Full Disclosure-I am not a huge soccer fan. I do enjoy it on occasional and respect the game, but I don’t own one of the flashy shirts, barely know any of the players and generally keep the sport at a distance. However, when the World Cup comes around I do watch and become stricken by the action on a daily basis. I find myself checking twitter, arguing calls on the field that I have no clue about and generally becoming swept up in the action. I don’t love soccer but I can respect the addiction some have to it. So I step outside my comfort zone tonight here on Arch City and give you a glimpse into one of the biggest events in sports that very few have any real clue about. The sport has plenty of fans but if I walked up and down a street here in the midwest and asked someone to name 5 soccer players or 10 Non Cardinal baseball players, I don’t have to tell you which group of answers I would receive first.
Let’s talk about the World Cup.
Where is it at this time? Brazil. It will be the second time the country has hosted the event and the first time since 1950.
How long does it take place? June 13th to July 13th. Basically a month of action.
How does it work? 32 teams are separated into 8 groups. In order to reach the groups, the teams were divided into four pots based on ranking, geographic setting of the team and the seeds. Each team consists of 23 players. The top prize for the tournament is 35 million dollars US dollars but each team eliminated in the group stage gets at least 8 million so no one walks home empty handed.
Popular Predictions-Brazil is a good pick to win it all and because they have won the most World Cups, are serving as host and have a great team. Don’t be surprised if Spain, Germany and The Lionel Messi(remember that name) led Argentina gang sneak in there too. These four teams are the ones picked by many to make it past the first few rounds.
How good of a shot does US have here? Depends on who you ask. The soccer nuts see them getting defeated in the first round or possibly the round of 16 stage. They have a good team, a new coach in Jurgen Klinsmann but even the coach doesn’t like the chances of his team. In this interview here he kind of says the team is growing but probably won’t make it. One big problem is leaving fan favorite and solid talent Landon Donovan off the roster. What was he thinking? Donovan only scored one of the biggest goals in USA soccer history that won the guy an ESPY. He’s also a solid player by many reports. Somehow, he was left off the team. The USA are in a group with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, Germany and Ghana so it won’t be easy. An underdog once again.
Stars on Crutches. Ronaldo and Messi are two of the most well known players in the sports but each are getting older and dealing with injuries so don’t expect anything legendary from either this time.
How safe is Brazil? Well, how safe is the Middle East? There have been protests and in a country where the rich and poor live right next to each other, anything can happen. A bullet proof vest and steel helmet won’t be required right off the plane but a fair statement can be made that Brazil is a place where anything can happen. If someone’s team doesn’t make it or if Brazil gets booted early, watch your head for a flying bottle.
The best thing about soccer is the test of endurance and the fact that the game literally has a clock attached to it and it never stops. There are no commercials. There are no breaks. The teams keep playing. You can’t get up and go grab something from the fridge because a goal may happen and that may be one of the only goals scored in the entire game. Soccer is similar to Baseball in the way that both sports require patience, offer a diverse group of smaller games within the game, and have their moments of wild action. So sit down, get a large bowl of popcorn and enjoy this action.
Like March Madness, the best team may not win and upsets are common. It’s all about the action and until the final horn, expect to grow a beard, miss showers and eat a lot of snacks. You have to buy into soccer for a month in order to truly enjoy the cup. With St. Louis getting a soccer team soon, now may be the time to get a good taste of the sport. Maybe, in four years, I can walk up and down the streets and get 5 soccer player names. Learning them myself may help.
The first official game is tomorrow, June 13, at 3 p.m. between Brazil and Croatia. Enjoy!
Thanks for reading.
IMAGE CREDIT-GETTY IMAGES
