Casting call

Having just listened to NPR's Frank Deford grudgingly comment on the World Cup and the US Men's Team's chances therein, which were both incredibly naive and somewhat astute all at the same time, which is pretty much his style, I began to play the ultimate fútbol What-If game, as in, what if a miracle happened and the US won the World Cup?

Other than being hated for yet one more thing on the global stage (and Deford hit that one on the nose) a win at the World Cup for the US means one great thing -- one of those patriotic, propagandistic, dripping-with-cheeseyness-but-makes-you-stand-up-and-cheer Disney sports movies. Yes, like that movie Miracle that came out in 2004 about the U.S. Hockey team's win over the big-bad Soviets in the 1980 Olympics, US fútbol would be immortalized on celluloid eventually. It would, of course, have to be a real tear-jerker, complete with all the little dramas real -- such as Frankie Hejduk getting sidelined by an injury and having to bow out of the National Team the day after he's named -- and imagined -- let's say, one of our GKs breaking every finger in both hands and yet still managing to shutout the Brazillians in the final match of the tournament. Oooh, heartbreaking, yet lifting, one of those "human-spirit" things. Ugh, yeah, but you get the idea.

And then there's a matter of casting the movie. I think Kurt Russell could do a decent Bruce Arena, he does that "I'm a stern but respected father-figure" thing so well. But for players? I'm just not as into movie stars are well as I used to be, so I can't think of other appropriate actors. I have a tendency to like seasoned guys, like Viggo Mortensen and Hugh Jackman, who are all a bit too long in the tooth to play the young guys of the US team. Well ... maybe if Hugh Jackman shaved his head he could be Kasey Keller.

So -- who would you cast for the movie of the USMNT's victory and the World Cup, and what little bits of drama would you include in the script? Now granted, it would take a miracle for the US team to win. And having said that, as is my track record, I've just ensure that it'll happen. Viva Estados Unidos!