Members of the United States soccer team are full of apologies today after mistakenly snubbing U.S. troops who had gathered on a tarmac in Guatemala to show their support for the athletes.
TMZ reports the troops, stationed in Central America, had lined up at the airport to cheer on the U.S. soccer team before their match against Guatemala in a World Cup qualifying match. But, according to TMZ:
[W]hen the team got off the plane ... they made a beeline for the bus, not saying a word to the soldiers ... not even a "thank you." The troops were understandably insulted.
This may have set up Team America for some bad karma. They ended up tying 1-1 with Guatemala, and - as ESPN puts it:
The 28th-ranked Americans were outshot 13-11 by 85th-ranked Guatemala, a team that has never qualified for the World Cup.
Well, it turns out it was all a big misunderstanding - the snub, that is. A spokesman for the American team told TMZ:
"The players and staff were simply unsure of the correct protocol in terms of engaging the military members on arrival to Guatemala ... [the players] weren't sure if they were welcoming them or providing security."
What do you think?
