World Cup: Amazing Goals, Blind Refs, and Amusing Stereotypes

Today at work I accidentally claimed to be a racist. How do you do such a thing accidentally? Well, I said that I thought Germany would win their World Cup game tomorrow against Spain, and I was trying to insinuate that I picked my favorite teams based on their national stereotypes, but I chose my words poorly. It ended up sounding more like, "I want the Germans to win based on my background of bigotry and hatred of other races."

This is not exactly what I said and I was not being serious, but I have a habit of delivering such "jokes" so dryly and directly that people think I am being completely serious. Whatever.

Anyways, the World Cup gives us a chance to see soccer players from around the world come together and compete to be the greatest footballing nation for the next four years. It is marketed as a meeting of different cultures from around the world to unite for the love of soccer. This is true, but the part I think I enjoy most about the World Cup is just seeing how different countries play the same game.

The differences in each countries tactics and style in soccer seems to me to be almost comically in line with national stereotypes for each country.

For instance, the Asian teams are all dwarfed in size on the field by the other nations. The South American teams all look and play like they have the "Latin temperament" and would just as soon stab you as shake your hand. The Europeans have problems staying on their feet and crying on the field after a seemingly "hard" foul.

Despite the unity that a world class sporting event is supposed to nurture, I feel that most of the players have a hard time looking past these national stereotypes themselves. Sure, they will all say that they just look at it as another game, but really they can't help but thinking that, "Here we go again, with those bloody Italians." or "These Germans are efficient, but they are pricks!" And of course, "U.S.A.? Ppfffff...they suck."

I did enjoy rooting for the U.S.A., but in the end I have a hard time feeling that they really had a successful tournament. They only won one game, managed to come from behind to tie two and then lost in the Round of 16. I'd say they were lucky to even make it to the Round of 16. England pretty much completely sucked this year, Slovenia choked and let the U.S. come back, and Algeria just isn't that good. To have to come from behind to tie is not really that good in terms of sports. Sure, its better than a loss, but your team doesn't get its shit together until they have their backs against the wall. That is no way to win the World Cup.

Every time I watch the World Cup I am reminded of why this sport is not popular in the United States. Mostly because nearly every game seems to be decided by a well timed dive, a horrible call by the referee, or some other sneaky underhand tactic. In soccer if you can get away with it, then it is all legal. The seemingly questionable fairness of some games, leaves you with the question of "Did the better team really win?" In America, we use Instant Replay, so that we don't have to ask these questions. "Was that really a goal?" Of course it was, we all saw it on Instant Replay and the referee did too, which means that they really are a better team.

To have so many bad calls and discrepancies is bad for any game. "Didn't they just score a goal?" Yes, but the referee was looking at his socks and didn't see it go in, so it didn't count. FIFA needs to get their shit together. To have a world sporting event that is dictated by bad calls and diving, right now I am wondering why I even watch it.

Well, that is my take on the World Cup 2010. Only a couple games left and then we will see who is the greatest footballing nation for the next four years.