World Cup Frenzy at Parlor Sports

In 1999 my dad and I decided to get tickets to the Women's World Cup game at Foxboro Stadium.  Neither of us knew who Mia Hamm was and I didn't know the rules of soccer at all.  I had no idea what was at stake in that tournament but when game 3 in the group stage rolled around we knew we had made the right choice.  I remember everything about that day.  I wore a navy blue tank top, it was 90+ degrees out, as we entered the stadium there were drummers and people with their faces painted.  I clutched my homemade Made in America (MIA) sign and got chills as we took our seats.  Something big was happening and we were lucky enough to be part of it.  Tisha Venturini scored twice, did her trademark back flips, and the USA was on to the next stage of the cup.  For the next few weeks my family and I gathered around our tvs to watch every story about the team and held our collective breaths during the entire final that finished in a USA victory in PKs.  I remember running around the house and jumping up and down.  I was hooked.  We started going to all the games we could and when the professional league started up we got our tickets.  I was 25 and this was one of the first times I saw female athletes take over the country like this and it made me proud.

Well, I feel like it's 1999 all over again.  Maybe it's because the tournament is on our continent so the games are in primetime, maybe it's because this team was such an underdog at the beginning, or maybe it's just that it's time to make history again!  The energy surrounding this team's run has been phenomenal.  We've been watching the games at Parlor Sports and it's been fantastic.  From the fantastic playlists (American Woman before the first game, 90s Chick after) to the bar decorations and the chalkboard sign it's been so much fun.  Also, I love that I'm not the only one wearing my Mia Hamm jersey!  This is my kind of crowd!  I will never forget that during game 6 of the NBA finals no one asked for the tv to be changed.  Every tv was on the USA and no one there wanted to watch Lebron James.  They wanted to watch female athletes playing at the top of their games!  Now that's progress!

This was my favorite!

We've had to keep getting there earlier and earlier because it's been reaching capacity.  For the semis I had to get there two hours early (but that's fine because I'm on vacation!)  The energy has been unreal!  I even took my dad for game 3 and it made me feel like it really was 1999 again.

Carli Lloyd's PK against Germany- and the crowd goes wild

National Anthem- I'm not an anthem person but chills!

No matter the outcome on Sunday this team will go down as the 15ers, they no longer live in the shadow of the 99ers!