The game has simply never appealed to me.
Oh, I remember occasionally playing on the schoolyard in Thunder Bay. But watching a soccer game has never drawn my interest.
Last night, however, for the first time in my life I found myself caught up in the excitement.
I decided to have supper at Pho 'n Rice, a Thai-Vietnamese restaurant in Somerville which I have frequented over the past five years.
Normally there is contemporary music playing in the background, but on this occasion, the World Cup matchup between Argentina and Cape Verde was airing with Argentina leading 2-1 during extra time.
At first, I wasn't paying much attention. I was looking at my phone while awaiting my food. But then Sidny Lopes Cabral tied the match with a stunning goal.
As little as I know about soccer, even I knew the significance of this goal. After all, Argentina is the defending World Cup champion, and their star player Lionel Messi might arguably be the best soccer player who ever graced a football pitch. The thought that Argentina could be ousted by the 67th ranked team in the world with a population of all of half a million people off the West African coast was a staggering one.
Now I was vested. I wanted Cape Verde to pull off the upset. They gave Argentina everything they had, but Argentina went ahead eight minutes after Cabral's goal which the Cape Verdean goalkeeper deflected into his own net on a kick by Cristian Romero.
Cape Verde gave Argentina everything they had in the next 9 minutes but ultimately fell short as Argentina advances the round of 16 against Egypt on Tuesday evening.
As I was about to exit the restaurant, the woman behind the register and I shared an almost identical thought. She too was not a soccer fan was exhilarated at what she had seen in her establishment. I added that Cape Verde might have fallen short but that it won't be the last we hear from their soccer team.
Who knows? They might even beat Argentina next time.
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