The World Cup is Awesome
If you can't understand why the World Cup is really, really cool - then you are probably an emotionless log sitting in a rain forest whining because you can never get dry. Even if you are not a soccer person, which I am not...you have to watch at least 1 game from start to finish to see what it's all about. It's not about being a fan of the sport...it's about appreciating patriotism for all countries, appreciating amazing athleticism, appreciating the spirit of competition and appreciating the idea of the underdog.Today, Brazil plays Australia. A team of vibrant jerseys, cool names and unbelievably talented players...vs. a team that I know nothing about. Other than they have fans at the game dressed as kangaroos...complete with a pouch filled with baby kangaroos. (Just a technical note, I thought kangaroos only had 1 baby at a time, kinda like humans...but I guess that doesn't make for a very good visual.)
Here's why watching the World Cup is so much fun:
* There are some crazy names out there, and a lot of players that go by just 1 name. In fact, if you look at Brazil's roster, no less than 15 players go by one name. Including Fred! The only sport that can rival World Cup soccer in terms of cool names is Formula 1 auto racing.
* Patriotism is at its highest during the World Cup. No matter what country you are from, you can't help but stand taller and smile for a national anthem being played and sung by half a stadium of thousands and thousands of people. Take Australia today...before the game when their anthem was being played, the fans in the stands were so loud that you could hear each word being sung by the masses. And these people had to come from over two continents away to cheer for their team. And all countries, regardless of their chance of making it past the first round, or even scoring a point in a tie, get this kind of support.
* It's once every four years, just like the Olympics. It keeps the event fresh, exciting and special. The novelty doesn't wear off, and people save up for years to get to go to a World Cup or Olympics...keeping the fan base large and excited because it really means something.
* It's a sport where 1 goal can make or break a team...or a 0-0 tie can really mean something...giving a scrappy, out of nowhere, 3rd tier team the chance to cause problems for favorites or make a mark for themselves. Or give a 2nd tier team a chance to break through. (A la giving the U.S. team the chance to get out of the first round despite not being very good.)
* Look at the athleticism of these guys. A game is 90+ minutes long, and you never know exactly when the game is going to end because there is a running clock but they keep track of time of stoppages and stuff...then add it on to the end. (They should institute a rule like that in the NBA. Then maybe the whole game, not just the last few minutes, would mean something because you never know when the game will end or how much time you are wasting!! I'm brilliant.) There are only 3 substitutions (or something like that - I don't really know the rules, to be honest) allowed per 45 minute half. So these players have to be in absolutely amazing shape. Not only do they have to run up and down a field a lot (any runner can do that), but they have to challenge for the ball, sprint periodically, think about strategy and do about a bazillion other things. That is exhausting.
* One of the coolest unofficial traditions in sports takes place at the World Cup - players exchanging jerseys after the match for souvenirs and as a show of goodwill and respect for the sport and their opponents. That is really cool...watching rivals that have just battled against each other on the field for an hour and a half to a 0-0 tie, shaking hands, hugging and exchanging sweaty jerseys.
* There are rumors that David Beckham and Ronaldo will come to the U.S. to play Major League Soccer in the next few years. If they come play in the U.S., I would go to MLS games. That would be the best thing for American soccer.
* Every single athlete on the field in a soccer match looks like they are having fun. How cool is that? To have fun on the biggest athletic stage of the year? (And it is definitely a stage sometimes...have you ever seen how dramatic soccer players get when they get hit or "hurt?" They should give out Tony Awards based on this month.)
* The World Cup official match soccer ball design is pretty cool. It's neater than the plain old black and white checkered ball I grew up kicking around in gym class. I would play soccer more if I had a soccer ball this cool.
Don't worry, my fascination with soccer will end at the final minute of the World Cup...but for a few weeks every 4 years, it's awesome.
posted by Steph @ 9:00 AM
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