2nd in the world, 1st in our hearts...

as everyone knows by now, the us women's soccer team lost to japan in the world cup final. myself, my family, and millions of others found ourselves caught up in the drama that unfolded over the course of the tournament, including the wins over korea, columbia, and the stunning win-for-the-ages victory over brazil. for me, it was fun to see the soccer watching world get behind this team, come to know it's players and coach, and display a renewed patriotism for our women who played the world's most popular sport on it's grandest stage. it's been said, and i believe, that it's good for your soul to invest in something that you can't control, especially when that team represents the red, white, and blue. although they fell short of their ultimate goal, our women played, won, and lost, with grace, dignity, class, and a passion in their gut, traits sometimes missing in the men's game. for it's part, japan deserved to win the cup, withstanding an early barrage of u.s. scoring chances, hanging around long enough to tie in extra time and ultimately win in an unfortunate pk shootout. in the end, the u.s. women gave all they had, left it all on the field, and can hold their heads high knowing that they accomplished a remarkable achievement by getting to the world cup final, as well as helping to elevate and invigorate their sport in our country. i look forward to cheering this team on in in the 2012 summer olympics in london where they can set their sights on bringing home the gold medal!