And so am I. Are you? Who are you rooting for in World Cup 2010?
It all starts tomorrow. 3 ways to follow the action
Added 7/7/10: Joy. My favorite team, Barcelona, I mean Spain, beat Germany 1-0 today on a flying header from one of the most soccer savvy players to ever lace up his boots: Carlos Puyol (fans of the header can rejoice twice because Puyol’s blast was preceded yesterday by an equally emphatic cannon off the forehead of Arjen Robbens). FYI I’m not the only one to get confused about Barca-Espana. The NY Times took notice of the connection today with “Successes Nurtured In Barcelona“. When Barca fans see Xavi and Iniesta weaving the ball around and around, Pedro zipping up the side, and Puyol and Pique and Busquets taking the air out of every attack, its easy to forget that Spain boasts some other strong clubs that are contributing some truly great players. I’ve been cheering myself hoarse for Villa (Valencia), Casillas (Real Madrid), Ramos (also RM), and Alonso (RM). I can’t wait for Sunday’s final.
Added 7/11/10: What a finish! I hope everyone got to see the last two games, Germany-Uruguay and Netherlands-Spain. I heard of lots of commentators today complaining about the final game not being “beautiful” enough and being too “rough”, but these comments are undeserved. The things that make a game truly ugly — players spending more time diving than playing, or the ref determining the outcome instead of the players — were absent. Both teams created good chances for a win, just what you want from a final. The Dutch showed their ability to coordinate a strong defense and unleash a fast-paced counterattack. The Spaniards answered with their own sublime ability to take over and control the ball, involve lots of players in the attack, and fend off their opponents (Spain didn’t allow a single goal in its last four games). Totally mesmerizing. I can’t wait for the next La Liga season to begin.
