When the swift sound of the soccer ball hit the back of the net, the entire stadium erupted into a chant of “U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!”

Last weekend, the U.S. Men’s National Team played an exhibition against Venezuela in Glendale, Ariz. I traveled to the “Valley of the Sun” for the weekend for several reasons, one of which was to attend the game with some longtime friends who live in the area.

The United States dominated the game; however, the team had nothing to show for it and, as the game went into extra time, the score remained tied 0-0.

That’s when it became American midfielder Ricardo Clark’s time to shine.

Clark headed in a corner kick past the Venezuela goalie in the 97th minute to give the U.S. a goal and send the American crowd into a frenzy.

As the American team swarmed Clark, the crowd of 22,000-plus chanted “U-S-A!” over and over again, which continued for the remainder of the game and as fans left the stadium.

The United States Men’s National Team celebrates following its goal against Venezuela in last Saturday’s game at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. PHOTO BY NICK FORRESTER When moments such as these happen, there really seems to be something special in the air. I feel the most exciting part of having a national team face another national team is the sense of pride that goes along with it. It’s one thing to root for a professional team, but there always seems to be more at stake when it is nation vs. nation, even if it is only in an exhibition.

When the U.S. soccer team plays on the World Cup stage every four years, or the U.S. teams compete in the Olympics, the entire country seems to rally behind the Americans with an usagainst the-world mentality.

I experienced that firsthand during the 2010 World Cup, when I was an intern in London. America’s opening game of the tournament was against England, and everyone else in my office was, naturally, cheering for the Brits. After the USA “defeated” England 1-1 and went on to win the group, my co-workers and I spent the rest of the summer giving each other a hard time about the game, doing things like hanging our respective country’s flag over each other’s desks, or buying our colleagues the opposing nation’s jersey.

But the game wasn’t what was significant. After all, it was a tie, and there will be plenty of U.S. vs. England games in the future. But after America won the group, I could say my national team was at the same level as their national team in a sport in which England is supposed to be more dominant. To put it in perspective, it would be like the Brits beating the Americans in basketball.

While the World Cup showcases the height of this national pride in soccer, there are other moments – like exhibitions last Saturday for the men’s team, or an upcoming Women’s National Team game in Texas – that still display these loyalties.

On Feb. 11, there will be an opportunity to experience this sense of national pride firsthand. The U.S. Women’s National Team, considered one of the best in the world, plays an exhibition against New Zealand at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco. The game will mark the team’s first appearance in Texas since May 2007, and will feature all the players who made a big name in last summer’s Women’s World Cup, such as Hope Solo, Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan.

And for an experience unlike any other, I highly recommend going.

Nick Forrester is sports editor at the Lampasas Dispatch Record.