What a momentous day for soccer in America.  Earlier today in the semifinals of the FIFA Confederations Cup, the U.S. men’s national team beat Spain (the top-ranked team in the world) 2-0, a remarkable result that’s sending shockwaves across the globe.  Already being dubbed the “Miracle on Grass,” this win is arguably the biggest in the history of the U.S. National Team, and definitely so since their quarterfinal run in the 2002 World Cup.

Rest of the world, take notice: America can play (and beat you at) your game.  It can’t be denied any longer.  For a U.S. soccer fan like me and many others, this is the day we’ve been longing for.  Finally, in a major competition with the world watching, we show what we’re capable of and topple a major power.

While the U.S. has beaten elite teams before — #1 ranked Brazil over a decade ago and England over 50 years ago, for example — this is different.  No one really paid much attention then.  But with growing popularity and with the 24/7 media frenzy we now live in, a win like this will reverberate all across the internet, TV, radio, and elsewhere forcing casual sports fans and even soccer haters to take notice.  Those on the fence, maybe disappointed with the ‘06 WC showing, will have a new reason to get excited and support U.S soccer.

If the team keeps playing well and puts in epic performances like this, it will be able to do what Pele, David Beckham, and everyone else before them couldn’t — make soccer a mainstream, popular sport in America.  No doubt it has made great strides over the years, especially in the last decade.  But it’s a shame it isn’t bigger, because the ‘world’s game’ is the only meaningful, truly competitive professional sport played internationally.

In other countries, save for the occasional special event (for example, Wimbledon and the British Open for the UK), soccer is IT.   Nothing else in sports really matters.  But America has football, baseball, basketball, hockey, NASCAR, golf — among other smaller niche sports — all competing for the sports fan’s limited time and attention.   Then you add in the collegiate and high school levels, it’s not hard to understand why a soccer culture hasn’t broken into the mainstream.

Most of the sports media have definitely done their part in keeping it that way.  The bloviating gasbags on TV, radio, and the sports page would rather comment on Terrell Owens getting kicked off a reality show and some random baseball player’s post-game comments than ever substantively discuss soccer.  And the 2 seconds they do spend on the sport is often the predictable condescending mockery of how boring, stupid, and wussy it is in their diluted world where football, baseball, and basketball are the only sports that exist.

But being born and raised loving American sports, too, I think there’s definitely room for soccer, especially on the international level.  I’ve been to NCAA Final Fours, NBA playoffs games, big football and hockey games, and rarely miss a major event in ANY sport on TV…and nothing compares to the passion, excitement, drama, and emotion I feel from a big U.S. soccer match.  Only the Olympics come anywhere close, but even that pales in comparison.

To many, soccer (football) is so much more than a game.  It’s a culture, a religion, a life.  They live and die off of every corner kick, every save, every shot.  But you don’t even have to like soccer to be filled with pride for your country as your national team takes the field to represent the US of A, in the biggest competitions in the biggest sport in the world.

And finally, I have a few words for these dinosaurs in the media, and haters everywhere: This is only the beginning.  Soccer in America is here to stay and is only going to get bigger.  So while you sit back and bash it, the rest of us will be cheering on the Stars and Stripes as they become a world soccer power.  Hell, maybe even bring home the world cup one of these years; I bet then you’ll probably jump right on the bandwagon.  But for now, as you sneeringly predicted we were going to get thrashed and embarrassed by Spain today: Shut up and eat your plate of crow.

Don’t tread on me.