I actually sort of miss the vuvuzelas

[meitachi]

Ever since I read up on all the match-fixing in football, I've been leery of every World Cup game and questionable reffing call. Two penalties already in just three games? I've also been cringing at the obvious dives (my god, Spain, try a little more subtlety), but on the whole I am just really excited because WORLD CUP.

I haven't yet settled on a favorite team I want to go all the way. Germany, perhaps. It's just so exciting to see football on such a large scale, and so many players I like, and so many different countries so excited! I like Brazil booing the traitor Diego Costa every time he touches the ball; I like Kaká and son Luca hugging Neymar. Ridiculous fans dressing up! Catchy music (even though the Pitbull official song is meh, I've really just been replaying Waka Waka and Wavin' Flag and La Copa de la Vida) and snarky commentary!

It's unfortunate that such huge international tournaments like the World Cup attract so many blithely smug casual fans (especially in the US: this why soccer will never be popular!*) and also calls easly to surface a lot of racist and xenophobic comments. On the whole, though, it's still a much more diverse and welcoming fanbase by sheer dint of its size. World's most popular sport? Hell yeah, world's most popular sport.

*It's not that diving isn't an issue; it's that I'd rather talk about it to people who typically watch football and understand how some form of it is part of the sport and can criticize it in context. But it's not like diving doesn't exist in other sports (cough, like hockey), as smug as fans or players of those sports try to be about it. Players sell their injury if they think it'll get a call in their favor; it's neither a brand new thing nor exclusive to any one sport. Yeah, sometimes too much takes away from the game, but it's also frankly tiring to hear nothing but patronizing complaints about diving from people in the U.S. because it reeks of condescension about how their football is superior, which just comes down to a personal preference (and statistically, the popularity of futbol says otherwise), or from hockey fans/writers because, holy god,the hypocrisy and the cringe or rage inducing unconscious showing of their racist/xenophobic ass as well.

But the games themselves have at least been fun, even with the questionable reffing. Oh and football commentary.

NED: *scores 4th goal*
COMMENTATOR: Spain's embarrassment is complete!
NED: *scores 5th goal*
ME: Guess it wasn't quite complete...

At least Xabi Alonso remains beautiful.

Comments

[forochel.livejournal.com]

;_;

[meiface.livejournal.com]

It was just one game! They have time still. :D I'm less invested in Spain doing well since they already have Euro 08, WC 10, Euro 12 under their belts -- it would be exciting to see another team dazzle, y'know? Ahh World Cup!

[forochel.livejournal.com]

yeahhhh i mean it's kind of, they're all like, not past their prime but -- it's been 6 years' worth of the same playign style! SOMEONE will have figured out how to break it! mourinho did it first.


i suppose it isn't so much (ok no, it is A LOT) about the scoreline but that it was to ned???? sooo dnw ned to be the team to dazzle. germany!! or costa rica, hahaha.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

it's been 6 years' worth of the same playing style! oh my lord, yes. they play a beautiful passing game, but after six years it can be super frustrating to watch because it's like DO SOMETHING ELSE!!

if it were going to be Holland, I would only accept it if they were wearing neon orange b/c I'm so fond of orange, haha. but Germany!! and Costa Rica's upset yesterday was super exciting, yay. fuck yo, Uruguay.

[forochel.livejournal.com]

yes! and also it really ... doesn't make for a very exciting game to watch if it's a close match? like, i mean, it's not EXCITING really but at least there's something about watching tiki-taka completely destroy the opposing team. but when you get games like basically ALL OF SPAIN'S GAMES IN 2010 with scorelines like 1-0 it's just THE MOST FRUSTRATING THING IN THE WORLD TO WATCH.


haaaaaaaaaaa omg mei, cross-sports biases. that's amazing!!


(p.s. nOT LIKE YOU CARE but the good thing about the 5-1 ned v esp game is that it BODES WELL for man utd!!!!!! as louis de gaal is the incoming manager!!!!!!!! also i'm glad because it might mean that my dad's blood pressure will not be shooting up every two days. i kid you not.)

[meiface.livejournal.com]

haha there was a lot of commentary about RvP running to de Gaal and the future of Man Utd, but no...I guess I don't care. Although i did laugh some at something like 5 of England's starters being from Liverpool. I've also had a lot of angst about Cheslea players this WC being good, UGH NO.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT CESC. AND CHELSEA??

[forochel.livejournal.com]

NOW I HAVE!!!!


&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& im actually kinda glad for him, he NEEDED OUT OF BARCA!

[meiface.livejournal.com]

I actually have no feelings on the subject except 1. UGH CHELSEA 2. HAHA HE SAID HE'D NEVER PULL A TORRES MAYBE NOW THEY CAN BOND (per jaz: about how they used to be good) and 3. some schadenfreude after how hard Barca tried to convince him to leave Arsenal for them and he FINALLY did and then it was...not a good idea.

[forochel.livejournal.com]

i should probably have stronger feelings but also, like, i feel like.............there was an intermediary as opposed to torres who just went straight to chelsea? I D K

(also oh lord, jaz. /snortlaughs)

[meiface.livejournal.com]

yeah, it's less likely Arsenal fans will hate him the way Liverpool fans are bitter about Torres forever (my stance: I still have feelings for Nando...but he is so wretched, maybe the feeling is just pity). Apparently Arsenal had the right to sign him first but didn't, which is why he went to Chelsea.