My Soccer Odyssey

Hello blogosphere! My name is Laurie and I am a writer here at LAG Confidential. I love soccer and have been an avid fan of our beloved G's for some years now. If there is one characteristic of my personality that really stands out it is my passion for the things I love, and soccer is one of my many passions. Hopefully this will be apparent in my writing, but for the time being let me tell you a little about myself.

I have loved sports all of my life, and soccer holds a very special place in my heart. I was five years old when I put on my first pair of soccer cleats, and played in local youth soccer leagues for seven years. I was never incredibly good, but I loved the game. I stopped playing when I got more involved in academics and other sports, but even now when I smell fresh cut grass it reminds me of Saturday mornings on the soccer pitch with my parents.

I grew up watching many different sports with my parents on the weekends. Football, baseball, golf and the occasional tennis match were always on the TV. My dad and I would ruthlessly cheer for our Bay Area teams, and my whole neighborhood would pack up our cars and tailgate before our local Bulldog football games. But after I stopped playing soccer, it never really occurred to me to continue supporting the sport.

That all changed in the fall of 2004. I was studying abroad in Rome when one of my peers suggested we go to an AS Roma match. I thought to myself, "Sure, why not? I have nothing else to do tonight." Little did I know what an impact that match would have on me. I was completely overwhelmed by the devotion of the fans and the spectacle of the whole thing. This was not the vision of soccer I had in my head, but I loved every minute of it. When I went to one more match that fall I was hooked. I quickly learned that not only were Italians obsessed with soccer, but basically the entire planet loved soccer...how naive I was...

With my newfound knowledge, I enthusiastically awaited the 2006 World Cup and watched as many games as I could. I cheered on the U.S. and Italy (I have to give them some credit for introducing me to the sport again) while family members and onlookers thought I was insane. And in 2007 I became a season ticket holder for the LA Galaxy and have been ever since. I have supported them with the same enthusiasm I reserve for the teams I have loved all of my life, and will continue to do so no matter what road out G's take.

So that's me in a nutshell. If you see a girl with BIG curly blond hair yelling loudly in frustration or jumping up and down while cheering during LAG games, you'll know that's me. I hope to produce analysis worthy of your attention, and I look forward to some exciting and engaging conversation here at LAG Confidential!