Random Ramblings - June 9, 2010

United States looks good for World Cup

by Daniel Jones

Every four years inquisitive viewers can catch a glimpse of some of the world’s greatest athletes participating in what is unquestionably the world’s greatest game.

While many may think I’m talking about the Olympics, they are far from the truth. I am, in fact, speaking of the FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by South Africa from June 11 - July 11.

Known worldwide as “the beautiful game”, Soccer catches a lot of flak in the U.S. for being boring, and I’ve never understood why that stereotype exists. Of course, matches may end in a 0-0 tie, which is unheard of in American sports, and a 2-0 win is usually a huge blowout, but the action and emotion in the game is unparalleled, especially when watching the national teams play.

My love of the sport began in 1994, when I spent part of my summer away from Many Junior High following that year’s World Cup, which was held at stadiums throughout the U.S. As the years passed, I started paying more attention to club teams, especially Manchester United in the English Premier League.

The national team did well in the 1994 cup, making it past the group stage of the tournament and into the Round of 16 knockout phase, before losing to Brazil in the first round. Of course the soccer powerhouse Brazil, which has won the cup an astounding five times, went on to win the tournament 3-2 following a penalty shoot-out against France.

In 2010, the United States team should at least make the round of 16 again, if only on the shoulders of world-class goaltender Tim Howard, who currently plays for Everton in the English Premier League. They are also playing in Group C against Algeria and Slovenia, with their only real problem toward advancement being England.

The team also contains other seasoned veterans of international play such as Landon Donovan, who claims 122 caps (appearances) for the national team with 42 goals, and DeMarcus Beasley, with 91 caps and 17 goals for the team.

Also of note is Clint Dempsey, who currently plays for England’s Fulham F.C. and is our “local” representative, hailing from Nacogdoches, Texas.

For those interested in watching parts of the tournament, broadcast rights are held exclusively by ESPN, with some games being shown on ABC. For those of you at the absolute cutting edge of technology, 25 games will be shown in 3-D on ESPN 3D.

The United States first game against England will be aired at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 12 on ABC.