Football

Vasu Reddy From Chicago

vasureddy@aol.com

World cup 2014 soccer in Brazil is entering quarter finals and has been keeping the world glued to the television and radio and also the internet for a few weeks now and should go on for another couple of weeks. As incredible as it sounds this tournament may have a billion viewers or more and only increasing by the day. As of last night when Mexico lost and was out of the tournament, you did not find a single Mexican venturing out on a hot Sunday evening in Chicago. The country lost and most of the fun loving and beer drinking guys were really quiet, and not their usual merry fellows on the weekend. I would not find fault with them as football is really a simple and very competitive game. You have to love the game as it only needs a football and open space (may be not even open space according to a television commercial by McDonald’s), and the game is on. Guys kick the ball all around and run and run, until they are exhausted and there is still no score. Its a simple game and probably the most inexpensive of all sports, which only requires heart and speed to kick the ball around. It truly is a global game and the spirit shown in the 2014 world cup is a testament to the spirit of the world and the spirit of the game of football. Although the Americans as of today are still in the game, they are not odds of favorites to win the world cup, far from being the favorites. Nevertheless the spirit of football is all over the USA and everyone is rooting for the team here.

The game it self is quite simple to understand and the rules are uncomplicated to follow the game. Players don't need anything but shoes and a ball to kick, and the that’s all there is to the real game of football. It is difficult to sit through the entire game as the guys are simply running and running and dribbling the ball, and only once in a while they get a chance to take a shot at the goal and typically the scores are quite low, and even no score in the competitive matches. The field is long and the players need to be in great condition to keep ruining and running throughout the game. The fans are uncomplicated, they simply love their teams and the game. They root constantly and even the commentators simply keep blabbering, except for the occasional shout “GOAL”. All said and the done the beauty of the game is just that it is simple and uncomplicated, and the world loves it.

The following of the country teams and also the local and professional clubs is phenomenal and unmatched in any other sport. The Americans display a lot of support for all their sport teams, but nothing comes close to the support for the football teams, specially the national teams and when the stage is the world cup. It is a spectacle unmatched by any other vent in sports, perhaps any other event; period.

USA has another game to today, and if they win tomorrow and a few more to win before the final and if they win the final, I am sure there will be a celebration that will be the mother of all celebrations. I am not betting on the USA to win at this stage, or probably at no stage. The punters are fully busy, and the betting is being done in hundreds of millions of dollars. Wherever the fans and teams are, there are also gamblers who go along for just the betting, and world cup soccer is probably one of the biggest betting stage on earth. Whatever the final outcome, the game is going to keep the world glued to the television for a whole month, and all other news is secondary for the duration of the tournament, and this time it is the beautiful Brazil, which is a country which is just beautiful by itself, and also a country that has a chance to win the world cup. No matter who wins and what will be the final outcome, the game will keep the world smiling and happy for its duration, not just because of its simplicity but also for the love of it, the whole world loves the game, and it is truly a spectacle to watch and enjoy.