ORLANDO, Fla. – It was the kind of angle editors latch on to, one that expands the world of sports beyond the statistics and strategies hardcore fans devour. Even beyond sports, human interest has always been a draw. The idea of a sports team, with players stationed 3,000 miles away from home, helping players’ families cope? Those motives transcend genres.
ESPN’s soccer coverage had a story the next day, less than 24 hours after Portland Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese mentioned it in his first tournament press conference. His team had only been in Orlando for four days – four of a potential 40 spent at a continent’s distance.