As we are now in the middle of the quarterfinals for men and the semifinals for the women, the feeling around Yingdong Natatorium is getting very intense. Just last week there was minimal interest in the preliminary rounds with very little press to cover them. However, that has drastically changed as journalists from all over the world are now here to cover their home country’s team. 

Since I am an American, I can’t help at least caring a little bit about how they do despite my job as an objective flash quote reporter. On Wednesday, the women’s USA team played Australia in a semi-final match to face the winner of the Hungary-Netherlands match for the gold medal. It was a thrilling game as close to 6,000 Americans and Aussies packed Yingdong Natatorium as the USA pulled out a 9-8 squeaker. 

I was given the task of interviewing USA’s head coach, Guy Baker, and I was almost as excited and emotional as he was. Just being here as athletes and coaches are on the brink of doing something they have spent most of their life trying to do is something that really can’t be experienced anywhere else. For example, when the Netherlands defeated Hungary to play the USA for gold on Thursday, the Dutch athlete I interviewed was crying with happiness, which makes you appreciate first-hand what these athletes go through. 

Another thing that is difficult to understand without attending an Olympic event is the amount of country pride that is alive in the stands. I have attended many Red Sox-Yankees games, but let me tell you that is nothing like a Hungary-Montenegro water polo match. It isn’t quite as volatile as Sox-Yanks, but I could argue the passion is much greater. With constant chants and singing songs, though I cannot understand them they are very catchy and passionate. The Beijing volunteer security staff can’t even subdue the crowd. 

Coming from New Jersey, I haven’t experienced much (if any) water polo in my life. Water polo in America is almost primarily in the west coast, where the weather is warmer making the sport popular year-round. America has one of the best teams in the world for both the men and women, but gets very little press. The men’s team upset Croatia last week, which was headlined on ESPN.com later that day, but the journalists and wires covering it in America are not very knowledgeable. The ESPN story over-dramatized the victory saying Croatia was the consensus gold medal pick, which is simply not true. Heading into the Olympics: Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro and Hungary ( and now the United States) were all expected to contend for gold. This just shows about the lack of water polo awareness around the country. 

I am excited to experience the medal rounds in the coming days as the crowds and stakes get bigger. If the players and coaches cry after winning one playoff match, I can’t imagine what it would be like to win a medal. So I encourage you (if NBC realizes there are other sports besides basketball, track and field, diving and gymnastics) to tune in to one of these water polo matches as it’s not very difficult sport to understand. What you will see is a lot of excitement, passion and athletic ability that can’t be found in many other places in these Olympic Games.