The World's most anticipated sporting event starts today...
The World’s Game: Germany World Cup 2006
In just a matter of hours, Germany will play Costa Rica in the first game of the World Cup, where 32 teams from nations across the globe vie for the title of world soccer champions. By July 9, 2006, it’ll be narrowed down to two competitors, but until then this Cup promises to have some great moments as billions of people watch. It begins with 32 teams broken into 8 sub-groups of 4 (Group A to Group H). The top two teams in each group then advance to the second round, then eight teams to the quarter-finals, then four are left in the semi-finals.
For those of you who don’t follow the World Cup, you may ask yourself, as the most watched sporting event in the world, superseding both the Olympics and the World Series, what is it about “futbol” that captivates people from the fields of Bavaria and Paraguay to Nigeria and Korea? Why do English firms scramble to provide online viewing of the games during business hours as to prevent workers from calling in sick or why would the King of Jordan find it so important to offer free showings of the games for the poor?
Futbol is the world’s game. It the place where kids from the favelas of Brazil with names like Pele and Kaka become national and even international heroes. National identity is cemented in the World Cup as teams like the Ukraine and Serbia and Montenegro declare their independence on the field from the Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia, respectively. It is the place where colonized African nations show up their former colonizers (though France’s team make-up is that of North African and Arab immigrants). Think of the 1986 World Cup final in Mexico, where Argentina dramatically beat England with Maradona's Mano de Dios or Hand of God. The Argentines lost the Falkland Islands’ War, but they got even on the world stage of futbol.
This year, the treatment of African players and racism in the culture of futbol has been a much discussed topic as extremism takes hold of Europe and many players have been targets of hate violence. There are even fears that spectators of color may have to be wary traveling through parts of eastern Germany. Despite this or because of this, the 2006 World Cup theme is “A Time to Make Friends.” Whatever happens on the field, in the stadium, or on the streets, futbol is the inevitable microcosm of the world’s social follies. This is what makes the World Cup so interesting to watch from a sociological perspective.
It isn’t just the politics, of course, but also the love of the game and the talent of the players. Futbol is a global enterprise and the cross-pollinization of African players contracted to leagues in the Ukraine, Brazilians playing in Spain, and Iranians in Germany, make it more interesting to watch each time. Brazil’s got not one but at least six superstars. There’s Ronaldinho, considered the world’s best player, who lead FC Barcelona to win the Champions League and lives by the motto “play beautiful”-which he does. Then there are goal-keeper Dida, strikers Ronaldo and Kaka, young forward Adriano, and defenders Cafu and Roberto Carlos, who both have seen four World Cups. England has got Wayne Rooney- a hot head with an even hotter game who is still recovering from a broken foot but could be a major contender along with Steve Gerrard and David Beckham. Mexico has Buddhist forward Jared Borghetti-a top scorer, Rafa Marquez, and goalie Oswaldo Sanchez, whose father just passed away and may not return to the World Cup.
The Czech Republic also has two of the top players in Europe, Peter Cech, a goalie for England’s Chelsea and Pavel Nedved, a midfielder formerly for Juventus and former Euro player of year in 2003. Argentina, which has lost its soccer edge and glory in the last two cups, has some young and talented players, including 18 year old Lionel Messi, Juan Roman Riquelme, and of course, Hernan Crespo. The Ukraine has both a powerful forward and former boxer by the name of Andriy Shevchenko.
South Korea has its super-fast and agile forward Park Chu Young; Spain has defender Carlos Puyol; France has fierce Thierry Henry; and Ghana has Michael Essien, a midfield for Chelsea, who recently became the highest paid African player. Two additional players to watch for are Dider Drogba of the Ivory Coast and Serbia & Montenegro’s Dejan Stankovic, if not just for his temper tantrums, reminiscent of Bulgaria’s Stoichkov in 1994. Where would the game be without the bravado?
In the 2002 World Cup, the first few weeks were marred by scandal and injury, and really it became anyone’s game. This time around, in Germany 2006 things are going a little smoother, but it is still somewhat unpredictable. Keep in mind in the last World Cup both Korea and Turkey made it to the finals. With a wave of new countries out to disrupt the old guard of soccer dominance- Germany, Italy, Argentina, Brazil- who will be the next Korea? And will countries like Mexico, Spain, and Portugal finally win a World Cup?
In just a matter of hours, Germany will play Costa Rica in the first game of the World Cup, where 32 teams from nations across the globe vie for the title of world soccer champions. By July 9, 2006, it’ll be narrowed down to two competitors, but until then this Cup promises to have some great moments as billions of people watch. It begins with 32 teams broken into 8 sub-groups of 4 (Group A to Group H). The top two teams in each group then advance to the second round, then eight teams to the quarter-finals, then four are left in the semi-finals.
For those of you who don’t follow the World Cup, you may ask yourself, as the most watched sporting event in the world, superseding both the Olympics and the World Series, what is it about “futbol” that captivates people from the fields of Bavaria and Paraguay to Nigeria and Korea? Why do English firms scramble to provide online viewing of the games during business hours as to prevent workers from calling in sick or why would the King of Jordan find it so important to offer free showings of the games for the poor?
Futbol is the world’s game. It the place where kids from the favelas of Brazil with names like Pele and Kaka become national and even international heroes. National identity is cemented in the World Cup as teams like the Ukraine and Serbia and Montenegro declare their independence on the field from the Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia, respectively. It is the place where colonized African nations show up their former colonizers (though France’s team make-up is that of North African and Arab immigrants). Think of the 1986 World Cup final in Mexico, where Argentina dramatically beat England with Maradona's Mano de Dios or Hand of God. The Argentines lost the Falkland Islands’ War, but they got even on the world stage of futbol.
This year, the treatment of African players and racism in the culture of futbol has been a much discussed topic as extremism takes hold of Europe and many players have been targets of hate violence. There are even fears that spectators of color may have to be wary traveling through parts of eastern Germany. Despite this or because of this, the 2006 World Cup theme is “A Time to Make Friends.” Whatever happens on the field, in the stadium, or on the streets, futbol is the inevitable microcosm of the world’s social follies. This is what makes the World Cup so interesting to watch from a sociological perspective.
It isn’t just the politics, of course, but also the love of the game and the talent of the players. Futbol is a global enterprise and the cross-pollinization of African players contracted to leagues in the Ukraine, Brazilians playing in Spain, and Iranians in Germany, make it more interesting to watch each time. Brazil’s got not one but at least six superstars. There’s Ronaldinho, considered the world’s best player, who lead FC Barcelona to win the Champions League and lives by the motto “play beautiful”-which he does. Then there are goal-keeper Dida, strikers Ronaldo and Kaka, young forward Adriano, and defenders Cafu and Roberto Carlos, who both have seen four World Cups. England has got Wayne Rooney- a hot head with an even hotter game who is still recovering from a broken foot but could be a major contender along with Steve Gerrard and David Beckham. Mexico has Buddhist forward Jared Borghetti-a top scorer, Rafa Marquez, and goalie Oswaldo Sanchez, whose father just passed away and may not return to the World Cup.
The Czech Republic also has two of the top players in Europe, Peter Cech, a goalie for England’s Chelsea and Pavel Nedved, a midfielder formerly for Juventus and former Euro player of year in 2003. Argentina, which has lost its soccer edge and glory in the last two cups, has some young and talented players, including 18 year old Lionel Messi, Juan Roman Riquelme, and of course, Hernan Crespo. The Ukraine has both a powerful forward and former boxer by the name of Andriy Shevchenko.
South Korea has its super-fast and agile forward Park Chu Young; Spain has defender Carlos Puyol; France has fierce Thierry Henry; and Ghana has Michael Essien, a midfield for Chelsea, who recently became the highest paid African player. Two additional players to watch for are Dider Drogba of the Ivory Coast and Serbia & Montenegro’s Dejan Stankovic, if not just for his temper tantrums, reminiscent of Bulgaria’s Stoichkov in 1994. Where would the game be without the bravado?
In the 2002 World Cup, the first few weeks were marred by scandal and injury, and really it became anyone’s game. This time around, in Germany 2006 things are going a little smoother, but it is still somewhat unpredictable. Keep in mind in the last World Cup both Korea and Turkey made it to the finals. With a wave of new countries out to disrupt the old guard of soccer dominance- Germany, Italy, Argentina, Brazil- who will be the next Korea? And will countries like Mexico, Spain, and Portugal finally win a World Cup?
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