World Cup's coming!

[Jeopardude]

Here's a description from NYT of the 1990 World Cup in Italy:

In Florence, a group from Czechoslovakia tried to get me drunk as they celebrated both a 5-1 victory over the United States and their country's first post-Soviet elections. In Siena, a lone Cameroonian carrying his country's flag crossed the central piazza to waves of applause from cafe patrons. In Naples, the woman sitting next to me prayed audibly for Argentina to hold on to its narrow lead over Brazil .

On trains, ferries and planes, I was swept along with cheerful Irishmen, barmy Scots, dancing Colombians and, of course, the Italians, flashing updated scores with their fingers at opera recitals as they listened to matches through earpieces, festooning their apartment balconies by the hundreds in red, white and green, and generally reveling in the monthlong holiday of fun, monomania and anxiety that is the World Cup.

For those who love it, there's nothing better. It's a blast. The spectacle is awesome.

[walkoffsooner]

what ocean?

[Scott D]

Yeah, all that craziness makes up for the total borefest that is soccer.

you really need to watch someone other than italy or germany play

[Sooner95]

I never cared for Soocer either, but it is kinda exciting when USA is a bit better. They are in a tough pool tho, if they can come out of that thing in First place, they have a shot at going deeper than Quarters this yr.

[Scott D]

Actually, the most amusing thing is that people who generally say soccer and/or hockey are boring are the same people who will sit through baseball games and fill in their scorecard half the time...and nothing is more boring than that, other than watching paint dry.

Anyone who had a chance to see the Champions League Final between Arsenal and Barcelona got to see a display that involved two of the top 5 players in the game, although both were slowed up a bit by the rain shower that was going on during the game.

[Jeopardude]

The game is like anything else in life. If you have any emotion, or what you'd consider a personal stake, invested in it, you'll find it interesting. If not, you'll be bored. That's why I'll pick sides when Wisconsin and Minnesota play a cfb game, just to make it interesting.

I don't want to defend soccer or compare it to other sports. I just want to say that I am impressed by the athletic skill and style. And the more I learn about the game, the more involved my viewing is.

[BajaOklahoma]

It's like any other sport, the more you understand the game, the better you can appreciate it.

And the fans - well, have you been around any Little League parents lately? It's a toss up as to which group is worse.

We are having World Cup parties here.

[Scott D]

fwiw....England v. Jamaica in an international friendly is about to start on Fox Soccer Channel.

[Ruuuuuufus]

fwiw....England v. Jamaica in an international friendly is about to start on Fox Soccer Channel.

thanks!

for me it's
England vs. Hungary at 11
England vs. Jamaica at 2

[Scott D]

yeah I just looked and it's last week's game against Hungary now, and Jamaica in 3 hours...the Jamaica game will be live though.

[Scott D]

scratch that, the game isn't live...and a friend in England already told me the result...so it should be entertaining.

[Big Red Ron]

Meh


GOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL

[silverwheels]

I am stoked. Too bad I have to work all day on the 9th. Still, I have DVR.

[Big Red Ron]

I am stoked. Too bad I have to work all day on the 9th. Still, I have DVR.

[Cam]

I'm clearing space on my DVR right now.

We've got wallboards at work and got the video feeds working about a month ago. I'm going to get to watch games at work all month long.

[Jeopardude]

Germany 2006
FIFA World Cup
June 9th - July 9th

Support Team USA
June 12 (Mon) 11:00AM USA (4) Vs. Czech Rep (2)
June 17 (Sat) 2:00PM USA (4) Vs. Italy (14)
June 22 (Thur) 9:00AM USA (4) Vs. Ghana (50)

These times are so much better than 2002 when I got up at 4:30 am to watch US beat Mexico. Or that's how my memory's got it.

[Scott D]

These times are so much better than 2002 when I got up at 4:30 am to watch US beat Mexico. Or that's how my memory's got it.

yeah only being a quarter of the world away instead of half the world away always helps

[Cam]

Setting hte alarm at ungodly hours just so I could watch the games live kind of sucked.

[bri]

Yeah, I just taped all the games and then wouldn't let anyone tell me who won until I could watch them.

[Scott D]

speaking of games...my god. Could Peter Crouch be any skinnier? And that goal celebration....I doubt he was alive when 'the robot' went out of style.