As sleep continues to overtake the occupants of the houses surrounding her, Pippa Bowen awakes to darkness and silence. The clock reads 3:45 a.m. With a cup of coffee she opens up her laptop, loading up one of the dozens of streaming subscriptions she’s accumulated over the years, and cozies up with a blanket as the announcer signals for the teams to walk out onto the pitch, ready to cheer on her favorite player.
Half a world away Katie Bowen steps into the light, flanked on either side by an entire team, as the intro music pours out from the speakers signifying the impending start of the match.