Team USA took on team Nigeria last week in a pre-World Cup match in Jacksonville, Florida. The U.S. Department of Defense press service reported that during halftime, Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia honored veteran Samuel Muldrew, Purple Heart recipient and former Army Pvt. 1st Class from 1943 to '45. As the crowd cheered, Muldrew, 91, was awarded a large coin with the inscription "Proud member, United States Armed Forces" by Battaglia and Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown. The current and former servicemen then saluted, kicking off the second half of the match.
The award was fittingly presented the day after D-Day, and the reminder of Muldrew's courageous service during the second world war drew a standing ovation from the 50,000 spectators in attendance. The display of American pride was followed by the players securing a win in the second half of the match, finishing 2-1 against Nigeria. This victory secures team USA's place in the FIFA World Cup competition in Brazil later this month.
The World Cup has historically been the most watched sport event across the globe with 715.1 million views of the 2006 final game, held in Germany. The U.S. has not yet won the cup, but so far this year they have a three-game winning streak. Team USA's first official game in the cup will be held June 16, 2014, against team Ghana, according to the official FIFA schedule.