Highs and Lows of Being a French Soccer Fan Stuck in America

In Glasgow, Scotland on vacation I saw the French national soccer team, Les Bleus, lose to Scotland 1-0 in the Euro 2008 qualifying match. Being in Scotland it would seem to be a joyous occasion, drinks all around, numerous intoxicated renditions of the Scottish anthem. Yet I walked slowly back to my hostel in a serious sense of confusion and disarray. This wasn't supposed to happen, France had beat Italy only weeks before in a qualifying match, the World Cup Champions, but now they had just lost to a team that had failed to make the World Cup! If Scotland had beaten any other team while I was there I would have been ecstatic. But this was France, so with a greasy plate of fish-n-chips and the threat of a morning hangover, I alone walked out of the festivities.

For years I had loved soccer, both playing it and watching it. Unfortunately, living in the U.S.A, opportunities to watch soccer were limited. So, part of the reason for me taking Spanish classes was to watch the Mexican soccer games on Telemundo. My favorite team to watch however, was les Bleus. 1994 was the first World Cup I saw, and most of what I remember was being ridiculed by any other soccer fan who was rooting for my own national team, USA. My support for the French was unwavering though, solidified with knowledge of a host of French ancestors. In 1998 I relished the most spectacular moment in my sports fan history, watching as the French led by Zidane blazed through the world cup stages and won it all in a 3-0 upset victory over the favored Brazilians. It was bliss, and there was nothing that anybody in America could say.

After watching such a huge moment for Les Bleus I began to follow the team closer, checking scores of games I couldn't watch at the tail end of Sportcenter. Yet I saw the European Championship win in 2000 and that only added more fuel to my fan fire, to the point that when the 2002 World Cup began, I was hopelessly hooked. Not that I really thought it was much of a risk, I was backing the best team...

Most people seem to root for the underdogs if its not their favorite team, and outside of France the fans of Les Bleus are few. Yet Senegal was more than just an underdog, they were almost guaranteed no points out of the game. So I sat down excited to see another uniquely French soccer victory.

I don't try to remember much after the game, after the word loss had been pounded into my head, my ears ringing with "Upset." I slipped nearly as low as the French team did as they went on to compile one mere point and be knocked out of the group. Then in 2004 Les Bleus won every Euro qualifying game, a perfect 24 points, yet failed to win. My support tried to waver, but I would not let it break.

The 2006 World Cup held my attention for every game, not just the games with the French, and I grew to appreciate the Cup as a whole. Yet the French were doing good, and after beating favorites Brazil I couldn't see anything stopping them from a second World Cup victory. But it was not to be, Italy won on penalty kicks in the final, and that's all I have to say about that.

This qualification for Euro 2008 really isn't so bad, The French are in second but tie Scotland for points total at nine each. So maybe Les Bleus will go far again, as they have done, just hopefully they can finish on top and lighten my heavy stress.