Every four years I hear the moaning from my fellow ‘Mericans
about the World Cup. They don’t understand it. How can a game, that can end in a
0-0 tie, be fun to watch? That’s the excuse they use, but I think there are other
reasons they don’t like it. I get it. I used to be that guy.
There are a few reasons why I think it’s so popular. Soccer is cheap. You don’t even really need a ball, just something to kick and some sticks to kick it through. And it can be played pretty much anywhere, the beach, a farm or a city street.
But the real reason people love the World Cup… think Hoosiers.
Where else can a country of 5 million compete with a country of 300 million and still win? Small countries like Costa Rica, Honduras and Ecuador take on behemoths like Brazil, the U.S. and Russia and it’s competitive.
You never know how things are going to turn out. A team can be outplayed for an entire 90 minute game and still win… in the 91st minute. Is that bizarre? Yes. Is it maddening? YES!
There are more upsets than March Madness. And you don’t get to come back next year. You have to start the qualification process all over again and pray to get back four years from now.
Proof? Spain, the number one team in the world, the winner of the last World Cup and the last two European trophies, the team who beat Tahiti 10-0 last year, is out already. They were crushed by the Netherlands and Chile and have one game remaining, but they are done. Done in by countries a third the size.
If you change the ball and set the scene in Indiana, ‘Mericans would love that story.
There are a few reasons why I think it’s so popular. Soccer is cheap. You don’t even really need a ball, just something to kick and some sticks to kick it through. And it can be played pretty much anywhere, the beach, a farm or a city street.
But the real reason people love the World Cup… think Hoosiers.
Where else can a country of 5 million compete with a country of 300 million and still win? Small countries like Costa Rica, Honduras and Ecuador take on behemoths like Brazil, the U.S. and Russia and it’s competitive.
You never know how things are going to turn out. A team can be outplayed for an entire 90 minute game and still win… in the 91st minute. Is that bizarre? Yes. Is it maddening? YES!
There are more upsets than March Madness. And you don’t get to come back next year. You have to start the qualification process all over again and pray to get back four years from now.
Proof? Spain, the number one team in the world, the winner of the last World Cup and the last two European trophies, the team who beat Tahiti 10-0 last year, is out already. They were crushed by the Netherlands and Chile and have one game remaining, but they are done. Done in by countries a third the size.
If you change the ball and set the scene in Indiana, ‘Mericans would love that story.
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