World Cup 2002

I suppose it’s inevitable, as there seems to be a blog for all tastes (and then some) these days, but I’m quite a happy blog surfer to find this great World Cup blog (via The Blog of Chloe and Pete).

I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be in Japan at this moment of World Cup 2002, and while my wife and I haven’t been able to scrounge up (or afford!) any tickets (yet! apparently FIFA is now doing some same-day Internet sales), what a thrill just to be here, walk around Tokyo and feel the excitement in the air, and watch the games LIVE on tv at normal viewing times (which reminds me, I need to finish this up as Argentina vs. Nigeria will be coming on the telly in less than an hour’s time).

Being an American, naturally I have not been much of a fan of soccer (or football as most of the world calls it, though here in Japan it’s known as “soccer”). Actually, I think it’s more accurate to write that I was never really allowed to become a fan of soccer. But having the World Cup in one’s own (albeit brand new) backyard does wonders for fandom, not to mention the nerve-wracking excitement of watching Senegal hold off France for 60 minutes after going up 1-0 in the opening match. Of course, being able to watch uninterrupted 45 minute halves with no annoying ad banners helps too, as does utilizing the SAP button on the tv remote and being able to listen to English-speaking Premiership commentators who are unmatched in their pithy brilliance (although I do have to admit to missing Andres Cantor — his patented “Goooooooal” must have gotten a workout during Germany’s 8-0 rout of Saudi Arabia last night).

Japanese TV is all agog with World Cup coverage as can be imagined, most of it centered on the national team, which will be lucky to make it past the first round, although we’ll be rooting for them. However, as I can still barely understand the language, I’ve been starved for alternative sources and for stories that don’t feature the term “hooligan” (the hooligan angle has been played up in just about every World Cup story on Japanese tv for the last two months, the Japanese are obsessed with the idea of unruly foreigners disrupting their hallowed “wa” or harmony). The World Cup blog perfectly fills the need. Where else can one find links to stories like this one from a Johannesburg newspaper about the South African team being allowed to have sex during the World Cup if they want to?