World Cup Coming Together

Even though Team USA is out of the World Cup, Americans and Legislative leaders in Minnesota are finding unity over soccer. On Twin Cities PBS’s Almanac we brought Republican House Whip Jim Nash into DFL Floor Leader Jamie Long’s South Minneapolis district to watch a match and share how they are enjoying watching the world embrace America hosting the globe’s top sport. I have a D1 soccer player daughter who was the national statistical champion in goal with the top save percentage in the country, so lawmakers who follow soccer often reach out to me about the sport and especially now the World Cup. My mission in the last year has been to showcase bipartisanship after political division led to an assassination in our state. Although their agreement ends with who will win the upcoming game between England and Norway which many Minnesotans will be watching.

The biggest breakout star of the games has been Norway’s Erling Haaland who is scoring spectacular goals and picking up tens of millions of followers on social media with his Viking strength, charm, humor and humility. Hennepin County is home to the largest concentration of Norwegian Americans in the entire USA. Norway House in Minneapolis is buzzing with excitement over the Cinderella story of the underdog Norway team and superhero status of Haaland. My grandmother was a Haaland and I was desperate to find out if we are actually related (watch the story to find out). You too can contact Norway House to dig into your ancestry in their newly renovated headquarters famous for the holiday gingerbread houses.