World Cup 2006

I probably can't even categorize myself as a casual soccer fan. I don't play the sport. I barely know the rules. I can probably name 10 soccer players, active and retired. But once every four years... I'll stick to the tube like every other person around the world - outside the US.

My earliest memory of the World Cup came in the '86 Cup where Brazil lost to France in PK's in the quarterfinals. It was soooo nerveracking, my brother and I couldn't stand watching it. We ended up hiding in our parents room and played "Imaginary PK's." Him being Brazil, me being France. And of course...in our perfect world, Brazil won.

I don't remember watching the 1990 World Cup at all. The only thing I remember from that summer was an Italian friend of mine got into a fight with an Irish friend when taunting went too far... Heh... kids....

Then came the summer of '94, which will go down in personal history as one of the best summers I've ever had. I remember that being the first time me and my dad "hung out" together, just the two of us. My brother wasn't into soccer at all. He being older, at that time, was much more interested in girls. So it was definitely good times for father / son bonding. The most vivid memory in 94 was watching Columbia kick into their own goal against the US. Later, the player who committed the unforgivable, was shot and killed upon arriving back in Colombia.

World Cup '98 was another devastation. I watched Brazil get their butts handed to them by France while feasting over some Weinerschnitzel chili cheese fries at Chris's house down in Cal Poly. Next day...I failed my midterm cuz I was so sad....

The '02 World Cup was very bittersweet. Bitter, because I got laid off days before the event started. Sweet, cuz I got to stay up and watch almost every game. Bitter, cuz China didn't even score 1 goal (NOT EVEN ONE!!!!!). Sweet, cuz I got to watch those games with my dad at 3AM in the morning. That night after China lost its first game to Costa Rica... my dad told me, "Son...China just lost. I don't think I can ever fall back asleep..." Oh...the pain he must've been in.

Sigh...on a happier note. FIFA's website currently has the US team ranked 5th overall, with a 40:1 odds at winning the Cup. Funny how much politics get put into amateur sports nowadays. Cuz the line at Las Vegas has the US team at 400:1. Go figure...