’s emergence bodes well.

By the end of the game, the United States was embarrassed by a stronger, faster, more talented Mexican squad. Mexico might be one of the most fun teams to watch if it wasn’t for the stereotypical CONCACAF antics they displayed.  Adu may have looked solid, but the rest of his team definitely did not.

Now if the Americans could get some better defenders on their roster, they might be able to take a next step. For now, despite Adu’s success, the US team continues to regress, their defenders, along with defensive midfielders like Jermaine Jones, looking like they may be better suited wearing clown shoes rather than soccer cleats. Are there not better defenders than this in the entirety of this country? Where is Alexi Lalas when you need him?

The Earthquakes played the Rapids at Spanos Stadium Friday night

On Friday night, the San Jose Earthquakes “hosted” the defending Major League Soccer champion Colorado Rapids at Cal Poly’s Spanos Stadium, where this country’s variety of soccer fansmanship was on full display.

While soccer isn’t in my top three favorite sports, I consider myself a casual fan. With a professional game in town, I decided to attend the game with Nuge, who is more than a casual fan, and some of his friends.

A San Jose native, Nuge had a strong rooting interest in the game. Of the group, he was the only one, which is probably why his friends rooted so hard for Colorado. I was mostly ambivalent about the outcome of the preseason game. What was more important to me was the soccer “scene.”

Soccer fans generally come in a few types. You could think of them on a spectrum – maybe similar to a political spectrum one might see in a social studies class in high school.

The most extreme type is the radically intense fan. These are fans who have a single team and will chant, scream, yell, beat drums for 90 minutes, blow horns, wave flags, and even fight other fans to defend their team’s honor. This fan type comes a dime a dozen in Europe, but is pretty difficult to find in the United States. The closest thing we have in this country is Raiderfan or Nascar likes-to-fight guy. While there are pockets like these, the United States is largely hooligan-free in the world of sports-fansmanship.

The second-most extreme type is where Nuge falls. This soccer fan is the most admirable and dedicated of the bunch. This fan ranges from those who will travel to see their team play to those who see a large portion of home games consistently. These fans also may be vocal and excited during games because the game matters to them. They may also wave flags and play instruments without the flair for fighting. I fall into this category for the Dodgers, Lakers, Cal Poly basketball, and UCLA basketball.

Following the “actual” fans above, there are casual fans, like me with soccer. I enjoy soccer, but there are seasons that go by where I don’t have a clue. I asked an Arsenal fan last night if Cesc Fabregas was still on the team and whether Almunia was still their regular keeper (yes and no). Fans like me like to join in the scene, whatever the scene is. If it’s appropriate to be a crazy fan, screaming and making noise all game, then I’ll join in. I won’t, however, be the first to start a chant at a soccer game. Most of the parents of the kids playing at half-time of the game also fall into the casual fan category.

After the “casual” soccer fans, there are the folks who are there for the scene. My guess is that, in a city like San Luis Obispo, about a third to half of the fans at the game on Friday fall into this category. They are there because it’s an event in SLO on a Friday night. It’s at Cal Poly and it’s an opportunity to be at a once-a-year event that makes SLO feel a little bigger. This group is integral to selling enough tickets to draw major teams to SLO for a game.

Let me be clear, some of these reasons also influenced me going to the game on Friday. I enjoy a good event as much as anyone — probably more. But the difference is this: I know a little about soccer.

There was lots of soccer fansmanship at Spanos Stadium Friday night

An example of the conversation from the people behind me: “Didnt’ that guy foul that other guy? Why is the referee just shrugging his shoulders and letting the game go on? How was that not a foul?”

Another conversation: “Why are those guys on the sideline wearing those weird differently-colored jerseys?”

Of course, the first question was referring to the advantage rule. To the credit of the fans behind me, one fan was able to mostly describe the rule to another fan. To the credit of United States soccer, refs in this country have begun to use advantage more and more, allowing for more open and free-flowing play.

Aside from three or four free kicks and corner kicks, the Spanos Stadium crowd of almost 3,000 stayed at a strong murmur for most of the evening. People reacted to good plays, but in a distinctly mellow and mostly laid-back San Luis Obispo way.The Earthquakes are three hours away, but there wasn’t even really a pro-Earthquakes feel aside from Nuge’s anti-Colorado trash-talk.

The Earthquakes struck for the first and only goal on a penalty kick. The thing that I didn’t even realize until I looked it up, was that there were at least three or four players who have appeared for the US National Team in the past. In other words, the teams were playing their starters. I expected teams to play their second and third-string players throughout this exhibition in SLO. But both teams decided to bring out some of their “big guns” or at least big names.

Colorado’s roster included Conor Casey (taller than I thought), Marvell Wynne (whose foul led to the PK and goal), and Pablo Mastroeni (still seems like a hothead and doesn’t strike me as an overly heady player). San Jose, still rebuilding after restarting as a franchise, had Bobby Convey come off the bench. Did the fans realize that they were seeing a lot of each squad’s “A team?” I spent most of the night trying to figure that out.

It was clear that people around me were having a great time (whether they knew who they were watching or not) and the atmosphere was a happy one. Kids swarmed around the stadium, looking for a grassy area to play, watching the game, and generally having a great time. The kid in me got his hands on a pair of churros and a soda halfway through the second half. The relaxed crowd atmosphere allowed for kids to have a great time at this MLS game, which was probably the point, especially from the perspective of the MLS.

If soccer is to grow in this country, places like San Luis Obispo will be the front lines of this growth. Our city and country won’t ever be rife with hooligan fans. For those who think that hooligan fansmanship is a necessary part of a healthy soccer culture, you’ll be sorely disappointed at a game in SLO. For people, like me, who see one fan explaining the advantage rule to another as a sign of the growth of the game in the United States, Friday night was a definite step in the right direction. Go Galaxy! (Sorry Nuge, couldn’t help it).

owen@fansmanship.com

One more picture from Friday night. Gotta want it.