After the USA lost to Ghana in the round of 16 of the World Cup and were subsequently eliminated, I knew that was the end of the World Cup for countless Americans across the country. However, I am here to plead that we stick with the contest as it reaches its end. Soccer is a beautiful game, and the World Cup is one of the most important sporting events in the world.

Now, I understand that there have been some major flaws in this cup. A good deal of the officiating has been exceptionally spotty, and some awful calls have ruined what should have been good games. Yes, the USA did get ripped off twice, having two different goals called back on bad calls, but Americans should consider themselves lucky that these missed calls ultimately had no effect on the USA’s overall performance in the tournament.

Despite these calls, the US still finished at the top of their group, and their loss versus Ghana was not complicated by any bad calls. Not so for Mexico and England. Both of these teams either had a goal disallowed, or an illegitimate goal scored against them in games they ultimately lost. Thus, the USA should consider itself lucky that it overcame these calls, and managed to perform well despite the adversity. We should pat ourselves on the back for doing this well, instead of blaming refs for our exit, or considering US soccer a lost cause.

After all, soccer has been on the rise in America, and I’d love to see that continue. That’s why I hope that many of the Americans who have casually tuned in to some of the games this World Cup continue to watch more games as we approach the finals. We should follow the lead of South Africa, whose fans continue to show up in droves and cheer on any side they feel like supporting, despite the fact that their national team didn’t even make it out of their group stage.

Despite the fact that I rarely watch it, soccer is one of my favorite sports. No sport involves more teamwork, as usually more than 8 team members end up touching the ball on a single goal-scoring play. In addition, in my opinion, there is nothing more beautiful than a great soccer goal. It looks better than a grand slam in baseball, means more to the overall outcome of the game than a brilliant alley-oop does, and is easier to keep track of than a hockey slap-shot that squeezes its way just over a goalie’s glove. The only play from any other sport I find comparable to a beautiful goal is an amazing touchdown pass or run in football, but again I think there is more teamwork involved in English football than the American counterpart. A soccer goal almost always involves more passes than the Music City Miracle, as it usually starts in the defense and works its way up through the midfield, until a striker buries it in the netting. In contrast, while the offensive line, tight end, and fullback are important to each any every play, they will not touch the ball on a 40-yard pass from the Quarterback to a Wide Receiver, no matter how beautiful the catch is.

So, in any case, my position is that soccer is a beautiful sport, and as we approach the finals, we are bound to see some amazing matches.  Even if the final of this World Cup ends up being a South American standoff between the neighboring countries of Brazil and Argentina, it will be the most important sporting event in 4 years for millions of people across the world, from Spain to South Korea. Let’s enjoy the global party while it lasts.