Country Roads: how a 1971 John Denver song became the US team's anthem

SEATTLE. "Take Me Home, Country Roads" has become the unofficial anthem of the U.S. men's soccer team at the World Cup. FIFA added the 1971 John Denver song to its postgame playlist, and it first played after the U.S. beat Australia 2-0 here on June 19. Coach Mauricio Pochettino sang along with his players that night, and the team sang it again after beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 on July 1.

Midfielder Weston McKennie says the crowd felt it too: "You could feel the connection with the fans." The song has also turned up during hydration breaks in other matches, drawing cheers from fans who'd been booing the break moments before. Co-writer Bill Danoff told the AP he's honored by the revival. He says the song, despite its West Virginia lyrics, actually came from a drive down Clopper Road in Maryland, filtered through his own New England childhood and radio broadcasts of Appalachian music. Denver died in 1997.