Tag Archives: World Cup

Volveremos, volveremos…

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So Argentina is back in the World Cup finals. Against Germany again, just like in 1986 (the last time they won) and 1990. It’s hard to explain to someone who isn’t from a World-Cup-obsessed country what the World Cup truly means. As the popularity of soccer grows in the United States, the distance between our culture and those of soccer nations is seen all the more. Even people who are knowledgeable about soccer in the United States don’t seem to understand what international soccer is about. We certainly find it hard to grasp the depth of passion that the sport evokes. So let me offer some suggestions:

  • Don’t try and change the game. There’s a part of you that wants to whine about the flopping that is an integral part of international soccer. Suppress that part. You want to find a way to replace penalty kicks, hoping for a more equitable solution to tie games. Get over it. You have a thousand ideas as to how to make the game more attractive to an American audience. Accept the fact that international soccer as is is the most popular sport in the world; it doesn’t need American ingenuity to remake it.
  • Try to imagine a country united behind one team. We live in a fragmented country, with dozens of styles of music, hundreds of television channels, vast regional differences in food and speech. We’re also fragmented when it comes to sports. Football is king, yet NASCAR, baseball, tennis, golf… any of a number of sports can take first place in the hearts of individual Americans. In Argentina, for example, they are proud of winning the gold medal in basketball and producing world class golfers, tennis players, swimmers, etc. Rugby is very popular. But soccer defines them.
  • Sit back and enjoy the finals on Sunday! And feel free to root for Argentina.

Basketballs and soccer balls, but no vuvuzelas

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work.5380329.2.sticker,375x360.no-vuvuzelas-sticker-v1Another sports Friday. What can I say about my San Antonio Spurs? If you’d asked me on Monday, I’d have told you that I was a bit concerned. The Miami Heat had won a game in San Antonio, and the good guys seemed vulnerable. What could they hope for when going to Miami? Eke out a win and come home with the series tied.

But they did far more than that. The Spurs demolished the Heat in two consecutive games, and now they have the series firmly under control.

Amazing to think that Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili won a championship together 11 years ago and have a chance to do it again. They dominated the NBA from 2003 to 2007 and are back on top. They came within a few seconds of winning last year; now they’re poised to win again.

Of course, it’s not just the “Big Three.” The Spurs’ rising star is Kawhi Leonard. Young and athletic, talented and unassuming, Kawhi was just what San Antonio needed. Hard to believe that he’s not much older than my oldest son. Maybe that’s why I love to see him do well.
His two-handed putback last night was the highlight of the game:

https://vine.co/v/Mjxn92jTzKp

And the World Cup is under way! I’ll try and write more about that next week. For now, I’ll just say

¡Vamos Argentina!

World Cup final

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The World Cup ends this Sunday. It’s the world’s biggest sporting event. For those of us that love to study cultures, it’s a great time.

You can see the different playing styles, watch the dress and reactions of the fans, view the ways that the announcers from different countries approach the game. The attention of the whole world is focused there (even if many in the U.S. still haven’t made the effort to try and understand why).

Still, it comes down to some soccer matches. My predictions were only 50% right last week; here are my picks for the last two games:

Consolation:
Germany over Uruguay

Championship:
Netherlands over Spain

World Cup update

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Fridays tend to be relaxed days, so I’ll share some observations about the World Cup (which continues today):

  • Yeah, Argentina’s first goal against Mexico shouldn’t have been allowed. And yes, England was robbed out of a goal. As I noted last week, there has been some terrible officiating at this year’s Cup.
  • I hope that the U.S. will use this year’s limited success as a springboard for future international competition. A North American presence would bring some balance to international soccer.
  • Another great quote from Maradona, talking about the halftime skirmish between Argentine and Mexican players: “As we were going to the locker room, they got into it with Bolatti, who is gentler than Lassie on a leash.”
  • Predicted winners for this round:

    • Uruguay
    Argentina
    Spain
    Netherlands

Enjoy the rest of the tournament!

Disappointments, fun and surprises at the World Cup

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(Brian mentioned this video the other day; helps you see the difference between English-speaking announcers and Latin announcers)

The World Cup has been a disappointment. And it’s been a whole lot of fun. It’s also had a lot of surprises. Let me tell you about each.

The Disappointments:

  • Scoring has been way down. More than that, there has been a definite lack of precision on offense. Scoring isn’t everything, but games are more enjoyable when players are playing at their best. Players have blamed: (1) the Jabulani ball that is being used. Supposedly it “soars” on them; (2) the vuvuzelas, those horns that fans blow constantly in South Africa. Players say the noise from the horns has prevented them from communicating with one another.
  • The officiating has been bad. I haven’t minded so much the questionable offsides calls; they are part of the game. I haven’t cared for the booking-happy refs that have officiated some games, nor the incredibly bad playacting that has resulted in bookings in other games.
  • I would have liked to have seen more success by the African nations, with this being the first time the World Cup was held in Africa.

The fun:

  • Argentina won all three games, one of them in a big way.
  • The United States pulled off a win in injury time to move them on to the second round. Beyond that, they even won their group.
  • It’s been good to see the Asian teams do well. I have hopes that this is a sign of things to come.

The surprises:

  • The surprises have been part fun, part disappointments. Some of the best teams have lost, not so much because of the play of their opponents, but because of their own failures. That’s disappointing. I was especially disappointed in the French team, who showed a complete lack of respect for themselves and for the tournament.
  • It was surprising to see Italy be eliminated in the first round, after winning it all four years ago.

I have a feeling that there are more surprises to come. I’m definitely sure that there is more fun to come, and there might even be some disappointments.