World Cup: Conclusion

First, let me just say that the final was actually a little bit more entertaining than I was expecting it to be, so I won't whine too much about that. Howard Webb being card-happy but not consistent made things interesting too.

My own fervent dislike for Spain notwithstanding, I understand why the Dutch went after the Spanish the way they did. The only way to stop Spain playing their game is to put them on the floor, and the Dutch did that, with almost enough effectiveness to take the match to penalties. Spain have no one to blame but themselves, really. Playing possession the way they do means opposition teams will resort to whatever measures they have to in order to get a sniff at the ball.

Iniesta should have been sent off well before his goal. Van Bommel and De Jong too. It wasn't a pretty final. I'm still kind of disgusted with myself that I actually watched it, to be honest.

Other than the final, though, I thought there were some really bright spots to the tournament.

Germany played some of their best football in years. Their precision and finishing on the counterattack were spectacular, and entertaining as well. Watching them dismantle first England and then Argentina was mesmerizing. Everyone will be banking on them as one of the favorites in Brazil.

Uruguay gave a great account of themselves, pushing the Dutch and then the Germans all the way. Diego Forlan was in great form, and yeah, I don't think much of Suarez for his imitation of a goalkeeper, but the squad carried the banner for South America with a lot of heart and a lot of pride.

South Korea and Japan both showed that they have some very bright rising stars and that they do have players who can hold their own with the best in the world. Park Ji Sung captained South Korea with a lot of class, and Keisuke Honda lit up the cup with his free kicks and technical ability. And at the risk of reinforcing stereotypes, both teams always worked hard, never backed down, and the fact that they both made it to the round of 16 with non-foreign coaches bodes well for the future of the game in Asia.

So overall, I found this World Cup thoroughly enjoyable and fun to follow. A number of surprises, some great finishes to matches, and signs that perhaps in 2014, the seat of footballing power will shift just a little more away from the traditional centers.

World Cup: Photo

Pepe Reina and Fernando Torres console Oscar Cardozo after Spain beat Paraguay 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Cardozo missed a penalty that would have given Paraguay the lead only minutes before David Villa scored the winning goal for Spain. Torres in particular waited ages to make sure he spoke personally to Cardozo after the match, even while his teammates were celebrating Spain's historic passage to the semifinals around him. I'm no fan of Spain, but this was one of the classiest moments of the World Cup.

I don't care who wins the World Cup...

As long as it's not Spain.

I stopped liking Spain when Luis Aragones was caught on tape trying to motivate Jose Antonio Reyes by calling Thierry Henry "negro de mierda", and then came out and tried to defend himself by saying, "I have black friends, therefore I can't be racist."

I started hating Spain when I went there and found out that the old bastard reflected the country's greater opinions on people of color. I have great respect for players like Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Pepe Reina. In all aspects of their careers they've been exemplary professionals. But when the pull on the red and gold for Spain, to me they represent a backward, narrow-minded, racist society. Torres himself has said how much he respects Aragones. For that, I've lost some respect for him.

Every country has its problems. Maybe none of the countries left in the World Cup deserve to win it. But at least if a country like South Africa won it, I could say, at least they've made progress in terms of race relations, at least they've taken a step in the right direction.

World Cup

It's safe to say that when World Cup time rolls around, I get pretty excited. I've only really been aware of three World Cups before this one--France 1998, South Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006. USA 1994 was, surprisingly and unfortunately, mostly off my radar.

So far, South Africa 2010 has been a great tournament. Of course people are complaining about this that and the other thing, but the football itself has been pretty entertaining. The big teams have all had a few stumbles to make things really interesting, and South America's teams have really stepped up to the plate to give it a real go. I haven't seen every single match, but I've seen most of them, and these are my thoughts as the group stages wind down and the round of 16 starts to shake out.

Chile look like a great side, and one to watch in the future. They play quick, attractive football. Their only issue is finishing and scoring goals. Putting away one chance of many against Switzerland was okay, but if they want to beat Spain, I think they need to find more firepower up front. Nevertheless, I think they'll go through, because all they need to do is hold Spain to a tie. And they deserve to.

USA finished top of their group, ahead of England, the first time they've topped their group since 1930. The US players individually aren't stars; you don't have Liverpool's and Chelsea's captains in the starting lineup, no Wayne Rooneys or Frank Lampards to headline the squad. But the US as a team work hard, play like a unit, and don't give up. I think, in some ways, the team has benefited from the lack of popularity of football in the US--it gives the team a rallying point, a motivation, a unifying factor that the big teams like England don't have. The US also have a decent chance at getting through the round of 16--Ghana are tough opponents, but not as daunting as some of the teams on the other side of the bracket.

Germany were machine-like in their first match against Australia, though not quite as convincing in their second and third matches. There's some real quality in the squad, and I think it's really just a matter of consistency for the Germans. If they can reach that higher plane of performance like the Australia match and maintain that intensity and precision, they'll be a favorite to win it all. The unfortunate thing is, they get England in the round of 16, and if they advance, they face the winner of the Argentina/Mexico match. Hardly an easy route to the final.

Argentina, Spain, and the Netherlands all have a decent shot at the final as well. Argentina and Spain didn't perform all that well in the group stages, but you would expect them to up their game for the round of 16 and beyond. The Netherlands have been rather quiet yet confident in the group stages, but for them it's a matter of not peaking too early in the tournament. Argentina faces the unfortunate prospect of going up against England or Germany if they can get past Mexico; Spain, depending on how they fare against Chile, will probably face Brazil or Portugal. The Netherlands may end up facing Italy in the round of 16, but Italy have looked fragile at times, and I think the quick-attack style of the Dutch would get the job done.

It's unfortunate that BBC sees the imminent advancement of at least one smaller team through to the round of 8 as a disappointment. From their live commentary yesterday: "Tonight's result, by the way, means that one of the United States, Uruguay, South Korea or Ghana are guaranteed to be semi-finalists. That's what it would have meant to England had they won the group. Ho hum."

I'm sorry, I didn't realize that the point of the World Cup was to ensure an easy route to the finals for the biggest and "best" teams. And considering the uninspired performances England gave in the group stages, there's no guarantee England would have even made it through that field. Fuck off BBC, you arrogant pricks.