As you know by now, I grew up in a small west Texas town. We didn’t have soccer. And so I grew up not appreciating the game one bit. In college, one of my friends was a serious soccer player. But he kept that part of his life separate from me and our buddies because he knew we had no love for it.
Sure, the 1999 US Women’s team caught my attention - and not just because Chastain ripped off her shirt - but because of the names and what they were able to do as a team. But that lasted about 15 minutes.
This weekend, the 2006 Men’s World Cup will kick off. And for the first time ever, I’m intrigued. I’m interested because the US team is supposed to be the best the US has produced in quite some time. From what I understand we’re ranked in the top 10 in some polls and even in the top 5 in others. But here’s the kicker, we’re not even supposed to make it out of our group. Czech Republic and Italy are supposed to advance leaving us and Ghana empty handed.
So when the US goes up against the Czech Republic on June 12 and when Brazil (the favorites) faces Croatia on June 13, I’ll be watching with millions of others.
Will you be watching? Who do you think will win? Do you care? The phone lines are now open…
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I really don’t follow soccer at all — when I found out where and when it was this year, it explains why it was difficult for our family to arrange our travel plans this summer — we’re going to be in Germany just after the World Cup is over!
I’ll try to get some good “Ira in Germany” photos to send along…..
I played organized soccer for 17 of my first 21 years of life (I’m now 30). I’m always watching games when the world cup rolls around - and on telemundo and RAI. My daughter (22 mos. old) has already begun her training and will be on the USA women’s team in 2022.
Oh I forgot to add, if you are interested, pick up the book ‘How Soccer Explains the World’ by Franklin Foer in your local bookstore. It’s a great read! Also, the latest issue of National Geographic’s cover story is about the love of Soccer.
I grew up playing soccer and my family is made up soccer fanatics! Some of them take vacation from work the whole World Cup series just so they don’t miss a game! And if they just can’t be away from the office, they tape the games. It’s a sickness.
Although I am really pulling for the US team and will enjoy watching them play, I am doubtful on their pulling it off. Brazil will have a hard time with Ronaldo not playing the best soccer he has played in quite some time, so it will be interesting to see if they really come out on top.
I guess I just like anything that gets the U.S. and, say, Ghana in the same sentence. The great equalizer?
peace — Katie
My boys grew up in Texas and now in the city of Austin they go to some bar on Sunday morning to watch the Arsenal play live. I’ll be watching, I’m figuring Brazil with the two R’s, Do I care the only thing I care about is the Dodgers beating the Yankees and the Lakers beating the Celtics. Oh and Jesus coming back.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!
You’re definitely right about soccer not being a big deal in west Texas; although my mom did help start a league for kids in Seminole when I was little. I played. Or should I say I participated? I was NOT good.
And it wasn’t until I visited Europe in 2004 that I realized how big a deal soccer (futbol) actually is to other people. There was a tournament going on almost the entire time we were in Europe and it was very funny to watch it as we moved from country to country. We really got into it… even watching it in the other languages and collecting the soccer game pieces that McDonald’s was selling for the tournament (I know… gasp! We ate at McD’s in Europe - it was cheap and so were we).
I think the best part of the soccer phenomenon was walking down the street at night in any given European city and seeing businesses open just so people who wanted to watch the games could sit together and watch. They were very unified about it and we had a blast walking into the little cafes and watching the games and cheering with them!
I’m not watching…simply because everyone else in France will be at cafes watching the games, and I’m hoping the Louvre won’t be quite so crowded!
I have a simple theory as to why soccer (and also hockey) aren’t as popular in the United States as other places in the world. First reason is economics. I can’t imagine a more expensive (popular) sport on all levels than American football and baseball. But as a society we have the disposable income to participate in the sport so we do.
Secondly I think Americans need to have what I call “the set-up.” In soccer time just runs and never really stops when the game is supposed to be over. There is no pause in the action to highlight the importance or drama of the next happening on the field. Look at the the three major American sports and you can see there is constant break in the action in order to hype the tension and drama.
Baseball - 3 and 2 with two outs, runners on the corners, and bottom of the ninth.
Football - Fourth and goal, with no time-outs, and time for only one more play.
Basketball - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, (SHOOT IT JOE) 2, 1, buzzer.
We are accustomed to the pause in the action so we can assess what’s really going on. This is why hockey suffers the same fate as futbol here in the US.
Caveat:
I don’t think there is anything more exciting in sport than the shoot out in soccer….talk about intense.
I like soccer. Ethan and I played on a co-ed team together since 1999. However, after my torn ACL last fall, I think I hung up my turf shoes. We have the 150 package on satellite just so Ethan can get Fox Sports and watch EVERY soccer game televised. So, yes, we care about the World Cup. I have no idea the teams or who is favored to win, but I watch all the countries with names I can’t pronouce anyway because my husband likes it. Ethan has been counting down for weeks now. And in his words, “The TV is mine for the next month.”
I never cared until I spent part of the summer of 2002 in Brazil, which just so happened to coincide with the World Cup. It was SO fun–the games were in Korea so were televised in the middle of the night or usually early morning. The final game was on Sunday morning, so we all watched it at church together, and when they won, the whole country went crazy. Fun times!
I love soccer for the fact that it’s so international. Truces are called in civil wars in some countries for the World Cup. I just watched Iran and Mexico play, and love that both of these countries are in the spotlight right now for diplomacy issue with the United States. But there they are on ABC.
I had a friend who was in Mexico during the last World Cup. The night the United States beat Mexico, he took off his shirt and ran his tall, white, blonde self around in the streets cheering “U-S-A!” If that’s not diplomacy, I don’t know what is.
LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!!! A true world championship. The match begins and it is for the team more than the coach to execute the win…no breaks in action, no rests, no timeouts, no excessive and incessant warm-ups (my biggest issue with baseball–aren’t we professionals? Did we forget how to throw to first base while we were at bat?)
There are both set plays and inspired plays and every individual player must be thinking strategically to be successful. I love that you can be a student of the game and perceive all its layers but also be a total novice and still follow the action(unlike football).
Unadulterated athleticism with unbelievable finesse. Futbol is the greatest…I wish I played.