Team USA moves to knockout stage

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Roars of applause exploded in the Galaxy Club here June 23 as hundreds of Team USA and Team England supporters watched their teams move forward to the "Final 16," or the knockout stage in pursuit of the World Cup.

Team USA beat Algeria 1 - 0 during the 2nd minute of added time (at the 92-minute mark), moments after Team England beat Slovenia 1 - 0.

With the England game being played on one side of the G-Club, and the USA game played on the other, soccer supporters had an action-packed afternoon.

It was amazing to see many Ministry of Defence employees, who were also England supporters by the look of their Team England attire, come over to the "American" side of the club to watch Team USA's efforts, said 1st Lt. Philip Rosen, 100th Comptroller Squadron.

Likewise, many Americans were seen watching the England game. With about 1,600 American military complimenting the roughly 600-strong MOD work force at RAF Mildenhall, it's no wonder the people support each other's teams. Lieutenant Rosen agreed and lauded that very fact during an ITV interview.

"It's amazing to see the support for each other in this club," he said. "This is a true testament to how much the MOD and U.S. Forces here support each other."

A fellow officer from neighboring RAF Honington had similar sentiments and reflected on Match 5, when USA and England faced off for the first game of Group C.

"As a true England fan, and a serviceman who has worked alongside our American allies in Iraq, I was under no illusion that the game against USA was going to be tough," said Flight Lieutenant Al Pluckrose, a physical education officer at RAF Honington. "My heart said England would win but my brain told me it would be a draw, and so it turned out."

When considering that the majority of the US team plays in Europe for top-quality teams, and USA beat Spain in the Confederations Cup last year, a draw is really not that surprising and certainly not a bad result, said Flight Lieutenant Pluckrose.

The road to glory isn't over for either team as USA now has to face Ghana June 26, and England must face Germany the day after.