Soccer superfan: Wainwright shows support for Team USA with full-on face paint
Long before Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright became a major-league pitcher, he was a top-notch youth soccer player in St. Simon's, Ga.
Now standing 6-foot-7 and long ago established as one of the game's top pitchers, he obviously chose the right career path. But his love for soccer -- and country -- remain strong.
Both were on display Sunday before the Cardinals' finale against the Phillies at Busch Stadium.
We'll provide the Red! You can provide the White & Blue. From #CardinalNation in support of the #USMNT today #1N1T pic.twitter.com/unnKwWmpsm
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 22, 2014
To show his support for the U.S. at the World Cup, Wainwright woke up Sunday morning and had his wife paint the stars and stripes on his face.
"All these people from other countries are getting fired up, painting their face and wearing flags," Wainwright said. "It's time for the United States to stand up and be patriotic, too.
"Besides our game, it's the biggest game of the day."
Wainwright said he attended a World Cup game in Orlando in 1994. Watching the U.S.-Portugal match could be a challenge, though. The Cardinals are scheduled to fly to Denver following their game against the Phillies, not long after the U.S. match gets under way.
