Sometimes Our Favorite Sports Need to Love Us Back

Donations to a food bank outside a Newcastle match. Soccer’s billion-dollar business is often disconnected from its far more local connection with its fans.

“Clutching his phone in one hand and his passport in the other, Ruben Gabrielsen sprinted through his apartment. Duty had called, and he would answer. He had even tied a makeshift cape around his neck for the occasion. He would be the one to save his country in its hour of need.A 28-year-old defender playing in France’s second division, Gabrielsen probably would not have chosen these to be the circumstances in which he made his first international appearance. Not long ago, he probably would not have been able to imagine them. ...”

NY Times