By Amber Rocha @amberrocha
If somebody told me 3 years ago that today, I would be a huge soccer fan, traveling around the U.S. to soccer matches, meeting as many soccer players as I can, religiously watching any soccer game I can find on TV whether my favorite team is playing or not, I would have laughed hysterically.
A self-proclaimed soccer hater, I had always loved football and baseball but was disinterested whenever anybody brought up soccer. It was not until the Summer of 2014 that I discovered why soccer is called the beautiful game and fell fast and hard.
Sitting in a bar in Italy, watching the great American player that is Clint Dempsey completely destroy any opponent that came at him during the 2014 World Cup, I was hooked. I wanted more. That led me to Dempsey’s club team, the Seattle Sounders.
As a Southern California native who did not follow soccer in the slightest, the only team I had ever heard of was the LA Galaxy. With their extensive number of MLS Cups and clear infamy in the MLS, you would think I would jump at the chance to be an LA Galaxy supporter.
However, in LA Galaxy territory, I am an Eternal Blue, Forever Green, Sounders ‘til I Die supporter. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
What started as an infatuation with Clint Dempsey turned into a full blown love affair with the Seattle Sounders FC organization. Every single player played with everything they had. Every trainer and coach and staff member was kind and strong and great. Most importantly, every Sounders supporter loved the team through the ups, the downs, the good, the bad, the easy and the tough. I had never experienced anything as passionate and huge as being a supporter of a football club.
It’s a feeling I wish every American could experience.
My name is Amber Rocha and I’m a 22 year old soccer lover. How anybody could be disinterested in the sport is now unbelievable to me. I am so excited to be a part of MLS Female and contribute, even in a small way, to the growth of MLS in the U.S.
Come chat with me on twitter: @amberrocha
