The United States is out of the 2010 World Cup and the most remarkable thing about that fact is that most of the country knows it. Record-breaking audiences in America watched their national soccer team match England, get robbed of a victory against Slovenia and dazzle in the late minutes against Algeria. This was all en route to the knockout stage — a destination they were expected to make given their pool. But nobody cared about that — only a small percentage of Americans watching knew any back story about their team. They cared because their friend cared, or their neighbor, co-worker or sibling. Everybody seemed to be watching, or was curious at the very least. It left as quickly as it arrived — the excitement — but in its brief period, the American public — a people largely disinterested in the sport — got themselves a fast and free education about the beautiful game.
1. Soccer is not a beautiful game.
I wasn’t around to witness the Pele-era Brazil teams run circles around other nations with short passes, dead-on accurate crosses and goals kissed into the net with just the right touch. But I’ve seen footage, and I played on and against enough teams growing up to experience soccer as a cruel game of keep-away, where one side has the otherworldly chemistry to never lose control of the ball. It’s amazing. It’s art. It’s not the 2010 World Cup. Players flop all over place, turning the pitch into a minefield of prima donnas. As frustration builds, cooler heads don’t prevail, and they commit fouls. Of course, the center referee is blowing his whistle every 30 seconds attempting to keep things in order. But nothing is. It’s sloppy soccer — soccer with brute force. Goals in this World Cup are made on indecent opportunities — when the other team has its guard down, or a referee is too scared to be sure.
