The World Cup So Far

Well, 2 days of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa have come and gone so I thought I should take a few moments to summarize and share with you my observations so far. I could present my findings in a nice, formal, professional kind of way that flows and makes sense and is by the book....or, I could just give you some random thoughts. Which do you think I chose??







Best game to watch
Has to be the opener, Mexico vs. South Africa with England vs U.S.A. and Argentina vs. Nigeria a close tie for second.  You just can't top the excitement and atmosphere when the home team plays the first game for an African team in a World Cup on African soil. Plus they played pretty well and were unbelievably close to winning.

Worst game to watch
Uruguay vs. France...by far. I should like France because they have 4 Arsenal players on the roster (3 of which started in the game) but I just can't. They just seem to be primed for a big disappointment. On Wednesday I told a co-worker that I think France will play bad and not make it out of the group stage. Based on their first game, I look like a genius.

Ugliest kit so far
In the world of football, the jersey's they wear are referred to as 'kits'. So far the kits have been pretty good with one exception, the United States. Take a look:

The caption to this photo should read, "I really am not thrilled that I look like a contestant in Miss America." Yeah, I get that this is probably supposed to be a throwback to the vintage 1950 World Cup kit but I think this is a throwback that they should throw back.


Best moment
This is an easy one. It has to be the opening goal by South African midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala. A beautiful build up by Bafana Bafana led to a brilliant strike by Tshabalala. It was the picture perfect opening for the first World Cup on African soil. Check it out:



Best word
Another easy one, it has to be the South African noisemakers called 'vuvuzelas'. These are the horn things that about 75% of the people at the games seem to own. When they are all being blown in unison the sound that is created is like the stadium has just been engulfed by a giant swarm of bees. They might get annoying by the end of the tournament but either way, it's a fun word to say. Go ahead, try it.

Game I'm looking forward to the most right now
That would have to be Ghana vs. Serbia on Sunday morning. Ghana is arguably the best team in Africa and the best chance for an African team to go far in this world cup. Plus I lived in Ghana for 6 months and right beside it for another 6.5 years so I definitely have a strong rooting interest. Go Black Stars!


As always, thanks for reading and please be sure to enjoy yourself some World Cup!