… and by “full” I mean if you get really close you can vaguely tell that I haven’t shaved in a little more than a week. But you know what, I think it’s the effort that counts and if the U.S. manages to defeat Algeria tomorrow morning and secure a spot in the knock-out round of the FIFA World Cup, I’ll feel I played some small part with my superstitious ritual. If not … well, everyone knows my shaving schedule couldn’t possibly affect the outcome of a soccer game. Don’t be ridiculous.

With the United States’ World Cup future hanging in the balance tomorrow, it’s possible (difficult as it is to imagine) that the beard could be gone by Wednesday afternoon. Hopefully I’ll at least get to push through until Saturday or Sunday, when the U.S. would play in the Round of 16, depending on whether it finished first or second in Group C.

By this time, you might be wondering just what this World Cup “beard” looks like out of sheer curiosity. Well, wonder no longer. Confirmation of my loyalty to the cause is available after the jump …

 

I apologize for the size of the photo - even I don’t need to see my face that big on a computer screen - but you couldn’t really tell that there was any “beard” at all if the picture wasn’t big enough.

So there you have it. Confirmation that I have indeed held up my end of the “World Cup Beard” bargain. Though I have to say, simply not shaving for a week or two isn’t really the most difficult task I’ve ever set out to accomplish.

If you’re wondering just what the point of this is with regards to the Revolution, there is none. I’m simply having a bit of fun with the World Cup in full swing, and I hope you’re doing the same. Besides, the Revs were given a four-day weekend to rest up ahead of the next crucial stretch of games, so they haven’t trained since Friday. I promise that when the Revs return to training tomorrow, we’ll get back to normal with our typical written and video features as we preview Sunday night’s return to league action against the Chicago Fire.