Watching the World Cup in Japan

[dedalus]

My life is becoming deranged,

not totally, but bad enough:

our 1 am is 1700 GMT

and 1 pm in Brazil.

 

Up at 1 am for the first match,

which is (A) against (B): Who? Whom? Wha'?

Not a speck of interest, very sorry lads;

so it's back to bed, up again at 4.

 

Plus, sometimes I can’t find the channel

on Satellite Direct …

and so end up with Wimbledon

or blathering talking heads

 

and go nuts: 3500 channels

to choose from, and most of them

not responding, all in the good ol’

Internet Way. I believe I’m fond

 

of football, in a polite and smiling sort of manner,

unless Ireland is playing, a time to go mildly berserk

along with the rest of my rabid countrymen,

with our shamrocks, paint, and weird feckin hats,

 

which is basically what you do

when the Lads are playing, in any stadium,

any-fuckin-where: wall-to-wall green jerseys,

and a rolling chorus of ‘The Fields of Athenry’.

 

Nationalism? Sorry?

Dunno, pal, you just grow up with it.

It's a love, I think, of the beautiful game

in the only way most people know.

 

This year ? (Finally, I hear you say)

I admire the Dutch and want to see them

battle against Germany – Celtic/ Rangers -

and litter the field, as always, with Yellow Cards,

 

but no European team will win.

I support the gutsy Americans,

and those classy boys from Costa Rica,

and I like Argentina and Lionel Messi,

 

but none of these teams will win.

[Tinker]

LOL, You capture the fever with this one.. I just came from spending a week vacationing with my son and his family and they too have the fever. A relatively new thing since their oldest daughter has become quite good at the game and is playing for a nationally ranked club in her age group. Their world seems to revolve around practice and travel for the games.

 

There are thousand of kids in the US playing soccer but for most it is just fun recreation and I think the vast majority of the population here doesn't understand nor appreciate a game that can end in a tie and can end scoreless. The World Cup until the last decade was pretty much a European and South American event. Obviously you get it and convey your love for the game with this poem.

 

~~Tink

[dcmarti1]

"I believe I'm fond of football...."

 

Loved that. Clever.

[Benjamin]

I recall a famous quote by Bill Shankley, the former Liverpool FC manager.... "Football's not a matter of life and death...It's more important than that!"..... Perhaps we could be witnessing the evolution of a universal religion.... Cheers! G.

[Larsen M. Callirhoe]

I have to admit I didn't grow up with world football (soccer) in my face and since that be the case I am not really to particularly fond or keen of this sport for that reason I think. I think it is a boring sport to watch on television much like watching golf. Being at a live world football sporting venue is okay because I as a spectator watch the fans cheering for their team more than I do pay attention to the action on the field just because of all the hot babes (ladies) that attend these matches. However I find hockey much more exciting even if the match ends in a tie of zero to zero. Even though I am not to fond of this sport (soccer) I can be a fan of any team as a spectator who just marvels at other fans who get exciting while a contest is going on. This does make world football matches more exciting to attend live than to watch on television in my opinion. However I hope people enjoy these festive matches of World Cup Football because t unites the world in a peaceful mannerism. Because outside of the United States this sport is a big deal. I will also say I like rugby a lot as well., but I am not to sure how popular that sport is some parts of the world? I watched the United States play in a match 3 days ago and wonder how they made it to the round of 16. They were so terrible and I felt embarrassed to be a part of the world because the Netherlands spanked the United States butt outplaying us something awful and the score of 2 to 1 is nowhere indicative of how the United States played in that game. I mean at one point late in the game the United States had only made like 3 or 4 attempts to score while the Netherlands had made over 33 shots at scoring a goal. So I do understand some logistics of the sport. It is just that this sport bores me to death honestly. And, I know America Football is a very violent sport in nature. I like the rules for Hockey in the Olympics and I will stick to my favorite sport the American past time as boring as most think it is Baseball.

 

By the way after all the nonsense I wrote excellent write. I get it that you have a thing for this sport and your poetry conveyed your love for this sport brilliantly. Thank you for sharing.

 

Much Enjoyed....

 

Victor aka Larsen....

[tonyv]

I live in almost the same time zone as the venue (one hour off) amongst Colombians who I'm sure were disappointed over the recent loss to Brazil. I guess some of the matches have to be scheduled on weekdays/workdays; there are so many of them and the series would never come to an end otherwise.

 

Tony