The World Cup isn’t supposed to be like this.
For all that soccer is known as the “beautiful game,” this tournament has typically offered little for romantics: In this sport, the favorites usually win””and when it comes to the world’s most coveted trophy, that means Europe.
Home to the best professional leagues and the biggest superstars, half of the 18 World Cups have been won by European countries. You’ve got to go back to 1950 to find the last time a team from this continent failed to make the final. But as the 2010 World Cup entered its second week, England was held to a 0-0 draw by lowly Algeria””one of the country’s most embarrassing results in this tournament since its defeat by the United States in 1950. “We are not in a good moment,” said England coach Fabio Capello. “I don’t know if it’s the pressure but it’s not the team I know.”
The long list of underachievers from the old world already comprises France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and””after its shock defeat by Serbia early Friday””Germany.
The instrument is yet to be invented that measured my indifference to World Cup soccer.
If Europe is favored how come Brazil has won this tournament 5 times, Uruguay and Argentina have each won twice.
You have to be dead from the neck up to not get excited at The WORLD Cup.
Or have a brain from the neck up.
I’m wondering if, in part, it’s a case of whoever adjusts better to the ball finds success? IMO, there have been just too many oddities and unexpected outcomes in this tournament for the ball not to be a factor. Not THE factor, of course, but a factor, nonetheless.
Archer,
So why are you reading and posting on a World Cup thread, then? That alone belies “indifference,” or are you attempting irony?
I am Brazilian by birth, half-Brazilian by ethnicity, with several relatives in that country. I use a Brazilian passport to enter that country. I am proud of Brazilian dominance in [i]futebol[/i], and glad to support the excitement of my soccer-fan family members. But I’m with Archer on this one: I would just as soon watch paint dry as watch a soccer match.
One does not have to have strong opinions on a sport to comment on it. Certainly Europeans comment an awful lot on American football, though they claim to loathe it.
The Rules of Soccer: 2 Slovenians are allowed to mug and rob an American, at whicn point the Americans are penalized. That’s really about all I know, other than for some twisted reason I actually understand the off sides rule. Go figure.