World Cup II

A few early observations:

1. The vuvuzela is easily one of the most annoying features of watching a sporting event since the wave. It may even be worse; while we couch-ensconced spectators aren't necessarily subjected to the sight of several thousand people proving they can indeed stand up and sit down at the same time, we can't get away from the stupid buzzing sound made by a cheap plastic trumpet. If I wanted my sports to sound like that I'd set up a TV in the Pratt & Whitney parking lot.

2. I think the U.S. v England match gives us a hint about one of the reasons we back'ards provincial 'Mercans aren't as into soccer as the rest of the world. Judging by the high levels of verbiage expended on the game and the U.S.'s surprisingly strong showing, a reader might think England had gone down to ignominious defeat (as they did some 230-odd years ago under Coach Cornwallis, I believe). The result was actually a tie -- in pool play, of course, that's worth one point so you still have a chance to move ahead to the next round. But the hoopla surrounding this tie just seemed a little off. Maybe Americans, not being as sophisticated as the European centres (a.k.a. "centers") of the soccer world, are just a little uneasy at the idea of getting this excited about kissing our sister.

3. Yesterday at the gym the TV showed the Germany v Australia match. I always enjoyed watching a soccer match in person, and there's a reason we call blowouts in any sport "yawners," but good grief! It looked like the only reason Germany scored four goals was because they didn't want to score five; a game this lopsided does not help increase the ol' cardio rate on the elliptical.

4. This morning, U.S. time, I watched part of a game between Denmark and the Netherlands. Up until seeing them on the same playing field at the same time, you would have had trouble getting me to swear the Danes weren't the Dutch and vice-versa. Even now, I'm not sure there's no CGI involved. And it seems like a Dane defender had the same problem, as he headed the ball off his teammate into the net for an own-goal, forty minutes before the Dutchmen could score one for themselves.