Pre-Game Rituals

November 21, 2013

Earlier today, I shared this video on Facebook, originally posted by Kwesi, with the comment, “Something tells me that the USMNT hasn’t done this before any of their matches”. I wanted to explain that a little bit more.

When I watched this video, it reminded me of the times at church when we were in Ghana, the similar songs and dancing done during the services. It made me think that the players on the Ghana squad likely all experienced that same sort of thing at some point in their lives, especially the ones who grew up in Ghana. This similar experience is a bond that these players automatically have.

The US team definitely does not have that common bond. It is one of the things that sets our country apart, we have players who grew up in Texas, New Jersey, German Air Force Bases and more. There is no common experience for these players from when they grew up. Not saying this is better or worse, but it did make the video stand out to me, as it is something that I would never see from the US squad.