I have to admit, I haven’t watched much of the world cup this year. It’s not because I don’t like soccer. In fact, since the last world cup, my appreciation for soccer has skyrocketed. I’ve really come to enjoy the patience, teamwork and technical skill that soccer requires. While I hate the flopping that goes on [although headbutts are entertaining] I love how soccer [and sports in general] have the power to bring people together. I’ve been to Europe, The Caribbean, and South & Central America and even if you can’t speak the same language, if somebody pulls out a soccer ball, to play, everything is good.
So it’s not because I don’t like soccer that I haven’t watched many games, it’s just not having a TV makes it fairly hard to watch games. That combined with my current schedule of working, training, blogging, and occasionally sleeping [when I'm lucky] makes it hard to fit in much else. However, tomorrow, I’m making an exception. I’ll be watching the game start to finish. Why? A couple reasons:
- It’s the World Cup championship. It only happens every four years
- Spain
I’m 1/4 Dutch so this is probably traitorous to say that, but back in 2008, I spent 6 weeks studying and traveling around Spain. I absolutely fell in love with the country, the culture, the food and of course, the futbol (soccer). Just about everything about the place. I was there when they won the Euro Cup in 2008 and saw mobs people fill the streets cheering while waving around the Spanish flag. The atmosphere was electric, I can’t imagine what it’s like there now.
Soccer can definitely bring people together, but when it comes down to a game like today, you have to choose sides. I’ll be rooting for Spain. =)
¡Vamos España!
Who are you rooting for? Spain or Netherlands?
My name is Joel Runyon and I write about pushing your limits and telling a great story by 
VIVA ESPANA!
I’m glad you rooted for the Spaniards. This way we can still be friends.
By the way, that’s pretty crazy that you’re partially Dutch. Speak any Dutch?
What I love about football (soccer) is that it brings the whole WORLD together. Everyone watches it. People just gather in streets, outside shops, in strangers’ homes, and just enjoy the games together.
I really want to be in a European or South American country watching the games next World Cup (or maybe Euro 2012). That kind of atmosphere is priceless.
Perhaps a trip to the Netherlands/Germany/Sweden 2012?!
I gotta go with Spain Jess. I love that country so much =)
I don’t speak any dutch sadly. I don’t even know what other language it resembles (I would assume german?). All I know is my grandmother was from there (so that makes me 25%, right?), but she died when I was young so I don’t know much
I love that everyone can get around soccer and enjoy it, even if they’re rooting against each other. I would LOVE to go to the world cup in Brazil in 2014 or just permanently move to Spain and be there for 2012.
I miss Spain
Soccer and other sports definitely brings people together. I was on the road traveling the day of the final World Cup match and had stopped off at a rest area and while I was using the restroom I heard an extremely excited voice speaking Spanish from the next room. I wanted to see what was going on so I walked around to where the voices were and there were all these groundskeepers listening to the final minutes of the game on a Spanish radio station. Spain had just scored what would be their winning goal. They didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Spanish but we all enjoyed just standing around that radio. So you are spot on about how sports can be a universal language that brings people together.
That’s a sweet story Matt! So cool how simple stuff like soccer can be such a common ground for people that otherwise probably be in contact with one another.