World Cup fever (despite my complete lack of athleticism)

I’ve never been very athletic. I was the girl who was picked last in gym (after years of this, I decided to take up dance which was apparently seen as a giant insult to the gym teacher. Who knew?). As a child (and a huge tomboy), I wanted to wrestle with my oldest cousin when he posed the challenge. My arms flailed and my legs gave way and I landed with a loud thump on my nose. That left a mark that lasted for several weeks.

Then there was that one time my crush asked if I wanted to throw the ball around with him when I was about 12 years old. He nailed me in the face with it (obviously not on purpose). If I had any reflexes, they certainly weren’t helping that afternoon as I watched the giant football sail into my schnazz. I wailed from the pain and left my dignity somewhere on the lawn that day.

I never reconciled my love of sports, though I’ve had infinitely more luck with yoga and dance (I haven’t hurt myself yet *knockonwood*).

That’s probably why it’s so surprising that I’ve taken such an interest in soccer, but the World Cup in particular has me hooked, especially this year since I’ve had a chance to catch most of the big tournaments. Germany is always my front-runner and I’ve followed them for years (and as a kid growing up, the World Cup was a big BIG deal in our house). I’m beyond stoked the German team has made it to the semis even though they’ve had a few stumbles throughout their time in Brazil this year.

I also find myself extremely nervous on days when they’re playing (like today, which is HUGE since they’re up against Brazil). I bite my nails, I yell at the TV, and I hide my face in a pillow in the final moments when there isn’t a goal yet. Also, I like to scream “Schweinsteiger!!!” very loudly (sometimes for no apparent reason) because it’s so much fun to say.

This year, Bryan’s team (Holland) is also in the semi-finals and we have tentative plans to watch the very last game with my parents and brother (who will also root for Germany). I’m kind of excited about the possibility of our teams going head-to-head though he is fanatical about his team (and all things Dutch).

My question to you is how do you keep things light-hearted and friendly? What happens when your team goes up against your significant other’s? How do you NOT kill each other (asking for a friend)?